The Civil Contractors Federation has has welcomed the additional $2 billion investment in enabling infrastructure announced in the Federal Budget.
CCF Queensland said this funding demonstrated growing recognition that housing cannot be delivered without civil construction.
CCF Qld CEO Damian Long said the investment in roads, water, sewerage, and other infrastructure was essential if Australia was serious about increasing housing supply.
“This Budget shows the Commonwealth is beginning to recognise that housing delivery starts with the enabling infrastructure delivered by civil contractors,” he said.
“This is a positive step and reflects the growing understanding that roads, utilities, and subdivision works must come before houses.”
Damian said the focus must now turn to ensuring projects are delivered efficiently and supported by long-term investment certainty.
“Contractors across the country are continuing to face significant pressures from fuel, materials, and workforce costs while also being asked to deliver a growing pipeline of infrastructure projects,” he said.
“We need governments to continue working with industry on practical reforms that improve productivity, simplify procurement and support long-term investment in skills, equipment and capability.”
CCF NSW also said that the Budget reflects recognition that Australia’s housing challenge is now fundamentally an infrastructure delivery challenge.
CCF NSW CEO Kylie Yates said governments at all levels could not meet ambitious housing targets unless roads, water, sewer, stormwater, and utility infrastructure were delivered faster and more efficiently.
“Housing delivery starts on and below ground with earthmoving, utilities and enabling works delivered by civil contractors,” she said.
“With NSW under growing pressure to accelerate housing delivery, ensuring infrastructure is delivered upfront and at scale will be critical to meeting long-term housing supply targets.
“Funding flowing through local councils and utilities should help accelerate the rollout of enabling infrastructure needed to support more housing supply.”
CCF NSW said the additional Federal investment in housing-enabling infrastructure was an important step, but warned funding announcements alone would not resolve red tape bottlenecks and inefficient tendering.
“The conversation now has to shift to ensuring the infrastructure delivery system can actually keep pace,” Kylie said.
“That means faster rollout of local infrastructure projects and simpler tendering approaches by all levels of government that allow capable regional and mid-sized contractors to compete for local work.”
CCF NSW welcomed the Budget’s broader focus on productivity, housing supply and construction workforce development, saying long-term investment in skills and capability would be essential to delivering housing and infrastructure objectives.
“Civil construction is facing sustained demand across housing, transport, utilities and energy transition projects,” Kylie said.
“We need long-term investment certainty and stronger workforce pathways for plant operators, civil trades and technical roles, if Australia is serious about delivering the infrastructure pipeline it has committed to.”
CCF NSW said delivering housing at scale would require continued coordinated action across all levels of government to unlock the critical enabling infrastructure needed.
