Public investment in major infrastructure continues to shape economic and property market settings, with fresh data revealing the sheer scale of projects underway or committed across the nation.

There is currently $415 billion worth of definite infrastructure projects in the pipeline and a further $160 billion in planning, representing one of the largest coordinated investment waves in modern history.

According to Deloitte Access Economics, the country is working through a record pipeline of public infrastructure, including 13 taxpayer funded projects valued at $10 billion or more, with collective cost overruns already totalling $130 million.

Among the largest projects under construction are the $31.4 billion Inland Rail freight corridor linking Melbourne and Brisbane, the $14 billion CopperString 2032 transmission line connecting Mount Isa to the national energy grid, and Brisbane’s $19.04 billion Cross River Rail
project.

Deloitte Access Economics Director Sheraan Underwood notes that mega projects frequently encounter substantial cost overruns, and given their enormous scale even minor percentage shifts can translate into significant dollar impacts on budgets and timelines.

Such infrastructure commitments have far reaching implications for employment, supply chains, and regional growth corridors, often acting as catalysts for surrounding residential and commercial property markets.

While delivery risk remains an inherent feature of projects of this magnitude, the long term structural uplift in connectivity and productivity typically reshapes demand patterns across impacted regions.