InfrastructureLindsay SaundersMon 21 Sep 26
Most In-Demand Trades Revealed as Queensland Pipeline Tops $174bn
The Sunshine State’s major construction pipeline has reached $174 billion as it heads into a historic period of elevated development activity.
The Queensland Construction Portal, launched this month by the Brisbane Economic Development Agency, Property Council of Australia and Better Brisbane Alliance, brings together public and private sector projects with data on the workforce, skills and materials needed to deliver them.
The portal was developed by the state government, BuildSkills Australia, the Queensland Major Contractors Association, RLB and industry to provide a statewide view of major projects and forecast future construction demand.
It is designed to help developers, investors and suppliers forecast demand, plan projects and manage costs, while also giving governments, universities and training providers greater visibility of future workforce and skills requirements.
The Queensland Construction Portal has identified 617 projects worth $50 million or more either under way or in planning.
The pipeline spans major residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, with construction activity estimated to have increased from $33.64 billion in 2024-25 to $38.31 billion in 2025-26.
The scale of the pipeline is expected to intensify competition for construction workers, particularly across trades, engineering and specialist occupations.
The six occupations forecast to face the strongest demand are paving and surfacing labourers, crane, hoist and lift operators, concreters, floor finishers, building and plumbing labourers, and engineers.
The pipeline is also expected to drive significant demand for construction materials over the next year.
The forecast includes 3 million cubic metres of concrete, 256,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel and 463,000 tonnes of structural steel.
It also includes 7.2 million sq m of drywall lining, 774,000sq m of glass and 1.1 million sq m of precast concrete.
Brisbane Economic Development Agency chief executive Anthony Ryan said the data would give industry greater visibility of upcoming demand and help businesses plan workforce and materials requirements.
Property Council Queensland executive director Jess Caire said understanding the concentration and scale of projects would help industry respond to the demands created by the construction pipeline.
The pipeline comes as Queensland prepares for sustained development across housing, infrastructure and major projects, increasing competition for the labour and materials needed to deliver them.
