Reed Construction Data (formerly Cordell) report that during September, government-funded works continued to provide labour activity for various sectors. This follows the revelation in August that a combination of BER contractors (builders, architects, etc) and major infrastructure nominees in many regions have begun to approach their operational capacities.
Although BER projects continued to progress during September, the majority remained in planning and tender stages.
Recently there has been a rise in approvals of large scale residential projects in both brownfield and growth corridor locations.
NSW/ACT:
Several BER school projects (private & state owned) reported at tender and construction stage, with those from previous rounds progressing to tender stage. A steady stream of contracts was also awarded. To fast track this process, many applicants opted for Complying Development Certificates (CDC) to bypass the DA process. Third and final round of funding announced for the P21 schools nationwide.
QLD/SA/NT:
BER school projects kept the industry busy, particularly in Queensland. For P21 Round 2, most contracts went to major companies acting as construction managers. Tenders from builders that are pre-qualified to the state government’s level 1 & 2 will be called later this year/early next year: work to be finished by end of March 2011.
VIC/TAS:
Progress in line with other regions, with a further 645 Public/Private School projects were added in September. Rounds 1 & 2 of P21 advanced through the tender and construction stages. To reinforce the accumulation of schools labour, Round 3 of P21
(released this month) anticipates ongoing activity for building professionals in these states.
WA:
Government projects are on the rise, including a combination of the BER, public/social housing and hospital projects. BER private schools now out to tender: with builders moving quickly with bid