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In October, we wrote about Queensland’s $116.8 billion construction boom and what it meant for people considering a career in earthmoving. The numbers were big. A month later, they got bigger.
Infrastructure Australia released their 2025 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report in November, and the national picture confirms what we’ve been seeing on the ground: Australia doesn’t have enough qualified workers to build what needs to be built, and the gap is growing.
Australia’s five-year Major Public Infrastructure Pipeline has grown to $242 billion. That’s up 14% on the previous year and the highest level since Infrastructure Australia started tracking nationwide government investment five years ago.
To put it in perspective, when you add private sector investment, the total construction activity happening across the country sits at over $1.14 trillion.
Transport projects account for $129 billion of the public pipeline. Energy and utilities investment is projected to more than double to $36 billion over the next five years, driven by transmission lines, solar, wind, and pumped hydro projects. Housing investment is expected to rise $6 billion to $77 billion. Every one of these sectors needs qualified operators and trades workers on the ground.
As of October 2025, Infrastructure Australia estimates the industry is short 141,000 workers needed to deliver the public infrastructure pipeline alone. That’s actually down from last year’s estimate, but only because some project demand has been pushed out to later years.
The reprieve is temporary. The report projects that shortage will surge to more than 300,000 workers by mid-2027 as renewable energy projects ramp up across the country.
The breakdown by occupation is worth noting. Shortages for trades workers and labourers are forecast to peak at 126,000 by mid-2027, rising quickly. Engineers and scientists peak at a similar number in late 2026. Project management professionals hit 59,000 around the same time. In their industry survey, 63% of firms cited labour cost and 59% cited labour and skills shortages as a substantial threat to project delivery.
These aren’t abstract projections. They represent real positions that need filling on real projects.
The report identifies 10 regional hotspots across Australia where public investment is forecast to at least double over the next four years. The Sunshine Coast is one of them, alongside Toowoomba, Wide Bay, and Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday in Queensland.
Regional shortages are forecast to quadruple between 2025 and 2027, driven largely by renewable energy projects being built outside capital cities. Infrastructure Australia specifically notes that market capacity in Queensland is expected to become more constrained in the coming years, with the pipeline firming around the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and key defence projects.
For anyone living within driving distance of the Sunshine Coast, this is the local version of a national story. The work is coming. The question is whether there’ll be enough qualified people to do it.
The report recommends developing consistent nationwide training programs to upskill workers. Infrastructure Australia’s CEO put it plainly: the country needs to invest in its workforce, not just its projects.
If you’ve been thinking about getting into civil construction, the data keeps pointing in the same direction. The industry needs operators for excavators, front end loaders, rollers, dozers, graders, and haul trucks. It needs people with forklift licences, dogging tickets, and rigging qualifications. And it needs them soon.
The difference between reading about a skills shortage and doing something about it is a training course that takes days, not years. A nationally recognised qualification in earthmoving or high-risk work is one of the fastest, most practical ways to enter an industry that’s actively competing for workers.
We see it every week at our Coolum facility. People from all kinds of backgrounds walking in, getting qualified, and walking into work.
Ella came to Diggerman Training as a nervous young woman wanting a career change. She’d never operated heavy machinery before. After getting qualified, she landed her dream job as a new-to-industry operator driving haul trucks carrying up to 240 tonnes.
“When I first parked out the front of Diggerman Training I was a super nervous young woman wanting a career change. As soon as I walked in to the reception I was welcomed by the Diggerman team and they made me feel comfortable and at ease. Now I have my dream job as a New to Industry Operator driving haul trucks which carry up to 240 tonne, thanks to the boys at Diggerman.” – Ella
Dylan came in new to the industry with zero machine experience. He was booked for three courses and ended up completing eight because the training gave him the confidence to keep going.
“As someone who is new to the industry and zero experience in any machine operations. Initially, I was only booked for 3 machines. I ended up finishing 8 with them as I was having so much fun, and it felt like I could walk into any job confident of securing one with the skills I’ve acquired.” – Dylan
Raewyn spent 18 years in hospitality before deciding to get into civil construction. She started with a single course, kept building her tickets with encouragement from the training team, and is now working on one of the biggest construction sites on the Sunshine Coast.
“I am so thankful to Diggerman and all their team for all the help, support and encouragement that they gave me as I am now working on one of the biggest construction sites on the Sunshine Coast with a great company driving haul trucks, rollers, absolutely loving it.” – Raewyn
These stories aren’t unusual. They’re becoming the norm.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence, the numbers are about as clear as they’re going to get. The work is there. The demand for qualified operators and trades workers is real and growing. What’s missing is people with the right tickets.
Diggerman Training delivers nationally recognised qualifications in earthmoving, high-risk work, and civil construction from our purpose-built facility on the Sunshine Coast. Our trainers each have over 20 years of industry experience, you’ll train on real machinery from Diggerman Earthmoving, and class sizes are kept small so you get proper hands-on time.
Whether you’re completely new to construction or an experienced operator who needs formal qualifications, we have courses designed for your situation. On-site training is also available for businesses across Brisbane and Southeast Queensland.
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