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    John Holland

    May 2023

    Workers in the Rozelle interchange tunnel.

    John Holland faces court for ‘refusing’ silica dust tests

    The building company has been accused of barring a union from investigating concerns over levels of silica dust in a key tunnel in Sydney’s Westconnex motorway.

    • Updated
    • David Marin-Guzman

    April 2023

    John Holland CEO Joe Barr is eyeing electricity transmission projects.

    John Holland targets multibillion-dollar renewable energy boom

    The engineering and construction group’s Chinese links won’t stop it bidding for billions in electricity transmission projects, chief executive Joe Barr says.

    • Jenny Wiggins

    March 2023

    John Holland is building Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel.

    John Holland says most projects now ‘cash positive’

    John Holland is rebounding from several years of writedowns and losses linked to Melbourne’s multi-billion dollar Metro Tunnel and West Gate Tunnel projects.

    • Jenny Wiggins

    August 2022

    AFLW Sydney Swans player Sarah Ford at Henson Park, Marrickville.

    Meet the AFLW player rebuilding the stadium she wants to run out on

    Civil engineer Sarah Ford is hoping to make her debut for the Sydney Swans in the AFLW this weekend.

    • Gus McCubbing

    March 2022

    John Holland will not make any money from building Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel after years of delays.

    John Holland takes ‘significant’ write-down on West Gate Tunnel

    The contractor delivered an annual net profit of $29m but earnings were crimped by a financial settlement on Transurban’s Melbourne tollroad project.

    • Jenny Wiggins
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    October 2021

    Siobhan Savage of Reejig has just raised $6 million to expand into the US.

    Start-up that let Woolies analyse staff with AI raises funds

    Reejig’s AI platform is enabling companies such as Woolworths, KPMG and John Holland to map the skills they have in their workforce to target retraining and help them retain key people.

    • Jessica Sier

    August 2021

    Transurban CEO Scott Charlton.

    Transurban confirms $3.3b blowout on West Gate Tunnel

    The cost of building Victoria’s new West Gate Tunnel has soared to more than $10 billion with no opening date in sight.

    • Jenny Wiggins

    July 2021

    Berejiklian loses her nerve at construction’s expense

    One reason the NSW Premier has shut down big building sites is because the government didn’t want to look like it was giving itself special treatment.

    • Aaron Patrick

    January 2021

    John Holland CEO Joe Barr says responding to COVID-19 will keep workers and employers close.

    John Holland counting the costs of COVID-19 compliance

    John Holland boss Joe Barr estimates the extra cost of social distancing on construction projects at about 1 per cent of the entire budget.

    • Michael Bleby
    Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says  freedom of speech is fundamental to society.

    National security behind latest China deal rejection

    Probuild's construction of the Victoria Police headquarters and the Melbourne headquarters of biotech company CSL, which is producing COVID-19 vaccines, were other factors in the rejection, the Financial Review understands.

    • Updated
    • Michael Bleby and John Kehoe

    December 2020

    The CFMEU claims it has reached agreement with "a number of builders".

    CFMEU claims deals with Lendlease, Multiplex

    The CFMEU has named several top-tier builders it has reached deals with on its controversial new industry agreement but some are accusing the union of spreading misinformation.

    • David Marin-Guzman
    John Holland CEO Joe Barr said Australia needed agreed and clear rules about dealing with the virus in advance of future outbreaks.

    Give us certainty on borders in future outbreaks: John Holland

    The construction and infrastructure company says its ability to bid for work and move people and materials hinges on clear COVID-19 policies nationwide.

    • Michael Bleby
    Looking forward: Former Watpac CEO Martin Monro.

    Builders want 'productive conversation' with unions after reform

    New challenges in construction – many accelerated by the pandemic – require more sophisticated discussion with unions, builders say.

    • Michael Bleby

    September 2020

    John Holland boss Joe Barr wears office clothes even when he is working from home.

    John Holland tests the limits of working from home

    The construction company had already piloted site staff working remotely, but the pandemic made it real.

    • Michael Bleby

    August 2020

    Melbourne's $6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel project is among John Holland's loss-making projects.

    John Holland's Chinese owner blacklisted by US

    Chinese companies controlled by the same owner of one of Australia's largest infrastructure builders, John Holland, have been blacklisted by the Trump administration for helping build military islands in the South China Sea.

    • John Kehoe, Jenny Wiggins and Matthew Cranston
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    "I get a notification of every single positive case [among John Holland employees]," says CEO Joe Barr.

    How Victoria's shutdown almost imperilled Sydney stadium build

    The wave of COVID-19 infections across Melbourne building sites threatened projects for builder John Holland well beyond state borders.

    • Michael Bleby
    The Built site closed last Monday after four employees of a subcontractor tested positive to COVID-19.

    COVID-19 halts work on Scape student tower in Melbourne

    Contractor Built brought work to a close after four employees of a concreting subcontractor tested positive to the disease.

    • Michael Bleby
     The number of workers allowed on site for high-rise construction projects in Melbourne will be  slashed.

    Melbourne high-rise building site staffing slashed

    Sweeping restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 will hit productivity of the Victorian capital's largest building sites.

    • Michael Bleby and Lucas Baird

    July 2020

    John Holland CEO Joe Barr.

    John Holland keeps building in a pandemic

    Building boss Joe Barr says social distancing hammered productivity on construction sites, but it was better than shutting down, which he feared would happen.

    • Michael Bleby

    June 2020

    Transurban doesn't want the builders of the West Gate Tunnel, CIMIC and John Holland, to use arbitration to resolve disputes.

    Victorian government dragged into West Gate Tunnel legal dispute

    Victoria's Supreme Court wants the state government to be part of legal action brought by Transurban against CIMIC and John Holland.

    • Jenny Wiggins