Getting visa settings right crucial for infrastructure boom

The COVID-19-induced recession and lockdown has wreaked havoc on some of Australia's big infrastructure projects, but the latest aerial images show construction forging ahead.

An aerial shot of Badgery's Creek Aerotropolis in Western Sydney, shows the extent of the work being carried out across the sprawling 11,000 hectare site. Nearmap

Martin NewmanContributor

Jan 5, 2021 – 12.00am

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The infrastructure boom is gathering pace as businesses and government absorb $300 billion of post-COVID-19 stimulus cash, but experts have warned unless the government gets visa settings right as borders reopen it could stall the recovery by starving major projects of skilled workers.

The pipeline for projects announced in federal and state budgets stand to accelerate construction activity, while spectacular new aerial imagery from mapping company Nearmap shows the huge scale of development at sites such as the Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis and the development of Amazon’s giant logistics centre at Kemps Creek.