🗓️ PROJECT WATCH
AI & TECH WATCH
FABRICATION & MFG
THE NUMBERS
ONE THING TO WATCH
AI & TECH WATCH
Tools Hitting the Shop Floor
Automated Estimation: New tools like Togal.AI and CADler are automating takeoffs from PDF drawings. For QLD fabricators, this means turning around structural steel quotes in hours, not days.
The "Cobot" Revolution: With Brisbane’s welder shortage, local shops in Wacol and Yatala are adopting collaborative robots (Cobots). Unlike traditional automation, these don't require complex coding to operate.
Generative Design: Software like Autodesk Fusion is now using AI to optimize material usage in sheet metal fabrication, reducing scrap rates by up to 15% on complex cuts.
FABRICATION & MFG
Steel Lead Times: With the $116B infrastructure pipeline kicking off, structural steel availability is stabilizing, but lead times for heavy sections are expected to stretch by Q2 2025.
The Modular Push: The $7.1B Olympic venue program is heavily favoring off-site precast and modular construction to mitigate the onsite labor shortage (currently at 25,000+ workers).
Manufacturing Grants: Queensland’s Manufacturing Hubs are prioritizing grant applications for shops upgrading to CNC and automated beam lines to keep local fabrication competitive against imports.
THE NUMBERS
Queensland by the digits
$77 Billion
The projected value of the Queensland construction pipeline at its peak in 2026-27.6.5%
Brisbane’s forecast construction cost escalation for 2025—currently the highest rate in Australia.25,000+
The critical shortfall of skilled workers needed to deliver the state's infrastructure projects.42%
The percentage of the current manufacturing and construction workforce set to retire by 2032.
ONE THING TO WATCH
Olympic Venue Tenders Opening
The Queensland Government is preparing to release the first major Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the 2032 Games venue upgrades. Local fabricators should monitor the QTenders portal this month, as early works packages are expected to prioritize local content and supply chains.
🏆 Reader of the Week
The $116 Billion Squeeze: What 2025 Looks Like for Queensland Fabricators
If 2024 was the year of planning, 2025 is the year the rubber hits the road—and the welding torch hits the steel.
Queensland is entering a historic construction boom, driven by the State Government’s $116.8 billion infrastructure budget and the accelerating runway to the 2032 Games. But for shop owners and project managers, this opportunity comes with a massive warning label.
The "Good" Problem
Demand is not the issue. Between Cross River Rail, the Coomera Connector, and the 17 new or upgraded Olympic venues, the pipeline is full. The challenge for 2025 is capacity.
The Pinch Points
Labor is scarce: We are facing a shortfall of 25,000+ skilled workers. If you are trying to hire a boilermaker or a site supervisor right now, you know the pain.
Costs are climbing: Brisbane is forecast to see a 6.5% construction cost escalation this year—the highest in Australia. Fixed-price contracts signed six months ago could be dangerous today.
Did You Know? Brisbane's Story Bridge holds a secret in its steel. Built in the 1930s, it contains 1.25 million rivets—and every single one was heated red-hot and hammered by hand. At its peak, the noise was so loud it could be heard across the entire city.
Till next time,