Ipad winner announced 

Before we kick off our usual roundup of activity it’s with great pleasure that we can announce Liam Hearne of Opus Engineers in WA was drawn as the lucky winner of May’s Ipad incentive. Congratulations Liam and thanks to all the linkedin followers who took part.

Wrap up

As we draw to the end of the financial year 2012 / 13 this month’s newsletter will focus on some observations of the market and make some assessments of what’s in store for the next 12 months across our specialist business units.

Building

Construction activity within the building sector has picked up over the last few months with a continued focus on healthcare and retail projects. With demand increasing in regional NSW, Sydney, Perth and QLD a busy year ahead is expected within the sector. With headline projects such as Barangaroo and the Convention centre on the cards in Sydney and a continued increase expected in the residential sector we are optimistic about the strength of the market for the year ahead.

Consulting

The consulting engineering market has been hit hard over the last 6 months with major consultancies making redundancies and large infrastructure spend stagnating within NSW and the resources driven projects. There is optimism within the urban development and structures markets with demand tipped to increase whilst uplift in infrastructure driven projects is expected in the third quarter. With the predicted activity in NSW the local market in Sydney is expected to be buoyant in 12 months’ time whilst QLD and WA will be largely dictated by resources based investment.

Infrastructure

The infrastructure market like the consulting market has been a challenging environment over the last 6 months. There is certainly optimism on the horizon with recent announcements on West Connex (Sydney) and West Link (Melbourne) and ongoing investments by the RMS and Main Roads.

Rail 

The NWRL and Sydney light rail are dictating much of the headlines locally in NSW with strong political and financial backing resulting in some major milestones being reached and industry excitement continuing to rise. It is these two projects in Sydney which will continue to dominate headlines locally whilst ARTC projects in the Hunter, Roy Hill (WA), Adani (QLD), Moreton Bay (QLD) and Surat Basin (QLD) resource projects could lead to a massive ramp up of rail construction interstate.

HSEQ

The HSEQ market place continues to be a growing sector. Demand for skilled safety professionals for strategic / corporate roles are on the rise whilst site based coordinators and managers continue to play an essential role in the delivery of projects. It is expected the demand will continue in this market as projects are released and organisations develop systems and processes.

MEP

Healthcare, commercial and retail projects continue to dominate the market. We have noticed a trend or principal contractors developing their in-house capabilities within the services market. Demand continues for skilled HVAC and Services Managers whilst blue chip projects in the Sydney building market will create opportunities for specialist subcontractors.

Power

Whilst large capital expenditure in the power sector has been slow recently as organisations have held off on investment for political and funding issues it is expected that recent restructures within key private and public sector organisations should create opportunity in the next 12 months. With the upcoming federal election, changes to the carbon tax and a push towards renewables exciting times are on the horizon.

CGC News

Over the last 12 months CGC has grown to a team of 10, moved offices, finished 70th in the BRW fast starters list and have continued to expand our presence within our specialist vertical markets for both permanent and temporary appointments.
With a new website on the horizon we are continuing to invest and are looking to expand our operations with the aim of delivering a market leading service to our clients and candidates. With ambitious plans already in motion for 2013 / 14 it is an excellent time to be joining the business. We are always interested in hearing from experienced consultants with a background in the construction and engineering recruitment sectors.
If you would like to know more about joining the CGC team please contact David Cox to discuss opportunities in more detail.

And finally….

David Cox, Ken Coleman and Dave Hope took time out yesterday to cheer on the Socceroos backstage at Customs House after their successful qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.