From ConstructionIndustryNews.net
Wednesday, 17 June 2009 

NEW South Wales will undertake a record $62.9 billion infrastructure program over the next four years, supported by federal stimulus and nation-building packages.

Total state infrastructure investment is budgeted at $18 billion in 2009-2010, a 29.1% increase on the current financial year.

From Constructioncontractor.com.au
Tuesday, 16 June 2009

NSW premier, Nathan Rees, has announced that the NSW budget will support up to 160,000 jobs a year through a $62.9 billion building program over the next four years - the largest infrastructure investment in the state's history.

The premier made the announcement during a tour of the $1 billion expansion of Port Botany that includes five new shipping berths and a new container terminal, supporting 540 construction jobs.

From Constructioncontractor.com.au
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Doug Huett

IN THE last 15 years I, like most readers have watched the cost of "compliance" spiral out of control - we have reached the stage where we almost have to have a JSEA (job safety and environmental analysis) before we can go to the toilet!

In a previous life with the Civil Contractors Federation a very wise and far sighted gentleman from the Victorian Branch, Ken Edgley foresaw the need for smaller to medium sized contractors to put in place management systems to help cope with this approaching snowball called "compliance". This arose from the necessity of contractors having to submit so much documentation each time they tendered for a job with a different client. It was around the mid 90s that the public sector clients became nervous and began introducing formal pre-qualification for contractors, consultants and suppliers. And, of course, each client had to have their "own" prequalification. Why? Because "we're different". Our requirements and conditions are different to the neighbouring shire, authority or state, they said.

From Constructioncontractor.com.au
Tuesday, 9 June 2009 

Laing O'Rourke will build the $130 million Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre extension, increasing the centre's convention facilities by 50 per cent.

Queensland premier, Anna Bligh, announced the project win in early June. She said that the expanded convention centre would be the only one in Australia with three stand-alone plenary halls, able to accommodate from 400 to 8,000 delegates, and 42 meeting and event spaces.

From ConstructionIndustryNews.net
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 

CURRENT port, rail, energy, water and other infrastructure are in poor condition to support growth in the minerals sector and exports, according to a national audit on the country’s export infrastructure carried out for the Minerals Council of Australia.

Pulling through the current economic downturn will require new physical and social infrastructure and the upgrade of existing facilities, it said.