
Hochtief buys out Westfield and acquires Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd through Leighton Holdings Ltd, of which Hochtief is the major shareholder.

Thiess Contractors develops a long-term building strategy and constructs a series of resorts. The company is recognised by the industry as a serious builder.

Thiess Contractors successfully secures a seven-year contract with the Brisbane City Council for receiving, spreading, compacting and filling eight landfill refuse disposal areas. It is one of Thiess’ first jobs in the environmental services.
The clean-up of the Northern Territory’s Rum Jungle Uranium Mine becomes Thiess’ first remediation project.
Thiess successfully completes the initial Stage 1 development of the RAAF Base Tindal, located in the Northern Territory and home to the 75thSquadron. Ten years later, Thiess is awarded a contract to construct more than 3km of new aircraft roadways.

Thiess acquires the Leighton Major Projects Division, commencing its Process Engineering business.

Thiess identifies environmental services as a core business activity and establishes Thiess Environmental Services as a subsidiary.
This includes the Wollongong Waste Collection contract, one of the largest contracts of its type in Australia, the seven year contract marks Thiess’ involvement in all aspect of waste collection, handling, transfer and disposal

Thiess’ construction of the Barwon Prison in Victoria, to United Nations' minimum standards, signals its expansion into correctional facilities.

Thiess completes the construction of the iconic tensions membrane structures, as well as many of the pavilions for the World Expo ’88 in Brisbane. Work is also done to reclaim parts of the South Bank Parklands site from the Brisbane River.

Thiess is established in Indonesia. In a joint venture with PT Mintekindo Utama Into, Thiess wins mining contracts in Kalimantan and spearheads all Leighton Group activities in Indonesia.

Thiess demonstrates its sophistication as an engineering construction group by delivering Australia’s first immersed tube road tunnel.

Process Engineering completes several mining projects, including the installation of a grinding mill at the Granny Smith Gold Mine.