QLD might face workforce shortage and increase of costs ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games
Queensland’s preparations for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games could be hit by worker shortages and rising construction costs, the state’s auditor-general has warned.
QLD Olympics workforce warning
A new report from the Queensland Audit Office has flagged a growing risk that major infrastructure projects will be delayed or become more expensive due to shortages in key trade and professional roles. The warning covers both the broader state capital program and projects linked to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The report highlights that Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline relies heavily on a skilled workforce spread across multiple government entities, making coordination and capacity planning critical to delivering projects on time and on budget. Shortages in engineering, project management, and trade positions are already increasing risk for projects still in planning or early delivery phases.
Forecast shortfall of up to 50,000 workers
Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) estimates an average shortfall of 18,200 construction workers over the next eight years. That gap is forecast to peak at about 50,000 workers in the 2026–27 financial year, coinciding with a ramp-up in major infrastructure delivery.
Projects funded through capital grants, including some Olympic and Paralympic venues and related infrastructure, are competing for the same pool of workers as other construction and civil projects across the state. This competition is expected to intensify pressure on timelines and costs, as employers bid for scarce skilled labour, contractors, and suppliers.
Early-stage planning adds risk
Planning for Brisbane 2032 remains in its early stages, with much of the venue program still to progress through key approval and procurement milestones. As of 30 June 2025, 11 of the 17 planned venues were still undergoing detailed business case assessments, while the remaining six were in early procurement.
The report finds that this combination of tight deadlines, constrained workforce capacity, and early-stage project planning presents “delivery risks” for both the broader capital program and Brisbane 2032. It recommends that delivery agencies regularly review workforce capacity, project readiness, schedules, and cost estimates to maintain realistic and achievable delivery plans over the next decade.
Critical occupations in short supply
National advisory body Infrastructure Australia has identified three key occupational groups as essential to delivering major infrastructure: engineers, scientists and architects; project management professionals; and trades and labourers. As of June 2025, most roles within these groups were experiencing shortages relative to current and forecast demand.
These jobs typically require a mix of general, technical and specialised skills that can take years to develop through education, training and on-the-job experience. Within the construction and engineering stream, CSQ reports the largest shortages among “miscellaneous labourers” such as railway assistants and electrical or telecommunications trades assistants, aligning with broader findings by the Queensland Productivity Commission on persistent construction workforce gaps.
Government response and industry pressure
With fixed deadlines for Brisbane 2032, the report notes that Olympic-related projects will continue to compete with other public and private developments for limited workers and materials. This dynamic is likely to drive further cost escalation, driven by supply-and-demand pressures in the market.
Responding to concerns about workforce capacity, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the government would “beg, borrow, and steal” to secure the workers needed to build Games venues. He told reporters he remained confident after discussions with major contractors, suggesting that incentives were not yet considered necessary to attract interstate workers and that “it will work out.”
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