Right now, Queensland is gearing up for one of the biggest construction surges in its history, with Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast all preparing for rapid growth ahead of the 2032 Games. A project advisory firm has reviewed the pipeline and found that while only a relatively small slice of the works is directly tied to Olympic venues, the broader upgrades to transport, housing and public infrastructure are putting unprecedented pressure on the existing workforce. The Games are being treated as a long-term economic catalyst for south-east Queensland rather than a standalone event, but that ambition depends heavily on having enough skilled people on site.
According to the analysis, total project commencements from both public and private sectors are set to surpass $200 billion over the next three financial years, requiring around 380,000 construction workers each year to keep pace. On current trends, Queensland appears to be heading for a labour shortfall averaging about 27,000 workers in 2026–27, growing to more than 43,000 in 2027–28 and roughly 46,000 in 2028–29. The firm also expects building costs in Brisbane to escalate by around 8% in 2027 and 10% in 2028, with similar jumps of close to 9% likely on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts as contractors struggle to secure trades. Those projections assume no extra productivity gains and no unexpected loss of current workers to retirement or migration, which means the gap could widen further if nothing changes.
To ease the pressure, the report argues for a mix of short and long-term interventions, starting with the return of a federal wage subsidy for new apprentices that previously cost about $5.8 billion and temporarily lifted apprenticeship commencements by as much as 80%. It suggests tightening how candidates are screened to improve completion rates, reviewing incentives for tradies and lifting skilled migration numbers in construction, particularly from nearby countries with extra encouragement for migrants to settle in Queensland. Some experts also point out that the traditional apprenticeship system looks outdated, and propose a greater focus on TAFE-style training to modernise skills, improve diversity in a heavily male-dominated workforce and create safer, more inclusive worksites. At the same time, Queensland’s decision to spread Olympic-related projects across multiple cities seems to be increasing complexity, as regional areas that already face workforce strains are asked to absorb more work, which raises questions about whether limited resources should go towards short-term event infrastructure or everyday community needs.
