Latest Tenders
Water is the quiet workhorse of Australian tendering right now
Six jurisdictions are buying dams, sewers, water mains and treatment plant upgrades at once — and most of these tenders come from utilities and councils that many contractors never think to watch.
Which of these is actually worth bidding on?
Ask any tender below who's won before, at what price, and whether the buyer rotates suppliers. 500 free requests, no credit card.
Of the 566 open tenders in the AskTender dataset today, one theme keeps surfacing that gets far less attention than schools or roads: water. Right now there are live water and wastewater tenders in Queensland, WA, Victoria, NSW, the NT and at the federal level — dams, reservoirs, sewer pump stations, water main renewals and treatment plant upgrades. Much of it comes from water corporations and regional councils rather than the big state portals contractors usually watch, which is exactly why the field is often thinner than you would expect. Here is what is open, grouped by jurisdiction, with the deadlines that matter.
Queensland: a reservoir in Aurukun and pipeline maintenance for SunWater
The most striking job on the board is the Design and Construction of the Aurukun Treated Water Reservoir, run by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers and closing 6 August — a genuine design-and-construct package in a remote far north Queensland community, where the pool of willing bidders is always small.
State-owned bulk water supplier SunWater is also in the market with SW479 — Industrial Pipelines Vegetation Management, closing 11 August. Vegetation control along pipeline corridors is classic recurring-revenue work: win it once, deliver well, and the renewals tend to follow.
WA: remote community sewers and Water Corporation packages
Western Australia has three distinct flavours of water work open at once. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is seeking a contractor for Burringurrah Aboriginal Community — Sewer and Water Extensions, closing 7 August — remote-area civil work in the Gascoyne.
Water Corporation, the state's main utility, has two live packages: a Design and Construct Meter Testing Rig closing 18 August, and a Preferred Supplier Agreement for the Supply and Delivery of Carbon Dioxide closing 26 August. That second one is a reminder that water utilities buy far more than pipes — chemicals, instrumentation and specialist equipment all move through the same portals. The Rottnest Island Authority rounds out the state with Supply and Delivery of 1MVA HV/LV Kiosk Substation Packages for its Kingstown and wastewater treatment sites, closing 14 August — a water job that is really an electrical job.
Victoria: the regional water corporations are all buying
Victoria's regional water corporations are quietly running one of the busiest pipelines in the country. South Gippsland Water's 25-49 Ferrier's Road Loch Water Main Renewal closes 7 August. Westernport Water wants Bulk Earthworks for the King Road Wastewater Treatment Plant — a winter storage lagoon and constructed wetland — by 28 August. Alpine Resorts Victoria is seeking a Mt Hotham Water Treatment UV Unit Supply by the same date. Gippsland Water's WWTP Construction of Stage 1 Dewatering Upgrade closes 3 September, and Barwon Water's Major Gravity Sewers Rehabilitation runs to 9 September — the longest runway on this list and a substantial trenchless-technology opportunity.
There are more where these came from.
A list tells you what's open. Ask AskTender whether it's worth your bid team's week:
"Who has won IT consulting contracts with this buyer before, and for how much?"
"Is this buyer's spend going to the same three incumbents, or do they actually rotate suppliers?"
Takes about two minutes · 500 free requests · No credit card
NSW and the NT: councils and Power and Water Corporation
In NSW, the buyers this fortnight are councils. Wingecarribee Shire Council's Q-2026-38 — Water Mains Condition Assessment closes 11 August, and Albury City Council is tendering the Albury Main Sewer Pump Station and Rising Main, closing 31 August — a significant piece of civil infrastructure for a regional city. Council tenders like these frequently attract fewer bidders than state agency work, because they simply are not seen.
In the Territory, Power and Water Corporation wants a contractor to Design and Construct New Fluorosilicic Acid Dosing Lines, Culverts and Dosing Systems at Darwin River Dam, closing 17 August. You can inspect Power and Water's contract award history on its buyer page before you price it. The Department of Logistics and Infrastructure is also seeking a New Water Filtration System and BMS Upgrade at Palmerston Regional Hospital, closing 20 August — health and water scopes in one package.
Federal: an independent advisor for Scrivener Dam
The National Capital Authority is seeking a Scrivener Dam Independent Technical Advisor for 2026–2029, closing 13 August. It is a consulting engagement rather than construction — dam safety and engineering advisory over a three-year term — and a good example of the professional-services work that rides alongside every major water asset.
The pattern: fragmented buyers, thinner competition
Three things stand out in this list. First, the buyers are unusually fragmented — state departments, a bulk water supplier, four Victorian regional water corporations, two councils, an island authority and a federal statutory agency. No single portal shows you all of them, which is why water work is chronically under-bid relative to its volume. Second, the scopes cross trades: substations, UV units, chemical supply and building management systems sit alongside traditional civil and construction work, so electrical and mechanical contractors have as much to chase here as pipe layers. Third, the deadlines are staggered from this week to mid-September, so there is time to prepare for the bigger packages even if the early closers have passed you by.
See these in your own AI
Every tender above is queryable through AskTender's live feed — connect it to ChatGPT or Claude and ask "what water tenders close this month" whenever you like. We publish these roundups every Tuesday and Thursday.