Canstruct is a facilities management, construction, and service provision company based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, with operations in the Pacific region.
[3] The company describes their work as "logistics, facilities management, construction and engineering, education and recreation services, community engagement, and disaster and emergency relief".
[6] In November 2018 the contract was ending and the company was preparing to hand over control of Nauru Regional Processing Centre to a Nauruan Government commercial entity.
In 2010 Canstruct was removed from the contract over concerns they would not build the houses on time, and the government prepared to demolish some partly-built homes.
In response, Robin Murphy said "demolishing these houses would be a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money and is a way of covering up mistakes made by SIHIP.".
[14][15] In September 2012 the parties agreed to fully and finally resolve all issues in relation to the project including a payment to the participants.
Disaster Relief On February 8, 2016, the Papua New Guinea Today publication reported Canstruct was assisting in urgent Disaster Relief operations after major flooding tore down several temporary bridges and crossings in the region Scott Base Redevelopment, Antarctica In February 2020, Canstruct was the only Australian firm to be shortlisted for the Scott Base research facility redevelopment project (announced on Antarctica New Zealand's website).
On September 28, the Government had issued a letter of intent to grant Canstruct a small $8 million, 6-month contract to provide garrison services on Nauru.
[5] Rory Murphy denied that the donations had any impact on the Government's eventual decision to grant Canstruct a $591 million contract.
HRLC (an Australian human rights advocacy group) said Canstruct was taking up a "poisoned chalice" and that it would be "complicit" in an "internationally abusive system", that there was no ethical way for it to be involved.
Amnesty International's director for global issues, Audrey Gaughran, said “The company will provide the very services that sustain a system that keeps women, men and children trapped in a cycle of cruelty and desperation,”.
In accepting this contract, it will be taking the job of running a cruel, open-air prison detaining people, including many children, who are deeply traumatised.”.
In early 2019, ABC News reported that the Australian Government confirmed all asylum seeker children have either been removed from Nauru or are about to leave the island.