Editorial & Design
Editor Cat FitzJohns
catherine.fitzjohns@primecreative.com.au
Journalist Jackson Haddad jackson.haddad@primecreative.com.au
Contributors
Damian Long, Cathryn Greville, Trevor Schwenke
Managing Editor Eugene Du y
Art Director/Design Daz Woolley
Cover Image Colbrook Industries
With e ciency and accuracy driving machinery purchases, this issue covers what’s new on the market and key industry insights from those owning and driving this equipment
Welcome to the May issue of Earthmovers & Excavators magazine!
Our cover for this issue is the Barko 937B industrial wheeled tractor, which has been recently introduced to Australia from the US by Colbrook Industries. In our cover story starting page 10, we nd out what makes this machine stand out in the market and how it has been performing with Victoria’s Dakota Contracting.
This is followed by a look at how Komatsu is supporting hire business HEXhire’s expansion across Victoria and South Australia with a eet of excavators, dozers, loaders and dump trucks.
Tilly’s Crawler Parts discusses how high-quality undercarriage solutions are vital for avoiding costly downtime, while ContiTech highlights advancements in its hose coating with a new range of re resistant and anti-static hoses.
In our story starting page 18, we feature Melbourne-based contractor Normark Landscapes. Speaking with director James Anderson about why his machinery of choice is CASE, he talks about two decades of buying machinery from CASE Victoria.
ITR Paci c has recently relocated its Brisbane and Sydney facilities and highlights the expansion of its track shop capabilities and the bene ts to its customers on page 20, while two new Takeuchi track loaders from Toyota Material Handling Australia have boosted the capabilities of Sydney-based construction and earthworks company St Croix. On page 22 we speak with St Croix owner Mitch Lozina about what this upgrade has meant for his business.
Machinery only runs as well as the fuel and lubricants used in it. On page 26 Viva Energy highlights how Shell Rimula engine oil is the best choice for keeping earthmoving equipment in top condition.
Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo was held in April and a standout was CEA’s stand where it showcased the wide selection of earthmoving and material handling machinery that it is now o ering from SANY, including an exciting array of electric options. Read more on page 29 and a full roundup of highlights of the show from page 45.
From page 32 we head over the Ditch to chat with New Zealand’s
Normark Landscapes director
James Anderson discusses his long-term relationship with CASE in the feature starting page 18
BG Contracting about how a new Cat 255 paired with a GB120 smart grader blade has increased its productivity and accuracy for subdivision developments, while from page 37 we speak with CDA Melbourne branch manager
Steve Gurkin about the success of LiuGong’s Battery Electric range at recent industry events.
On page 40 Yellowgate outlines its Rent Now, Buy Later solution which can give contractors the opportunity to quickly access the machinery it needs with a pathway to purchase. With the Women in Industry Awards announcing the nalists for this year’s event, on page 54 we highlight the career and expertise of last year’s winner of Excellence in Mining Becky Felstead. Having undertaken signi cant work in Australia’s mining sector with Strong Minds, Strong Mines, here she outlines her approach to discussing and managing mental health within mining and the changes that need to happen to give managers the tools they need to better support their teams and make mining a more supportive place for women.
All of this is in addition to industry comment from CCF QLD, NAWIC and WorldSkills and the latest news from the industry.
Happy reading!
Cat FitzJohns Editor, Earthmovers & Excavators
Mark Irving will remain as legal counsel. Image: Matt Krumins Photography
Mark Irving says the time has come for a “di erent set of skills” to continue the administration process of the CFMEU
Mark Irving KC, who was appointed administrator of the CFMEU in August 2024, has announced that he is resigning his post from June, a year ahead of schedule.
In comments quoted by the Financial Review, Irving states that the rst phase of “establishing the control of the union” was complete and that the rebuilding phase needs a “di erent set of skills”.
“The best person to lead the administration in this phase should be an experienced union professional who has a fundamental commitment to union values and who can drive the necessary culture change and other reforms,” he is quoted as saying.
Irving will remain with the administration as legal counsel a er he nishes as administrator.
CFMEU NSW executive Michael Crosby will take over the role until Fair Work Commission general manager Murray Furlong appoints a successor.
A new cohort of forkli technician apprentices will begin their journey across Toyota Material Handling Australia branches
Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) has welcomed one of its largest groups of forkli technician apprentices since 2007, with 16 new recruits joining the company’s 2026 Annual Apprentice Intake.
The apprenticeship program is designed to develop critical, in-demand skills, equipping participants with valuable technical expertise while creating strong, long-term career opportunities within TMHA.
TMHA says competition for places in the program was exceptionally strong, with just 16 candidates selected from more than 1,000 applicants – highlighting the high demand and prestige of the initiative.
The new apprentices were o cially welcomed at an induction event held on April 29, at the TMHA Customer Experience Centre in Moorebank, New South Wales.
Each apprentice attended alongside their mentor, meeting senior TMHA executives and gaining insight into the company’s culture and operations.
The induction included a safety overview, an introduction to Toyota’s history, values and expectations, and a guided tour of the Moorebank facility.
The successful applicants will now begin their journey across TMHA branches nationwide, including locations in Melbourne, Sydney,
The final 16 candidates were selected from more than 1,000 applicants.
Image: TMHA
Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and Lismore.
TMHA’s four-year apprenticeship program has been running successfully since 2007, building a strong pipeline of skilled technicians.
TMHA national manager – lean management and a er sales evaluation cert Gerry Larney says the program plays a vital role in developing new talent.
“We use the apprenticeship program to grow our skills base and forkli technician workforce, and it has proven extremely successful,” Larney says.
He added that the program o ers extensive career pathways, with many apprentices going on to build long-term careers within the business.
“We have employees who started as apprentices and are still with Toyota more than 30 years later,” Larney says.
“It’s an excellent career pathway. Many have progressed into roles such as service managers, branch managers and sales managers.
“There are very few limits –if individuals continue to build on their technical skills, they can take their careers in many di erent directions.”
A consultation on construction standards forms part of the National Construction Industry Forum’s
The federal government has announced that it will consult on potential standards for the construction industry, which represents the next step in implementing the National Construction Industry Forum’s (NCIF) Blueprint for the Future
The Australian government amended the Fair Work Act 2009 to establish the NCIF as an ongoing statutory advisory body that brings together government, unions and business to promote best practice, address systemic problems and drive reform to industry culture.
The consultation will complement the NCIF’s development of a Joint Construction Industry Charter, which will set out shared behavioural expectations for industry.
The consultation will seek views on how any standards could apply where Australian government funding or nancial arrangements support construction activity and include consideration of the following:
• how to ensure construction industry participants do not engage in unlawful or criminal behaviour, including o ering, paying, soliciting or accepting bribes or inducements of any kind, and that such behaviour is reported to the Commonwealth and relevant regulators immediately
• how to ensure inappropriate “industrial xers” or mediators who
are not operating within the Fair Work Act or other relevant laws are not engaged or used
• t and proper requirements for parties on construction projects
• ensure enterprise agreements are genuinely agreed, and workplaces are free from coercion and intimidation, and threats to coerce or intimidate
• fair, e ective and timely resolution of disputes
• how to ensure an employee bargaining representative cannot dictate the choice of subcontractors used on a site
• appropriate workplace exibilities that promote productivity and the participation of women, including access to part-time work and positive culture training.
• support for safe, secure and well paid jobs in the industry
The National Construction Industry Forum is working on a Joint Construction Industry Charter, which will set out shared behavioural expectations for all industry participants. Image: Unkas Photo/ stock.adobe.com
• how to address over reliance on labour hire
• support for the engagement of apprentices
• how to ensure subcontractors and suppliers are paid on time and in full for work.
The government will also consult on how the standards could be enforced by existing regulators through a joined-up approach, and whether improvements are needed to whistleblower protections, so construction industry participants feel safe to report unlawful conduct.
The government says that it has no intention of requiring employers to enter an enterprise agreement covered by a registered employee organisation as a condition of receiving Commonwealth government funding in the construction industry. The federal government also states that it has no intention of replicating Queensland’s former Best Practice Industry Conditions Scheme.
Australian Constructors Association CEO Peter Colacino says that the announcement of the consultation “represents one of the most signi cant reforms for our sector has seen in a generation”.
“A er decades of patchy oversight, inconsistent governance and entrenched behaviours, the industry nally has a chance to reset. The government’s willingness to engage on these issues is welcome and it’s critical that consultation translates into the action the industry urgently needs.
“But standards must be more than aspirational statements. Unless they are practical, measurable and consistently applied, they risk becoming another set of worthy principles that fail to shi behaviour on the ground. Restoring trust requires certainty, that rules apply equally, that agreements are genuine and that lawful conduct is not optional.”
Consultation is expected to occur in the second half of 2026.
The Barko 937B industrial wheeled tractor is taking vegetation clearing to the next level
Colbrook Industries is expanding its range of forestry and land clearance equipment with a selection of Barko machinery from the US, including the 937B industrial wheeled tractor.
With the rst unit sold before it had even reached Australia and a second fresh o the dock having been exhibited at the Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo in Sydney, this new addition to Colbrook’s lineup is meeting land clearance contractors’ needs for a higher horsepower machine that is agile and tough.
Powered by a 380hp (283kW) Cummins engine and with pressure ratings up to 5,500 psi, Colbrook Industries managing director Rob Plageman says that the Barko 937B industrial wheeled tractor o ers the capabilities required to handle Australian environmental conditions and the hard timber being mulched.
“What we’re nding from companies like Barko and Diamond Mowers [which Colbrook Industries also distributes] is that the US is the
only region in the world that seems to make machinery and equipment that is heavy duty enough to handle the conditions that we have here,” Plageman says.
“That’s what got us looking at the Barko brand – the quality and its reputation as being ‘king of the forest’. But what put us onto the Barko 937B speci cally was that it is wheeled and articulated in the middle, which suits the Australian environment.”
Plageman says the ability to manoeuvre around established native vegetation in order to clear underbrush and invasive species is needed in the Australian context, which makes the Barko 937B stand out in the market.
“If we’re doing re prevention work, we want to be able to clear corridors without disturbing the native vegetation as much as possible,” Plageman says.
“The Barko 937B’s forestry wheels and articulation, as well as its large horsepower output, means it’s
both powerful and selective in its approach, which is unique.”
On the attachments side, the Barko 937B can be tted with a range of di erent drums or slashers, which Plageman says makes the machine more exible for contractors.
“The combination of the Cummins engine and Danfoss hydraulic system also give powerful hydraulic horsepower to the attachments, and that lets us process our hard timbers really well, which just destroys a lot of European-made stu ,” he adds.
Victorian land management business Dakota Contracting has been operating the rst Barko 937B industrial wheeled tractor that landed in Australia, with its rst project being the clearance of a blue gum plantation a er harvesting.
Plageman says the 937B was the perfect machine for the job, with the 45-degree articulated joint giving the required manoeuvrability to move
between stumps and the wheels giving the machine a good pace to quickly get through the work and on to the next job.
“The second project it did was a re mitigation project on some steep terrain, with 30/35 degree slopes, and the contractor had to move around large established trees to get to the small regrowth and invasive species,” he says.
“This machine was able to get in and around and do all that and not touch the trees that he wanted to leave in place.”
Dakota Contracting owner Jake Roehrich says the size and horsepower of the machine made an immediate impact, with its power, stability and capabilities quickly becoming evident as he put it to work.
“The wheeled design is a huge advantage for us,” Roehrich says.
“The machine is extremely manoeuvrable, which makes a big di erence when working on undulating terrain or navigating around large trees and critical assets. It allows us to move
e ciently and safely across challenging ground conditions while still maintaining productivity.”
The comfort of the large cabin is also a standout, with easy access in and out of the cab, excellent visibility around the machine and soundproo ng, which means ear protection isn’t required inside the cab.
“There aren’t many options available when it comes to
purpose-built wheeled forestry tractors, so having a machine like the Barko backed and supported by Colbrook Industries is a real game changer for contractors operating in this space,” he adds.
Colbrook Industries is o ering the Barko 937B fully optioned with a re suppression system and winch.
For more information, visit: www.colbrookindustries.com.au
Komatsu’s o ering has been a major draw for HEXhire’s customers with an expanded range to come from the machinery hire specialist
Komatsu is supporting HEXhire’s expansion across Victoria and South Australia, with the growing hire business strengthening its eet to meet rising demand from major infrastructure and civil projects.
Established in 2013 as a predominantly wet hire operation, HEXhire shi ed its focus as largescale infrastructure projects were rolled out across Victoria and demand increased for dry hire solutions in the state.
HEXhire managing director Andrew Harte says the transition marked a positive turning point for the business.
“Moving into dry hire allowed us to scale up and target the bigger projects where there’s strong demand for larger machinery,” he says.
“We’re now able to service a broad mix of customers, including major infrastructure and large civil contractors as well as smaller civil and landscaping companies, with demand evenly spread across the sectors.”
Komatsu has played an increasing role in supporting that growth. HEXhire has been purchasing
Komatsu equipment for the past ve years and has recently expanded its eet to include excavators, dozers, loaders and dump trucks, with a total of over 20 new and used Komatsu machines.
“As a hire business, we place a strong emphasis on customer feedback when making purchasing decisions and the feedback on Komatsu machinery has always been really good,” Harte says.
“That, combined with the positive feedback from our mechanics and service team on their strength and durability, really cemented for us that Komatsu is who we want to continue purchasing from.”
Harte sees technology as a key di erentiator in the rental market, with customers responding positively to integrated features on their Komatsu machines such as GPS and machine control systems.
“It’s important for us to follow brands that evolve with the times and include leading tech in their o ering, and the feedback on the Komatsu technology has been positive,” he says.
Local support has also been a
key factor, with Komatsu located only minutes from HEXhire’s Campbell eld base, on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Responsive service and smooth onboarding have helped embed the machines into the eet with minimal disruption.
That same level of service now extends to South Australia, where HEXhire is supporting many infrastructure projects in Adelaide with reliable Komatsu equipment backed by their expert service and support team.
Looking ahead, HEXhire plans to further expand its presence in the larger machine categories, particularly in dump trucks and dozers, with Komatsu part of the strategic growth plans.
“With the capital investment involved in machines, you want to partner with a company that stands behind its gear,” Harte says.
“As we continue to grow, having a strong partner like Komatsu is very important to us.”
For more information, visit www.komatsu.com.au
Practical undercarriage solutions from Tilly’s Crawler Parts can make a measurable di erence in an industry where wear and tear is inevitable
In the earthmoving industry, undercarriage performance is o en the di erence between productivity and costly downtime.
It is an area where precision matters, but so does practicality. At Tilly’s Crawler Parts, the focus is on delivering complete, t-for-purpose undercarriage solutions backed by hands-on capability and a clear understanding of how machines operate in the eld.
With more than 30 years’ experience supplying to the oil and gas industry, Tilly’s brings a depth of knowledge shaped by demanding environments where reliability is critical.
That experience carries through into every undercarriage solution, ensuring products and assemblies are built to withstand tough operating conditions.
Working across excavators and bulldozers from 5 tonnes through to 50 tonnes, the team supplies a full range of undercarriage components including shoes, chains and complete track groups.
These are not simply o -theshelf parts. They are supported by workshop-based services that ensure each system is correctly assembled, adjusted and ready for work before it leaves the yard.
A key part of that capability is the onsite track shed in Toowoomba. Purpose-built for undercarriage assembly and servicing, it allows for e cient bolt-up work to be completed pre-sale.
This approach reduces installation time on site and gives operators con dence that everything has been properly aligned and tensioned prior to delivery.
It is a practical step that helps avoid common issues that can arise when components are tted under pressure in the eld.
Beyond standard supply, Tilly’s also provides tailored undercarriage solutions for specialised applications.
This includes full track bases and assembled leg sets in the 15-tonne to 30-tonne range, designed to suit equipment such as screening plants, drill rigs and blast rigs.
These applications o en require more than a standard con guration, and the ability to modify or customise components ensures the nal product matches the demands of the job.
Flexibility is central to this o ering. Whether it is adjusting track dimensions, con guring bases for speci c loads, or adapting assemblies for unique machine
Tilly’s Crawler Parts supplies a full range of undercarriage components including shoes, chains and complete track groups
setups, each solution is built with its end use in mind.
This level of customisation is increasingly important as machinery becomes more specialised and project requirements become more varied.
The workshop also supports chain lengthening and shortening services, allowing existing undercarriage systems to be modi ed rather than replaced outright where appropriate.
This provides a practical option for operators looking to extend the life of their equipment or adapt it to a di erent application without committing to a full replacement.
In addition, Tilly’s carries out spot repairs across all excavator and dozer sizes. These repairs are completed onsite in Toowoomba, where the team has access to the right tools, parts and environment to deliver consistent results.
By focusing on workshop-based repairs rather than eld service, the emphasis remains on quality control and e ciency, ensuring machines return to work ready to perform.
What underpins all of this is a straightforward philosophy. Undercarriage systems should be built to suit the job, not forced to t it.
That means understanding how a machine will be used, the conditions it will operate in, and the level of durability required. From there, the right combination of components and services can be applied.
In an industry where wear and tear is inevitable, having a reliable partner for undercarriage supply and support makes a measurable di erence.
With a combination of standard components, custom-built solutions and workshop expertise, Tilly’s Crawler Parts continues to deliver practical outcomes for operators who rely on their equipment every day.
For more information, visit www.tillys.com.au
ContiTech is taking its industrial hose o ering to the next step by bringing re resistant and anti-static coatings to its spiral and braided products
Hose specialist ContiTech has released a new line of hoses that are re resistant and anti-static (FRAS).
The new range includes three spiral hose models – the XCP4S, XCP5S and XCP6S – and two braided hose models – SR1SN and SR2SN.
The spiral FRAS hoses are designed for high pressure hydraulic applications where their strength ensures safety for severe-duty systems and continuous hydrostatic loads. The ame-retardant anti-static cover meets FRAS requirements and MSHA ame resistance – helping prevent ignition and dissipate static charges in hazardous or underground environments.
The spiral FRAS hoses can withstand temperatures from -40 degrees C to 121 degrees C and are
reinforced with alternating layers of high tensile steel wire. Each of the four models has eight variations in diameter, from 10mm to 51mm, and are covered in high abrasion synthetic rubber.
The braided FRAS hose is designed for medium-pressure hydraulic applications, combining exibility with certi ed safety for mobile machinery, machine tooling and agricultural equipment.
Covered in synthetic rubber the two braided models can withstand a temperature range of -40 degrees C to 100 degrees C and are designed to transport oil and water-based hydraulic uids.
Both of ContiTech’s braided and spiral hoses have an internal structure of high-tensile steel wires
Several braided and spiral hose models are now available that have a fire resistant and anti-static coating
that reinforce the hose and provide a high level of strength and exibility for industrial applications.
ContiTech head of sales distribution – AUS/NZ Lee Cranswick says this addition of a FRAS coating to its two popular high-strength hose types is great news for customers who are looking for a higher level of protection of their hosing systems on sites, whether they are involved in underground mining or aboveground operations.
“Previously we had products that were re resistant but these FRAS hoses have been designed to meet Australia’s MDG 41 guideline [for the safe design, installation and maintenance of hydraulic systems in mining] and RS23 standard [ uid power safety in coal mines], which means that they are re resistant and anti-static,” Cranswick says.
“These standards apply to underground mining but we’re starting to see a lot of demand for this product nationally in other applications as well.”
With a variety of models now carrying the FRAS coating, he says that this provides a wide o ering that allows machinery owners to bring all of the hydraulic hosing on their machines up to a higher standard of protection across a range of pressures.
“We’re o ering a complete solution for our customers, who can put that product on whatever machinery they have,” he says.
“We work closely with our distributors in order to suggest the best solutions for an end user and this could be achieving those higher standards or reducing downtime and maintenance costs on site.”
For more information on ContiTech’s hydraulic and industrial hose o ering, visit continental-industry.com or call 1300 RUBBER.
2.69%
3.25%
For Normark Landscapes, long-term eet decisions have been shaped by reliability on site, operator comfort, and a dealer partnership with CASE Victoria that keeps projects moving
Melbourne’s Normark Landscapes has grown into a multi-faceted operation spanning commercial, residential and maintenance work, driven by adaptability and consistent project delivery.
As a second-generation family company, Normark Landscapes’ workload shi s between tightaccess residential jobs and larger commercial developments.
Across these environments, equipment performance plays a central role in maintaining schedules and crew productivity.
For the business, this e ciency is led by machinery from CASE Construction Equipment.
Normark director James Anderson says the company’s relationship with CASE has developed through practical experience rather than short-term purchasing cycles.
“We’ve got about 15 CASE machines in the eet,” he says.
The eet spans compact machines through to larger excavators, supporting the variety of work Normark undertakes.
“This includes compact track loaders (CTLs), which have been amazing for us,” Anderson says.
“They are reliable machines with a wide range of attachments that suit the variety of work we do.
“The relationship dates back more
than two decades. I think the rst CASE machine we bought was in 2002 or 2003.”
Supporting this continuity has been dealer CASE Victoria, with territory manager Nick Colbert working with Normark for more than 12 years.
Colbert says operating across multiple sectors brings a consistent expectation – machines must be dependable, and support must be responsive.
“It’s important for them to get reliable gear to get the job done in a timely and e cient manner,” he says.
Downtime remains one of the most disruptive factors on any project, particularly when multiple crews and trades are involved.
Colbert emphasised the dealer’s role in supporting uptime through service and parts availability.
“If there is downtime, we support the customer through timely service, timely parts and breakdown support,” he says.
For Normark , that backing has proven just as important as machine performance.
“The level of support we get from CASE is second to none.When something goes wrong, a call is made, and it gets xed quickly.
Sometimes you will get a loan machine sent out to you, so there’s minimal downtime, and that’s what we really want.”
That responsiveness has helped build con dence across Normark’s operations.
“Having built up that trust over the years, it’s not even a question anymore,” Anderson says.
“I know I’m going to get serviced.”
Alongside reliability and support, operator feedback has in uenced Normark’s equipment strategy –particularly when it comes to the CTLs, which carry a large portion of landscaping workloads.
“The boys give me great feedback,” Anderson says.
“They say all the machines have great cabins, especially the CTLs and the 14-tonne models.”
Cabin comfort has become a critical consideration on modern job
sites. Landscaping and construction applications involve long hours, uneven terrain and repeated entry and exit from the machine –conditions where operator fatigue can a ect productivity.
CASE CTLs are designed with these realities in mind. Increased headroom and a wider lap bar provide operators with more space, while one of the widest cabs in the industry contributes to a more open, less con ned working environment.
Air suspension seating – on selected models – helps absorb shock and vibration across rough ground, supporting a smoother ride during extended shi s.
Controls positioned for easy reach allow for a natural operating posture, helping reduce strain and fatigue throughout the day.
Ease of access also plays a role.
A low entry threshold simpli es getting in and out of the cab, valuable in landscaping applications where
operators transition between machine work and ground tasks.
The sealed and pressurised cab enhances the operating environment by helping keep out dust, noise and heat – factors that can otherwise wear operators down over time.
These design elements combine to support sustained operator performance rather than short-term comfort alone.
For Normark, the result is re ected in day-to-day project delivery.
“The eet of CASE machines help us deliver the jobs that we want to deliver – on time, on budget, and with the quality that we expect,” Anderson says.
“Being reliable makes it easy for us. We don’t have to worry about machines breaking down. They do the job and do the job well.”
Colbert says partnerships like Normark highlighted the role equipment and dealer support play in business stability and growth.
“Long-term eet decisions are rarely based on a single feature or transaction, but on consistent performance and support over time,” Colbert says.
For Normark, that consistency continues to shape its equipment choices.
“All in all, the CASE machines don’t let us down,” Anderson says.
ITR Paci c has expanded its track shop capabilities with its Brisbane and Sydney facility relocations
In the earthmoving industry, downtime is more than an inconvenience –it’s a direct hit to productivity, project timelines and pro tability.
Whether on a civil job site or in a high-production quarry, every hour a machine is down matters.
Recognising this, ITR Paci c has made a strategic move to better support its customers, relocating its Brisbane and Sydney branches into larger, purpose-built facilities that integrate warehousing with on-site track shop operations.
This isn’t just an expansion in size – it’s a shi in how undercarriage support is delivered.
At the heart of any tracked machine is its undercarriage, constantly working under extreme conditions. Abrasion, impact, and sustained loads place immense stress on components, making durability and reliability critical.
ITR Paci c has long built its reputation on delivering undercarriage solutions designed to perform in these environments, but as demand across Australia’s construction, mining and civil sectors continues to grow, so too does the need for faster, more responsive service.
The relocation of both Brisbane and Sydney operations re ects a clear response to this demand. By bringing warehouse stock and
track shop services together under one roof, ITR Paci c has e ectively removed the bottlenecks that can slow down repairs and rebuilds.
Components no longer need to be sourced from separate locations –they’re now just metres away from the workshop oor. The result is a more uid operation, where jobs move faster, handling is reduced and turnaround times are signi cantly improved.
In Brisbane, the transformation is particularly notable. A key addition to the new facility is the introduction of a second Abrasion Resistance Material (ARM) robotic welding machine – an investment that signals ITR Paci c’s focus on both innovation and e ciency.
The system e ectively doubles ARM welding capacity, while delivering consistent, high-quality results across every job. For customers, that translates to shorter lead times without compromising the durability required in harsh operating conditions.
But the real impact of the move is seen in how the workshop now operates day-to-day.
Previously limited by space, the Brisbane track shop could only handle one track frame set at a time. Today, multiple builds can run in parallel. It’s a change that might seem simple on paper, but in practice,
ITR Pacific’s facility expansions has seen investments in its track shop capabilities. Image: PCM
it dramatically increases output, improves scheduling exibility and allows the team to respond to urgent requirements with far greater agility.
This expanded capability supports a full suite of undercarriage services – from complete track frame refurbishments to structural repairs and track modi cations such as bolt-ups, track lengthening, shortening or plate swaps.
Each job is carried out with the same objective: extend component life, maintain machine performance, and keep equipment working.
Sydney’s relocation mirrors these improvements, ensuring that customers in another key region bene t from the same streamlined processes and enhanced service capability. Together, the two facilities form a stronger, more consistent national network, capable of supporting a wide range of applications and machine types.
What stands out most about these developments is that they’re not just about handling more work –they’re about handling work better. The integration of stock and service, combined with upgraded equipment and smarter workshop layouts, creates an environment where e ciency and quality go hand in hand. Jobs move faster, but standards remain high. Output increases, but consistency is never sacri ced.
For an industry where reliability is everything, that balance is critical.
As the demands on earthmoving equipment continue to evolve, so too must the support behind it. ITR Paci c’s investment in its Brisbane and Sydney track shop facilities positions the company to meet these challenges head-on – o ering customers not only high-quality undercarriage components, but also the service capability to keep them performing at their best.
Because in the end, it’s not just about supplying parts.
For more information, visit: www.itrpacific.com.au
Sydney-based construction and earthworks company St Croix has recently switched to the performance, reliability and a ersales support of Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA), with its Takeuchi track loader equipment.
Takeuchi construction machinery was added to TMHA’s range of products earlier in 2025, o ering greater choice for earthworks and construction customers with a
comprehensive lineup of excavators, track loaders and crawler dumpers.
St Croix founder and owner Mitch Lozina started the company as a single-purpose project in 1999, working across the commercial and residential construction sectors on a range of projects, big and small.
Also a licensed practicing barrister – specialising in building and construction law – Lozina has built up his business over the
years and recently purchased two Takeuchi track loaders, a TL8R-2 and the heavy-duty TL12R-2; with the latter o ering an impressive rated operating load of 5,710kg.
Lozina says he bought his new Takeuchi machines to replace existing competitor products, which represent a step up in quality and performance.
“This is a bit of an upgrade for me – a lot of an upgrade, to be honest,” Lozina says.
“It’s just a better machine all round compared to what I’ve previously used. It’s got the swing-up door, which is the biggest attraction, we like that aspect of it.
“For me it was just a question of whether I wanted to upgrade the machines, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity.”
He adds the decision to choose Takeuchi was based on its quality of products and feedback from friends.
“I looked at either the Takeuchi or a competitor,” Lozina says.
“Out of the two, I know that the Takeuchi is a better machine.
“I’ve got a friend that runs a ‘Tak’, and he raves about it, so I was quite
convinced. The TLR-2 is pretty much the biggest in its class, it’s the pick of the bunch for me.”
Lozina uses his Takeuchi machines for a wide range of purposes – except for digging post holes.
St Croix purchased its two Takeuchi track loaders to work multiple job sites at the same time, giving the company the exibility to minimise machine transport while ensuring a unit is on site if a delivery arrives or work is needed.
The Takeuchi machines have been purchased with long-term usage in mind, with TMHA chosen in part for its reliability, durability and strong a ersales support with a network of 400-plus experienced and knowledgeable service technicians nationwide.
St Croix’s purchase was facilitated by TMHA construction area sales manager David Taliana, who helped provide a hassle-free and competitive sale and handover.
“At the end of the day, Toyota was really competitive, price-wise it was a good deal, and a good time cash ow-wise,” Lozina says.
Taliana commended Lozina and St Croix for its professionalism, politeness and straightforward communication through the whole sales process.
“Mr Lozina is very polite and professional, he is a great customer to deal with,” he says.
“Just his nature, business ethics and morals, he was great to deal with and very easy to communicate with.”
Since taking delivery of the new Takeuchi track loaders, Lozina has been impressed by their performance and build quality, providing St Croix with high-quality performance day in, day out.
“The Takeuchi machines are phenomenal – you can tell they are top-notch,” he says.
“To me, Takeuchi is the top-of-theline machine.
I think they’re just the ant’s pants
and are the reason why I got them.
“The machines speak for themselves. You can go read all the reviews and all that sort of stu , but in terms of performance, Takeuchi’s machines are fantastic.
“Everyone that’s had one in the past seems to have no problems in the long-term.
“Overall, they’re a well-built machine and most people wouldn’t be too hesitant taking the Takeuchi, that’s for sure.”
For more information
freecall Toyota Takeuchi on 1800 425 438 or visit toyotatakeuchi.com.au
The heavy-duty TL12R-2 o ers a rated operating load of 5,710kg
CASE521DXT 2004,wheelloader,hasairconROPS cab,hydraulicquickreleasefrontbucketandforklift attachment,extrahydraulicstofrontandrear,used onlyasforklift,weighs10ton,noleaks,strongloader, only2,990hours.S500.
$48,000+GST
TOROSTPF-30 2024,Forkliftbrandnew,3tonlifting capacity,powershifttransmission,dieselpowered, containermast,sideshift,lights,beacon,3mlift, runningaroundouryardshowing5hoursonly.S462. TA1221932.
$22,500+GST
CATERPILLAR910LOADERMOUNTEDAGT-SSFM81 ForestryMulchernew,2024,4in1bucket.Mulcheris quickhitchmounted,hasownrearmountedpower packwithDeutz4cylinderengine,60hp100litresper minute.Runswell.S464. $60,000+GST
CATERPILLAR303CCR 2008,ZeroswingExcavator, has2speedrubbertracks,canopy,fittedwith600 bucket,hammerpiping,backfillblade,worked4000 hours,3tondiggerrunsverywell.S484. TA1259641. $28,500+GST
DENYOSPS-70-SPP AirCompressor,Denyo modelDPS-70-SPP,70cfm,2airoutlets,3 cylinderdieselpowered,silenced,4750hours, runsverywell.S504. TA1310179. $7,000+GST
DYNAPACCC102 2005,Roller,tandemsmooth drumvibratingroller,Deutzengine,hydrostatic drive,ROPSframe,worked2,200hours,runswell. S479. $14,500+GST
BOBCAT873C 1998,fittedwithbigdemoorchip bucketwithhydraulictopclamp.Goodtyres,75hp Deutzdieselengine,worked5000hours,bigbobcat, weighs3.5tonrunswell.S501.
$22,000+GST
DENYODIS-130SB AirCompressor,130 cfm capacity,4cylinderdieselengine,3airoutlets, silenced,worked3,630hours,runswell.S503. TA1310176.
$7,500+GST
CATERPILLAR432D FrontEndLoaderBackhoe,fitted with4in1bucket,ROPScab,is4wd,withsideshift extendahoe,9,000hours,weighs8.5ton,needrear tyres.Bigstrongbackhoe,runswell.S488. TA1272312. $41,000+GST
MARUZENBEDBORERB8 excavatormounted,suit 5-12tonexcavator,twosetsofaugers-200mmdia, 300mmdia.10augersofeachsize,controllerfor remoteoperation,extrapinsandbushesfordifferent configs,littleuse.A434. TA1141426. $16,500+GST
CASE480-E fittedwith4in1bucketwithnew edge,ROPScabin,poweredbyCummins4cylinder engine,powershiftforwardandreverse,6,000 hours.Goodloader.S429. TA1154757. $18,000+GST
AUSAD100AHA 2017,articulatedhighliftdumper, 4wd,hasROPS,3cylinderKubotadiesel,hydrostatic drive,1toncapacity,1.1mwide,willtipinto1.6mhigh binortruck,workedonly780hours,runsverywell. S487. $19,500+GST
DOOSAN12-56 2012,AirCompressor,IngersolRand 12-56,200 cfm capacity,4cylinderturbodiesel, operatingpressure2000psi,4airoutlets,allmounted
onsilencedtrailer,onlyworked1730hours.S463. TA1223429. $19,000+GST
ATLASCOPCOXAS350GD aircompressor,700 cfm capacity,125psiworkingpressure,6cylinderdiesel powered,allmountedonsteerable4wheeltrailer.
CHAMBERLAINC670 TractorChamberlain C670,hasROPScanopy,3pointlinkage,PTO,
HITACHIZX450-H SuperDemolitionBoom,fitsHitachi ZX-450-HExcavator,reaches25.5m,comescomplete withrams,hoses,pinsetc,wouldsuitmost excavatorsinthe45-60tonclass,hashadlittleuse. A461. $41,000+GST
CATERPILLAR950-966SIZE Dozerblade,suit Caterpillar950966sizemachine,hasquickhitchpick up,bladeis3450wide,hasanglebothwaysand sideshift.Verygoodorder.A459.
CATERPILLAR950-960SIZE BulldozerbladesuitCat 950-960sizemachine,3800wide,hastwinvariable angleplussideshift,reversablecuttingedge,good strongblade.A472.
LABOUNTYMDS-112R steelshear,jawopeningis 545mm,hasheadtosuitCaterpillar345excavator,120 pins,585pincentreswith490betweenears.Comeswith owncarryframe,weightis3ton.Strongshear.A429. TA1122537.
NPKS24XL Pulveriserprocessorshear,hasmanual rotatinghead,pickuphas100bossespinnedto80, 370betweenearswith520pincentres,weighs2ton, suit25-30tonexcavator,goodcondition.A468. TA1231469. $14,000+GST
WIZARD2000320D 2000,SteelShear,hasmanual rotatinghead,bigblades,headhas100mmbosses, 360betweenearswith500mmpincentres,weighs2.2 ton,willsuit25-30tonexcavator.Strongshear.A475. TA1238569.
NOMAD40X10 Demountablebuilding,fullyfurnished readytomoveinto.Nomad40x10building,air conditioned,fridge,washingmachine,toilet, shower,kitchensink,tv,lounge.Bought farmbut salefellthrough..S502. $18,000+GST
NPKS-42XC LargePulveriserProcessor,opens1.5m wide,hasreobarcutter,rotation,weighs4.5ton,jaw forcefrom150to420ton.Head140,bosspinto100, 510ears,660centres,suit40-50tonexcavator. Very goodorder.455. $29,000+GST
JEC1800 pulveriser,suitableforconcreteorrock,head has90bossespinnedto80mm,distancebetweenears 330to410,reobarcutter.Crusherwillcrushmaterial downto40mmminus,weighs1.8ton.A340.
FLIPSCREENE145Radials 2021,screeningbucket, suit30-50tonexcavator,has240and50mmscreen, bucketis1800wide,weighs2.1ton,headhas100
bossespinnedto90,500pincentres,390to460ears. Hadlittleuse.A487. TA1272316. $40,000+GST
CATERPILLAR950-966SIZE DozerBlade,suit bulldozerorloader,Cat950,966size,3.7wide,1.2m high,hashydraulicangleandsideshift,hasquick couplerpickup.A488. TA1273273.
BRIDGESTONE2100X35Radials 2024, Tyres, brandnew,Bridgestone2100x35,VSteelE Lugradials,4available,bigsaving new price.New.A486. $7,000+GST
SUMITOMOLECH-20F7-S6.5TON 2008,Magnet excavator,large,20082mdiameter,weighs6.5ton, headhas130and120pins,530betweenears,710pin
TROMMELLTROMMEX TrommelBucket, Trommex brand,hydraulicrotating,bucketis1500long,1250 highwith55mmgrids,headhas80pins,450centres
Viva Energy Australia, Australia’s Shell Lubricants Macro Distributor, uses its global expertise to help local operators and contractors choose the right lubricant for their machinery and equipment
Shell Rimula supplied by Viva Energy Australia, the Shell Lubricant Macro Distributor of Australia, is a heavy-duty diesel engine oil suitable for earthmoving equipment
Contractors o en operate in extreme conditions, facing new pressures every day such as weather or global commodity prices – challenges that are out of the contractor’s hands.
However, the di erence between productive work and costly downtime comes down to choices made before machinery is employed on a job site.
Contractors can take control of how their machinery operates. Choosing the right lubricant is vital to maximise a machine’s operational e ciency, ensuring operations run smoothly, while protecting the long-term capability of valuable equipment.
Shell is one of the most recognised oil and lubricant brands globally, recently ranked #1 global lubricants supplier on nished products for the 19th year in a row.
Shell has a worldwide network of advanced research and development centres with more than 200 scientists and engineers focused on developing lubricant technology that delivers real bene ts to the eld.
Viva Energy Australia, Australia’s Shell Lubricants Macro Distributor, brings this global expertise directly
to local Australian operators so that contractors and machinery owners can choose the right lubricant for their machinery and equipment.
Viva Energy Technical Specialist, Silvana Farrugia explains that quality lubricants are essential to reduce and protect equipment from wear on critical machinery components, improve e ciency as lubricants can help keep engines clean of sludge build-up, lower fuel consumption and emissions, and lower the cost of ownership overall.
Whether it’s an excavator, wheel loader, skid steer or bulldozer, Shell has developed a unique product range that assists operators in ensuring careful management of their engines.
Shell Rimula is developed with Shell’s Dynamic Protection Plus Technology to create exceptional resistance to corrosion, wear and oxidation while producing lower emissions.
This technology is also versatile in a wide range of environments, providing protection against acid and deposit build-up to keep engines working harder and longer.
As part of the development process for today’s Shell Rimula, based on the API CK-4 engine-oil speci cations, over 160 million kilometres of road tests were run in Australia, USA, Europe, China and other markets.*
The Shell Rimula R4 range formulated with Adaptive Additive Technology adapts to varying engine conditions to deliver dynamic protection. This helps to safeguard engines against wear and acid corrosion which can be harmful to
engine life, thus lowering maintenance costs and increasing vehicle reliability. High shear stability helps prevent lubricant breakdown to ensure excellent load-carrying performance.
Shell Rimula R4 range allows contractors and machine owners to plan for engine maintenance cycles
with con dence, with some service intervals ranging from 200 to 500 hours depending on equipment.
It is important to note that oil drain intervals are determined by the OEM, not the oil supplier, and operators must always follow the OEMrecommended service intervals as outlined in the product manual.
Any extension of oil drain intervals should only be considered in consultation with the OEM and supported by used oil analysis to ensure engine protection and optimal performance year-round.
Within the Shell Rimula R4 range, a particular standout is the Shell Rimula R4 X.
This is designed to provide triple protection which targets key areas such as acid and corrosion, wear control and deposit control, helping to keep engines clean and critical engine components working. Additionally, it is suitable for many low emission engines and for use with biodiesel as per OEMrecommended oil drain intervals.
Protecting the performance of exhaust emissions control systems is not only important to ensure that
machinery complies with legislative requirements, but it also ensures operational e ciency.
The aim is to keep Australian contractors and machine owners operating at their best in whatever conditions they face.
Shell Lubricants’ latest global research reveals that nearly half of machine owners miss regular equipment maintenance and it is only when their equipment breaks down that they realise the e ect on their operations.
Business can seek real-time support on what lubricant is optimal for their engine through the Viva Energy Technical Help Desk (Shell Lubricant Specialists).
For the more digitally savvy, the Shell LubeMatch and Shell LubeAnalyst digital tools allow customers to input the details of their equipment and access lube-matching information, as well as survey and monitor their engine health.
To learn more about the Shell Rimula R4 range, reach out to Viva Energy Australia (Shell Lubricants Macro Distributor) at 1300 134 205 or technicalhelpdesk@ vivaenergy.com.au
Shell has developed a unique product range that assists operators in ensuring careful management of their engines
CATERPILLAR
150-14
2022,3DREADY ACCUMULATORS
AIRCONDITIONED EROPSCAB
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CATERPILLAR
330FL
2018,AirConditioner
Beacon
BoomCheckValve EngineEnclosures GPBUCKET HandandFootControl Lighting Mirrors
OnlineOwner'sManual Radio-AMFMRadio StickCheckValve TILTMUDBUCKET. HCK20123. TA1257863. $137,500
CATERPILLAR
349-07
2021,BATTERY& STARTERISOLATORS
CATERPILLAR
980-14
2022,AIR CONDITIONEDEROPS CAB
AutoLube BATTERY&STARTER ISOLATORS
Beacon CATPayloadwithPrinter CustomerValue Agreement(CVA)Parts and/orLabourCVA+HD Advantage.MK900579. TA1297274. $602,800
CATERPILLAR
340-08
2022,*CAMERA,360 VISIBILITY AIRCONDITIONED EROPSCAB
Beacon BOOM&STICKCHECK VALVES
CouplerType-Hydraulic CustomerValue Agreement(CVA)Parts and/orLabourCVA+HD Advantage.FKN00443. TA1278435. $346,500
Beacon BOOM&STICKCHECK VALVE BOOM&STICKCHECK VALVES CouplerType-Hydraulic EMERGENCYSTOP ENGINETIER4FINAL Front&OverheadGuards GPBUCKET.LKG20007. TA1292227. $385,000
CATERPILLAR
432-07LRC 2021,1200MMMUD BUCKET 300mm,450mm,600mm &900mmGPBuckets BATTERY&STARTER ISOLATOR
Beacon BucketCarriage CustomerValue Agreement(CVA)Parts and/orLabourCVA+HD Advantage.L7E00388. TA1291284. $192,500
CATERPILLAR
259D3LRC 2022,2SpeedTravel 4IN1BUCKET AIRCONDITIONED EROPSCAB BATTERY&STARTER ISOLATORS
Beacon CustomerValue Agreement(CVA)CVA+ HDAdvantage EMERGENCYSTOP FireExtinguisher. MC901051. TA1292221. $108,900
CATERPILLAR
D7-17
2023,AIR CONDITIONEDEROPS CAB BATTERY&STARTER ISOLATORS BladeTilt-SingleTilt CustomerValue Agreement(CVA)Parts and/orLabourCVA+HD Advantage EMERGENCYSTOP. CM900435. TA1297559. $858,000
For a huge range of new and used Cat® parts visit CatUsed.com today.
CEA is now distributing SANY machinery up to 90-tonne excavators across select states
CEA used Diesel Dirt & Turf to outline its SANY o ering to visitors as the new distribution partnership gets underway
CEA was at this year’s Diesel Dirt & Turf (DDT) in April with an extensive range of SANY machinery, showcasing the wide range of excavators that it is now o ering across Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Western Australia, and telehandlers and material handlers o ered nationwide.
With CEA having announced the new distributor agreement with SANY at the beginning of the year, DDT allowed the company to provide a wide array of examples of what is now available in Australia, including a range of electric SANY options.
CEA strategic marketing manager Tara Stewart says the event was key to highlight what CEA can o er customers, running from mini excavators through to 90-tonne excavators, plus a range of material handling equipment.
“We’re excited to hit the ground running with our new partnership with SANY and it’s a great opportunity for both our existing customers and new customers in the Australian market,” she says.
“We’ve started bringing in the
telehandlers and material handlers, which is a market that we know really well, and we’ve been able to work with the SANY product team to develop a product that is best suited for our market.
“We’re really excited about what that’s going to look like for a whole range of di erent industries, including rental and construction.” What sets SANY apart in the market
is the build quality and the tech that comes at great price point, with CEA able to o er mini excavators for under $30,000 with buckets and a ripper.
“We understand that the market here is very competitive, so we want to meet that market need and we have these excavators in stock and ready to go, which is great for sole contractors for example,” Stewart says.
The SANY o ering includes telehandlers and material handling equipment in addition to excavators
Amongst the bright red SANY spread were a selection of blue electric models, including an SY19E being demoed in the sand pit.
Weighing in at 1.95 tonnes, the 10kW mini excavator is a great option for smaller contractors who are working in enclosed spaces or on noise-restricted sites, says SANY Oceania senior dealer manager Matt Apps.
“With the motor only being 85 decibels, these can be used inside schools, inside hospitals, and for government projects that restrict emissions,” Apps says.
“You can take the canopy o , so you can get under carports, and you charge it with a standard three phase power system, so you’re not a ected by the current diesel price uctuations.
“It’ll run 7.6 hours, depending on ambient temperature and what you’re doing with it. You’ve got three charging options, with the quickest being an hour, so you can plug it in during a lunch break.”
Apps also points out the lower maintenance costs required for electric machinery and the lack of oil leak risk.
“All it needs is a hydraulic service
and then a battery assessment every 500 hours,” he says.
“The machine’s initial cost is more expensive, but you make up for it tenfold in the long run.”
Also on the stand was the 23.2tonne SY215E with a 1.1 cubic metre bucket capacity and the 4.3-tonne SY35E with a 0.12 cubic metre bucket capacity.
Stewart says the electric range is a signi cant opportunity for CEA to o er traditionally more expensive machinery at a great price point for an evolving market.
“The tech and advancements coming out of SANY are unbelievable,” she says.
“They have 3,000 engineers and 45 Lighthouse factories, so a strong future focus, and we’re excited to partner with a brand that has that focus.
“We feel like we’ve met the market well up until now and this is the next step in that evolution for our business. We’re really excited about where that’s headed.”
For more information on the new SANY range available from CEA visit: cea.net.au
Onetrak
New Zealand’s BG Contracting has increased its productivity and accuracy in delivering green eld subdivisions, thanks to a new Cat® 255 paired with a GB120 smart grader blade
Before making a signi cant investment in a new piece of equipment, most contractors want to step into the cabin of a machine and put it to the test, so they can assess how it will perform in their business.
New Zealand’s BG Contracting is no di erent, having recently added a Cat® 255 next generation compact track loader (CTL) paired with a GB120 smart grader blade to its eet a er being blown away by its
capabilities at a demo day, held by its local Cat dealer Terra Cat.
When the time came to look for a new CTL, the company did extensive research of everything on the market, with the Cat 255 proving to be the best option for BG Contracting.
“We looked at the costs involved in running the machine, and the longterm gain that we could have from something that was super reliable and easy to use,” BG Contracting
operations and plant and equipment manager Paul Van Der Meer says.
“The rst one has sold the second one, the second one’s going to sell the third one.”
Based in Rangiora – around 30km north of Christchurch – BG
Contracting specialises in green eld subdivisions, in which the Cat 255 has made easy work of everything from kerb preparation and road formation to nishing and levelling.
BG Contracting foreman and plant operator Chris Tonkin has been lucky enough to be running the CTL with the GB120 smart grader blade on a day-to-day basis.
“For me, having the GB120 paired with the Cat 255 just makes a smooth integration,” he says.
“You can actually feel the attachment on front of the machine.”
Tonkin has been particularly impressed with the advanced joystick controls, which he says ensure smooth operation.
“Over the past 10 years, I’ve run
quite a few di erent CTLs, but the way the controls are set up on the Cat 255 seem to be a lot smoother than anything else I’ve operated,” he says.
“Most of the other machines have toggles up and down, whereas the Cat 255 utilises a right joystick, giving you the exibility to ease into the blade or go full noise with it.”
Tonkin adds the GB120 attachment has allowed him to conduct grading work in a much smaller machine than what would normally be required.
“On a lot of these smaller subdivisions, the Cat 255 o ers greater manoeuvrability and exibility around manholes and so forth compared to a full-size grader,” he says.
Onsite productivity has improved because of this, with the attachment ensuring BG Contracting maintains the highest levels of accuracy.
“The CTL coupled with the GB120 smart grader blade gives us the ability to produce millimetre perfect nish for footpath or kerbing and gives us hundreds of metres per day compared to 10s of metres using three men,” Van Der Meer says.
“This smart technology is the way of the future.”
Behind every positive machine experience is a strong dealer relationship, with the purchase of the Cat 255 CTL with the GB120 smart grader blade facilitated by Terra Cat territory account manager for the Canterbury region Tony Simpson.
Simpson says he has ‘really enjoyed’ working with BG Contracting to ensure it is receiving the best possible a ersales support and that the machine is performing at the desired level.
“BG Contracting came to see us for the demo day in Christchurch, having never been in one of the next generation CTLs,” he says.
“Once the operators hopped in the machine, they couldn’t believe how spacious the cabin was, which is 22 per cent larger.
“They got to operate it onsite with the smart grader blade and were blown away by its performance.”
Tonkin can vouch for the cabin’s comfort, which he says has greater visibility and much more legroom than previous CTLs he’s operated – ensuring long-working days aren’t fatiguing.
Simpson says the advanced joystick controls help contribute to a comfortable working environment.
“Rather than looking up and touching the screen, BG Contracting can do all their grader blade functions on the joystick,” he says.
“This ability means they don’t have to take their eyes o the work while they’re operating the machine.
“At the end of the day, they get out of the machine, and they don’t feel fatigued.”
Beyond the next generation cabin, BG Contracting has been impressed with the CTL’s 74.7hp (55.7kW) Cat C2.8T engine, which delivers 13 per cent more drive torque to the tracks compared to the 259D3 model.
“This increased torque down to the
tracks comes from the removal of the fuel tank up to the side, and the pillars, engine and cooling package have been dropped lower in the machine, which allows more traction on the ground,” Simpson says.
Additionally, the Cat 255 can li 24 per cent more than the 259D3, with a 1,740kg rated operating capacity, while being able to li material to a height of 3.15m. It has two-speed travel capabilities and the GB120 features blade assist.
Van Der Meer says the versatility of the machine has been key to BG Contracting.
“It’s easy to load, easy to unload, and easy to set up,” he says.
“We can be here today, then a new site across town tomorrow and we’re back in business, so the Cat 255 ts our business perfectly.
“In the future, when we look at new machinery, this is where we’re going to look.”
For more information about the next generation Cat 255 CTL and GB120 smart grader blade contact your local Cat dealer, or visit cat.com/en_AU
As a country we need to start work on ways to become more self-su cient in terms of resources
In Douglas Adams’ the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a supercomputer maintains that the ultimate answer to everything is 42. Whilst this humorous piece of science- ction wasn’t meant to be taken literally, if crude oil was $42 a barrel, I suspect many in the civil sector would feel a lot better about everything!
Despite intensive decarbonisation and sustainability e orts over the past 30 years, a concerted e ort to reduce the volume of single use of plastics throughout the economy and electric vehicles, the world still runs on crude oil. This is obvious to businesses, consumers and governments.
Whilst my views on geopolitics and the presidency of Donald Trump are irrelevant to this discussion, it is obvious to most observers that we have passed the peak of globalisation, at least for now. Supply chains need to be more resilient, and more local for us to feel secure in going about our business as we have been in the past.
Sovereign economic capacity is a term that entered the lexicon during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the current crisis shows it ought not to be a passing fad. Signi cant critical inputs to our economy are at present sourced almost entirely overseas. People from across the political and economic spectrum now agree – this cannot continue as business as usual. Whilst we cannot create oil beneath
Damian Long, CEO CCF QLD
our feet, there are other ways the civil sector can reduce its reliance on imports.
Opening recycling of materials, as we already have here, is a good start, as is expanding domestic extraction of what raw materials we do have. Electri cation where appropriate (which relies on domestic sources of gas, coal and renewables) is also a big step in the right direction.
But while we can talk all day about the next steps, the work to build a bridge across the current predicament is our key focus here at CCF QLD. There is some relief owing to members, but it is piecemeal and not all encompassing. We remain concerned particularly about private clients such as large land developers not passing relief for diesel intensive subdivisions. Clients will always have greater nancial capacity to absorb costs than the contractors who they engage. We urge people to understand that infrastructure is a long-term game, and to work together to build a bridge, share risk and
impact, and come out the other side stronger, ready and willing to deliver the enormous pipeline we need here in Queensland.
Promises for enhanced domestic oil re ning and extraction are exciting and should hopefully help improve this issue in the longer term.
The ignored part of this crisis is the one I alluded to above. The products many of us don’t realise come from crude oil but are critical to our construction and broader supply chains. Anyone who has bought PVC pipe knows what I am talking about, but this also includes transport knock on costs, other inputs for building materials and even just suppliers chucking a levy on freight. This is a tough time.
A lesson out of this is hopefully one of the e ciency, innovation and newfound methods of being productive.
But it is very clear that current ideology does not embrace the fact that our industry is a long way from decoupling from crude oil.
CCF QLD will ght relentlessly for rational solutions that address these issues.
can support your civil construction journey
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While Australia continues to grapple with the e ects of an ongoing skills shortage across a number of key sectors of the economy, it’s important to remember that we are not the only country nding ourselves in this situation.
In an increasingly globalised economy, industries bleed across borders, meaning skills shortages can create challenges and opportunities across entire regions or even right across the world.
This makes it even more important that, here in Australia, we continue to focus not only on developing a skilled workforce, but ensuring their capabilities stack up against the best in the world.
WorldSkills rose out of the ruins of the Second World War, which devastated the economies of Europe and created a huge skills shortage. Over the decades since, the organisation has focussed on inspiring young people to consider VET pathways as they complete school and begin planning their future.
At WorldSkills Australia our role is to showcase Australia’s talented apprentices and students on the
Trevor Schwenke, CEO, WorldSkills Australia.
world stage, while also bringing back new insights and learnings from our overseas counterparts.
In March we announced the biggest ever Team Australia contingent for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai 2026, the world’s biggest international skills competition. As part of Team Australia’s preparations for this competition, we are holding the Global Skills Challenge in Wollongong in June, with the support of TAFE NSW.
We have invited more than 400 competitors, experts and o cials from 18 countries for a friendly, but high-pressure competition that will see participants tested in real-world, simulated challenges designed to push them to the limits of their chosen skill or trade.
Here are upcoming events for 2026. Information was current as of going to press
A primary industry eld day, Elders FarmFest promotes a wide range of earthmoving and excavating machinery alongside tools, attachments and equipment.
WHEN: June 2–4, 2026
MORE INFO: acmruralevents.com.au/farmfest/home
The Queensland Government is investing in crucial transport infrastructure across the state, with a wealth of projects currently under construction. Such projects include Brisbane Metro, Cross River Rail, Paci c Motorway M1 Upgrade Program, and Queensland’s Freight Strategy. The program will also highlight emerging technologies and the role of transport infrastructure in supporting Queensland’s tourism, economic development, and sustainability.
WHEN: June 4–6, 2026
MORE INFO: www.expotradeglobal.com/events/qldtransport
Perth Tradie Expo cover workwear, tools, training, machinery, vehicles and business services all related to tradie work in Australia. Entry fee is gold coin donation.
WHEN: June 12–14, 2026
MORE INFO: https://tradieexpo.com.au
With $7.3 billion allocated in the latest Budget towards delivering transport projects that relieve road and rail congestion and support Victoria’s economic future, the 2-day conference is a must attend event for industry professionals seeking to hear the latest updates on the state’s transport infrastructure.
WHEN: June 17–18, 2026
MORE INFO: www.expotradeglobal.com/events/ victransport
Since 2005, the long running Australian Small Bridges Conference, and Exhibition, provides practical guidance and alerts bridge, road and rail engineers, asset owners, managers, contractors and suppliers about signi cant new developments and requirements for small to medium span bridges, including culverts and associated civil and geotechnical works.
WHEN: July 28–29, 2026
MORE INFO: smallbridges.com.au
The Australian Constructors Association hosts the Foundations and Frontiers forum, which tracks the industry’s progress since the launch of the National Construction Strategy and is a forum for TED-style talks, interactive discussions and a leaders roundtable.
WHEN: August 20, 2026
MORE INFO: foundationsandfrontiers.com.au
NT Resources Week combines three resource and construction industry events – the South East Asia Australia O shore & Onshore Conference (SEAAOC), Mining the Territory and the Environmental Management & Decarbonisation Forum. It has fast become the leading meeting point for captains of industry in mining, exploration, petroleum, oil/gas, engineering, construction and infrastructure.
WHEN: September 2–3, 2026
MORE INFO: ntresourcesweek.com.au
The NSW Major Projects Conference convenes government, asset owners, and industry to unpack the state’s infrastructure and development pipeline-from early planning and approvals through procurement, delivery, and operations.
WHEN: September 8–9, 2026
MORE INFO: www.expotradeglobal.com/events/ nswmajorprojects
A dedicated exhibition for the bulk solids handling industry, the Bulk Expo showcases bulk solids transport solutions for domestic and international trade. The event will feature an expansive trade show, showcasing the latest solutions for the industry, as well as hosting an informative two-day conference. Hosted alongside Bulk Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, MegaTrans focuses on the sustainable supply chain of the future, with exhibitors showcasing technology and initiatives for the logistics industry.
WHEN: September 16–17, 2026
MORE INFO: Bulk Expo – www.bulkhandlingexpo.com.au
MegaTrans – https://megatrans.com.au
Whether it’s new or used equipment, in regional or remote locations, Yellowgate delivers. Here a used Cat D8 is on its way to a remote Northern Territory location
The job’s been awarded, the crew are lined up and the project’s ready to start, but if you can’t access the right equipment in time, the project is stalled before you’ve even started – avoid these delays with Yellowgate
Across civil, earthmoving, quarrying, construction and mining, many businesses are facing the same challenge – the work is there, the opportunity is there, but getting the equipment in place isn’t always as straightforward.
Buying outright can tie up capital, traditional nance can take time, and long-term dry hire costs can start to stack up.
Yellowgate Group’s Rent Now, Buy Later solution gives businesses another way forward.
Yellowgate’s Rent to Own model is simple. Businesses can either source the equipment they need, or Yellowgate can source through its supplier network.
Yellowgate purchases the equipment, then rents it to the customer for the agreed term. Unlike traditional nance pathways, equipment can be working on site within days, while capital is kept free for other priorities.
For a similar cost to dry hire, and with the same tax advantages, businesses can get the gear working now with a clear pathway to ownership in the future, when it suits.
Rent to Own is designed for those that need equipment now, but don’t want to commit capital upfront.
During the rental term, the equipment is owned by Yellowgate and rented on a dry-hire style rental agreement.
At the end of the rental term, the customer has options – purchase the equipment, continue renting month-to-month, recontract, or return the asset.
If they choose to purchase, Yellowgate applies a portion of the rental payments as a rebate o the cost to buy.
That means the customer’s rental spend isn’t simply disappearing as an operating expense.
It can support a future ownership outcome, while still giving maximum
exibility during the rental period. For contractors using equipment every day across longer projects or an ongoing pipeline of work, it can be a smarter structure over long-term dry hire.
Yellowgate’s o -balance sheet equipment solution provides fast access for businesses whose equipment needs are growing faster than their access to capital.
Whether it’s eet expansion for a new project, managing a rolling pipeline of works, preserving capital, or needing equipment before the next purchasing window opens, Yellowgate can help.
From tipper trucks to directional drills, power generation and site vehicles, you choose the equipment, Yellowgate powers your access to it.
If you think Rent to Own is restricted to small gear or low-value assets, think again.
Yellowgate works with businesses needing a range of new or used
From smaller equipment for construction projects to larger gear for mine sites, Yellowgate can source and deliver to your specifications with their o -balance sheet solution
equipment, from individual machines to larger eets.
Whether it’s a $50,000 excavator or a multi-million-dollar eet package, the focus is the same – helping businesses access the equipment they need to keep moving.
That makes the model relevant for contractors taking on larger projects, adding capability or responding quickly to project demand.
Instead of waiting for the perfect balance sheet moment, businesses can get the gear working now and make an ownership decision later.
Downtime is expensive, if machine access is delayed, crews can be held up, deadlines can slip and other equipment can lay idle while the job waits for that critical piece of plant to arrive, which signi cantly impacts your bottom line.
For businesses looking to expand their eet, the right structure can make all the di erence. Buying outright, waiting on traditional
nance or relying on long-term dry hire aren’t the only ways to get more gear on site.
Yellowgate Group’s Rent to Own solution gives Australian businesses a fast and practical way to access the equipment they need now, while keeping future ownership open,
because when the job’s ready, the right gear shouldn’t be the thing holding you back.
To learn more about Yellowgate’s Rent Now, Buy Later solution, visit yellowgategroup.com.au or call 1300 225 594.
NAWIC’s National Awards recognise excellence and innovation in construction
NAWIC’s vision is to build an equitable construction industry for all and we still need a signi cant amount of change in the sector to achieve that.
Progress is being made, and I believe we are on the cusp of a real cultural shi in construction –one where workplaces genuinely accommodate the needs of all workers, regardless of background.
Our National Awards for Excellence provide the opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievements of the visionaries, the collaborators and the trailblazers who are working on the ground to drive this cultural change.
The awards celebrate the achievements and innovation of women, organisations and male allies across four categories – the Crystal Vision Award, the Business Award, the Presidents’ Choice Award and the Male Ally Award.
Cathryn Greville, CEO, NAWIC
Crystal Vision Award winners from chapter awards are nalists in the national category, chapter presidents select a standout individual from their respective awards to be entered into the National Presidents’ Choice Award category, and winners in the remaining two categories are selected from public nominations. Congratulations to the winners selected from an outstanding eld of 55 nominees and 24 nalists. The award winners announced on 13 April are:
National Awards for Excellence winners
Diana Quiceno (top left), Laing O’Rourke, Jack Batty and The GO Company.
Image: BLD Engineers Victoria/Laing O’Rourke/Jack Batty/The GO Company
National Crystal Vision Award – The GO Company (Tasmania –Jasmyn Smith and Logan Barnett)
This award recognises advocacy, empowerment and championing of women in the construction industry. Co-founded by electricians Jasmyn Smith and Logan Barnett, The GO Company is dedicated to supporting women in underserved industries by providing essential sanitary solutions.
Throughout their careers, Smith and Barnett have experienced rsthand the barriers women face on worksites, from lack of representation and mentorship to practical challenges such as access to appropriate facilities and hygiene products.
Rather than accepting these issues as “part of the job”, they chose to turn lived experience into meaningful
action. They are also advocates for stronger regulation and enforcement around access to toilets on worksites and promote the concept that women’s hygiene facilities should be treated as essential safety infrastructure. They are driving real change to unblock barriers for women in the construction industry.
This award recognises overall outstanding achievement in the construction industry. As founder and director of BLD Engineers, Quiceno has built a commercially sustainable consultancy delivering project management and engineering services across energy, rail, transport, road and airport infrastructure. She leads by example, creating a workplace culture based on respect, capability and opportunity where she actively mentors women and migrant engineers, providing guidance, con dence-building and practical support to help them succeed.
This award recognises businesses driving positive change to foster and support greater gender balance and equity in the construction industry.
Laing O’Rourke is committed to accelerating gender equality through targeted, measurable and industry leading initiatives that directly address the persistent gender imbalance faced by the sector. Over the past six years, this transformation has been supported by robust data, transparent reporting, and a shi from isolated initiatives to systemic reform embedded within business strategy – resulting in increased representation of women, promotions and senior leadership participation, supported
by industry-leading policies such as gender-neutral parental leave and investment in early talent through the Inspiring STEM+ program.
This award recognises men in the construction industry who actively champion gender equity and diversity by taking meaningful actions that foster inclusivity. Jack Batty is a proactive ally and mentor. He champions inclusivity not as an aspiration but as a daily practice in his role with John Holland and with NAWIC.
For Batty, being a male ally means using his position and in uence to actively support, advocate for and create opportunities for women in construction. He also recognises that diversity extends beyond gender and is a vocal advocate for intersectionality, championing initiatives that support First Nations people, LGBTQIA+ colleagues and other underrepresented groups in construction.
The achievements of our winners demonstrate the amazing results that come from prioritising a culture
of fairness, inclusion and respect to create environments where everyone feels valued and able to succeed.
Read more about our winners and how to nominate for the upcoming chapter awards at www.nawic.com.au
NAWIC is the peak membership body for women working in the construction industry and supporting sectors across the built environment. A national not-for-profit association dedicated to the attraction, development and retention of women in the construction industry, NAWIC has local chapters in every state and territory, and forms part of a global NAWIC network of like-minded people focused on driving gender equity. You can find out more about NAWIC through its social media channels @nawicau or website nawic.com.au
Several new machines were on display in Sydney earlier this year. Earthmovers & Excavators was on site to see what manufacturers and distributors had brought to the show
This year’s Diesel Dirt & Turf (DDT) took place at the Sydney Dragway in April and saw a collection of new machines, attachments and tech put on show for the construction industry. Here we highlight some of the key items on display.
Gold Sponsor Komatsu had one of the largest displays on site at DDT, with a highlight being a PC88MR-11 short tail swing excavator showcasing Komatsu’s 3DMG machine guidance technology.
Komatsu product manager Marc Brook says that this is the rst time the 3DMG technology has been seen outside of Komatsu’s construction class excavators.
“We had a lot of feedback from our customers asking us to o er this tech on a wider range of machinery,” he says.
“3DMG allows the operator to
upload design les to the screen so they can dig to the design plans, whether that is digging to a certain depth or following trenching and boundary lines.
“The excavator we brought to the show has a swing boom,
and previously there have been limitations when using machine guidance – maybe you had to keep the boom straight for the GPS to be accurate, or have it fully swung to one side.
“With 3DMG, the sensor array
that we have on the bottom of our boom here allows us to maintain the accuracy of the bucket cutting edge at any angle.
So, wherever that boom is swung to we can get high accuracy readings for our machine guidance system on the tablet inside the cab.”
Another new addition to Komatsu’s lineup is a non-Tier 4 PC138 excavator that removes the need for AdBlue.
Komatsu national business manager for excavators Mark Boyes says this model variation has been designed for contractors that don’t have a requirement for AdBlue in their work, but otherwise functions exactly the same as a Tier 4 PC138.
“In remote areas in Australia it can be di cult to manage AdBlue because it’s not only time sensitive with regards to quality, it’s also a ected by temperature. This means that, if you can’t e ectively manage
AdBlue, running machines with this requirement becomes very di cult.
This variant has been developed to ll the gap in the market,” he says.
“We have made some improvements with this speci c release, which will also be available on the Tier 4 version, such as factoryt second attachment circuits and the 3DMG product. We also have attachment control, where the operator can set pressure and ow on the main attachment circuit.”
CEA took an extensive range of SANY machinery to this year’s DDT, showcasing the wide range of excavators, telehandlers and material handlers that it is now o ering across Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Western Australia.
For a full run through of what CEA had on show, see page 29.
Several electric SANY models were showcased on the CEA stand
Volvo Construction Equipment distributor CJD Equipment showcased the new reduced-swing ECR355 excavator, which CJD Equipment operator, trainer and product manager Grant Payne says is “revolutionary” in the updates it brings to the market.
“It has a new light package, new blade assembly, more ground clearance, is around 15 per cent more fuel e cient than the previous model and there’s a longer servicing life, so lower cost for the customer across the whole span of the machine,” he says.
An example of Volvo CE’s new K Series loader range was also on the stand – the 24-tonne L150K – one of three new models to join CJD Equipment’s loader lineup this year.
“This one carries our TP [torque parallel] linkage, which is our own design and unique on the market,” Payne says.
“There are high vis handrails, boosts to the power and stability of the machine and a reduction in the noise. There’s also an upgraded lighting design and smaller bonnet for greater visibility.
“These two machines are suitable for smaller quarry operations and other material handling situations such as soil yards.
“We’ve also brought an electric variant close to the size of the K loader, the JL120H, which is fully electric. These are great for customers working in an environment where they need low noise machinery, or a government application that has emissions restrictions.”
A third new addition to the stand was an A45 model articulated hauler with a 42-tonne payload capacity –one of Volvo CE’s next generation of articulated haulers. Payne says maintenance and accessibility were a key focus in the design to make it ergonomic for the operator and simple to undertake daily checks.
“Everything is at ground level for servicing and maintenance,” he says.
“Another bene t of this is front
independent suspension, which reduces operator fatigue and stress on the body.
“There’s a lower bonnet, larger cab, larger opening span on the tailgates, quicker opening and an improvement in all around visibility. It’s a gamechanger.”
The star of WesTrac’s stand was the redesigned Cat 140G grader, which has undergone a complete upgrade. There’s a new cab, nine-speed transmission, 10-inch touchscreen, reversing fan and swing-out radiator, LED lighting, rearview camera, external parking brake, push start ignition and tyre pressure monitoring system to mention just some of the new features.
Cat ANZ technology application specialist Chris Barrett says it’s exciting to be able to o er a whole new suite of technology to customers on such a popular model.
“We’ve got an option on there called 3D ready, which gives customers the exibility if they want to use that,” Barrett says.
“They can either rent that so ware month by month, year by year, or they can put it on outright. So there’s
greater exibility, particularly for local government customers.
“The redesigned frame gives greater visibility and in demonstrations with customers the feedback of the new cab is that it’s quite a bit more roomy.”
The Cat 140G is being o ered in six-wheel drive and standard drive options with the model on the stand tted with a new high performance circle.
“The high performance circle uses a slew bearing from the 320 excavator and is fully sealed, so there’s no maintenance needed on the circle,” he says.
“For people trying to chase millimetres when they’re doing grade control, that eliminates the need to tighten anything up. There’s no shoe or pinion – all that’s gone – so it’s a very good circle for customers wanting tight tolerances with their machine.”
Serviceability on the grader has been improved with service points at ground level and lters are now recyclable and common across di erent machine types.
“If a customer has a 320 excavator for example, and they’ve got a 140 motor grader, a lot of the lters might
be interchangeable with one another, minimising their holding costs on lters,” Barrett says.
Elsewhere on the stand, WesTrac was demonstrating the ease and speed of changing out Cat Advansys tips – a task one person can do with one tool.
WesTrac BDM wear parts Jason Rigg says the aim was to show customers the advantages of having a hammerless retention system.
“This system just uses a ratchet or a breaker bar to turn spinning cups, a bit like the original J Series,” Rigg says.
“This saves having to use a hammer and striking force to remove pins, which reduces the risk of injury from either getting hit by the hammer or debris coming o the o the pin, and avoids pinches from changing edges or tips.”
Rigg also highlighted Cat’s single life cutting edges as being a more e cient and lower cost alternative to double bevel cutting edges.
“With a double bevel cutting edge, as you start to wear through the front edge, you spin the edge around and use the rear edge. However, it’s challenging to get the timing of that right, so single edges can be a more cost e ective approach,” he says.
For graders, Rigg says WesTrac’s GraderBit2 system is a way that operators can get more from their machine by using di erent teeth along the leading edge instead of the at blade.
“You can run wide tips that t closely to each other and forms a straight edge or you can run di erent con gurations of tips to get a serrated edge of varying sizes, which allows material to ow through the tips to recirculate road base material for example,” Rigg says.
“There’s a tungsten face on those tips, which has a much higher wear rate. This means that councils doing road maintenance across many kilometres don’t need a second person to come out to a remote road work site to change an edge.
“You can have these tips sitting in in the vehicle, and the operator can change them out. They’re just a pin clip in and out, and they’re only the size of your hand, so they’re quite small and light, and the high wear rate is 20 times that of a traditional edge.”
Trailer manufacturer FWR was exhibiting at DDT for the rst time and had a variety of models on display, including its agship Super Tilt.
FWR owner Arron MacCue says the company had been expanding its presence with the opening of a second site in Wacol, Brisbane and the show was a great way to showcase FWR’s wide range of trailer models to the NSW market.
FWR owner Arron MacCue with FWR’s flagship Super Tilt trailer
“We’ve brought our single axle tag trailer, Mini Muscle all hydraulic, Elite single and two customers’ Elite tri axle tag trailers,” MacCue says.
“These are in addition to the Super Tilt, which has been a big draw to the stand, and a drop deck Widener.”
He says FWR’s ability to customise to a client’s needs has been a major focus in building the brand.
“We want to get to know our customers and understand what they want before we quote them,” MacCue says.
“We’ve got 10 to 15 di erent product lines, so we cover all facets of transport.
“It’s good being on the ground and talking to our existing customers and meeting new customers.”
With XCMG o ering a vast array of machinery, DDT visitors were spoilt for choice, but a highlight of the stand for national product manager for EWP, telehandlers, forkli s and port equipment Greg Meyer was the XT2506E electric telehandler.
Weighing in at 2.5 tonnes, the XT2506E has a six-metre reach and two-tonne li ing capacity.
“It completed its stability testing in China in December last year and this is the rst of the fully electric telehandlers to come onto the market,” Meyer says.
“This is all about cutting emissions. A lot of these units are pretty compact, so they’ll drive underneath car parks, and can be used for internal work when building factories/large buildings as well as in mining. There are no emissions, it’s silent, and a very capable machine.”
Overall, Meyer says there’s a growing demand for electric telehandlers, and the XT2506E can run for seven hours on a single charge.
“This is the rst of our telehandlers that’s lithium, and we’re launching this into the Australian market for tier one sites, mining and green conscious construction companies,” he says.
“This is the rst of what will be a series of material handling machines particularly designed for indoor work, because as laws around emissions evolve, these machines will end up being a requirement. We’re trying to be ahead of the game here on that behalf, and it’s the rst of many to come.”
On the Colbrook stand an American import was drawing lots of attention.
The Barko 937B industrial wheeled tractor (see our cover story page 10) is a new addition to the company’s lineup, picked up fresh o the dock just a week before the event.
“We’re very excited to have it here for everyone have a look at,” Colbrook business developer Hayley Plageman says.
“This is the largest model we have in our range of vegetation management equipment. This one has a Sheerex head on it, but you can t any head to it, and this has big forestry spec tyres.”
Powered by a 380hp (283kW)
Cummins QSL9 Tier 4 diesel engine, the 14-tonne Barko 937B has pressure ratings up to 5,500 psi, a top travel speed of 25km/h, a unique 45degree articulation joint for handling extreme conditions and a ROPS/ FOPS oating cab design for allday comfort.
Another recent addition to the lineup is the Diamond Mowers Drum Mulcher DC Pro X2, shown for the rst time at DDT.
“We’re bringing them in with the options of the hydraulic door and pressure gauge,” Plageman says.
“They’re more of an upright style compared to the previous model but have the same robustness and support that people expect from Diamond Mowers.”
Being demoed nearby was the RC Mowers Autonomous Mowing Robot (AMR), showcasing the productivity gains that can be achieved with autonomous technology. Plageman says a single operator can run three AMRs at a time, which is ideal for large areas of mowing, particularly in hot weather.
“You just map out an area and it will manage that by itself,” Plageman says.
“It has detection sensors, so if it comes across anything bigger than a basketball it would slow down and let you know that there’s something in the way. If it doesn’t move in a certain period of time, it will stop the mower, shut the blades down, and it’ll ask you to run a map and course around, or you can decide to investigate it yourself.
“The operator can set three of them up and then go Whipper snipping or hedging or something at the same time, which is a huge boost to productivity.”
With ITR Paci c recently announcing a partnership with Miller, the stand included an impressive display of what ITR now o ers, from large attachments and a ermarket parts through to lters, nal drives and the Miller collection of excavator attachments.
Miller Australia operations manager Sean Congo was on site to
outline Miller’s o ering and says the partnership with ITR Paci c has been doing very well.
“Miller’s been in Australia for around 10 years and we’re known for being reliable, strong and cost e cient,” Congo says.
“Here we brought a 1.8-tonne ready to dig kit, which includes a ripper, a mud bucket, a 450mm general purpose bucket, a 300mm general purpose bucket, and the hitch.
“We’ve also got a 3.5-tonne tilt hitch, ve-tonne standard hitch, a 38-tonne GT X for a caterpillar, an eight-tonne Caterpillar GTX and a 14-tonne power latch tilt hitch.
“Our quick hitches are well known on construction sites for speedy changing of attachments, and you can get signi cant productivity gains.”
Hitachi
Amongst the collection of orange excavators, a Bell grader had joined the Hitachi stand.
Hitachi Newcastle rep Jeremy Siwek says DDT marked the rst
time the grader had been shown in Australia and marked an exciting step forward for Hitachi.
“This is our new G160 Bell grader, which has been in development for several years,” he says.
“We’re thrilled to be launching the new Bell, which will come online in the next 12 months.”
The G160 has a 280hp (209kW) Cummins engine and an operating weight with push block and ripper of 21.6 tonnes.
“It’s extremely powerful and joystick controlled,” Siwek says.
“It’s been in development for a while as Bell and Hitachi didn’t want to bring out a product that wasn’t going to be suitable for the demanding Australian conditions. It’s going to be a market leader before you know it.
“Visibility is key in all our machines along with operator comfort. An operator will generally spend the whole day in a grader so we need them to be comfortable.
“That’s a key feature right across the Hitachi range as well, having more
window space, which means better visibility, and means it’s safer. You’ll notice that right across our range, we’ve got a lot more glass than other competitors in the cab.”
The G160 joins the G140 in Australia, signalling Hitachi’s growing focus on the road building and maintenance market.
“There are a lot of farmers that use these for roadworks as well as civil contractors,” Siwek says.
“The civil industry has gone wild the past 5/10 years so it just seems like a natural progression for Hitachi to work their way into that.
“This is great for our customers because it makes us more of a one stop shop, where they can come to us and get a whole range of machines versus just excavators.”
Another addition to the stand was a couple of new dash 7 wheeled excavators – the ZX155W-7 and ZX220W-7.
Hitachi major accounts manager –NSW Barry Cahill says these models, mounted on road tyres, were proving to be popular with road builders that
were looking for excavators with a higher li ing power.
“These can be used for li ing concrete barriers and moving them around whereas, previous, that was o en done by wheel loaders with forks,” he says.
“These come with a tilt rotator, which means 180-degree rotation for all the di erent attachments, which makes it the Swiss Army knife of civil sites.
“With the 220 you’re in the 20 to 25tonne range, which means greater capacity. The smaller models are o en used on high rails for working on the rail network.
“Basically it’s a beefed-up dash ve model with all the mod cons and modern trimmings like heated seats and GPS.”
“The key things is that they are really simple and intuitive to use, which is what Hitachi aims for right across the board. You don’t have to sit there reading a manual for three hours to learn how to operate it. It’s literally just plug and play and o you go.”
Steelwrist managing director
Darryn Wilson ran EAE through the key points of the new SQ40 quick coupler, designed for excavators in the four to six-tonne range.
Being shown for the rst time in Australia at DDT, Wilson says the SQ40 has an automatic oil connection system which
allows an operator to pick up a hydraulic attachment and connect automatically without needing to get out of the cab.
“You don’t have to plug in hoses, you don’t have to worry about high pressure oil leaks or anything like that, which makes this a lot safer and e cient,” he says.
“We’ve produced a range running
(Left and below) Tutt Bryant was showing several of the new Yanmar track loader range
up to the SQ90, for a 70-tonne machine, and we sell a lot of these into demolition and sites where people don’t want to get out of the cab. So that way it just takes the safety factor to another level.”
Another addition to the site was Steelwrist’s next generation of tilt rotators, the XTR20, designed for excavators in the 15 to 20-tonne range.
“This is a new direction for us,” Wilson says.
“It has a sensor lock system called LockSense, which means that when you’re in the cab, you can see con rmation that it’s locked. The locking system is all fed straight back into the cab, so you can control it, and you can see, and you can have con dence that it is locked.
“We’ve got an automatic lube system in here, so we aren’t running hoses everywhere. All our pivot points now are greaseless, so we don’t have to get out and grease them, and it’s lighter.”
On the Tutt Bryant stand a highlight was the new Yanmar track loader range introduced into Australia late last year – the TL65RS-1C, TL75VS-1C, TL80VS-1C and TL100VS covering an operating weight range of 3.9 tonnes to 4.8 tonnes and engine power between 50kW and 77.2kW.
Tutt Bryant NSW state manager Scott Ewan says that there’s already been good take-up amongst customers.
“We’re taking on the big players in the industry with a quality product,” he says.
“We’re aiming at the top end of the market, rather than entry level. From a quality perspective, they’ve been made to a standard rather than a price. There are little things like easy exit through the top of the cab. They don’t have a full cage, so that you’ve got better visibility along with reverse cameras.
“Another standout is ease of access into and out of the machine and the air conditioning set up to Australian standards.”
IMS have added the new BP1200-48TB track electric twin power blender to its impressive collection of ed hopper each five meters long holding and controlled by a PLC control and recording system that can be operated from an iPad or phone from its own Wi-Fi system from a loader or ll fitted with invertors offering variable speed to each feed hopper conveyor. The generator can be connected to mains power and could power an
IMS-MS104T
Scalping Screen with a 10 x 4 two deck screen producing three products on high rise tracks
Price $227,000
New IMS-MC1050-14TF
Track Conveyor with a five-meterlong feed hopper with a hydraulic remote-control tipping gride
Price $244,000 Plus GST
A new IMS-PM1200-20TB Track Pugmill with twin 10m3 feed hoppers has just commissioned to Braeside he PM1200-20TB offered Braeside fines into roadbase to make spec or ol and CTB. The PLC control and recording system can be operated from an iPad in a loader managing all aspects of the operation including loading trucks and multiple trailers stopping when the required weight has been reached for each unit and
Jaw Crusher with a single deck screen producing two finished products. Diesel electric which is very quiet and only uses 12 LPH
Price Reduced - $449,000 Plus GST
Used 2021 & 2022 Rubble Master
Three deck screens in good condition – 18x5 & 22x5
Price $295,000 Plus GST
Price Reduced - $270,000 Plus GST
The experimental set up
A Monash research project has highlighted the possibilities of using microwave energy to dry out unbound aggregate layers in road building to strengthen roads against climate impacts
A research team from Monash University’s Engineering department has been investigating how to improve the resilience of roads by manually drying aggregate layers before sealing.
Dr Gopoojithaa Athmarajah, Dr Amir Tophel, ARC Laureate Professor Prof Je rey Walker and Professor Jayantha Kodikara undertook lab tests on unbound granular materials (UGM) to explore how microwave energy, used in conjunction with hot air ow, could pave the way to building a drying technology for road construction companies.
Earthmovers & Excavators spoke with Professor Kodikara to nd out why managing the moisture in aggregate is a key focus in road building research.
Subsurface strength
The Smart Pavements Australia Research Collaboration Hub (SPARC Hub) was set up with a government grant to lead university research into improving materials, designs and technologies that will make pavements safer, longer lasting and more economical.
Professor Kodikara, a SPARC Hub director, says the focus is to facilitate collaboration between universities
and industry bodies to address issues facing Australian roads, particularly around how to make them more resilient in a changing climate and how to leverage the bene ts of digitalisation.
This recent research project, looking at microwave convective drying of UGM, was proposed by CIMIC Group’s technical arm EIC Activities. The aim was to see if it is possible to more accurately dry loose aggregate to an optimal moisture level in order to achieve optimal compaction. With road contractors currently having to battle with the weather and whatever drying that can be achieved by the sun, a more accurate and e cient method is desirable.
“During road construction or rehabilitation, construction businesses use unbound crushed rock layers as the road bed, and on top of that is the sealed layer of asphalt,” Kodikara explains.
“This foundation layer has a signi cant in uence on how much stress is transferred to the underlying soil.
“In some areas there could be good quality crushed rocks, but in more remote areas locally sourced marginal materials might be used.
“Eventually, depending on the quality of the road base, damage and deformation occurs, a ecting the road surface. These are very moisture sensitive materials, so moisture needs to be reduced in order to have a good road and a pothole-free surface.”
If there is too much moisture saturation of the aggregate, he adds, this makes the road bed more vulnerable to deformation and failure. So, the ideal scenario is to dry the road bed until the moisture content is suitable for sealing it. However, this is easier said than done.
“If you’re relying on the sun to dry the road bed, it may not be always available, and humidity is also climate-driven and seasonal,” Kodikara says.
“This gives rise to delays and reduced productivity. Therefore, we started looking at alternative methods, including the possibility of using microwave drying.”
To test whether microwave energy would be a feasible solution for road base drying, the team built a test bed in the lab. Here, they explored how a combination of microwave drying
and hot air a ects the moisture content with the potential end aim being the creation of a drying unit for road building.
“Some microwave drying is already being used in on asphalt, healing cracks and so on, in some countries, but it’s not used for road building itself,” Kodikara says.
“It was a challenging research project because we are geotechnical engineers and pavement engineers, and we had to use microwave theory and knowledge to design the experiment.
“With the budget available, we decided to use a combination microwave oven and direct it through a cone antenna onto a soil surface contained in a box. We used di erent classes of compacted unbound materials and tested at di erent moisture contents the e ectiveness of the microwave. We used a single antenna, but, in the eld, using an array of antennas would be more likely.
“We also tried, in addition to using microwave energy, using a hot air gun to facilitate the removal of moisture. The idea here was like a hairdryer, where air and heat are both used to dry the hair more e ectively. The microwave heats the material but doesn’t remove the water vapour, so we tested a combination of microwave energy and blowing hot air across the surface.”
At the scale used, the experiment had limitations around how deep a drying e ect could be achieved, but Kodikara says it has provided useful data for future research.
“With the conditions we were using we found that we couldn’t dry to a signi cant depth, only about 50mm, and we are talking about layers that are 100 to 120mm thick,” he says.
“The drying was also too localised and the amount of energy that might be needed is another consideration. However, we developed the theoretical aspects and used a physics-based AI model to predict
the outcomes at a scaled-up level.
“At this point, we are discussing funding for further research with di erent parties because increasing the productivity and resilience of our roads is very important in the face of climate e ects. In Australia, we use a relatively thin asphalt layer compared to other countries.
“Therefore, that asphalt layer very much depends on the support received from the underlying foundation. We propose that Australia moves towards using a thicker layer of asphalt, despite the cost, because it is needed to limit the moisture ingress and withstand our changing climate. This way, the asphalt seal and the foundation layer work in harmony to provide longlasting resilience for the pavements.”
Overall, he says that the SPARC Hub’s work is important in tackling issues around improving roads
that have been “put into the ‘too hard’ basket for 30/40 years due to the overall complexity of scienti c processes involved in a pavement system”. Kodikara presented these ndings to the Federal Parliamentary Committee on Resilient Roads Inquiry in 2023.
“With testing, design, construction and condition assessment, currently these are all considered as disparate processes, and we need greater connectivity to get the bene ts of the impending digitalisation,” Kodikara says.
“So, we’re developing technologies and methodologies to integrate these by exploring digitalisation and smart technology to achieve greater productivity and resilience.”
For more information on SPARC Hub and its projects, visit: sparchub.org.au
The nalists of the Women in Industry Awards 2026 have been announced. Here we take a look at the eight women shortlisted for the Excellence in Construction Award Bringing together industry leaders, accomplished women and organisations driving meaningful change across industrial sectors, the Women in Industry Awards has announced its o cial nalist list for 2026.
More than a celebration of
achievement, the gala dinner held at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf, Sydney on June 18 o ers a unique opportunity for connection, uniting industry professionals, senior leaders, and emerging talent in a dynamic and engaging setting where the usual barriers drop away.
Michelle Gillies is senior program director – aviation and major infrastructure at Brisbane Airport where she leads major capital delivery within a live airport environment.
With a career across airport, defence and large-scale infrastructure project delivery, Gillies was nominated for her work across several initiatives that resulted in improved program visibility, reduced delivery and interface risk, stronger governance and more coordinated delivery in highly constrained operational environments.
Meet the eight nalist that have been shortlisted for the Excellence in Construction Award.
To buy your ticket for the Women in Industry Awards in Sydney, visit: womeninindustry.com.au
Owner and director of EME Property Developments, Georgia Hartin has spent 30+ years delivering complex construction projects totalling over $350 million across retail, education, government, commercial and residential sectors.
Hartin founded EME Rooming Houses, a development platform that applies institutional-grade construction governance to coliving housing. Her proprietary EME Method brings the same structured reporting, risk registers, cost controls and milestone tracking from major institutional projects to every development.
Also a finalist in the Excellence in Mining Award, Caitlyn Hayes is a qualified mobile plant mechanic and automotive electrician at Komatsu Australia currently working as a field service contract fitter in the Pilbara.
Through her involvement in recruitment campaigns and industry visibility, she has helped drive increased female participation in trade pathways.
Along with acting as a mentor for apprentices within Komatsu and Manufacturing Skills Queensland, Hayes also advocates for greater diversity in trades, using her platform to challenge outdated perceptions and highlight the opportunities available to women in hands on careers.
Jacqueline Madsen is the director of FYA solutions at the Australian Antarctic Division and was nominated for managing a team of tradies working at Mawson Station in the Antarctic for the 2025–26 season.
Facing the challenges of managing construction work in the extreme conditions of Antarctica, Madsen actively encouraged and facilitated connections between stations and the construction industry in Australia to brainstorm solutions.
Working within a highly maledominated environment, Madsen took initiative to connect and support women working in Antarctica stations while working on a range of significant station improvements.
Alysse Reedy is a project manager at Fulton Hogan, where she influences safety, environmental and operational strategy across all business streams Australia-wide, translating project experience into scalable, best practice solutions. Her work on delivering safety frameworks have uplifted safety culture, improved clarity for frontline teams, and strengthened risk management across diverse operational environments. Beyond Fulton Hogan, Reedy has presented at graduate leadership forums, participated in women’s development initiatives, and shared practical lessons on sustainability, safety and leadership through panels and professional engagement.
Puja Khanna is the associate director – sales, marketing and design at Ellipse Property and contributes to the construction sector by bridging commercial performance with design excellence and customercentric delivery.
A focus has been integrating energy-e icient systems, renewable resources, and eco-conscious landscaping within developments to enhance environmental performance and long-term value.
At an industry level, Khanna is a Women Building NSW Female Ambassador and speaker at forums such as Apartments.com; contributing to industry dialogue on design-led development, market positioning and leadership.
CEO of Decode Group, a Sydneybased construction company, Divya Mehta has transformed Decode from a five-person start-up into a major NSW residential builder, delivering over 3,000 homes and a $1.4 billion project pipeline.
At an industry level, Divya cofounded Funding the Future, uniting developers, builders, and financiers to collaboratively address systemic challenges in construction.
As an Ambassador for Women Building NSW, she mentors emerging female leaders, advocates for greater inclusion, and inspires sector-wide change in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
A partner at Construction Legal, Jessica Rippon founded this award-winning boutique firm that focuses on building, construction and infrastructure law.
At the industry level, Rippon is vice chair of UDIA NSW’s Strata and Building Regulations Committee and led submissions on the Building Bill 2024 and Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Bill 2026. Her thesis on Decennial Liability Insurance led to her appointment to the Ministerial Advisory Panel where she helped design NSW’s first-ever 10-year defect insurance scheme.
The firm delivers industry seminars and developed a proprietary iCIRT compliance tool; making specialist building law more accessible.
CCF Queensland CEO Damian Long says many large contractors had rise and fall clauses built into their contracts, but this was not a luxury available to smaller contractors. Image: Gorodenko /stock.adobe.com
Key industry bodies are calling for rise and fall clauses to be built into all existing and new government contracts, in response to the escalating fuel prices
Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) Australia has released a major economic report which provides a comprehensive assessment of how escalating fuel prices are impacting civil construction.
The report by leading economist Saul Eslake, The Impact of the Middle East Fuel Crisis on Australia’s Civil Construction Sector, shows the country’s civil construction sector is the most exposed to the current global fuel shock – as the nation’s most diesel-dependent sector – and faces risks to project delivery and business viability.
In response to this, the CCF’s state branches are calling for rise and fall clauses to be built into all existing and new government contracts.
CCF New South Wales CEO Kylie Yates says this means contracts will be exible with unexpected cost increases shared fairly, so that local businesses aren’t le alone to shoulder extreme fuel, material, and transport cost spikes they can’t a ord.
CCF Queensland CEO Damian Long adds many large contractors had these clauses built into their contracts, but this was not a luxury available to smaller contractors, who are mostly on xed price projects.
“It would be unconscionable that the exibility inbuilt to many large contracts, held by large, multinational corporations to allow for rise and fall with inputs like fuel, is not extended to mum and dad businesses who
are the lifeblood of regional communities,” he says.
“Not extending this lifeline given to big business to small business would send many of them to the wall, undermining the Olympics, regional economies and many other critical deliverables for the state.”
Long adds these businesses are vital for infrastructure delivery.
“Small and medium sized civil contractors are the lifeblood of our community and deliver almost all of the infrastructure we use in regional and remote Queensland,” he says.
“These small family-owned enterprises failing would undermine the delivery of crucial infrastructure across Queensland, including upgrades to the Bruce Highway and many Olympic venues.”
Yates says local NSW civil
businesses support tens of thousands of jobs, and government support was vital for their viability as cost increases hit them.
“The new report shows that COVID and the war in Ukraine proved how xed-price contracts combined with sudden cost spikes push more construction companies into insolvency than any other industry,” Yates says.
“Knowing this means if the NSW government acts now, we can prevent wide-scale job loss, projects running late, or being abandoned entirely.”
Yates adds rise and fall clauses could be the safety net for smaller businesses to avoid the worst of the global fuel challenge and ensure infrastructure keeps getting built across Australia.
This year’s Budget contains a ra of investments into road and infrastructure upgrades, house building incentives, fuel security measures and the permanent uptake of the instant asset write-o scheme
The federal government released its 2026–27 Budget yesterday evening, which included a record $53 billion spend on defence, $8.6 billion for road and road projects, measures to accelerate environmental and foreign investment approvals and cut red tape, local housing infrastructure support, increased fuel security and the permanent installation of the instant asset write-o scheme.
Infrastructure
This Budget includes investment into new and ongoing nationally signi cant projects totalling $1.7 billion over nine years from 2026-27 for new Infrastructure Investment Program project. Key points include:
• $812.5 million for the Bruce Highway upgrade between the Gateway Motorway and Dohles Rocks Road in Queensland
• $552 million for upgrades to Anketell Road to connect with the proposed future Westport precinct in WA
• $500 million over 10 years to continue the Active Transport Fund
• $50 million to upgrade the Sydney to Canberra rail corridor
• $50 million for the Western Freeway Upgrade (Melton to Caroline Springs) in Victoria
• $50 million for the Drake Brockman Drive Duplication in the Australian Capital Territory
• $45 million for safety improvements to the M1 in New South Wales
• $24 million for Bagot Road Safety and Capacity Upgrades in the Northern Territory
• $7.5 million for the AUKUS Planning Study and Business Case for key transport infrastructure upgrades in South Australia
• $4 million for the East Derwent Highway – Bowen Bridge to Bridgewater Improvements planning in Tasmania
• $3.8 billion for Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop East.
It has also announced $781.6 million in investment in the Thriving Suburbs, Growing Regions and Stronger Communities program over four years from 2026–27 which will fund parks, community centres and sport and cultural facilities.
The government will implement a temporary fuel and other materials disruption slippage adjustment for the Infrastructure Investment Program, which is set at $2 billion for 2026–27, $1.6 billion in 2027–28 and $0.5 billion in 2028–29.
$42.7 million has been allocated over four years from 2026–27 to provide ongoing grants to Standards
Australia to provide free public read-only access to standards referenced in Commonwealth and state and territory legislation.
The government is looking to expand home ownership with $2 billion over four years from 2026–27 for the Housing Support Program – Local Infrastructure Fund that is says will support local governments and state utility providers to expediate the delivery of housing enabling infrastructure. It says that this is contingent on states committing to reforms to improve productivity, releasing more land and delivering a national construction code.
The government has also announced changes to negative gearing, which it says will support new housing supply, by limiting it to new builds. From 1 July 2027, losses from established residential properties will only be deductible against rental income or the capital gains from residential properties. Properties in widely held trusts and superannuation funds will be excluded, alongside targeted exemptions for build-torent developments and private investors supporting government housing programs.
The Instant Asset Write-O Scheme has been made permanent with the limit extended to $20,000. Image: K/stock. adobe.com
The National Fuel Security Plan will see a $115.4 investment this year from the government as part of a ve year plan to: establish a Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility, an Australian Fuel Security Reserve with a minimum 50 days of fuel stock, support for freight, fuel, fertiliser and other critical supply chains through the Economic Resilience Program, operate a Fuel Supply Taskforce until the end of 2026, and support ongoing supply chain analysis.
The government has also passed legislation to double the maximum penalties for major contraventions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the Australian Consumer Law from $50 million to $100 million, and tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to undertake weekly public reporting on fuel price movements and market conditions.
In this Budget the government has announced that the instant asset write-o scheme will be made permanent from July 1, 2026. It has also been extended to $20,000 for small businesses with a turnover of up to $10 million.
The government will provide $5.3 million over two years from 2026–27 to continue the administration of the CFMEU and $4.6 million in 2026–27 to provide targeted assistance to fast track accreditation of residential builders under the Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme.
$1.3 million in 2026–27 has been allocated to the Fair Work Commission to continue to provide specialised supports to small businesses navigating the fair work dispute and resolution system and Commission processes.
The government will invest $85.2 million over four years from 2026–27 to the Department of Employment
and Workplace Relations for better recognition of migrant skills through faster, more exible skills assessments.
This includes $75.1 million over four years from 2026–27 for a new, modern skills assessment system for Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) to facilitate the integration of occupational licensing.
$5.6 million over three years from 2026–27 has been allocated for TRA to deliver a new program of skills assessments for onshore visa holders and $4.5 million will be spent over four years from 2026–27 to strengthen the regulatory oversight of Assessing Authorities who will be required to publish an annual Assessing Authority Performance Report from 2027.
Employer incentives however are being reduced from $5,000 to $4,000 and large residential building employers will no longer be eligible for direct apprentice incentives.
The investment in housing-enabling infrastructure was welcomed by CCF QLD CEO Damian Long who says the investment in roads, water, sewerage and enabling infrastructure was essential if Australia was serious about increasing housing supply.
“You cannot build homes without civil infrastructure,” Long says.
“This Budget shows the Commonwealth is beginning to recognise that housing delivery starts with the enabling infrastructure delivered by civil contractors.
“The additional investment in enabling infrastructure is a positive
step and re ects the growing understanding that roads, utilities and subdivision works must come before houses.”
The Housing Industry Association says the Budget supplied a “mixed message on housing” with positives for productivity, infrastructure, skills and regulation but tax changes that it says “weaken investment incentives”.
“As population growth continues and housing demand remains elevated, the industry needs policy settings that align investment incentives with supply objectives, not work against them,” HIA says.
“HIA remains concerned that changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax risk undermining housing supply, particularly rental housing, and o setting the bene ts of otherwise positive reforms.”
Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) CEO Michael Kilgari says that the Budget creates an opportunity to progress reforms that improve supply chain e ciency and project delivery.
“Unlocking housing supply and delivering major infrastructure projects requires more than funding commitments alone; it also depends on access to the materials, freight networks, industrial land and approvals systems needed to deliver projects e ciently and at scale,” he says.
“The movement of heavy construction materials is highly freight-intensive. E cient freight systems, reliable heavy vehicle access and nationally consistent regulation are essential to keeping construction projects moving across the country.”
Caterpillar CFO Andrew Bonfield has announced his retirement after eight years with Caterpillar
Caterpillar has announced that chief financial o icer (CFO) Andrew Bonfield has elected to retire e ective Oct. 1, 2026, following eight years with the company.
Kyle Epley will take his place, e ective May 1, 2026, at which time Bonfield will assume an advisory role for the remainder of the transition.
Bonfield was named 2025 CFO of the Year by the CFO Leadership Council and Chief Executive Group. His planned retirement follows a period of record financial performance and transformation for the company, Caterpillar says.
“Andrew’s leadership has been instrumental to Caterpillar’s success,” Caterpillar chairman and CEO Joe Creed says.
“He brought exceptional financial expertise, a relentless focus on disciplined decision-making and a deep commitment to our customers and shareholders. With Andrew at the forefront, our global finance organisation became a strategic advantage for the enterprise, and his impact will be felt long after his retirement.”
Epley brings nearly three decades of Caterpillar experience to the role. Currently serving as senior vice president of Global Finance Services, he leads a global team managing enterprise-wide finance operations, strategy, planning, treasury, pricing, real estate and facilities.
The Building Products Industry Council says state and territory variations in applying the National Construction Code is impacting the industry
Variations to the National Construction Code (NCC) across Australia’s states and territories are eroding national consistency, increasing costs and placing unnecessary pressure on builders, manufacturers and product suppliers, according to the Building Products Industry Council (BPIC).
Victoria and Tasmania (by default) are the only jurisdictions to meet the original projected NCC start date of 1 May, with three states adopting it on May 1, 2027 and the remainder adopting it on May 1, 2026 but providing a transition period of 12 months. Tasmania has introduced 125 new variations to NCC 2025, on top of the 25 variations in NCC 2022. In New South Wales state variations have increased from 16 in NCC 2022 to more than 210 in NCC 2025.
“Similar trends are evident across other jurisdictions, many of which have quietly introduced substantial new variations while continuing to assert that the NCC is overly complex, burdensome red tape,” BPIC says.
“Some government proponents argue that state variations do not add regulation but merely ‘change’ it. In practice, however, practitioners must navigate the NCC back and forth to determine what applies, what has been replaced, and under what conditions.”
BPIC executive o cer Rodger Hills adds: “Whether a variation substitutes a clause, a sentence, or just a single word, the e ect is the same: greater time spent interpreting the NCC and a higher risk of misinterpretation, uncertainty, and non compliance.
“Many variations are developed a er the NCC public comment dra period, meaning industry has no opportunity to review or provide feedback before they are introduced. In e ect, they circumvent the normal code development process.”
Michael Schaper.
Image: Energy Consumers Australia
Infrastructure WA announces new chair to steer shift of Infrastructure WA to the 2050 Commission
Michael Schaper has been appointed chair of Infrastructure WA, steering the agency in the coming months as it becomes the 2050 Commission.
Dr Schaper, who spent 10 years as deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and currently serves as Infrastructure WA’s deputy chair, has significant experience in public sector governance as chair of Energy Consumers Australia and Energy and Water Ombudsman WA.
He will replace Nicole Lockwood, who will step down as Infrastructure WA’s deputy chair after seven years in the role.
The appointment of a new chair to Infrastructure WA comes as the agency begins transitioning to the 2050 Commission, the state’s first-ever productivity commission charged with providing strategic advice to government on the productivity, growth and transformation of the state’s economy ahead of and beyond 2050.
The 2050 Commission will carry out Infrastructure WA’s key functions, including conducting Major Infrastructure Proposal Assessments, as well as adopting broad inquiry functions.
Legislation to establish the 2050 Commission is to be introduced in the second half of this year with a view to establishing the agency in mid-2027.
The WA budget has announced over $429 million in spending for a range of road projects across the state
Western Australia released its state budget recently where it announced a range of investments within its road projects in the state, including:
• $127.4 million to replace priority timber bridges across regional WA
• $113.5 million boost for Main Roads’ maintenance program
• $83.2 million to deliver the rst stage of ood resilience upgrades to Great Northern Highway between Fitzroy and Gogo
• $61 million to complete upgrades to Toodyay Road
• $25 million to support road infrastructure planning at Latitude 32 and the Australian Marine Complex
• $9.4 million allocated for priority works on water drainage bridges in the South West
• $7.5 million towards the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program for new and expanded heavy vehicle rest areas
• $2 million towards planning and pre-construction activities to improve access to Swan Christian College on Great Northern Highway.
A further $89.1 million will support
$83.2 million has been announced for flood resilience upgrades to the Great Northern Highway. Image: petar/adobe.stock.com
the next phase of the Transforming Bunbury’s Waterfront project and $139 million has been announced for public transport infrastructure.
This includes $68 million for further upgrades to electric bus depots, $50 million to replace the Sutherland Street rail bridge on the Fremantle Line, and $3 million to undertake project de nition for upgrades to support improved connectivity and access at McIver Station and the Royal Perth Hospital precinct.
The WA government is also delivering a third round of stamp duty relief for rst time home buyers as part of a $297 housing tax package that raises the threshold from $500,000 to $600,000 and reduces rates for homes up to $550,000 from $450,000.
The property cap for the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) will also increase from $750,000 to $800,000.
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Single form tendering will allow Tasmanian businesses to be more competitive when they tender for government work.
Image: Kent/stock.adobe.com
The implementation of single form tendering in Tasmania will slash red tape and simplify the procurement process
The Tasmanian government has announced single form tendering has been implemented, allowing businesses across the state to be more competitive when they tender for government work.
A few changes have been made to enable single form tendering. These include New Request for Quotation templates – making it easier for businesses to provide the information needed, new and refreshed guidance materials for companies bidding for government work, the introduction of a Supplier Code of Conduct, which applies to all suppliers contracting with the Tasmanian government, and new material to support agencies in applying the Buy Local Policy for businesses competing for government work.
Tasmanian treasurer Eric Abetz says the state government is supporting businesses by simplifying the tender process.
“These changes are a big win for local businesses,” Abetz says.
“They reduce duplication and red tape, particularly for small and medium businesses in Tasmania, while maintaining strong value for money outcomes.”
Infrastructure sees continued investment for both states
Victoria has allocated $73 million in its latest Budget for the planning and delivery of regional road upgrades, as well as $29 million for planning and delivery of new and upgraded roads across metropolitan Melbourne.
Victoria is investing over $100 million in repairing and upgrading roads across the state. Image: ronstick/stock.adobe.com BUDGET
It announced that $860 million will be invested over ve years into the Social Housing Growth Fund for new housing, while $37 million is being put towards unlocking better uses of Victorian land.
This includes $16 million for its 10-year plan to develop Melbourne’s green elds; $11 million to update Victoria’s planning legislation and $9.8 million for the Development Facilitation Program.
The Northern Territory meanwhile says that now that the Barossa liquid natural gas project is complete, the sector will be supported by a range of smaller scale works and a steady pipeline of public projects, such as the Northern Marine Complex, including the Darwin ship li project, road upgrades and ongoing investment in public housing through the HomeGrown Territory and FreshStart grants.
There are also a number of mine
rehabilitation projects underway, with $2.4 billion to be spent at the Ranger uranium mine. The Tanami expansion 2 project remains on track to be completed in 2027, extending the life of the mine beyond 2040.
For non-residential construction, the NT budget says there is $939.8 million in non-residential work yet to be done, agging key projects such as a $192.2 million work camp in Darwin and a $41.8 million work camp in Katherine. $110 million has also been allocated for the construction of the Palmerston Secondary Special Education School.
Residential building work done in the Territory increased by 11.1 per cent to $112 million in the year-ended December quarter 2025, with Territory government home ownership initiatives and land releases underway. However, higher interest rates are agged as being likely to delay or limit new developments.
The investment will expand training opportunities for Queenslanders. Image: Carlos/stock.adobe.com
A Centre of Excellence focused on construction skills will be built across several Queensland TAFE campuses
The Australian and Queensland governments have announced a new Queensland TAFE Centre of Excellence – Construction Tech to help meet the state’s big infrastructure goals.
Delivered under the National Skills Agreement, the Centre will operate as a statewide initiative across TAFE Queensland campuses and will deliver additional purpose-built construction tech training facilities at the Queensland Government’s new TAFE campuses in Caloundra and Moreton Bay, with construction completing in 2028.
The Centre will make it easier to get into construction jobs by recognising prior learning, o ering exible training opportunities and using simulated and virtual training.
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It will also deliver training to help small-tomedium construction businesses leverage emerging technology to boost productivity, enhance safety and reduce costs.
The $73.8 million joint investment is the third Centre of Excellence established in Queensland and will create more training places, modern technology and stronger regional pathways into construction jobs.
Federal minister for skills and training Andrew Giles says these new state of the art facilities will give Queenslanders access to modern construction training that re ects how work is done on today’s building sites.
“Students will be able to train in simulated worksites and digital hubs, gaining the practical, job ready skills they need to step straight into construction careers,” he says.
“This is Queensland’s third TAFE Centre of Excellence, and the 19th delivered nationally by the Albanese government in partnership with states and territories. It shows what’s possible when governments, TAFE, industry and universities work together to build skills that matter for Australia’s future.”
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Excavation
Excavation of the Suburban Rail Loop East TBM launch site is expected to reach a final depth of around 19.5 metres
Excavation has begun at the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site in Melbourne’s Clarinda, where TBMs will launch later this year.
SRL East will deliver 26km of twin tunnels and six brand new underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill.
Excavation has started at the eastern side of the Clarinda launch site, which will reach a final depth of about 19.5 metres. Excavation of the western side will start soon, with crews finalising ground preparation works.
TBMs will launch from Clarinda to dig the tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, and from Burwood to dig the tunnels between Glen Waverley and Box Hill. Construction of the TBM launch site at Burwood is already complete, ready for tunnelling to start this year.
Between February and March, nearly 1,000 cubic metres of concrete was poured at Clarinda, with crews using a concrete mix designed to reduce carbon emissions.
Rookwood Weir, built on the Fitzroy River in Central Queensland, has won the Best Practice in Workplace category at the Queensland LiFE Awards for its focus on mental health and suicide prevention.
Tino Ferrero, Rookwood Weir project alliance manager, highlighted the importance of collaboration.
“This recognition re ects the commitment shown across the project to treat mental health as a shared workplace responsibility,” Ferrero says.
“By listening to workers and acting on evidence, the site has been able to make sustained, meaningful improvements that support people both on and o the job.”
ACCIONA worked alongside Alliance delivery partner McCosker Contracting, owner Sunwater, design partner GHD, subcontractors, researchers and MATES in Construction, to embed mental health into everyday site culture.
A key element of the initiative was the use of the People-at-Work Construction survey and the Blueprint for Better Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
Workers were surveyed four times over the project, allowing leaders
Rookwood Weir was a collaboration across a number of businesses and MATES in Construction. Image: ACCIONA
to identify sources of stress and implement targeted actions to reduce psychosocial risks and strengthen support systems.
Engagement extended beyond surveys. Workers participated in toolbox talks, regular conversations with supervisors, informal connection activities, MATES training, case management support and access to the Employee Assistance Program. These measures were designed to encourage early help-seeking and reduce stigma.
The approach delivered clear, evidence-backed and measurable outcomes. Compared with control sites, Rookwood Weir recorded an 11 per cent reduction in workers reporting poor mental health.
The initiative has already in uenced broader industry practice, helping shape the ongoing rollout of the MATES program on major projects in South Australia and informing updates to the Blueprint for Better Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
First Nations school students got to be up close with earthmoving machinery on a construction project, as part of a South Australian training program
A four-week First Nations Southern Civil Construction Program was delivered in March, providing training and hands-on work experience for school students in Adelaide’s south.
The initiative – led by Renewal SA’s Works Program in partnership with TAFE SA, Construction Industry Training Board, the Department for Education and its Workabout Centre, and Seaford Secondary College – o ered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants a mix of accredited and non-accredited civil construction training.
Over the month, they gained practical skills including preparation for employment, an understanding of workplace health and safety, and hands-on experience using tools and equipment.
Participants also had the opportunity to work on a live training site at Renewal SA’s Noarlunga project under the direction of TAFE SA and alongside the agency’s civil construction contractor – Winslow Constructors.
The time spent on site included a drone demonstration and an opportunity for the students to be up close and personal with excavators and other earthmoving machinery.
Renewal SA Works program project coordinator Amy Reid highlighted the tangible impact of the program.
“I’ve seen such a signi cant
Participants had the opportunity to work on a live training site at Renewal SA’s Noarlunga project.
Image: South Australian government
change in the students. The fact they’ve shown up every single day is something I’m incredibly proud of,” she says.
“We’re genuinely hoping to make a meaningful di erence in their lives by providing real-world exposure to the civil construction industry and clear pathways into apprenticeships.
“Beyond building technical skills, the program is also strengthening con dence and resilience, helping students become job-ready and connect with the many employment opportunities available across Adelaide’s southern suburbs.”
The course also included theoretical work and a focus on building employability skills.
Résumé and interview skills workshops were delivered by Department for Education’s Workabout Centre, in addition to workshops facilitated by Mates in Construction and KESAB Environmental Solutions.
Students were also visited by a potential employer a er earning their white card, which is a required certi cation that will allow participants to work on a construction site in Australia.
land
Boral and Dexus to develop one of Australia’s largest logistics precincts at Ravenhall
Boral Limited has announced that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Dexus to develop the Ravenhall Logistics Precinct in west Melbourne that has a potential lettable area of up to 2.5 million square metres.
The joint venture will see Boral’s 630-hectare landholding at Ravenhall progressively transformed into a logistics and warehousing precinct, subject to rezoning. Located approximately 20 kilometres west of Melbourne’s CBD with access to the Western Freeway and future Outer Metropolitan Ring Road (2km), it contains an existing Rail spur linking to Port of Melbourne for potential multimodal logistics. Boral will contribute land on a staged basis at market value following rezoning and ultimately hold a 50 per cent interest in the development. Dexus and its capital partners will hold the remaining 50 per cent.
At full operation, the precinct is forecast to contribute up to $14.9 billion per annum to the Victorian economy and employ more than 31,000 FTE per annum.
The Precinct will be located at Boral’s Deer Park quarry, where Boral has been extracting basalt since 1968. Quarrying operations will continue in parallel with development as part of a detailed transition strategy.
Tasmanian minister for Macquarie Point Urban Renewal Eric Abetz says the project has attracted strong interest from major contractors and will create opportunities for subcontractors. Image: Macquarie Point Development Corporation
A major milestone has been reached for Tasmania’s Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium
The Tasmanian government has selected two firms to progress into Stage 1 of the Request for Tender process to deliver the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium.
The tenderers are Besix Watpac and Constructure Joint Venture, comprising Webuild S.p.A and China Construction Oceania, with McConnell Dowell as a key partner.
The state government says the tenderers have demonstrated their capacity to manage a build of this scale and have confirmed acceptance of the o er to progress through to the Request for Tender phase.
Tasmanian minister for Macquarie Point Urban Renewal Eric Abetz says the milestone demonstrated strong market confidence in the project and Tasmania.
“This is another important step forward for the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium,” Abetz says.
“We have seen strong interest from major contractors capable of delivering a project of this scale and complexity.”
The next phase of procurement will seek detailed submissions covering delivery approach, capability, commercial settings, program and local industry participation.
The Volvo Construction Equipment A30 Electric and A40 Electric articulated haulers will soon be delivered to select European customers
Volvo Construction Equipment
(Volvo CE) has begun production of its A30 Electric and A40 Electric at its Braås site in Sweden, announcing that it has become the rst manufacturer in the world to bring electric articulated haulers of this size into serial production.
First revealed at Bauma 2025, Volvo CE says strong customer interest in the A30 Electric and A40 Electric highlights a growing readiness to adopt zero-emission solutions in the quarrying and mining segments.
With payloads of 29 tonnes and 39 tonnes respectively, the A30 Electric and A40 Electric are among the largest in Volvo CE’s expanding portfolio of electric solutions.
The OEM adds that electri cation o ers the potential for meaningful emissions reductions alongside attractive total cost of ownership advantages. Depending on application, the machines can o er
The Volvo CE A40 Electric has a 39-tonne payload capacity. Image: Volvo CE
up to six hours of operation on a single charge.
The rst machines rolling o the production line will be delivered to customers in the UK and Norway during April, with additional deliveries to selected customers across Europe planned for the second half of 2026.
“Starting serial production of electric articulated haulers of this size is a proud moment for Volvo CE,” Volvo CE president Melker Jernberg says.
“It shows that our ambition to lead the transformation of our industry is backed by real execution.
“This milestone proves that electric solutions are ready to meet the demands of heavy, high-productivity applications, and that meaningful change is underway.”
New research aims to detect early-stage road defects with minimal manual inspection
An AI-powered robotic system will soon detect and repair cracked roads, thanks to a $1.2 million partnership between Charles Darwin University (CDU), Civiltech Solutions, and the Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC).
The industry-research partnership will combine Civiltech Solutions’ existing LiDAR-based road scanning platform arti cial intelligence, robotics, and additive manufacturing to solve one of the most costly challenges faced in road maintenance – all with minimal human intervention.
Researchers from CDU’s Centre for Asphalt and Road Technologies (CART) will contribute their expertise in robotics, materials engineering and additive manufacturing to build on this platform.
CDU says Australia has more than 800,000 kilometres of roads, most managed by local governments.
While early crack sealing can signi cantly extend pavement life, CDU says current maintenance practices rely heavily on manual inspection and application, which can miss early-stage defects and lead to inconsistent repairs.
Civiltech Solutions founder and CEO Leigh Carnall says the project represented a major step toward modernising road maintenance.
“Road maintenance is still largely manual and reactive,” Carnall says.
“By combining AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing, we can detect defects earlier and repair them
CDU’s Centre for Asphalt and Road Technologies director Ali Rajabipour. Image: CDU
with far greater precision, helping road authorities maintain networks more e ciently.”
Additive manufacturing will enable the design and production of lightweight, custom components for the robotic dispensing system, allowing for operation in harsh environments and remote locations.
AMCRC managing director Managing Director Simon Marriott saus the project demonstrates how additive manufacturing can enable entirely new approaches to infrastructure maintenance.
“Additive manufacturing allows highly specialised components to be designed and produced both rapidly and cost e ectively, which is critical when developing advanced robotic systems,” Marriott says.
“This collaboration highlights how industry and research organisations can work together to develop scalable solutions that improve productivity, sustainability and capability across Australia’s infrastructure sector.”
Once demonstrated, CDU says the technology has the potential to scale across Australia’s road network, helping councils and road authorities extend pavement life, reduce maintenance costs and improve road safety through more proactive and data-driven maintenance.
The upgrade will make it smoother for motorists to enter and exit the M5. Image: Adwo/stock.adobe.com
A $380 million M5 West upgrade has begun to make journeys smoother Work is now underway on the $380 million M5 Westbound upgrade by Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd.
The short stretch between Moorebank Avenue and the Hume Highway results in last-minute merging, lane switching and unpredictable delays on one of Sydney’s most important highways, the NSW government says.
The NSW and federal governments are both contributing $190 million to upgrade the road, which will separate westbound tra ic from the M5 near Moorebank Avenue from tra ic on Moorebank Avenue joining the M5. This will remove a major conflict point between motorists entering and exiting the M5.
The existing bridge over the Georges River, connecting the M5 Motorway to the Hume Highway and Moorebank Avenue, carries more than 2,500 trucks a day from the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Precinct onto Sydney’s motorway network.
Tra ic congestion worsens during the afternoon peak, as vehicles entering the motorway westbound at Moorebank Avenue merge with tra ic exiting at the Hume Highway.
The new design will see the M5 West turno moved immediately west of Moorebank Avenue to make navigation easier to follow and improve safety along the busy motorway.
WRECKING LIST
CASE
1 x CX14
1 x CX47
1 x CX80
2 x CX145CSR
2 x CX210
1 x CX210B
1 x 9010B
CATERPILLAR
1 x 301.8
1 x 303CR
1 x 312C
2 x 313BCR
1 x 325CL
2 x 314CCR
2 x 315FL
1 x 320A 1 x 320BL
1 x 320C 1 x 320FL 1 x 322BL 1 x 323DL
2 x 325C 1 x 325CL 2 x 336D 1 x 336DL 2 x 308BSR 1 x EL240B 1 x MM55SR
DAEWOO
1 x S220-3
2 x S330LC-V
1 x S250LC-V
3 x S290LC-V
1 x S55-V
DOOSAN
1 x DX225LCB
1 x DX300LC
1 x DX225
ECM
1 x E35SR
1 x ES85U
1 x R160LC-7
1 x R145CR-9
HITACHI
1 x EX55UR
2 x EX60-1
1 x EX60-5
1 x EX120-1
1 x EX120-2
1 x EX120-3
1 x EX200-1
1 x EX200-5
1 x EX210-5
1 x EX210H-5
1 x EX220-2
2 x EX220-3
1 x EX220-5
2 x EX230H-5
2 x EX270-1
1 x EX350H-5
1 x ZX35U-2
1 x ZX35U-3F
1 x ZX50U
2 x ZX50U-2
1 x ZX135US-3
1 x ZX135US-5B
3 x ZX200-3
1 x ZX200H-3
1 x ZX225USR
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1 x ZX230-1
1 x ZX230H-5
1 x ZX250H-3
3 x ZX270LC-3
1 x ZX330
2 x ZX330-3
2 x ZX330LC-3
1 x ZX350H-3
1 x ZX350LCH-3
1 x ZX225USLC-5B
HYUNDAI
1 x R140LCD-7
1 x PC30MR
1 x PC30MR-1
1 x PC50FR-1
IHI
1 x IHI30
1 x IHI30J
1 x IHI30JX
2 x IHI45J
1 x IHI45UJ
1 x IHI55UJ
KATO
1 x HD1023
KOBELCO
1 x SK220 MRK 5
1 x SK280MSR-1E
1 x SK30SR-1
1 x SK30SR-2
1 x SK40SR
1 x SK40SR-3
1 x SK45SR-3
1 x SK50SR-3
1 x SK75UR-3
2 x SK80MSR
1 x SK80MSR-1E
2 x SK120-5
2 x SK220-5
1 x SK130UR
1 x SK135SR
1 x SK135SR-1
1 x SK135SR-2
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1 x SK200-3
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KOMATSU
1 x PC05-7
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2 x PC30-7
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3 x PC50UU-2
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4 x PC75UU-2
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KUBOTA
1 x KH-8
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1 x KX71-3
1 x KX101
1 x KX121-2
LIBRA 1 x 118SV
MITSUBISHI
1 x MM55SR
NEW HOLLAND
1 x E35B 1 x E35SR
SAMSUNG 1 x SE55 2 x SE130LC-2
1 x SE210LC-5
1 x SE240LC-2
3 x SE240LC-3
1 x SE280LC
2 x SE280LC-2 1 x SE210-2 1x SE210LC-2
SUMITOMO
2 x SH60-1
1 x SH75X-3
1 x SH135X-2
1 x SH210-5
2 x SH210LC-5
1 x SH300A-2
2 x SH350H-5
1 x SH350HD-3
1 x SH350HD-5
TAKEUCHI 1 x TB138FR
TEREX
1 x PT100G
VOLVO
1 x EC240B
1 x EC240BLC 1 x EC240CL
YANMAR 1 x B27-2
1 x VIO27-5
1 x VIO40-2
1 x VIO50
1 x VIO50-2
1 x VIO55-5B
1 x VIO70
2 x VIO75
1 x VIO75-A
Loggrabtosuit20Texcavator..
UNKNOWNLOGGRAB Loggrabtosuit20T excavator.. GRAB2. TA1229046. $15,000+GST=$16,500
KOMATSUPC270-8 withloggrabandcutoffsaw,hours 15,467.2010model.270-8. TA920281. $50,000+GST=$55,000
CATERPILLARCB-224C Twindrumroller,2960hours.. S838. TA1282414. $15,000+GST=$16,500
BOMAGBW214PD-3 Flatdrumrollerwithbolton padfootshells.Goodroller,readyforwork.8277hours. Bomag. $40,000+GST=$44,000
CATERPILLARCP563C Goodcleanroller.10,130hours. CP563C. TA1271658. $28,000+GST=$30,800
DYNAPACCA5000PD 2017model.Enclosedcab,air conditioner,swiveloperatorcontrols,e-stops.Deutz6 cylinderengine,2150mmdrum.Dyna5000. TA1277367. $55,000+GST=$60,500
CATERPILLAR12MGRADER 15843hours.Newtyres 100 hrs ago.Goodtidygrader.S735. TA1176346.
$110,000+GST=$121,000
VOLVOA40E Newtyres.Engineworkjustdone. Transmissiondone@13000hrs.Total hrs 16000.Good workingcondition.A40E. TA1253391. $90,000+GST=$99,000
CATERPILLARD6HSERIESII Motorreconditioned5,000 hoursago.Injectors,turbo,tracksandequaliserbar donerecently.Bulltiltbladeandrippers.Readyto work.D6HII. TA1101420. $115,000+GST=$126,500
CATERPILLAR950G Tyresgood.Pinsandbushesgood. 950G. TA1228537. $65,000+GST=$71,500
CATERPILLAR315FL 5252hours.Tiltbucketblade. Tracks75%.Goodcleanmachine.S738. TA1176724. $135,000+GST=$148,500
INGERSOLL-RANDSD122DX Flatdrumroller,4370 hours.Ing. TA1281924. $40,000+GST$44,000
CATERPILLARCS56B Enclosedcab,airconditioner,rear viewcamera,e-stops,6cylinderdieselengine, 2130mmdrum.CS56B. $80,000+GST=$88,000
TA1277300. a/cropscabin,patblade,newrippers,batteryisolator,
KOMATSUD61PXI-23 2017,Intelligentmachinecontrol, a/cropscabin,patblade,newrippers,battery isolator, uhf,reversecamera,turbotimer.5741hours.D61. TA1281911. $310,000+GST=$341,000
CATERPILLAR950H 8,000hours.Scalesandprintout. Newtyres.Allpinsandbushesgood.950H. TA1248596. $150,000+GST=$165,000
CATERPILLARCP44
2011,PadFoot,2775 hrs,A/CROPScab,7.5 Tonne.2650. TA1257427. $49,500PLUSGST
JOHNDEERE670GP 2014,9536hrs,Ex Shiremachinewithfull servicehistory.3.6M blade,14.00-24tyres, 2xunitsAvail.2674.
TA1285117. $195,000PLUSGST
MANITOU1135H 2016,2991hrs,4X4X4 outriggers.A/C cab,DeutzEngine 2xunitsavailable.2680.
TA1294047. $65,000PLUSGST
MANITOUMX50-4 2015,AllTerrainforklift. 2812hrs,good condition,goodtyres, PerkinsDeisel.2672.
TA1290536. $49,500plusGST
SYKESGROUP YAMUNAIP175DE WATERINGII 2017,Sykes/Yamuna pistonpump.10134 hrs,Hatzdieselengine. Fullysilenced.2684.
TA1295734. $18,000PLUSGST
MULTIFLOMF385
2011,pump,6598hrs, 200mm/150mm StainlessSteelwet end,poweredbyCat C13.2663. TA1282314. $39,500PLUSGST
CATERPILLAR972M 2017,9088hrs,GP bucket,goodtyres, autogrease,ride control.History.2689. TA1314680. $275,000PLUSGST JOHNDEERE670G 2012,9339hours. AROPScab.3.66M blade.P/block,Rear ripper.2670. TA1277884. $187,500PlusGST
CATERPILLAR815F 2006,14097hrs,A/C ROPScab,Cat3176 engine. Verygoodfeet.Grease System,History.2690. TA1308593. $247,500PLUSGST
CATERPILLAR 308E2CR
2018,2018model,2782 hrs.Frontblade, Q/hitch,hammerpiping Hydtiltingbkt2x diggingbuckets.2691. TA1301519. $65,000PlusGST
TOYOTA8FD80N
2016,Diesel.4511hrs. Seedataplatein photosforspecs.Hyd forkpositioner& carriageshift.Long forksforbulkyitems. 2675. TA1292451. $45,000PLUSGST
TOYOTA02-7FD45
DIESEL
2013,2.0-2.2tonne capacity,liftupto4 mtrstrs,Hydraulicfork &carriageshift.Two unitstochoosefrom. 2678. TA1297365. $19,500PLUSGST
PLEASECALL0883238795for more
EXCAVATORBUCKETS2TONNE-15TONNE(BRAND NEW)FMA PLEASECALL0883238795formore informationandprices.7242. TA1177706. POA
$19,450INCLGST
$19,950INCLGST
TA1227757.
JOHNDEEREZ997RZTRAKRIDEONMOWER d.7353.
$9,500INCL GST
$9,500INCLGST
TA1219701.
BONNEBYSCHWARZESE6TROADBROOM/SWEEPER diesel,yearapprox2013,vinno:6T9T26ABLD09P9005, withbooks,servicehistory&controller,lowhours.7316.
$12,850INCL GST diesel,yearapprox2013,vinno: 6T9T26ABLD09P9005,
8speed,2wheeldrive,rollframe,PTO,3cylinderdiesel, tyres85%,approximately46horsepower,3point linkage.7426. TA1255194. $12,850INCLGST
8speed,2wheeldrive,rollframe,PTO,3cylinder diesel, tyres85%,approximately46horsepower,3 point
late model
MASSEYFERGUSON135TRACTOR8SPEED latemodel
ROTARYHOESPLUSASELECTIONOFOTHERROTARY HOESINSTOCK.7379. TA1238951. POA
ROTARYHOESPLUSASELECTIONOFOTHER ROTARY
LARGERANGEOFHOWARD
LARGERANGEOF HOWARD
HOWARDROTARYHOES
dieselturbo,85horsepowerapproximately,airconditioning (working),approximately4,700hoursindicated,engineno: 2FL3487,serialno:90684,ROPS.7145. TA1162679. $22,850INCL
(working),approximately4,700hoursindicated,engine no:
KUBOTAM8540TRACTOR(NARROW) 4wheeldrive,4cylinder
MASSEYFERGUSON298TRACTOR4WHEELASSIST rollframe& roof,newtyresallround,80horsepowerapproximately,3point linkage,PTO,4,800hoursapproximately,hasbeenthrough workshop,readytogo,'nomoneytospend'.7246. TA1180772.
$24,950INCLGST
$17,500INCLGST
(Compactor),selfpropelledsmoothdrum, year $17,500INCL GST
CATERPILLARCB-224CROLLER(08)83238795 (Compactor),selfpropelledsmoothdrum,year approximately2006.7067. TA1123224.
TractorwithBenWyeKBF3000FrontForkAttachmentwith Forks, roof,newtyresallround,80horsepowerapproximately,3 point
CASEIH3230TRACTORWITHFRONTFORKATTACHMENT 3230 TractorwithBenWyeKBF3000FrontForkAttachmentwithForks, 4wheeldrive,60horsepowerapprox,3pointlinkage,rollframe& roof,2,300hoursasindicated.7351. TA1227753.
$11,850INCLGST
$11,850INCL GST
MASSEYFERGUSON240TRACTOR 2wheeldrive,ROPS, 23pointlinkage,powersteering,tyres85%nocracks, approximately44horsepower.7466. TA1283662.
$16,450INCLGST
$19,950INCL GST 4wheeldrive,4 cylinder
round,approximately42horsepower,rollframe,power steering, $16,450INCL GST 2wheeldrive, ROPS, 23pointlinkage,powersteering,tyres85%no cracks,
$9,500INCLGST
pointlinkage,70horsepower approximately,
ISEKISX75TRACTOR
IsekiSX75Tractor,4wheeldrive,3 pointlinkage,70horsepowerapproximately, mechanicallygood,astraded.7456. TA1272963.
2wheeldrive,frontendloader,doubleactingrams all
83238795 2wheeldrive,frontendloader,doubleactingramsall round,approximately42horsepower,rollframe,powersteering, tyresexcellent.7083. TA1131026.
CONNORSHEASEEDERS ConnorShea18 row seeders, linkage&trailed,super&seedboxes,readytogo (2OF)$14,900/$15,650.7107. TA1141898. POA
INTERNATIONAL444TRACTORWITHFRONTENDLOADER(08)
$12,750INCGST
$12,750INC GST
pointlinkage,4x4,tyresverygood,PTO, power
KUBOTAM105XTRACTOR KubotaM105XTractor,cab,3 pointlinkage,4x4,tyresverygood,PTO,power steering,goodmechanically.7483. TA1318847.
3pointlinkage,excellent condition.
HeavyDuty6'GalvanisedSlasher,withsolid castor
HITACHIZAXIS55U 2023,Machineisinexcellent condition,basicallynewbesidesacouplecosmetic things.Imthefirstowner,boughtfromHitachiinlate 2024. Very reliableandI have allservicehistory, HCMAEB90P00059556.NSW. DIY1318716. 0474 513 540. $110,000
CASECX145CSR 2020,Case 145.15TonneNuckleBoom, 5100hrs.2 way pipingfor grabs/augers,Nls6e2555.VIC. DIY1293188. 0418 542 043. $128,000
KOMATSUD21P-8EO 2015,KomatsuHydroshift transmission.GreatmachinewithAirconCabin.Good condition. PAT Blade,KMT0D106KFA091013.QLD. DIY1318229. 0433 831 796. $82,500
CATERPILLAR CAT 315 2022, CAT 315NextGenMine Spec/Trimble 3D. 3700hrs| CAT servicedsincenew| Warrantyremainingto6000hrs.TrimbleEarthworks3D GPS.Dohertytilthitch.ROPS/FOPS,33806E.NSW. DIY1316737. 0435 732 545.
$250,000
HYUNDAIHL770-9 2016,WigginsFastFill.Breathe-Safe PressurisedCabin.UpgradedQuarryspec Bucket. Load-Ritescalesandprinter,HHLK01CG0000670.QLD. DIY1318427. 0433 831 796. $165,000
HAMMERGTECGT8 2018,ExcavatorHammerused. Suitableforexcavatorsfrom25-35t.Excellentcondition. Pins90mm.Newsparechisel.Inspectionsavailable,0. VIC. DIY1316652. 0448 429 866. $22,000
HYUNDAIR290LC-9H/C 2017,RedDotAircon.New chainsandshoes,22240803.QLD. 0433 831 796.
CATERPILLAR962K 2012,CATERPILLAR962K4260TotalHoursand2400IdleHours. CatC7withDPF.AirROPS(NewAC)/FusionHitch/ThirdLine/ RideControl/AutoGrease/FastFillOils/FireSuppression (charged)/IsolatorsandEStops/RevCamera/Rails/ BridgestoneXMG60-70%.Wellmaintainedunitrepairedas required.CatBucket/CatJib/LargeCatForksandManbasket allwiththeunit,soldasapackage.WestracReport,..NSW. DIY1311678. 0408 698 366. $380,000
VOLVOG930 VolvoG930usedgraderblade12ft.Excellent condition,Newoverlayends.Almostnewcuttingedges. Inspectionsavailable,0.VIC. DIY1316651. 0448 429 866. $8,800
MANITOU165RT 2021,Forsaleisa2021Manitou165RT skidsteerloaderwithonly900hours.Thismachinehas beenwellmaintainedandcomeswithafullservicing history,ensuringreliabilityandpeaceofmindforthe
IMSPM-1050-16TB FORSALEPUGMILLINEXCELLENTCONDITION. High-performancepugmillavailable,idealforsoilblending, stabilising,orbatchingoperations.Trackedmachineforeasy manoeuvringormoving.Wellmaintainedandinverygood workingcondition. Featuresinclude:Lowbinlevelsensorensurescontinuousfeed andminimisesdowntime.Wateradditivesystemallowsfor precisemoisturecontrolduringmixing,IMS-PM-10220.VIC. DIY1293334. 0438 049 134. $275,000
KOMATSUD51PX-22 ExcellentCondition.Good undercarriage.TOPCON3DMCSystem, KMT0D080P51B11187.QLD. DIY1318108. 0433 831 796. $165,000
JOHNDEERE872D 2009,JohnDeere872DgraderGrease System.Sparetyresandparts,611478.QLD. DIY1317769. 0429 820 053. $120,000
CAT 769D Caterpillar769DWaterTruck,FireSuppression, CertifiedRims,GreaseSystem,5TR0071.QLD. DIY1317783. 0429 820 053. $50,000
CATERPILLAR14M 2012,Caterpillar14MFire Suppression,CertifiedRims,Greasesystem,Trimble wired,R9J777.QLD. DIY1317759. 0429 820 053. $150,000
JOHNDEEREE210LC 2022,JohnDeere-E210.DohertyTiltingQuickHitch.Tiger-1800mmMudBucket,600mm dig,900mmgpandRipper,1YNE21BLAND000364. NSW. DIY1318084. 0458 888 741. $135,000
XCMGXE55U 2021,UsedXCMGExcavator.Excellent condition,likeNEW.Hours:480.SwivelFront Blade. KubotaEngine.Rops&Fops.A/CCab.MultiQuickHitch, Hammer&TiltPiped.EmergencyStop,7MH6402.VIC. DIY1317654. 0448 429 866. $77,000
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