The national construction industry returned to modest growth in September following 18 months of contraction, according to the latest AiGroup/Housing Industry Association Performance of Construction Index (PCI).. House building outperformed other industry sectors, with the rate of growth in activity increasing by 11.9 points to 64.4, its highest level since December 2007. Commercial construction registered its 17th decline in the past 19 months, with a sub-index reading of 48.6 (07 October 2009).

 

There are many Gorgon contracts yet to be awarded, but of the $8 billion in traditional downstream engineering work up for grabs by Australian engineers over the next seven years - the big-three have already received just under half ($3,625 billion) (12 October 2009)

 

One hundred companies, including 56 from NSW, have been kicked out of the Federal Government's multi-billion dollar ceiling insulation program for shoddy work and dodgy practices. Since the Government announced the scheme, hundreds of businesses have sprung up selling insulation and dozens have proved dodgy, engaging in shoddy work and shady financial dealings (10 October 2009)

 

Business urged to act on asbestos before new compliance laws come into effect under Fair Work Act. New OHS laws are likely to precipitate tougher enforcement by regulators, particularly in regards to asbestos and other hazardous material compliance. This makes the stakes high for business, given that failure to comply in the current legislative environment may result in fines of up to $436,000 and imprisonment (08 October 2009)

 

Draft occupational health and safety laws could see homeowners held criminally liable for exposing a tradesperson or visitor to risk on their property The duty-of-care obligation would also be extended to renters, exposing the occupants of a dwelling to criminal charges and penalties including fines of up to $300,000 and/or jail terms of up to five years (08 October 2009)

 

A construction company failed to plan effective procedures ahead of tropical cyclone George, which slammed into a mining camp killing two people and injuring 20 workers, a Perth court has been told.

The company Laing O'Rourke is on trial in the Perth Magistrates Court for failing to provide a safe working environment and failing to instruct and train its employees against hazards (05 October 2009)

 

Stage one involves the construction of a 153,000 megalitres storage at Traveston Crossing on the Mary River to deliver up to 70,000 megalitres per year. Stage two, due for completion in 2035 (should it be required and if approved), will see Traveston Crossing Dam potentially yielding up to 150,000 megalitres. The Queensland Government has yet to make a decision in relation to the development of Stage two as this will be dependent on future demand, project viability, and further environmental approvals (06 October 2009)

 

The Central Queensland regional coal industry is on track to receive a major boost following conditional approval for a QR project linking the Moura-Gladstone line with the Aldoga Industrial precinct north of Gladstone. Premier Anna Bligh says Queensland Coordinator-General Colin Jensen has signed off on the project's environmental impact statement (EIS) (08 October 2009)

 

Queensland Government announces beginning of environmental investigations into proposed $1.25b Abbot Point harbour development for North Queensland. Premier Anna Bligh says the project means Abbot Point could become an industrial powerhouse capable of rivalling Gladstone. The Premier says Coordinator-General Colin Jensen has declared the Abbot Point Multi Cargo Facility Project a significant project for which a State Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required (08 October 2009)

 

Installations under the Bligh Government’s Queensland Solar Hot Water Program have begun following the appointment of the Program’s first supplier. Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said the Bligh Government had entered into a Standing Offer Arrangement with Conergy Australia, while negotiations continued with other short listed suppliers (08 October 2009)

 

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe has announced the State’s eighth state development area (SDA) to facilitate construction of the ‘gas super-highway’ needed to kick-start the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry in Queensland. Mr Hinchliffe said acquiring the corridor for the pipeline had been a key election commitment with $30 million set aside for the necessary acquisitions (08 October 2009)

 

Brisbane’s $1.88 billion new duplicated Gateway Bridge will meet in the middle next month, marking a milestone for the country's biggest road project. The project is ahead of schedule, with completion of the bridge due by mid-2010 (08 October 2009)

 

Mining services company Runge has announced two new patents for mine planning as part of its enterprise solution, Mining Dynamics. Related to the methodology of the overall framework titled ‘method and system of integrated mine planning’, the process has been pioneered by Runge for over four years (05 October 2009)

 

The Bligh Government is on track to deliver 4,000 new social housing dwellings across Queensland over the next three years. Housing Minister Karen Struthers said that by June next year, almost 500 new social housing dwellings would be built in the first stage of the Nation Building and Economic Stimulus Plan (05 October 2009)

 

Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2009

Civil Liability and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2009

Water Amendment Regulation (No. 3) (SL No 211 of 2009) amends the Water Act 2000 An explanatory note accompanies the subordinate legislation for the Water Resource (Pioneer Valley) Amendment Plan (No. 1) (SL 2121 of 2009)

State Development and Public Works Organisation Amendment Regulation (No. 3) (SL No 214 of 2009) amends the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971

 

PROCEDURE – SUPREME COURT PROCEDURE – QUEENSLAND – PRACTICE UNDER RULES OF COURT – PLEADING – DEFENCE AND COUNTERCLAIM – where parts of the Defence have been struck out on previous occasions – where those parts have been re-pleaded with no substantial change – whether those parts of the re-pleaded Defence should be struck out

PROCEDURE – SUPREME COURT PROCEDURE – QUEENSLAND – PRACTICE UNDER RULES OF COURT – PLEADING – DEFENCE AND COUNTERCLAIM – where the parts of the Defence sought to be struck out have some relevance – where the defendant complains that he is unable to provide further particulars – where there remain some flaws in the Defence – whether those parts of the Defence should be struck out

 

CONTRACTS - BUILDING, ENGINEERING AND RELATED CONTRACTS - OTHER MATTERS - whether the respondent should be restrained from seeking an adjudication certificate and filing a judgment in court pursuant to ss 30 and 31 of the Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2001 (Qld)

 

ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING – DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS – CONDITIONS – conversion of existence three-way unsignalised intersection to a four lane signalised intersection – competing designs – appropriate design speed – appropriate geometry – weight to be given to design manuals – proper application of design manuals – whether Council’s preferred design is an unreasonable imposition – exercise of discretion where Council’s design would involve substantially more work at about twice the cost without significant commensurate benefit - difference between the traffic engineers reflects their different approaches to the interpretation and application of the design manuals