Queensland Budget 2026/27: Quick Guide for the Built Environment
Delivered on 23 June 2026, the Queensland 2026/27 Budget commits $29.6 billion in capital investment for 2026/27 and $119.2 billion over four years, the largest capital program in the State's history.
For built environment professionals, the headline story is the sheer scale and breadth of the pipeline: health, transport, education, housing and the 2032 Games venues are all active simultaneously, with significant investment flowing to both Greater Brisbane and regional Queensland. Around 69% of the capital program, or $20.5 billion, will be delivered outside the Greater Brisbane region. This is a high-volume, multi-sector budget with work at every tier of the construction supply chain. The following summary captures the key initiatives most relevant to built environment professionals.
The following summary highlights the initiatives most relevant to built environment professionals, with notes on the opportunities and timing considerations for your business development planning.
Housing
Housing carries a four-year capital commitment of $5.725 billion for social and community homes, building on significant investment announced in 2025/26 and targeting the delivery of 53,500 social and community homes by 2044. The program is active now, with a record 6,500 homes already under construction. The enabling infrastructure story is equally substantial, with the Residential Activation Fund and a new Infrastructure Activation Fund together unlocking land for more than 98,000 new homes across infill and greenfield sites.
Key investments include:
$5.725 billion over four years for social and community housing, including youth foyers, domestic violence shelters and social homes in remote and discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
$2 billion through the Residential Activation Fund for trunk infrastructure — water, sewerage, stormwater, transport, power and telecommunications — to activate residential development, with a minimum $1 billion directed to regional communities. Round 2 funding has been doubled to $1 billion in response to demand
$399 million (matched contribution) through the Infrastructure Activation Fund, supporting delivery of more than 51,000 new homes including over 20,500 for first home buyers, in partnership with the Federal Government
$450.1 million in 2026/27 for specialist homelessness services and crisis accommodation, part of a $1 billion commitment over four years
Education
Schools
Education infrastructure investment totals $1.457 billion in 2026/27, with the program focused on new school delivery in growth corridors, a significant tranche of new special schools and capital investment in crime prevention and youth justice facilities. The geographic spread covers South East Queensland growth areas, Townsville, Rockhampton, the Sunshine Coast and regional communities, with 22 new schools in delivery across the forward estimates.
Key investments include:
$862.4 million for nine new special schools in Wynnum-Manly, Townsville, Berrinba, Coomera, Springfield/Redbank, Beenleigh, Ipswich West, Moreton Bay South and Logan Reserve
$700 million over five years for new school infrastructure, including a new primary school in Greater Flagstone, a new secondary school in Ripley Valley and new special schools in Wynnum-Manly and Townsville
$90 million over five years for Crime Prevention Schools and Youth Justice Schools in Townsville, Rockhampton, Ipswich, South East Queensland and North Queensland
$66.3 million for Stages 2A and 2B of the new Gracemere High School, and a Health Sciences Academy in Central Queensland
TAFE & Tertiary
$201.1 million over three years for four new TAFE Centres of Excellence in Rockhampton, Caloundra, Petrie and Moreton Bay
Health
Health infrastructure is the single largest sector in this budget, with a record $4.040 billion committed in 2026/27. The program is anchored by the Hospital Rescue Plan, which will deliver more than 2,600 additional beds across the State through three new hospitals and expansions at ten existing sites. The geographic reach is significant, spanning Bundaberg, Coomera and Toowoomba for new builds and major expansion works underway at Redcliffe, Townsville, Mackay, Logan, Ipswich, QEII, Princess Alexandra and Prince Charles hospitals and the Queensland Cancer Centre of Excellence.
Key investments include:
$2.206 billion in 2026/27 for new hospitals in Bundaberg, Coomera and Toowoomba, the Queensland Cancer Plan, major hospital expansions and upgraded emergency departments and transit lounges
$360.8 million (total) for the Easier Access to Health Services initiative, including $135.5 million in 2026/27 for the CT and MRI Expansion Program and access and hospital flow improvements
$79.8 million in 2026/27 for regional, rural and remote health infrastructure, including $60.3 million for the Building Rural and Remote Health Program and $13.5 million for new renal dialysis chairs at Emerald Hospital and parking upgrades at Yarrabah Hospital
$57.7 million over four years for maternity services across Queensland, including the reopening of maternity services in Biloela and Cooktown
Transport & Infrastructure
Roads
Transport is the defining sector of this budget by dollar value. Capital expenditure across the transport portfolio totals $11.165 billion in 2026/27, part of a $55.9 billion Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) over four years. Road investment spans the full length of the State, from the Bruce Highway corridor to regional and remote road programs.
Key investments include:
$9 billion Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program (total), continuing delivery with $243 million committed by Queensland in 2026/27 under an 80:20 partnership with the Federal Government
$1.98 billion (total) for the Rockhampton Ring Road
$460 million in 2026/27 for Stage 1 of The Wave — a new heavy rail line from Beerwah to Caloundra — as part of a $5.5 billion investment with the Federal Government [NOTE: The Wave is a rail project; listed here as it is part of the broader QTRIP program and involves significant civil and transport infrastructure works]
$100 million Country Roads Connect Program for safety and flood resilience of regional unsealed roads
$54 million in 2026/27 for dredging, remediation and resilience works at Port Hinchinbrook (total investment $64 million over two years)
Rail
$5.75 billion Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail project (total), with construction commencing on the Kuraby level crossing removal in 2026/27, jointly funded with the Federal Government
Cross River Rail (Brisbane) continuing delivery through 2029, including twin tunnels, four underground stations and the European Train Control System signalling upgrade
Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade (Stage 1) progressing, including new bridges, level crossing works, duplication of track and a new bus interchange at Landsborough Station
Gold Coast Transport Plan funded, including light rail extension from Gold Coast University Hospital to Biggera Waters, and The Surfer from Robina to Coolangatta
Community & Emergency Services
The community and emergency services capital program is substantial, with corrections infrastructure the dominant stream. $2.387 billion has been committed to increase adult prison capacity at the Arthur Gorrie and Townsville Correctional Centres, with an emphasis on delivering the Townsville expansion by 2028. The Woodford Youth Detention Centre is also progressing, with $294.7 million in remaining construction costs projected through to 2027/28 for a 112-bed facility across two campuses. Police and courts infrastructure is also active across the State.
Other key investments include:
$495.9 million for new and upgraded police stations, facilities and police beats across Queensland, including at Logan, Boondall, Edmonton, Hervey Bay and Mount Isa
$98.2 million over three years for Stage 2 of the Kirwan Police Complex in Townsville — a new North Queensland Police Academy and Townsville Dog Squad facility, increasing recruit capacity from 63 to 144 per intake
$67.9 million for the Domestic and Family Violence Courthouse Improvements Program
$25 million heritage remediation program for the Bowen and Maryborough Courthouses
$31.4 million over three years for replacement fire and rescue stations at Ayr, Hervey Bay and Kingaroy, with 11 additional new or replacement fire stations commencing construction in 2026/27
Cultural, Tourism & Recreation
The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues program is the defining capital commitment in this sector, with $765 million invested in 2026/27 across venues, infrastructure and athlete villages. Construction of the Brisbane Stadium at Victoria Park has commenced. Six minor venues are already in procurement and delivery: Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre, Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre, Logan Indoor Sports Centre, Barlow Park Stadium and the Redland Whitewater Centre. Athlete villages at four locations are in delivery in partnership with the private sector, within a total funding envelope of $3.5 billion.
The broader Games legacy program adds further capital activity: $250 million in Games On! grants for grassroots sports infrastructure upgrades across the State is in its second round, and the $300 million Queensland Legacy Fund is committing investment to Suncorp Stadium and grassroots sports facilities.
Beyond the Games, $330.5 million over five years for Great Barrier Reef conservation and water quality improvement, and $126.3 million over four years for National Parks expansion, carry built environment implications for environmental works, ecotourism infrastructure and conservation-related construction.
First Peoples
$74 million under Round 2 of the Closing the Gap Priorities Fund will deliver 21 new projects to improve drinking water supply, wastewater management, waste infrastructure and social infrastructure in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The CopperString Community Benefits Fund contributes an additional $50 million for community infrastructure, housing and accommodation in communities across the State's north and north west.
What Now?
The Queensland 2026/27 Budget presents a construction pipeline of significant scale and geographic breadth. Health and transport carry the largest individual capital commitments, but education, housing, corrections and the Games venues program add volume and variety across most project types and most regions.
For businesses working in health, the Hospital Rescue Plan is a multi-year program with active procurement across new hospital builds in Toowoomba, Coomera, and Bundaberg, expansions at 10 existing sites, and a distributed regional health program. Queensland Health Infrastructure is the primary agency relationship to develop or strengthen here. For transport, the volume and complexity of the QTRIP program means there is work for civil contractors, engineers and subconsultants at every scale — from the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program to regional road packages to major rail projects. Transport and Main Roads is the lead agency, and prequalification on the relevant registers should be up to date and accurate.
The schools program, with 22 new facilities across the State and a strong concentration of special schools, is worth close attention for education sector specialists. The Department of Education manages delivery, and the concentration of special school builds introduces design requirements around accessibility, sensory environments and specialist fitout that not all practices carry. If your business has that capability, it is worth making it visible.
The corrections program presents a multi-year pipeline across civil works, building construction and fitout, with the Woodford Youth Detention Centre and Townsville Correctional Centre expansion the most active procurements. Queensland Corrective Services manages these, and the scale of the program across the forward estimates makes it worth prioritising if corrections is already within your experience base.
For businesses assessing whether to enter new markets, the regional concentration of this budget is meaningful: $20.5 billion, or nearly 70% of the capital program, is being delivered outside Greater Brisbane. That spread creates a genuine case for reviewing whether your prequalification, capability statements and delivery partnerships reflect the regional areas where the work is concentrated.
If you would like to talk through how to position your business for the opportunities in this budget, we would love to help. Book a free 30-minute call.
Sources:Queensland Budget 2026/27: Budget Overview,Budget Paper No. 3: Capital Statement,Budget Paper No. 1: Budget Speech,Queensland Budget homepage