NSW transport and road funding highlights in 2016-17 includes, $2.9 billion allocated to WestConnex; $2.1 billion on upgrades to key regional highways; and $2.7 billion to deliver Sydney Metro (including $1.3 billion for Sydney Metro Northwest and $1.4 billion for Sydney Metro City and Southwest).

• Budget Reports
• Budget Road Map

The Ash Development Association of Australia is currently drafting content for the upcoming edition of Coal Ash Matters and we would love to hear your ideas and contributions!

Queensland based company Coretrack Ltd has developed a new ceramic proppant made predominantly from fly ash, which are lightweight and inexpensive compared to its predecessors. The innovative proppant allows for deeper 'fracking' and can withstand higher pressures than traditional ceramic proppants.

A 2nd Edition of Procurement of Construction Products – A guide to achieving compliance was released in November 2015.  The Guide now recognises 34 industry led product accreditation schemes and guidance information across a range of building product categories including reinforcing and structural steel, cementitious materials for concrete, wood products, glazing products, electrical products, fire safety services, plumbing products, insulation products, coating products and building products. The Guide is an important and valuable contribution to the efficiency and reliability of the building and construction industry. This Guide has been jointly developed by 30 key construction industry stakeholders and supported by many others. 

AS/NZS 3582.1, AS 3582.2 and AS/NZS 3582.3 are now available for purchase through SAI Global from Friday, 12 February 2016.   

The annual participants forum was held Thursday, 26 November 2015 – Friday, 27 November 2015 at the Australian Maritime Museum. A full report from CEO Craig Heidrich will be featured in the upcoming April Edition of Coal Ash Matters.

After almost two years since the New South Wales Government called for expressions of interest, the Vales Point Power Station previously owned by the NSW Government has been sold for one million dollars to Sunset Power International Pty Ltd. Newcastle Trades Hall Council secretary Daniel Wallace said it is crucial that workers' jobs are protected.

Recently The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Orbite a patent titled “Processes for Treating Fly Ash”. The patent covers selective extraction and recovery of valuable elements such as scandium, gallium, rare earths and rare metals, alumina, magnesium oxide and titanium dioxide from fly ash, a residue from coal combustion, using Orbite's chloride-based technology.

Alinta Energy today confirmed that its Flinders Operations will close on 31 March 2016, in line with previous guidance. Timing for this closure means that operational mining at Leigh Creek will cease on 17 November 2015 and the Augusta Power Stations plan to cease generation around 31 March 2016.

We recently caught up with Craig Mellick the Principal Materials Technologist from BG&E Materials Technology to have a chat about the recent projects being undertaken across the globe.

With the Olympics just around the corner the developers for the Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Olympics are facing the task of completing the 34 venues and stadiums spread across the city by 2016. In 2013 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) agreed that the construction of the new venues needed to include by-products such as fly ash and achieve 100% local sustainability targets.