Revealed: Qld’s urgent need for thousands of construction workers

Queensland needs 15,000 more builders and engineers within five years to deliver a record $127.5bn construction pipeline, as worker productivity hits concerning lows.

Expect to see more cranes on the Brisbane skyline. (File picture)

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Queensland will require 15,000 more builders and engineers over the next five years to keep up with a record construction boom.

An eye-watering $127.5bn worth of projects are planned across the state.

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It represents a 22.7 per cent increase in total pipeline value compared to 2024, driven by significant new infrastructure investment and the start of Olympic and Paralympic Games projects.

The figure was revealed in the Queensland Major Contractors Association’s 2025 Major Projects Pipeline Report.

CEO Andrew Chapman said the record level of work detailed the opportunity and urgency facing the state.

“Queensland’s engineering construction sector has entered one of the most significant periods in its history,” he said.

“The size and duration of the current pipeline represent a sustained decade of opportunity for our state, but it also brings real challenges around productivity, skills, and delivery capacity.
“Unless we address these now, the full economic potential of this investment will not be realised.”

Mr Chapman said the pipeline would require a 55 per cent increase in workforce capacity, with demand expected to rise from 26,000 construction workers today to some 41,000 by 2029-30.

“Our industry needs a co-ordinated plan to attract, train and retain the next generation of Queensland construction workers,” he said.

“That means investing in local skills, creating flexible training pathways, and improving productivity through better procurement, smarter delivery models, and modern industrial practices.”

However, rising costs and declining productivity remain a risk to project delivery.

Construction costs are forecast to rise by 7.1 per cent in 2025, with sustained annual increases above 6 per cent through to 2028.

Queensland Major Contractors Association CEO Andrew Chapman. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

The cost increase comes as worker productivity falls some 60 per cent since 2000, with the average worker now delivering just $227,000 in output per year.

“We are facing a perfect storm of cost escalation and productivity decline,” Mr Chapman said.

“If Queensland is to deliver $127bn of projects over the next five years, we must rethink how we build, from industrial relations reform to the adoption of digital tools, modular construction, and smarter procurement.”

Construction of roads and bridges remains the largest contributor to activity and is anchored by a $9bn Bruce Highway upgrade program, advocated for by The Courier-Mail.

Treasurer David Janetzki is considering the Queensland Productivity Commission’s report into the state’s construction sector.

A draft version released in August found forecast that by 2029-30, Labor’s Best Practice Industry Conditions policy would cost Queensland up to $20.6bn, with fewer homes built.