Infrastructure Guarantee

The $51.8 billion Queensland Government Infrastructure guarantee provides industry with confidence to invest and sustain jobs across Queensland.

Our four-year infrastructure investment program is the largest in nearly a decade and will sustain activity in the state’s construction sector. In 2020-21, this will mean a $13.9 billion investment, directly supporting around 44,000 jobs.

As part of our infrastructure guarantee, the Queensland Government is committed to fast-tracking vital infrastructure projects to stimulate economic recovery and sustain construction sector activity  across Queensland.

We have already started this, with significant investments in new schools and upgrading existing school infrastructure this year and into the future.

Partnering with Industry

The Queensland Government will partner with industry to encourage private sector investment, make better decisions on infrastructure and make it easier to deliver projects.

One such example is the $200 million Building Acceleration Fund through which the Queensland Government will partner with councils, developers and industry to deliver catalytic infrastructure that unlocks development and enables further private sector investment helping to reinvigorate our economy and creating resilient, secure and sustainable jobs for Queenslanders.

Queensland’s planning framework is set up to support quicker, more transparent and acceptable development assessment outcomes. This provides certainty for industry and the community, while attracting the necessary investment to deliver growth across the state. This framework has enabled the government to support the construction and building industries during COVID-19 and will be key in driving future growth and prosperity in these sectors.

As the state recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the planning framework will continue to be reviewed, improved and aligned to support economic recovery initiatives to ensure the right development occurs in the right location.

Supporting Interconnected Regions

The transport sector supports the growth of Queensland businesses by providing efficient and accessible connections to consumer markets.

The Queensland Government is continuing to improve network access to local, national and overseas markets by improving port connections and intermodal efficiency.

Of critical importance is the Bruce Highway which is Queensland’s longest road that millions of Queenslanders depend on. It connects locals to growing regional centres, moving freight between our ports and regional communities and from paddocks and pits to export markets.

The Bruce Highway Upgrade Program is the largest road infrastructure program Queensland has ever seen. It is aimed at improving safety, flood resilience, and capacity along the length and breadth of the highway between Brisbane and Cairns.

There’s currently $12.6 billion in joint funding locked-in for the Bruce Highway to help to bust congestion and is estimated to support an average of 2,500 jobs over the life of the program.

Cross River Rail

In May 2020, tunnelling began for Queensland’s largest job-creating infrastructure project – Cross River Rail – with a focus on boosting employment and busting congestion.

The new 10.2km rail line will run from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills and will include twin 5.9km tunnels under the Brisbane River and CBD. Cross River Rail will increase network capacity, allowing more trains to run more often and enabling a turn-up-and-go public transport network.

Four new underground, high-capacity stations will generate unique opportunities for urban renewal, economic development, revitalisation and employment – triggering decades of further economic investment that will benefit the entire state.

The project will support an average of 1,500 jobs each year over the construction period, and up to 3,000 jobs in the most intensive year.

It will generate 450 new apprentice and traineeship opportunities for aspiring builders, electricians, welders and specialists.

Action to Date

Building vital infrastructure has been a core focus throughout our staged and adaptable approach to recovery. We have invested in roads, schools, hospitals, as well as small scale works delivered by local councils.

Highlights of our COVID-19 infrastructure program include:

• $400 million towards the Accelerated Works Program for new road improvements, supporting 430 direct jobs over the life of the program
• $200 million COVID Works for Queensland program, which provided funding to all 77 local governments for 520 projects to build productive infrastructure.
• $100 million housing construction, Works for Tradies, program to build new social housing to be built across Queensland
• $50 million Unite and Recover Community Stimulus Package – further funding to eligible South East Queensland local governments to fast- track investment in new infrastructure and community assets that create jobs and deliver economic stimulus to local communities.

Our Investment in Education

Building new school infrastructure and maintaining existing facilities not only ensures Queensland state school students have world-class learning environments, but it also supports thousands of local jobs.

Investment in new school infrastructure is being facilitated through the Queensland Government’s Building Future Schools Fund, which saw eight new schools opened in 2020. In July 2020, the program was expanded with the announcement of an additional $346 million package, creating 870 new jobs. The Building Future School Fund is delivering:

• five new state schools to open in 2021 including the Inner City South State Secondary College, the Baringa State Secondary College (in Caloundra South), a new primary and a new special school at Palmview and the Gainsborough State School (in Pimpama)
• three new state schools to open in 2022, including two new primary schools at Caloundra South and North Maclean and a new special school in Coomera
• a new state primary school in Brisbane’s inner west to open in 2023
• the expansion of West End State School.

In August 2020, a further $220 million was announced for maintenance and improvement works for state schools. This investment will support more than 720 jobs throughout Queensland as schools engage with local businesses to get works done as quickly as possible.

The continued rollout of the $477 million Cooler Cleaner Schools Program will see air conditioning in every classroom, staffroom and library in Queensland state schools by June 2022. The installation of 180,000 solar panels on school rooftops will help offset those costs and ensure the pipeline of work continues to flow throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.