Australia’s mining, quarrying, civil construction and earthmoving sectors remain supported by strong resources activity, major infrastructure investment and growing expenditure on energy transition and critical minerals projects, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and cost pressures.
Australia’s infrastructure pipeline to 2029 exceeds $240 billion, supported by transport, energy, defence and projects for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but key challenges remain. Labour shortages, particularly for skilled operators, mechanics and technical personnel, continue to constrain productivity and project delivery. Elevated fuel, insurance, maintenance and compliance costs are also placing pressure on business margins, which has been extremely evident in the construction sector.
Construction equipment sales for the first three quarters of 2026 increased by 4% compared with the same period last year, broadly in line with full-year market forecasts. Medium excavators were the strongest-performing category, with sales up 18%, while several other segments recorded modest declines.
State results varied, with Victoria recording the strongest growth at 11%, after a period of low demand, followed by New South Wales and Queensland, both recording a 3% growth, while Western Australia and South Australia remained largely flat.
Following several years of exceptionally strong performance, mining equipment sales declined by 22%. Queensland was the only state to record growth, with sales up 5%, while Western Australia and New South Wales recorded declines of more than 25%.
These results highlight the differing conditions across sectors and states, with demand remaining uneven.
In October, CMEIG hosted a successful Member Breakfast Forum in Melbourne, featuring four respected industry leaders who shared valuable insights into the construction sector. Attendance exceeded expectations, and feedback from the post-event survey indicated that attendees greatly appreciated the presentations, which provided diverse yet complementary perspectives on key industry issues.
I would like to sincerely thank our speakers for their contribution: Anne Kessell, Executive Director, Civil Contractors Federation Victoria; Andy Hunter, Executive General Manager, Infrastructure, John Holland; Clea Smith, CEO, Tradeswomen Australia; and Oz Ali, Technical Compliance Manager, Caterpillar, and Chair of the CMEIG Engineering Group.
Their expertise and willingness to share their knowledge helped make the event both informative and engaging for all attendees, and we look forward to continuing these forums in other states over the coming months.
Frank Gili
CEO, CMEIG