Inside Construction

NexGen’s Lauren Fahey is urging the construction sector to rethink how it attracts, recruits and retains women as redundancy patterns expose deeper flaws. By Lauren Fahey, executive director at NexGen. Over the past few months, I’ve been contacted by women in construction who have been made redundant. Highly capable women. Women who were doing good work. Women who want to stay in construction, and yet when work slowed or projects wrapped up, they were the first to go.

Cost, supply and delivery are moving targets in construction, but FTI Group is working to restore certainty. Instability in construction supply chains is being driven by a mix of global pressures, many of which sit outside a project’s control. Ongoing geopolitical tensions are adding to that uncertainty, even when products are not sourced directly from those regions.

Justine Youl has seen the difference between safety on paper and safety on site, and she decided it was time to do something about it. After more than 20 years in construction and heavy industry, Justine Youl sold everything, moved to Bali with her three children and set out to build a company from scratch. It wasn’t a sudden move, but the result of years spent working on site and questioning how things were done. At 18, Youl wanted to become an electrician.

Risk management in construction has traditionally relied on years of accumulated data. Visibuild is using AI to bring that intelligence forward to day one of a project. Risk management influences cost, program, quality and reputation. It is one of the few levers the industry has to protect margins and improve project outcomes. Most major issues can be traced back to a risk that was either identified but not carried through or not identified early enough.

The Australian and NSW governments have committed $11 million to a new TAFE Construction Centre of Excellence in Sydney’s west, set to benefit thousands of construction workers across the country. Workers can now access two new fee-free microskills – short, practical online courses. The centre will also work with industry and universities to develop a first-of-its-kind Higher Apprenticeship in construction, creating a new pathway that combines hands-on training with higher-level qualifications.

More than 30 Coates team members and supporters have taken on Sydney’s steepest street as part of this year’s Humpty Dumpty Balmoral Burn to raise funds for children’s healthcare. Marking its 25-year milestone, the event turned Mosman’s 420-metre Awaba Street climb into a show of community spirit, with participants braving brief rain showers.

Futurebuild Australia focuses on the products, systems and technologies shaping how projects are delivered. Futurebuild Australia’s Ash North. By Ash North, event director of Futurebuild Australia. From office towers and health facilities to retail and mixed-use precincts, the construction industry is being asked to deliver more, faster and to higher performance standards.

Finalists for the 2026 Women in Industry Awards have been announced, recognising contributions across Australia’s industrial sectors.

The NSW Government has selected DOMA Group as the delivery partner for Honeysuckle HQ, the final piece in the revitalisation of Newcastle Harbour. The mixed-use precinct will deliver around 1,000 new homes alongside jobs, public spaces, hospitality, tourism and cultural offerings on the city’s harbourfront.

Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) is calling for government reform to meet international standards for ‘before you dig’ services to prevent underground utility strikes. According to BYDA, more than 15,000 underground utility strikes occur each year in Australia, costing the national economy $4.6 billion through project delays, service disruptions and productivity loss, and exposing workers and communities to serious risk.