Queensland’s Infrastructure Boom: Can We Find the Workers to Deliver?

With more than $116 billion in capital investment earmarked over the next four years, the Sunshine State is gearing up for a once-in-a-generation construction surge.

But behind the excitement lies a critical question: Where will the workforce come from?

A Shortfall Too Big to Ignore

• Infrastructure Australia forecasts Queensland will face a shortfall of 54,000 construction workers by March 2026, just as Olympic venue construction ramps up.

• Construction Skills Queensland projects the state’s construction pipeline will grow from $53 billion in 2024 to $77 billion by 2027, with demand far outpacing supply.

• Carpenters, concreters, plant operators, and engineers are already in short supply, with companies reporting project delays, rising labour costs, and trouble retaining skilled trades.

Government’s Roadmap to Boost Capacity

The Queensland Government launched the Infrastructure Productivity and Workforce Roadmap and Action Plan, designed to tackle the crisis head-on. Key initiatives include:

• Modern Methods of Construction (MMC): Aiming for 50% adoption across government projects to lift productivity.

• Skills & Training: Expanding free TAFE construction apprenticeships (including over-25s), tool rebates for first-years, and ensuring 10–15% of Games minor venue hours go to apprentices and trainees.

• Workforce Wellbeing & Diversity: Positioning construction as an industry of choice for a broader workforce.

• Innovation & Data: Leveraging digital twins and standardised design to reduce inefficiency.

A pilot in Cairns is already underway to test better coordination of procurement and workforce planning across government agencies.

Migration, Mobility, and Market Pressures

Even with domestic training pipelines, the gap is too wide to close alone. That’s why the government and industry are leaning into skilled migration pathways.

The new Skills in Demand visa expands the list of eligible construction occupations, making it easier to bring in carpenters, electricians, engineers, and project managers from overseas. At the same time, Queensland is banking on attracting interstate workers, particularly as activity cools in southern states like Victoria.

But there are barriers:

• Housing shortages make it hard to lure new workers to Queensland.

• Skills recognition for overseas trades remains complex and slow.

• Productivity on big projects sits at just 3.5 days a week equivalent, well below the five-day target needed to hit timelines.

Risks on the Horizon

If the workforce shortfall isn’t addressed, the consequences could be significant:

• Olympic Deadlines Missed: Venue and transport projects carry immovable international deadlines.

• Cost Blowouts: Rising wages and competition for talent are already inflating project budgets by 6–7% per year.

• Lost Productivity: Queensland already has fewer annual construction working days than other states, further hampering delivery capacity.

Turning Challenge into Legacy

By scaling up apprenticeships, investing in innovation, and streamlining migration, Queensland has the chance not only to meet Olympic and infrastructure deadlines, but to transform its construction industry for the future.

London 2012 and Paris 2024 both showed how major events can accelerate long-term improvements in urban planning, transport, and construction practices. Brisbane now has the same opportunity, but it will require all levels of government, industry, and training providers pulling in the same direction.

The next decade will be a defining moment for Queensland’s infrastructure sector. The projects are funded and the demand is there, the challenge is ensuring we have the people to deliver.