Driving local steel and jobs in SA

InfraBuild Construction Solutions is working with Lendlease and its industry partners to prioritise the use of Aussie steel and the creation of local jobs for Adelaide’s Northern Connector Project.

The companies involved in Adelaide’s Northern Connector Project are following through on their commitment to procure Australian-made steel and prioritise local workforce participation.

InfraBuild Construction Solutions’ (formerly Liberty OneSteel Reinforcing) Tom Bishop says InfraBuild Construction Solutions has supplied a significant tonnage of reinforcing steel products to the project, the bulk of which will be used to construct bridges and culverts.

“The company has worked closely with South Australia’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI), head contractor Lendlease and the project suppliers to use locally sourced raw materials, labour and capital as much as possible,” he says. 

One example of collaboration achieving economic benefit for South Australia involved LIBERTY Steel and Mining’s Whyalla Mill producing the steel billet for a key element of the project. Local girder manufacturer Bianco Precast traditionally sources its Low Relaxation (LR) prestressing strand from offshore. Lendlease brokered an arrangement between InfraBuild Construction Solutions and Bianco to procure South Australian-made billet, which was then made into LR strand in Newcastle. The LR strand made by LIBERTY Steel and Mining is fully traceable, complies with Australian Standards and comes with ACRS certification.

The DPTI and the Office of the Industry Advocate (OIA) supported the development of this deal and a ‘best-for-project’ team approach produced what was an excellent result for South Australia.

Delivering for South Australia’s economy and workforce

The DPTI, Lendlease and its industry partners and key suppliers, including InfraBuild Construction Solutions, have also committed to maximising opportunities for local industry, and will create as many as 480 full-time equivalent jobs per year during construction of the project. 

To date, more than 50% of those jobs have been filled by northern suburbs residents and at least 90% of on-site labour hours have been undertaken by South Australian workers. 

Importantly, many workers employed on the project are people who face barriers to employment, including workers from the South Australian automotive industry.

Unblocking congestion across Adelaide

Existing motorway infrastructure has been identified by several strategies – including the 30 Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, the Strategic Infrastructure Plan for SA and the Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan – as unable to handle the projected number of vehicles, or the size of freight carriers, expected to use it.

The $885 million Northern Connector is a 15.5km stretch of six-lane motorway that makes up a critical part of Adelaide’s ambitious 78km North-South Corridor public works program. The program has been designed to streamline north and southbound traffic, including freight vehicles, between Gawler in the city’s north and Old Noarlunga in the south.

The Northern Connector will connect the Northern Expressway component of the Corridor with the South Road Superway and Port River Expressway. As well as catering for expected increases in traffic, the new motorway will significantly improve freight access to the Port of Adelaide and the industrial areas of Adelaide’s north and northwest, and reduce travel times for commuters travelling to and from Adelaide’s northern suburbs. 

The project is due to complete in late 2019.