John Holland Group passes $2 billion workload

Issue Date:  28 January 2004
Issued By:  Leighton Holdings Limited

Company Announcements Office
The Australian Stock Exchange Limited
Level 4
20 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Re: John Holland Group passes $2 billion workload

Dear Sir,

Please find attached a copy of a media release to be issued today by John Holland Group Pty Ltd, a 70% owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings Limited.

Yours sincerely,


A.J. MOIR
Company Secretary

John Holland Group passes $2 billion workload

Issue Date: 28 January 2004
Issued by: John Holland Group Pty Ltd

Leading construction and services contractor, John Holland, has begun 2004 on a high note with a record $2 Billion workload.

John Holland Managing Director, Bill Wild, expressed delight that the Group has achieved this milestone, following the award of nearly $1 Billion in new work in the past three months. ‘Our uncompleted work in hand now stands at $2.1 billion and in addition we have preferred status on a further $400 million in outstanding tenders’, he said.

‘Heading the list of awards is the $1.1 Billion design and construct contract for Sydney’s Lane Cove Tunnel, in which John Holland is a 50 per cent partner.

‘Other projects include the $70 million James Wallace Building for Hunter Hospital in Newcastle and the $50 million upgrade of the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre for the Commonwealth Games.

Mr Wild says that since Leighton Holdings acquired a 70% interest in John Holland four years ago the company’s workload has increased four fold. This been due to combination of strong organic growth and an active acquisition program that included selected projects and assets of Transfield Construction and specialist contractors Fletcher, Lucon, Quantum and Loram.

‘The specialist businesses obtained from Transfield in February 2003 have had an outstanding run of successes, with the water division being awarded contracts for new treatment plants in the ACT, Victoria and NSW and the power transmission division now having its highest workload across five Australian states.

‘The acquisitions have strengthened our core civil and mechanical engineering and building operations and taken us to leading positions in the specialist rail, power transmission, tunnelling and water sectors,’ Mr Wild said.

ends

Media Contact
Bill Wild 03 9934 5290; Damian Gleeson 0403 273 215