Four finalists for ACAA 2019

The recently announced 2019 ACAA finalists exemplify world-class construction and the vital role of an integrated, innovative and sustainable Australian supply chain.

Four mega projects with a combined value of over $4 billion have been announced as finalists in the 2019 Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA) by the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) together with Engineers Australia.

The award, now in its 22nd year and sponsored by InfraBuild (formerly LIBERTY OneSteel) and other major businesses, brings together major construction projects and utilises a rigorous judging process to assess their ability to achieve key project parameters, the complexity and optimisation of the project, and the leadership and management of the project. 

The four finalists for the 2019 Award, which will be presented in Sydney on 23 May 2019, are:

• Barangaroo South, Sydney, by Lendlease
• Bridge over the Clarence River at Harwood, Northern Rivers, NSW, by the ACCIONA Infrastructure and Ferrovial Agroman joint venture (AFHJV)
• Chith Export Facility, Weipa, by McConnell Dowell
• Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC), Queensland, by Nexus Delivery.

Lindsay Le Compte, Australian Constructors Association Executive Director, said: “These projects exemplify the world-class construction outcomes and solutions that Australia’s construction industry and its supply chain can deliver for clients. The range of skills, technology and innovation involved in these projects showcases the capacity of the industry and its ability to identify and overcome complex project requirements.”

Barangaroo South, Sydney, NSW – Lendlease

Barangaroo is Sydney’s largest urban regeneration project in a generation. The new waterfront city precinct will eventually accommodate 23,000 office workers, 2000 residents, an international six-star hotel and more than 80 cafes, bars, restaurants and retail outlets. It also aims to become Australia’s first large-scale Carbon Neutral Precinct.

With first-stage residential, commercial and retail completed, Barangaroo South is a thriving and sustainable destination where Sydneysiders work, live and play in a place offering the highest quality public and private spaces. Barangaroo is a city-defining development that continues to transform a former heavily contaminated container wharf into a dynamic new part of Sydney. 

Bridge over the Clarence River at Harwood, Northern Rivers, NSW – AFHJV

AFHJV, a joint venture between ACCIONA Infrastructure and Ferrovial Agroman, is working with NSW Roads and Maritime Services and Pacific Complete to deliver the new bridge over Clarence River at Harwood.

The bridge is a 1.5km, four-lane divided bridge about 20m east of the existing Harwood Bridge and rises to a height of 30m above the Clarence River at its apex. It will form part of the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade (W2B). The 155km upgrade between Woolgoolga and Ballina is the last Pacific Highway link between Hexham and the Queensland border to be upgraded to four lanes. 

Chith Export Facility, Weipa, Far North Queensland – McConnell Dowell

This new marine export facility comprises a 650m-long access jetty, a 350m-long wharf and an onshore conveyor system that will service Rio Tinto’s expanded bauxite mine.

The facility has revolutionised the design and construction of large-scale wharf infrastructure, setting new benchmarks for safe, smart and efficient marine construction.

Designed by Jacobs, constructed in 10 months by McConnell Dowell and with constructability input and oversight by Bechtel, the facility features a ‘best for project’ philosophy that was fostered across every aspect of the development. The access jetty was constructed using McConnell Dowell’s cantilevering traveller frame, which was developed for efficiency, repeatability and safety. Modularisation lay at the heart of the solution and the project team took it to new levels in scale and breadth, saving 300,000 job-hours and reducing overall build time by 12 months and $40 million. 

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC), Toowoomba, Queensland – Nexus Delivery

The TSRC is notable for receiving the largest Australian government funding commitment to a single road project in Queensland history. The $1.6 billion project (with a federal government contribution of $1.137 billion) is a 43km road bypass route to the north of Toowoomba.

The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has overall project management responsibility for the TSRC project. When finished, it will connect the Warrego Highway at Helidon Spa in the east to the Gore Highway at Athol in the west via Charlton.

The route is designed to increase freight efficiency and significantly improve driver safety and community amenity by removing heavy vehicles from Toowoomba’s CBD.

InfraBuild congratulates each of the finalists in the 2019 Australian Construction Achievement Award.

The ACA is the peak industry body in Australia representing the industry’s largest construction companies while Engineers Australia represents the engineering profession that is responsible along with the constructors for the design and delivery of Australia’s major infrastructure projects.