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Gamuda Engineering has secured the Sydney Metro Stations Package West as principal contractor, covering design and construction of five new underground stations at Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays on the 24km Sydney Metro West line between Greater Parramatta and the CBD. The scope includes deep station boxes, entrances and access points, full station fit-out and integration with surrounding precincts, with Laing O’Rourke and DT Infrastructure joining as MetroVista delivery partners. Site works are scheduled to start on Monday, 5 January 2026.

Electrification of mining fleets is advancing beyond early pilots, with battery-electric haul trucks, loaders and light vehicles moving from trial phases into multi-year deployment contracts despite recent pull-backs in some OEM roadmaps. Dan Gleeson details how mines are pairing 6–8 MWh battery trucks with on-site fast-charging bays and trolley-assist lines, and integrating underground BEVs with upgraded 11 kV substations and ventilation recalculations. Operators are reassessing mine plans, ramp gradients and power quality to manage peak loads, charger placement and heat rejection from high-capacity battery systems.

Metso has launched the Outotec Robotic Split Strip, a compact hydraulic‑robotic system for separating copper cathode sheets from mother plates in electrorefining circuits, designed for both greenfield and brownfield plants. The unit uses robotic handling and flexible tooling to improve stripping precision and reduce sheet damage and copper waste compared with conventional mechanical strippers. For plant engineers, the modular layout and automation focus allow retrofit into existing cells with minimal footprint, supporting tighter process control and more consistent cathode quality.

Nixon Hire has launched Pulse, a browser-based portal for its site cabins and solar assets that tracks real-time energy use, carbon impact and operating cost for off-grid renewable deployments. Developed over 18 months with a reported seven-figure investment in data infrastructure, Pulse provides asset-level performance diagnostics, flags energy generation issues and quantifies fuel and CO₂ savings. Users can benchmark efficiency across multiple sites and periods, export portfolio-wide reports in PDF or Excel, and access depot-level ESG and sustainability metrics for corporate reporting.

Aggreko has signed a minimum 15‑year power purchase agreement with Harmony Gold to build and operate what is described as Australia’s largest off‑grid renewable hybrid power facility for the Eva copper project in northwest Queensland. The build‑own‑operate arrangement will combine on‑site renewables with thermal generation and battery storage to supply continuous power to the remote open‑pit operation. For mine planners and process engineers, the long‑term PPA locks in a dedicated low‑emission power source, influencing pit expansion options, processing throughput and future electrification of mobile fleets.

Difficulties implementing mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) are slowing housing projects, with a Home Builders Federation survey of 80 firms finding 84% still struggle with BNG and 80% reporting planning delays while local authorities review biodiversity assessments. Sixty per cent said BNG has deterred them from pursuing sites that would previously have been viable, citing policy uncertainty, inconsistent application of requirements and cumulative regulatory cost. Some capacity issues are easing, with reported shortages of in-house expertise down from 79% to 66% and adequate off-site biodiversity unit supply up from 31% to 47%.

NG Bailey has acquired Sutton-in-Ashfield-based Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), a £30m-turnover business specialising in mechanical and electrical engineering, steel and composite fabrication, civil works and advanced water control products supplied through exclusive European partnerships. The deal targets the AMP8 water sector programme, which is set to double UK water infrastructure investment to £104bn over five years, and gives NG Bailey deeper access to clients including the Environment Agency, Severn Trent, Anglian, Welsh and Yorkshire Water. ESG’s management, brands and workforce will remain in place within NG Bailey’s Built Environment division.

Barratt Redrow has appointed GTC to deliver a site-wide smart energy system for the 576-home Cosmeston Farm scheme in Wales, targeting operational net zero carbon and outperforming the Future Homes Standard. The integrated package links networked ground source heat pumps, solar PV, home battery storage, smart controls and optimisation, grid flexibility services, and GTC-owned electricity and water networks, while still allowing residents to choose their electricity supplier. GTC will monitor whole-home energy use and local network performance, with Cardiff University independently reviewing data to verify net zero operation at scale.

Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads has issued a detailed design tender for two new south-facing ramps connecting to the Sunshine Motorway at Mount Coolum, tied to an upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway–West Coolum Road interchange. The scheme must integrate with Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s planned link between Suncoast Beach Drive, South Coolum Road and West Coolum Road, creating a new local–motorway interface. Designers will need to resolve ramp geometry, weaving lengths and tie-ins to existing pavement while accommodating future council road connections.

Northern Star Resources’ March quarter gold sales have surged, signalling a production ramp-up across its Western Australian assets including Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and the Super Pit. Management is positioning for record output in FY25–26 as processing throughput and mine development advance at key hubs such as Yandal and Pogo, supported by higher mill utilisation and improved grade control. For contractors and suppliers, the trajectory points to increased demand for underground development, open-pit fleet capacity, and plant optimisation services over the next 12–18 months.

Ausenco has secured an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Hillside copper project, signalling progression towards full project execution after a prolonged permitting and feasibility phase. The mandate covers process plant design, materials handling and associated infrastructure, positioning Ausenco to define key specifications for concentrator throughput, tailings management and power supply. For geotechnical and civil teams, the EPCM scope will drive final decisions on pit geotechnics, foundation systems for heavy plant and haul road geometry ahead of construction mobilisation.

South Australia’s $15.4 billion River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project has installed the first of three 300‑tonne tunnel boring machine cutterheads, a key step in delivering Adelaide’s non‑stop north–south transport corridor. The lift confirms TBM assembly is advancing on schedule for the twin‑tunnel section, which will carry high‑volume traffic beneath existing urban development. For civil and geotechnical teams, the milestone signals imminent full‑face tunnelling, with associated demands on segment lining logistics, spoil management and settlement monitoring in densely built areas.

ION Minerals has expanded its lithium brine portfolio to just over 280,000 mineral acres across the Smackover Formation in East Texas/Arkansas, the Texas Panhandle and Saskatchewan’s Duperow Formation, with adjacent Smackover projects reporting 47–60 tonnes LCE per acre. The company now controls nearly 50,000 acres between Tetra Technologies’ Evergreen Brine Unit and Standard Lithium’s Reynolds and Franklin units, plus 65,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle where internal work suggests up to 2.4 million tonnes LCE in place. A further 165,000 acres in southeast Saskatchewan could host up to 2.5 million tonnes LCE, with multi-bench Duperow drilling and testing scheduled for summer 2026.

Global tungsten producer EQ Resources has appointed former Newcrest chief development officer Michael Nossal as independent non-executive chair, replacing Oliver Kleinhempel from March as it advances its tungsten growth strategy. The board reshuffle comes as EQ Resources continues to position its Mt Carbine operation in Queensland and other assets in a tight global tungsten market dominated by Chinese supply. Governance stability and Nossal’s project development background will be closely watched by offtakers and financiers assessing long-term tungsten supply security.

Victory Metals has reported “exceptional” metallurgical leaching results from its 100 per cent-owned North Stanmore heavy rare earth project in Western Australia, with a particular uplift in yttrium recoveries. The company is advancing column leach tests and optimisation of acid consumption after earlier bottle-roll work, targeting a clay-hosted rare earth system amenable to low-cost in-situ or heap leach-style processing. For geometallurgy and mine design, the results point to potential simplification of beneficiation flowsheets and greater emphasis on leach pad hydrology and solution management rather than complex concentrator circuits.

Aggreko has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Harmony Gold to build and operate what is billed as Australia’s largest hybrid power facility for the Eva copper mine project in northwest Queensland. The off-grid system is expected to combine high-penetration solar PV with thermal generation and battery energy storage, replacing conventional diesel-heavy supply for the planned open-pit copper operation. For mine planners and owners, the deal signals growing bankability of large-scale hybrid PPAs to cut power costs and emissions on remote greenfield sites.

Approval of a 60 per cent Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) concrete mix by VicRoads for road and transport projects across Victoria marks a major shift in allowable low-carbon binders for state infrastructure. The mix, developed and trialled with Geoquest Australia, replaces the majority of Portland cement with SCMs such as fly ash and slag, cutting embodied carbon while maintaining performance to VicRoads specifications. Designers and contractors can now specify substantially higher SCM contents on VicRoads projects without seeking project-by-project exemptions.

More than $107 million from the latest round of the Federal Government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (SLRIP) will fund 42 new road projects across Australia, targeting safety and productivity upgrades. Over $91 million of this is allocated to projects on nationally significant routes, supporting works such as intersection treatments, shoulder widening and pavement rehabilitation. Designers and contractors can expect a pipeline of small to medium packages focused on reducing crash risk and improving freight efficiency on existing corridors.

American rare earth refiner ReElement Technologies has secured a strategic investment and collaboration with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation to pair MMC’s feedstock sourcing and recycling network with ReElement’s patented chromatography-based separation and purification platform. The partnership targets US midstream bottlenecks by supporting ReElement’s Noblesville, Indiana refining operations via feedstock supply, tolling and offtake, and by jointly assessing rare earth and critical mineral recycling projects in Japan using MMC’s existing recycling infrastructure. ReElement’s modular, chromatography-based plants are designed to process recycled materials, mine waste and primary ores into high-purity oxides with lower capex and operating costs than conventional solvent extraction.

Kinross Gold has lodged its $1.5 billion Lobo-Marte project with Chile’s Environmental Impact Assessment System, proposing sequential open-pit mining of the Marte and Lobo deposits in the Atacama region over a 16-year life. The plan centres on a static, six-phase heap leach pad and plant processing about 35,000 tonnes per day, supplied by freshwater piped from existing Mantos de Oro wells near Nevado Tres Cruces National Park and power from a 220 kV line. A 3.5-year build is envisaged, with production of roughly 4.7 million oz at an AISC of $680/oz, starting after La Coipa closes 50 km away.

Allied Gold shareholders have approved Zijin Gold International’s C$5.5 billion all-cash takeover at C$44 per share, giving Zijin control of the 80%-owned Sadiola mine in Mali plus the Bonikro–Agbaou complex in Côte d’Ivoire and the Kurmuk development in Ethiopia. Sadiola’s Phase 1 expansion, centred on a new comminution circuit treating higher-grade transitional and oxide ore, lifted 2025 output to 193,880 oz within group production of 379,000 oz, slightly above guidance. Allied is keeping 2026 guidance at 385,000–425,000 oz from existing mines plus 100,000–150,000 oz from Kurmuk, targeted to start up mid-2026.

Aura Minerals has more than doubled its proven and probable reserves to 7.22 million gold-equivalent ounces (GEOs) from 3.44 million, spanning six operating mines and two development projects across the Americas. Key drivers include a 170% reserve increase at the Borborema mine in Brazil following pit expansion, updated geological models and higher gold price assumptions in a new feasibility study, plus added underground reserves at Almas and the June acquisition of the Mineração Serra Grande mine from AngloGold Ashanti. Aura drilled over 106,500 metres in 2025 on US$21.8 million of exploration spend and is targeting 600,000 GEOs/year versus 280,000 GEOs produced in 2025.

A House of Commons committee warns that accelerating coastal erosion is putting UK transport corridors, utilities and other critical national infrastructure at growing risk, with some assets already within metres of receding cliff lines and undefended shorelines. MPs found current planning rules and fragmented funding streams delay or block schemes such as realignment of coastal roads, relocation of wastewater treatment works and reinforcement of rail embankments. The inquiry calls for a national coastal adaptation strategy, clearer responsibilities between the Environment Agency and local authorities, and long-term funding to prioritise defence, managed retreat or asset abandonment.

National Grid has launched an £80M framework tender for installing high voltage cable circuits across its UK transmission network, seeking contractors to deliver multi-year works. The framework will cover new and replacement circuits on existing 275kV and 400kV routes, including jointing, testing and commissioning, as well as associated civil works such as ducting, trenching and cable trough construction. Bidders will need proven capability in live-network interfaces, outage-constrained programmes and compliance with National Grid’s technical specifications for high voltage cable systems.

National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) CEO Becky Wood marks the body’s first year by stressing its role in setting long-term, cross-sector infrastructure priorities and giving earlier, clearer signals to project promoters. She points to Nista’s statutory remit to advise on nationally significant schemes and its work to align major rail, road and energy investments with a single pipeline. For consultants and contractors, this signals more emphasis on whole-life value, standardised business cases and earlier engagement on scheme scope and risk.

Graham has secured places on six lots of the Procure Partnerships North West Contractor Framework, covering construction Lots 4–6 and infrastructure Lots 10–12 for public sector projects valued from £5m to over £30m. Managed by Wirral Council, the framework comprises 13 value- and category-based lots, with 53 contractors appointed following assessment against detailed technical and commercial criteria. Graham ranked first on infrastructure Lots 11 (£15m–£30m) and 12 (£30m+), positioning it strongly for medium- to large-scale regional infrastructure commissions.

Gold prices extended their rally on Wednesday, with spot gold up 1.8% to about $4,760/oz and US futures approaching $4,800/oz, taking gains to 4.5% over four sessions after President Trump announced a pause in missile strikes against Iran. De‑escalation signals, including Trump’s claim that US forces could leave the region “within two weeks, maybe three”, eased inflation fears, pushed the US dollar lower and revived expectations that the Federal Reserve has “limited bandwidth” to raise rates. JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo and BNP Paribas all maintain bullish targets between $5,400 and above $6,000/oz, with some strategists seeing $5,000/oz as plausible on renewed rate‑cut bets.

Half of small and medium builders report job starts being delayed, with 49% affected, as 72% struggle to recruit skilled trades such as bricklayers, carpenters and site managers, according to the joint FMB and CIOB state of trade survey for H2 2025. Respondents cite extended lead times for critical path activities, difficulty assembling full site teams, and pressure on labour rates as key constraints on programme delivery. For infrastructure and housing projects, this signals higher risk of schedule overrun and tighter competition for experienced site-based personnel.

Major coastal defence works have started on the Sussex coast as the Environment Agency launches its annual spring programme to protect thousands of homes and businesses from tidal and storm-surge flooding. The campaign typically includes beach recharge using imported shingle, repair and raising of timber and rock groynes, and maintenance of concrete seawalls along key frontages such as Pevensey and Shoreham. Contractors will be working within tight tidal windows, with designs based on recent extreme water levels and wave conditions to maintain crest levels and reduce overtopping risk.

BHP, Atalaya Mining and Xtra Energy Corp. led MINING.COM’s March Global Mining Power Rankings as investors favoured operational delivery and exposure to copper, potash, lithium and antimony amid conflict-driven spikes in oil and shipping costs. BHP secured 10.7% of large-cap votes on the back of its July CEO transition to Brandon Craig, roughly $20 billion committed to copper and potash growth, and the Jansen potash build, while Atalaya topped small caps with 8.2% after delivering about 51,000 tonnes of 2025 copper and raising roughly £127–130 million for expansion. Micro-cap Xtra Energy drew 17.1% of votes after test work produced ~63% antimony concentrate at ~97% recovery, signalling potential near-term US supply of this critical mineral.

OceanaGold’s latest drilling at the Wharekirauponga low-sulphidation epithermal system, 10 km north of Waihi on New Zealand’s North Island, has defined a new high-grade zone on the southern extent of the East Graben vein, with hole WKP144A returning 5.4 m at 25.8 g/t Au from 483 m and WKP144B cutting 14.9 m at 16.3 g/t Au from about 467 m. The emerging zone spans roughly 150 m of strike and remains open, complementing December 2025 resources of 2.63 Mt at 17.3 g/t Au (1.46 Moz) measured and indicated plus 2.9 Mt at 8.5 g/t Au inferred (800,000 oz). OceanaGold is running three drill rigs, with two more due in Q2, and is studying an underground mine that would tie into existing Waihi infrastructure, subject to permitting and further definition drilling.

Network Rail has completed replacement of thousands of glazing panels on the historic trainshed roof at London Liverpool Street, Britain’s busiest station by passenger numbers. The works form part of a wider roof refurbishment programme targeting ageing glass and steel elements to improve weatherproofing, daylighting and thermal performance over the concourse and platforms. For asset managers and structural engineers, the project signals ongoing investment in life-extension of Victorian station roofs rather than wholesale reconstruction, with implications for inspection regimes, access systems and future maintenance planning.

Proposals to finally ban cash retentions in UK construction contracts are dissected in Re:Construction podcast Episode 199, with Bishop and Taylor weighing impacts on supply-chain cashflow, SME contractors and existing JCT/NEC payment mechanisms. The hosts also question a Whitehall plan to cut statutory consultation requirements on infrastructure and planning decisions, examining risks for project challenge and programme certainty. A lighter segment looks at plug‑in solar panels and the oddly named fuel component Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, touching on practical implications for site power and plant emissions.

GeoPura has signed a 10‑year agreement with Forth Ports to install a commercial‑scale green hydrogen production plant at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, supporting construction of National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing. The facility will use renewable electricity to produce hydrogen for GeoPura’s hydrogen power units, which are being deployed as an alternative to diesel generators on the scheme’s major temporary works. For contractors and plant suppliers, the deal signals growing demand for hydrogen‑ready equipment, on‑site storage, and revised logistics for fuel supply to large infrastructure projects.

Two major roundabouts have opened on the A12 in East Suffolk to serve the Sizewell C nuclear power station construction site, which is expected to host almost 8,000 workers at peak. The junctions are designed to handle high volumes of HGV and workforce traffic accessing the coastal site, reducing reliance on smaller local roads. For civil and geotechnical teams, the works signal substantial highway interface, pavement design and traffic management demands over the multi-year construction period.

An Amentum-led joint venture has been appointed to provide engineering services for the UK’s first small modular reactors at Wylfa, targeting multi-unit deployment on the former nuclear site and early integration with existing grid and marine infrastructure. In parallel, Holtec’s 300MWe SMR-300 pressurised water reactor has cleared a key UK regulatory milestone for potential installation at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. Together, the projects signal accelerated planning for SMR-ready brownfield sites with established cooling water access and high-voltage export capacity.

Ivanhoe Mines has cut 2026 Kamoa-Kakula copper anode guidance to 290,000–330,000 tonnes (from 380,000–420,000 tonnes) and 2027 output to 380,000–420,000 tonnes (from 500,000–540,000 tonnes), after a new reserve model reduced contained copper by 24.7% and reserve grade by 28%. The mine plan now caps underground extraction at about 60% versus previous 70–80% assumptions, widens pillars, excludes inaccessible zones and prioritises 2026–27 development, rehabilitation and faster backfill sequencing, lifting cash costs. Ivanhoe still targets >500,000 tonnes per year from 2028, but its shares have fallen about 35% year-to-date, with BMO cutting its price target from $23 to $16.

Ground Data for Growth Bill proposes mandatory sharing and standardisation of subsurface investigation data, turning borehole logs, CPT results and geophysical surveys from individual project assets into a national digital resource. By reducing duplicated ground investigations and improving access to historic GI records, the bill aims to cut early-stage geotechnical uncertainty, programme risk and contingency allowances on major schemes such as HS2-scale corridors and urban tunnelling. For practitioners, this signals stronger emphasis on interoperable formats, metadata quality and long-term stewardship of ground models.

Sandvik Mining has secured a large order from Aris Mining to supply underground loaders, trucks and multiple development, production and longhole drill rigs for the Marmato gold mine expansion in Colombia. The fleet will support deeper underground mining below the existing operation, where ramp haulage and high-intensity stope production will demand high-availability loading and haulage units. For mine planners and engineers, the deal signals a shift towards more mechanised, drill-and-blast stoping at Marmato, with corresponding implications for ground support, ventilation and power distribution design.

Ausenco has secured the EPCM contract for Rex Minerals’ Hillside copper-gold project on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, about 150 km west of Adelaide, one of the country’s largest undeveloped copper assets. The mandate covers full engineering, procurement and construction management for the greenfield operation, positioning Ausenco to define plant layout, materials handling systems and tailings and water management infrastructure. Geotechnical and civil design decisions at Hillside will be closely watched, given its scale and coastal setting with associated foundation, groundwater and environmental constraints.

EPCA has signed an agreement to convert a Caterpillar 988 wheel loader to full battery-electric drive for EMJC, delivering a complete electric powertrain retrofit rather than a new OEM unit. The E-988 project will draw on EPCA’s prior experience electrifying large mining assets, targeting zero tailpipe emissions and reduced diesel-related maintenance on a high-duty-cycle load-and-haul machine. For mine operators, the conversion pathway signals growing options to decarbonise existing medium–large wheel loader fleets without immediate fleet replacement.

Errigal Group has acquired Dungannon-based specialist joinery manufacturer Woodmarque, which has expanded its factory from 50,000 sq ft in 2019 to 130,000 sq ft and increased turnover six-fold over the past decade. Woodmarque, which produces high-volume doorsets and bespoke joinery for commercial, residential and hospitality projects across the UK and Ireland, will continue to be led by its founders, the Quinn family. The deal follows Woodmarque’s March 2024 purchase of Bristol-based Doorlining, signalling further consolidation in UK and Irish doorset and fit-out supply chains.

National Housing Bank has begun operations as a Homes England subsidiary, mandated to deploy up to £16bn in debt, equity and guarantees to support more than 500,000 homes and large regeneration and mixed-use schemes across England over the next decade. The institution aims to unlock over £53bn of private investment, working with house builders, developers, registered providers and Mayors through Homes England’s new regional model. Launch details include a £100m partnership with Aviva to deliver up to 3,300 build-to-rent homes in underinvested urban areas, starting with 300 units in Liverpool and Manchester.

Kier has awarded Kimpton a £2.4m contract to deliver mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for the new Wythenshawe Culture Hub within the town’s Civic building, part of a £500m regeneration led by Muse and Manchester City Council. Kimpton will design and install heating, ventilation, air conditioning, smoke extraction, a building management system, internal and external lighting, small power, fire alarm, access control and public address systems. Work is scheduled to start on site in autumn 2026 and complete by mid‑2027, serving a 40‑seat cinema, 200‑seat performance space and flexible studios.