Brisbane 2032 anchors Australia's transport investment

Australia's transport infrastructure market is holding steady, with Brisbane 2032 emerging as a key anchor for the next phase of investment. New research from Ansarada and Infralogic shows deal activity in Australia and New Zealand has remained close to its long-run average.

The findings point to a market that has stayed active even as major build programmes in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland move towards completion. The region recorded 27 transport infrastructure transactions in 2025, close to an annual average of about 29 since 2018.

That activity follows several years shaped by a heavy pipeline of large public works, including Sydney Metro, North East Link and Cross River Rail. Many of those projects are now in delivery or nearing completion, leaving the sector looking for the next group of schemes to sustain contractors, investors and advisers.

Brisbane's preparations for the 2032 Olympic Games are now central to that picture. The Games are linked to AUD $7.1 billion of investment, backed by the federal and Queensland governments, with a target for 90% of trips to venues to be made by public transport.

Beyond the Olympic programme, other transport projects are also taking shape. These include road upgrades, rail integration and airport investment, with Brisbane Airport's AUD $5 billion masterplan cited as part of the broader pipeline.

Global money

The study also highlights continued interest from international investors in Australian assets. Australia hosted the largest transport infrastructure transaction globally so far in 2026: Macquarie Asset Management's USD $8.3 billion acquisition of Qube Holdings.

That deal placed Australia ahead of transport infrastructure transactions in Europe, Asia and North America. It also underlined that overseas capital continues to back local logistics and transport assets even as the domestic construction cycle becomes less intense than in the past decade.

Worldwide, transport infrastructure investment has also risen. Global deal value increased 29% year on year to a record USD $317 billion across 661 transactions in 2025, led by roads, airports and seaports.

Investor preferences are also shifting. Roads are now expected by 70% of respondents to rank among the top two sectors for value invested globally over the next two years, up from 51% a year earlier. Airports are also attracting more attention than rail and seaports.

That trend has relevance in Australia, where Olympic-related planning is expected to drive spending on roads and public transport links. Those priorities align with wider market sentiment and may help Australia attract further capital as projects move from planning to procurement.

Procurement shifts

The research also points to changes in how transport projects are procured and managed. Among the 150 senior executives surveyed across Asia-Pacific, EMEA and the Americas, 85% said procurement processes were efficient, up from 65% a year earlier.

Use of dedicated procurement software also rose sharply, from 39% to 68%. Confidence in data security improved as well, with the share of respondents reporting no confidence at all falling to 9% from 35% over the same period.

In Australia, that shift is being matched by wider use of collaborative contracting models, including alliancing and early contractor involvement. The report also points to more detailed site investigation, stronger risk analysis and a more selective approach to project choice.

Justin Smith, Managing Director at Ansarada, said the market was entering a new phase after a decade of large-scale construction activity.

"Australia is entering an exciting new chapter. A decade of extraordinary megaprojects has built world-class expertise, and the market has proven remarkably resilient through the cycle. With committed anchors like the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and a broader pipeline forming across the country, the opportunity now is to carry that hard-won experience into the next wave, delivering projects more efficiently, more transparently and with greater confidence in the data behind every decision," Smith said.

The report surveyed 150 senior executives, split evenly across Asia-Pacific, EMEA and the Americas. Respondents included government agencies, privately owned transport infrastructure developers and transaction advisers.

Smith said the next challenge for Australia would be execution rather than simply maintaining a project list.

"The real test of a mature market isn't the size of the pipeline, it's how well it's delivered. Australia has an opportunity to set the standard, running procurement that is more efficient, more transparent and more auditable than ever before, and turning a strong pipeline into projects that are delivered with confidence," Smith said.