Brierty, Tempo win Pilbara works

Contractors Brierty and Tempo Australia have each been awarded separate multi-million dollar contracts to complete works in the Pilbara.

Brierty, along with its partner Karlayura Construction Services, an Aboriginal contracting company, said it had won a $9.9 million contract with Rio Tinto.

The works package comprises constructing 11 kilometres of roads at Rio’s West Angelas iron ore mine and includes pavement upgrades for the site’s main access, village and airport roads.

The Brierty Karlayura joint venture was established in July last year to pursue civil and mining infrastructure works in the Pilbara.

Brierty managing director Peter McBain said the project would help to develop Karlayura’s road-construction capabilities.

Meanwhile, Tempo Australia has been awarded a $4.5 million contract for the refurbishment of bulk fuel tanks in the Pilbara including associated structural, mechanical piping works.

The works are expected to be completed within six months.

Tempo also announced that Carmelo Bontempo had been appointed as executive chairman.

Mr Bontempo, a Tempo co-founder, had previously been serving in the role on a non-executive basis.

The change in role comes less than a fortnight after fellow Tempo co-founder Richard Wright died.

Tempo said the appointment of Mr Bontempo as executive chairman would allow him to take a hands-on role to support the development and growth of the company, which was founded in 2011.

Mr Bontempo was one of four founding partners of United Construction Holdings, which is today known as UGL, and was also managing director of Monadelphous in the 1990s.