PlantMiner suppliers reaping the benefits of mining sector ramp up and increased infrastructure investment

Daniel Wilson   |   June 18, 2017

In the 12 months since June 2016, PlantMiner, which was recently named as one of Westpac's top 20 businesses, has more than quadrupled the average value of a transaction won by businesses listed on the online marketplace.

PlantMiner is Australia’s largest construction marketplace for acquiring plant, equipment and subcontractors. Anything from portable toilets to 100-tonne excavators.  

This increase in average transaction through the platform has resulted in $8.4m in revenue generated for suppliers throughout May 2017. This result has come off the back of some early indicators that the mining services sector is beginning to ramp up and a recent increase in infrastructure investment.

PlantMiner chief executive Michael Trusler said they were seeing more tenders for large mining infrastructure projects including Rio Tinto’s Amrun project in Weipa QLD and the Balla Balla project in WA’s iconic Pilbara region.

“We’re also seeing an increase in requests for equipment such as light vehicles for mine sites, which is another indicator of positive things to come” Mr Trusler said.

The federal budget released in May 2017 also produced a wave of nation-building infrastructure spending. Some $75 billion in infrastructure spending over the coming decade will begin to deliver dividends as early as 2017-18. The infrastructure spending plans were across Victoria, NSW and south-eastern Queensland, as well as Sydney's sprawling western suburbs. It included a broad area of regional Australia that largely missed out on the resources boom.

In one of the biggest investments ever seen in regional Australia, the Government will fund the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project with $8.4 billion in equity to be provided to the Australian Rail Track Corporation. Construction on this 1,700km project will begin in 2017-18 and will support 16,000 jobs at the peak of construction and provide benefits, not just to Melbourne and Brisbane, but for all the regions along its route.

In addition there was a provision for $1 billion to fund priority regional and urban infrastructure in Victoria, including $500 million for regional passenger rail, $1.6 billion towards a $2.3 billion road and rail infrastructure package in Western Australia that will create 6000 jobs and provide better access to the Fiona Stanley Hospital precinct, and $844 million for new Bruce Highway priority projects including to upgrade the Pine Rivers to Caloundra section.

If you're interested in getting your gear out of the yard and building your online presence, register your business or give our team a call on 1300 550 434 and see how you can get in on the action.

Daniel Wilson
Felix’s General Manager, Dan Wilson, is an expert in the construction marketplace landscape. His thought leadership is helping shape the industry during a significant time of change and technical innovation. Famous for his office idioms, Dan’s passion, leadership and drive ‘goes off like a frog in a sock’ and is unparalleled in the industry. He lives and breathes Felix, connecting people who have a hire need, with companies who have what they need.
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