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Cover of Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2022-2032
Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2022-2032
  • Publication no: AP-R699-23
  • ISBN: 978-1-922994-09-7
  • Published: 20 September 2023

This report evaluates the skills and capabilities required by Austroads member agencies in the next decade to achieve their service objectives. It compares these requirements with the current and projected future workforce, identifies potential workforce capability gaps, and offers recommendations to help agencies and related stakeholders (including the government, education sector, and industry) address these gaps.

The study identifies capability gaps in New South Wales, New Zealand, and the Australian Capital Territory in the next 1-3 years and stresses the importance of implementing measures like enhancing productivity, reducing workforce attrition rate, attracting skills from other sectors, introducing incentives for the roads related education sector, and considering policy changes to attract more skilled migration. For the other jurisdictions, there are risks in maintaining the existing workforce and attracting skills, given the rising construction activity in other sectors.

The report highlights shortages in specific roles and competencies, emphasising the importance of investing in education pathways.

An update to the Data Dashboards was published in May 2024. The report Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis: March 2024 Update provides a half-year update and identifies capability gaps in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in the next one to two years.

Data Dashboards: March 2024 Update

The quantitative data used in the study is available through interactive dashboards which allow users to focus on specific skills and occupation profiles in each jurisdiction. The dashboards will be updated with new workforce data and forecasts through 2024 and 2025.

Watch a webinar with Adrian Hart and Thomas Creevey from Oxford Economics Australia who provide a summary of the results and findings of this research.

  • Summary
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 Purpose
    • 1.2 Report Structure
  • 2. Literature Review
    • 2.1 Summary of Findings
  • 3. Current State of Play
    • 3.1 New Zealand
      • 3.1.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.1.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.1.3 Road Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.2 Australia
      • 3.2.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.2.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.2.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.3 New South Wales
      • 3.3.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.3.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.3.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.4 Victoria
      • 3.4.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.4.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.4.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.5 Queensland
      • 3.5.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.5.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.5.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.6 South Australia
      • 3.6.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.6.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.6.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.7 Western Australia
      • 3.7.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.7.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.7.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.8 Tasmania
      • 3.8.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.8.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.8.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.9 Northern Territory
      • 3.9.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.9.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.9.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
    • 3.10 Australian Capital Territory
      • 3.10.1 Economic Trends and Outlook
      • 3.10.2 Construction Industry Trends and Outlook
      • 3.10.3 Roads Industry Trends and Outlook
  • 4. Education and Migration Outlook
    • 4.1 Education Trends
      • 4.1.1 New Zealand
      • 4.1.2 Australia
    • 4.2 Skilled Migration Trends
      • 4.2.1 New Zealand
      • 4.2.2 Australia
  • 5. Quantitative Modelling Results
    • 5.1 Introduction
    • 5.2 New Zealand
      • 5.2.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.2.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.2.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.3 Australia
      • 5.3.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.3.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.3.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.4 New South Wales
      • 5.4.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.4.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.4.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.5 Victoria
      • 5.5.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.5.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.5.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.6 Queensland
      • 5.6.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.6.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.6.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.7 South Australia
      • 5.7.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.7.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.7.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.8 Western Australia
      • 5.8.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.8.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.8.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.9 Tasmania
      • 5.9.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.9.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.9.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.10 Northern Territory
      • 5.10.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.10.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.10.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.11 Australian Capital Territory
      • 5.11.1 Existing Workforce
      • 5.11.2 Forecast Labour Demand
      • 5.11.3 Capability Gap
    • 5.12 Total Construction Sector
      • 5.12.1 Introduction
      • 5.12.2 New Zealand
      • 5.12.3 Australia
      • 5.12.4 Implications
    • 5.13 Summary of Findings, Assumptions, Risks and Further Modelling
      • 5.13.1 National Summary of Modelling Findings
      • 5.13.2 Key Assumptions and Implications
  • 6. Roads Workforce Capability Industry Perspectives and Challenges
    • 6.1 Summary of Results from Industry Consultation
      • 6.1.1 Road Agency Survey Outcomes
      • 6.1.2 Insights from Industry Interviews
    • 6.2 Road Agency Survey Outcomes
      • 6.2.1 Workforce Demographics
      • 6.2.2 Non-ANZSCO Classified Workforce
      • 6.2.3 Level of Difficulty in Recruiting Staff—The ‘Here and Now’
      • 6.2.4 Occupations Likely to See Skills Shortages in the Future
      • 6.2.5 Key Risks to Workforce Capability
      • 6.2.6 Key Risks to Workforce Capability from Technological Change
    • 6.3 Insights from Industry Interviews
      • 6.3.1 Skills Shortages in the Roads Industry
      • 6.3.2 Training Related Issues
      • 6.3.3 Climate Change and Sustainability
      • 6.3.4 Funding and Cost Escalation
      • 6.3.5 Prioritisation of Big Projects Over Small Projects and Maintenance
      • 6.3.6 Changes in Technology
      • 6.3.7 Evolution of Roads Agencies into Transport Agencies
      • 6.3.8 Other Comments
  • 7. Workforce Capability Road Map
    • 7.1 Introduction
    • 7.2 Challenges and Potential Solutions
  • References
  • Appendix A. Methodology
    • A.1. Industry Liaison
    • A.2. Industry Survey
    • A.3. Survey Methodology
    • A.4. Quantitative Analysis
    • A.5. Defining the Roads Sector
    • A.6. Defining the Roads Workforce Capability Skill Sets
  • Appendix B. ANZSCO Occupation Classification
  • Appendix C. Modelling Results
  • Appendix D. Industry and Roads Agency Survey
  • Appendix E. Literature Review
    • E.1. Australian Literature
    • E.2. International Literature
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Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2017-2027
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Australia and New Zealand Roads Capability Analysis 2006-2016
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