A Japanese company has unveiled a plan to build a $250 million commercial tower on Ann Street... »
News
$18m boost for remote housing
THE two Northern Territory islands of Nguiu and Groote Eylandt will be given $18.5 million to build houses and repair old properties under a Rudd government plan to provide incentives for Aboriginal people to sign private leases over their townships. Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, who will announce the funding today, said the 40-year... »
Australian construction activity slumps in Nov
Activity in Australia’s construction industry shrank for a ninth consecutive month in November as collapsing confidence and tightening lending standards strangled the industry, a survey showed on Friday. The Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association performance of construction index (PCI) dropped 4.4 points to 32.0, the second-lowest reading since the survey began in 2005 and... »
Deconstruction of building companies quickens
THE number of Australian companies that have gone into insolvency has soared over the year, with construction firms among the worst affected. Figures from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union show the monthly rate of construction companies with winding-up applications against them has gradually increased over the year from 15 in the month... »
Wanted: new universe by the beach
FORGET about the global financial crisis and focus on what really interests Australians over summer: contemplation of the perfect seachange. But where to find such an idyll? After all, hasn’t everything within cooee of the coast been fully priced for years? Well, maybe. But then again, maybe not. The Australian seachange universe is comprised... »
Coastal towns next year’s property hotspots
COASTAL towns from Tully in Queensland to Upper Burnie in Tasmania are tipped to be among next year’s property hotspots, as house prices in capital cities experience modest falls and upmarket property languishes under the strain of the financial crisis. In its final property pulse report of the year, RP Data says it expects... »
Sydney Opera House architect dies
The Danish architect of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon, has died at the age of 90, after suffering a heart attack. Mr Utzon, an award-winning architect, put “Denmark on the world map with his great talent,” said Danish Culture Minister Carina Christensen. Having won a competition in 1957 to design the building,... »
Concrete convoy converges for massive Gateway pour in Queensland
A convoy of trucks carrying enough concrete to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools converged on the Gateway Upgrade Project as part of a massive 15 hour continuous concrete pour. The pour – the largest to be undertaken on the congestion-busting $1.88 billion project – would form a part of a new interchange linking the... »
Construction strength set to fade
Construction work done bounced back in the September quarter but the strong growth phase that has been experienced by the industry over the past five years is predicted to moderate, according to Master Builders Australia (MBA). Peter Jones, MBA’s chief economist said, “The key to the outlook for the construction industry over the next... »
Construction work rebounds sharply in Australia
Canberra (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) – Construction work has rebounded sharply, buoyed by significant growth in engineering. In the three months to September, completed construction work rose by a seasonally-adjusted 4.4 per cent, compared with the previous quarter, to A$34.2 billion (US$22.26 billion), according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. »
Construction workers pressure Rudd govt
Labor is under pressure from its own to abolish the construction industry watchdog. Protesting construction workers, who have gathered at the front of Parliament House in Canberra, have won the support of the ACT’s Labor Attorney-General Simon Corbell. Mr Corbell said the federal Labor government should abolish the controversial Australian Building and Construction Commission... »