Major construction projects you might have missed out on this year

Australia continues to see an increase in construction and mining projects get underway across its states and territories following the recent global pandemic and over the past months, Felix Vendor Marketplace has also seen several projects come through our platform. 

Picking up from our previous post, below is a list of projects that were made available to our Marketplace vendors. 

Naughtons Gap Road – NSW 

Naughtons Gap Road is a critical road in Casino, New South Wales. It was severely damaged due to several flood events that occurred over the past two years and the road was closed because of multiple landslides. The Richmond Valley Council is taking steps to repair and remediate this vital road. Reconstruction of the road is expected to take up to 12 months to complete. 

Tomingley Gold Mine – NSW 

The Tomingley Gold Mine is located about 50 kilometres southwest of Dubbo in the Central West region of New South Wales. It is comprised of both open cut and underground mines and it is being developed as part of Alkane Resources’ broader Tomingley Gold Project. This mining project was initially approved to be operational until 2025, but it was recently granted development consent until 2032. 

Port Botany Rail Expansion – NSW 

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), on behalf of the Australian Government, is duplicating the remaining 2.9-kilometre section of single line track that runs to Port Botany. This project will help increase capacity on the Botany Line as well as the wider Metropolitan Freight Network, allowing for freight to be moved more efficiently. The Botany Rail Duplication project will also encourage moving freight from road to rail to reduce truck movements and congestion on local roads. 

Western Sydney Airport – NSW 

The new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport at Badgerys Creek is being built to aid Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport to meet the increasing demand for aviation services in Sydney, which is expected to double over the next two decades. Construction on the new Western Sydney Airport commenced in 2018 and is on track to be completed in 2026. The overall project is anticipated to support up to 11,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

Snowy Hydro 2.0 – NSW 

The nation-building renewable energy project will help underpin Australia’s secure and stable transition to a low-carbon emissions future. Snowy 2.0 involves linking two existing dams – Tantangara and Talbingo – with 27-kilometre tunnels and constructing a new underground power station. Once completed, Snowy Hydro 2.0 will provide an additional 2,000MW of generation capacity and about 350,000MW of storage capacity enough to power up to 500,000 homes in a week. The project is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs over its life. 

Wandoan Solar Farm – QLD 

The Wandoan South Solar Farm consists of about 250,000 solar photovoltaic panels that will have a maximum output of 125MW. Construction on the solar farm commenced in 2022 and it is built on a 500-hectare site in Woleebee. Once fully operational, the Wandoan South Solar Farm is expected to produce about 365GWh of renewable energy annually, assisting Queensland in meeting its target of 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032. 

Beams Road Level Crossing – QLD 

The current Beams Road level crossing is going to be replaced with a rail overpass that will separate road and rail traffic, reducing congestion and improving safety. This project will also include upgrading the existing Carseldine park ‘n’ ride facilities, construction of a new access road at Balcara Avenue and delivery of paths for walking and bike riding. Pre-construction works commenced in March 2022 and a construction contract is due to be awarded in late 2023. 

Lake Macdonald Dam Upgrade – QLD 

The Lake Macdonald Dam – also known as Six Mile Creek Dam – is going to be upgraded as part of Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Program. This is set to be the dam’s first major upgrade since the dam wall was raised in 1980. The safety upgrades will include temporarily lowering the water level, catching and relocating aquatic fauna as well as removing the existing dam and spillway structure, rebuilding a new dam and spillway in the same location, which will be wider and feature a combined ogee and labyrinth configuration. 

Murchison East Rail Upgrade – VIC 

Works to upgrade the rail line in Murchison East is being delivered as part of the broader Shepparton Line Upgrade, which is carried out in three stages. The first stage is already completed and Stage 2 is currently underway, which includes platform extensions and improvements at Murchison East station. Other works include the extension of a crossing loop near Murchison East to enable trains to pass each other safely. 

Robertson Barracks – NT 

Robertson Barracks is a major Australian Army base located at Holzte in the Northern Territory, about 15 kilometres east of Darwin. The Robertson Barracks Base Improvements project that will deliver essential upgrades to facilities and infrastructure on-site will be carried out to help Robertson Barracks meet the projected demands of the Australian Defence Force and its partners. Major construction activities are due to commence in late 2023 and be completed in late 2026. 

Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine – WA 

The Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine is First Quantum Minerals’ flagship operations in Australia that will involve processing nickel laterite ore extracted through open-cut mining activities. The mine is located in Bandalup Hill, about 35 kilometres east of Ravensthorpe in Western Australia. It was first opened by BHP and after the mine was closed in January 2009, First Quantum Minerals acquired and reopened the mine after an 18-month modification and re-commissioning phase. Due to low nickel prices, the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine was placed on care and maintenance in 2017. In January 2020, production at the mine re-commenced following the purchase of 30 per cent shares by POSCO. 

Greenbushes Lithium Mine – WA 

Talison Lithium’s Greenbushes operations is located directly south and adjacent to the town of Greenbushes in Western Australia. The mine sits about 250 kilometres south of Perth and Fremantle as well as a major container shipping port. The Greenbushes mine is also about 90 kilometres south east of the port of Bunbury, which is a major bulk handling port in the State’s south-west. Talison Lithium along with its predecessor companies have been producing lithium from the Greenbushes operations since 1983, with mine recognised as Western Australia’s longest continuously operated mining area. 

Goyder South Stage 1 Wind Farm – SA 

The Goyder South Stage 1 wind farm is being developed as part of the broader Goyder Renewables Zone in South Australia’s Mid North region – near the towns of Burra and Robertstown. Stage 1 is further split into two sections, Stages 1A and 1B. Stage 1A is comprised of 38 wind turbines with a total generation capacity of 209MW while 1B is made up of 37 turbines with a total generation of 203MW. The Goyder Renewables Zone is a large-scale hybrid renewable energy project that consists of two separate projects – Goyder North (north of Burra) and Goyder South (south of Burra). 

Whether it’s a small-scale civil construction or a multi-billion-dollar mining project, Felix Vendor Marketplace lists all sorts of opportunities that our clients can engage in and, eventually, win thousands to millions of dollars’ worth of work. 

If you are searching for some extra work in your area or if you want to get involved in any of the projects listed above – or projects of the same scale – Felix Vendor Marketplace might be able to assist you. 

Find out more about the work opportunities we can offer your business and the exceptional service that our Marketplace team will provide you here. 

Source: Richmond Valley Council (1, 2); Alkane Resources Limited (1, 2); Australian Rail Track Corporation; Western Sydney Airport; Australian Government - Western Sydney Airport; Snowy Hydro; Vena Energy Australia; QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads; Seqwater (1, 2); Victorian Government – Regional Rail Revival; Victoria’s Big Build – Regional Rail Revival; Australian Government – Defence; First Quantum Minerals; Wikipedia; Talison Lithium; Goyder Renewables Zone (1, 2)