Why we engaged

The Australian and Queensland governments have jointly committed $9 billion in funding to deliver critical safety improvements to the Bruce Highway—the single largest investment in its history. We recognise the need for a collaborative, new approach to procurement and delivery to deliver a program of this size and complexity.

In April 2025, we held 2 interactive industry briefings to:

• share initial plans for procuring and delivering the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program separate from the early start construction package
• invite feedback from industry stakeholders through an optional questionnaire.

Who we heard from

The response from industry was strong and diverse.

• 365 attendees.
• Nearly 200 organisations took part — from regional sole traders to global infrastructure firms.
• 83 completed questionnaires.

Participants represented a cross-section of the infrastructure market, including:

• Tier 1, 2 and 3 contractors
• designers
• consultants
• suppliers and subcontractors.

What we heard—themes and insights

• Strong support for panels
• Flexible packaging and bundling
• Existing TMR contracts are fit-for-purpose
• Market capacity is strong—planning is key
• Supply chain needs coordination

Collective insights

• Feedback shows broad support for our proposed delivery model—including the use of panels, collaborative planning and streamlined procurement.
• Industry is ready to contribute.
• Capability and interest spans all regions and contractor tiers.

Strong support for panels

Key insights

• More than 80% of respondents supported creating dedicated construction and design panels. These are seen as critical to reduce duplication, simplify procurement and streamline tendering.
• Respondents emphasised the need for clear panel structures, fair access across regions and flexibility based on project size and risk.

Survey question

We are considering panels of prequalified contractors and designers to streamline procurement and accelerate project delivery under the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program. What is your view on this approach?

Survey results—panel support

Response	Construction panel	Design panel
Strongly supportive	39%	32.9%
Supportive with considerations	45.5%	48.1%
Neutral	10.4%	13.9%
Concerned / sceptical	5.2%	5.1%

Flexible packaging and bundling

Key insights

• 95% of respondents support our plan to bundle projects by region, type and complexity to optimise market participation.
• There is a strong preference for $50 million to $100 million packages, showing the market is ready for mid-size programs.
• Larger packages over $150 million should be targeted, while smaller scopes remain essential to unlock local industry participation.

Survey question

In addition to procuring individual projects, TMR is considering bundling projects (in a small program/s) based on work type, size, complexity and/or region. How do you feel about this approach?

Survey results—package bundling

Response	Percentage
Strongly supportive	54.2%
Supportive with considerations	41.0%
Neutral / uncertain	1.2%
Concerned / sceptical	3.6%

Existing TMR contracts are fit-for-purpose

Key insights

• 92% of respondents agreed that our current contract models—Construct Only, Design & Construct, Target Project Cost—are suitable, with only minor modifications needed to drive a program approach.
• Construct Only was the most preferred model.
• Target Project Cost received strong support.
• Design & Construct was the least preferred, particularly among Tier 2/3 contractors.

Survey question

Can the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program be successfully delivered using existing contract models (for example, Construct-Only, Design & Construct), noting that some minor modifications are planned?

Survey results—contract models

Response	Percentage
Yes	92.5%
No	7.5%

Market capacity is strong—planning is key

A number of survey questions focused on testing the respondents' capacity and ability to deliver along the program corridor, including identifying constraints and proposing potential solutions.

Key insights

• 62% of respondents are open to corridor-wide delivery.
• There is strong interest in delivering work outside current operating areas.
• Only 6% prefer to work in a single region.
• South East Queensland has sufficient capacity.
• Northern and regional areas—especially Far North and Mackay/Whitsunday—could face constraints.

Respondents highlighted the need for:

• pipeline visibility, repeatable scopes and forward planning to reduce demobilisation costs and improve delivery efficiency.

We acknowledge the challenges ahead and are ready to work with the industry. 55.7% of respondents foresee difficulties meeting committed milestones, including being on the ground within 12 months and completing delivery by 2030.

The Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program will coincide with other major infrastructure projects in Queensland, including health, education and the 2032 Olympics. The next five years will test the industry’s capacity and the success of this program will rely on planning, flexibility and collaboration.

Industry is broadly confident it can tender for and deliver multiple packages across regions at the same time. Many organisations are ready to support multi-region and corridor-wide delivery, reflecting the scale of the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program.

Supply chain needs coordination

Key insights

65% of respondents foresee constraints in securing long-lead or high-demand materials, such as:

• quarry products, asphalt, precast concrete
• construction water, plant and equipment
• geotechnical and environmental services.

There is strong support for TMR-led procurement of constrained items to manage delivery risk—this is currently under consideration.

Survey question

Do you foresee any key supply chain constraints?

Survey results—supply chain constraints

Response	Percentage
Yes	65.1%
No	34.9%