Update on Australia and New ZealandThe Brisbane Airport Link feasibility study has been completed, and a jv of Thiess, John Holland, Macquarie has been selected as preferred contractor. And the Brisbane northern link road with parallel 5 km-long tunnels will bid in 2009 for completion in 2014, or see au/30.In Sydney, a desalination plant is underway by Blue Water jv who using Herrenknecht TBMs to bore 2.5 km-long tunnels to connect the desalination plant at Kurnell to both the intake and outlet structures, which are located 300 m offshore in the Tasman Sea. Visit www.johnholland.com.au, or see au/26.Meantime, the Sydneylink northwest metro construction is to start from both Epping and Hills Centre by 2010, with the first section opening between Epping and Rouse Hill in 2015. Visit www.tenders.gov.au, or see au/31.The McConnell Dowell design/construct project for Bogong Hydro in Victoria features a 5.7 km-long, a 5 m-diameter headrace tunnel, two vertical shafts, a 1 km-long steel-lined high-pressure tunnel, a power station with two 700 MW generators, and a tailrace outfall into Lake Guy. Commissioning is scheduled for October, 2009. Visit www.macdow.com.au, or see au/27.In New Zealand, a TBM was launched in June, 2008 on a 3 km-long, 3.7 m-diameter concrete lined tunnel 30 m below the seabed in Auckland's Hobson Bay. The project is being undertaken by Fletcher Construction and McConnell Dowell for completion in 2010 to replace the 90 year-old sewer pipe bisecting the bay. Visit www.watercare.co.nz and www.fletcherconstruction.co.nz. At the same time, the Alpurt B2 bypass in Auckland, with 340 m-long twin tube tunnels beneath Johnstone's Hill, is underway for completion mid-2009 by Northern Gateway Alliance. Visit www.northerngateway.co.nz and www.transit.govt.nz. 04/09.