Get Connected Industry Insights provides observations, commentary, project updates and industry perspectives designed to help businesses stay informed, visible and connected across the resource, construction and energy sectors.

Drawing on industry conversations, project activity, government announcements and market developments, these articles explore the trends, opportunities and challenges shaping industry across Queensland and beyond.

Whether it’s major project developments, procurement pathways, emerging industries, supply chain opportunities or broader market observations, our goal is to help businesses better understand what is happening across the sectors that matter most.

This Month in Brief

Key takeaways this month:

• Early engagement continues to be one of the strongest predictors of project success and procurement outcomes.
• Queensland’s major projects are becoming increasingly complex, creating both challenges and opportunities for industry.
• Far North Queensland is emerging as a region to watch for future infrastructure, energy and critical minerals activity.
• Defence and AUKUS opportunities continue to evolve, with increasing focus on Australian industry capability and supply chains.
• Upcoming Connecting Industry events include Tilt Renewables, British Solar Renewables, BMD Group, Alua Energy, Squadron Energy, New Colton Coal and Greenvale Energy.

Contribute to the Conversation

One of the goals of Get Connected Industry Insights is to create more than just a regular industry update.

We want this to become a platform where businesses and professionals across the resource, construction and energy sectors can share observations, perspectives, industry challenges, opportunities and practical insight with the broader community.

Across industry, some of the most valuable conversations are often happening between businesses themselves. For example, what companies are seeing on the ground, where markets are shifting, what challenges are emerging and what others should be paying attention to.

As part of the Get Connected community, you now have the opportunity to contribute to future editions of the Industry Insights through:

• Industry observations and perspectives
• Market and sector insights
• Business spotlights
• Project and supply chain discussions
• Lessons, challenges, and opportunities being experienced across industry

Importantly, this is not designed to be advertising.

The focus is on practical industry conversation, insight and helping businesses remain informed, connected and engaged with the broader market.

If you would like to contribute to an upcoming edition of the Get Connected Industry Insights or participate in a Business Spotlight, you can submit your interest here: Contribute to the Conversation

Industry Activity & Upcoming Opportunities

As part of the Get Connected community, we wanted to share a snapshot of upcoming industry activity and events currently on the radar.

Over the coming months, Connecting Industry will be bringing together project proponents, contractors and suppliers through several upcoming events in Gladstone focused on project development, procurement and supply chain engagement.

Upcoming Connecting Industry events currently include:

• 10 June: Connecting Industry Luncheon featuring Tilt Renewables and British Solar Renewables alongside keynote speaker Senator Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Resources.
• 2 July: Connecting Copper & Gold Forum Queensland, bringing together mining and exploration companies, industry associations and the supply chain to discuss Queensland’s growing copper and gold pipeline.
• 19 August: Connecting Industry Luncheon featuring BMD Group.
• 7 October: Connecting Industry Luncheon featuring Alua Energy and Squadron Energy.
• 25 November: Connecting Industry Luncheon featuring New Colton Coal and Greenvale Energy.

Please note: Presenting companies and event schedules are subject to change.

Across the market, we’re continuing to see increasing activity around renewable energy developments, battery storage, mining project progression and supporting infrastructure throughout Queensland. Importantly, many of these projects are now moving beyond announcements and into stages involving approvals, contractor engagement, procurement planning, workforce discussions and supply chain positioning.

One of the biggest observations we continue to hear across industry is that businesses engaging early and building relationships before procurement formally begins are placing themselves in stronger positions as projects progress.

That’s exactly why Get Connected exists – to help industry stay informed, visible and connected to the conversations, opportunities and people shaping the sector.

Get Connected Event Access: As part of the Get Connected community, you receive discounted access to all Connecting Industry events. To apply your community discount of 10%, simply enter the following code when purchasing tickets: GETCONNECTED26

A Good Reminder From Within the Get Connected Community

One of the things we want Get Connected to become is more than just updates, events and announcements. We want it to be a community where people share observations, experiences and reminders that others across industry can learn from.

Recently, one of our community members sent through a message after joining Get Connected that genuinely stood out.

They made the point that while networking is regularly discussed in industry, many businesses still underestimate how important consistent engagement really is, particularly during difficult or uncertain periods.

More importantly, they highlighted something worth thinking about: the best time to build visibility, strengthen relationships and stay engaged is often when business is already busy, not when work suddenly slows down.

It’s a timely reminder that many businesses are currently navigating uncertainty. Some sectors remain strong, while others are experiencing slower procurement activity, delayed decisions, tighter spending or increased competition for available work.

During those periods, businesses often become internally focused. Marketing pauses. Networking slows down. Engagement drops away. People stop attending industry events because they are “too busy”, “watching costs” or waiting for things to improve.

The challenge is that reduced visibility can quickly become reduced opportunity. One of the biggest advantages businesses can create during uncertain periods is simply remaining present and engaged while others go quiet.

That does not always mean spending large amounts on advertising or attending every event possible. Often, the most effective engagement comes from consistent small actions over time.

A few practical reminders for businesses right now:

• Stay visible even when things are uncertain. Silence can easily be interpreted as inactivity.
• Keep speaking with people in industry even when there is no immediate opportunity attached to the conversation.
• Follow up with contacts after events instead of waiting until you need something.
• Continue learning about projects, procurement pathways and where activity is shifting.
• Use quieter periods to strengthen relationships instead of only chasing immediate work.
• Focus on being remembered for professionalism, consistency and contribution, not only sales.

In many cases, businesses do not lose momentum because they lack capability. They lose momentum because they unintentionally disconnect from the conversations happening around them.

So, to the member who sent through the message – thank you. It was a good reminder, not just about networking but about the importance of remaining connected to industry, conversations and relationships, particularly during periods where many businesses may otherwise pull back.

If you would like to contribute to an upcoming edition of the Get Connected Industry Insights or participate in a Business Spotlight, you can submit your interest here: Contribute to the Conversation

Major Projects Are Becoming More Complex – And Industry Needs to Understand What That Means

An interesting opinion piece last week from Pembroke Resources founder Barry Tudor highlighted something many businesses across the resource, construction and energy sectors are already feeling firsthand: major projects are becoming significantly more complex to deliver.

Using the Olive Downs Complex (pictured) in Central Queensland as an example, Tudor outlined how the journey from project concept to production can now stretch across a decade or more, with overlapping approvals, evolving environmental requirements, changing policy settings, infrastructure pressures, community expectations and investment uncertainty all influencing project delivery timeframes.

Importantly, the article was not simply about “red tape”. One of the key takeaways was that the expectations placed on major projects have fundamentally changed.

Today, projects are increasingly expected to demonstrate not only technical and financial viability but also strong environmental performance, meaningful community engagement, long-term sustainability outcomes, workforce planning, infrastructure coordination and broader regional benefits.

For businesses across the supply chain, that shift is important to understand.

It means project development is no longer just about engineering, construction and procurement. Increasingly, projects are being shaped by approvals processes, social licence, stakeholder engagement, environmental management and long-term regional planning.

That also helps explain why some projects appear to move slower than many businesses expect.

While frustration around delays is common across industry, the reality is that proponents are often navigating multiple approval pathways, evolving requirements, funding pressures and changing market conditions simultaneously.

Importantly, the article also reinforces why early engagement matters more than ever.

Businesses waiting for formal procurement announcements may already be behind by the time work packages officially emerge. Many project conversations now begin years earlier around capability, regional expectations, infrastructure needs, environmental management, workforce planning and partnership development.

Another interesting observation is that certainty increasingly matters just as much as opportunity.

Large-scale investors, contractors and project proponents all want confidence around timelines, approvals, infrastructure coordination and policy settings before committing significant capital. When timelines extend or requirements shift during development, projects become harder to finance, plan and deliver.

For industry, the broader takeaway is this: Queensland still has enormous project opportunity across mining, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and industrial development. However, the pathway from announcement to delivery is becoming longer, more detailed and increasingly interconnected with environmental, community, infrastructure and policy considerations.

The businesses that understand this shift and position themselves accordingly are likely to place themselves in stronger positions over the long term.

Why Businesses Should Be Watching Far North Queensland

One of the quieter developments happening across Queensland right now is the increasing strategic focus being placed on Far North Queensland.

The Queensland Government recently released the Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2025, a long-term framework focused on growth, infrastructure, investment, energy and economic development across the region through to 2046.

While planning documents like this rarely generate major headlines, they are often early indicators of where future government attention, infrastructure investment, industrial growth and project activity may begin accelerating.

Importantly for industry, the plan identifies renewable energy, infrastructure and critical minerals as key future growth areas across parts of the region, particularly around areas like the Cassowary Coast and Etheridge Shire.

For businesses across the resource, construction, engineering, energy, logistics and industrial services sectors, these types of regional plans are worth paying attention to early, not because procurement is immediately available but because they help signal where long-term project activity, supporting infrastructure and investment conversations may begin building momentum.

Another important takeaway is the growing emphasis being placed on community engagement, environmental considerations, land use pressures and social licence within project development.

Increasingly, projects are not only being assessed on technical capability or investment value but also on how proponents engage with councils, communities, Traditional Owners, infrastructure planning, biodiversity management and regional expectations.

For industry, that creates both challenges and opportunities. Businesses that understand how projects are evolving beyond simply “construction” are likely to position themselves more effectively as major developments progress.

One of the broader shifts we continue seeing across Queensland is that projects are becoming more interconnected with regional planning, infrastructure corridors, workforce strategy, environmental management, energy policy and long-term economic diversification.

That means businesses paying attention early often gain a stronger understanding of where opportunities may emerge well before formal procurement begins.

AUKUS, Defence Opportunities and What It Could Mean for Industry

Last month, Connecting Industry had the opportunity to be invited to a meeting in Gladstone with AUKUS Forum Chief Executive Officer Michael Sharpe (pictured) and Catherine Krimmer, Operations and Administration, alongside a small group of around 10 invited industry leaders from across engineering, manufacturing, construction, infrastructure and industrial services.

While AUKUS is often publicly associated with nuclear-powered submarines and national security, the broader discussion during the meeting focused heavily on industry, manufacturing capability, supply chains, infrastructure, workforce development and the long-term opportunities that may emerge for Australian businesses as the partnership evolves.

For many businesses, AUKUS can still feel like something happening “somewhere else” or only relevant to large defence contractors. However, one of the key messages from Michael Sharpe was that the AUKUS Forum is focused on helping Australian industry better understand and engage with opportunities arising from the broader AUKUS partnership, particularly around Defence-related industries and sovereign capability.

Importantly, discussions highlighted that opportunities are already moving forward internationally, particularly in the United States, where projects, manufacturing capability, infrastructure investment and supply chain activity are continuing to grow. Michael spoke about companies in the U.S. actively looking toward Australia and being prepared to support and work with Australian businesses as capability and capacity develop locally.

The conversation was not just about defence primes or multinational corporations. Instead, the discussion focused on the broader industrial ecosystem required to support major long-term capability growth. This includes engineering, fabrication, logistics, ports, energy, advanced manufacturing, training, workforce development, project services, infrastructure delivery and industrial technology.

For Queensland, the discussion was particularly relevant. We already have significant industrial capability, access to infrastructure, an experienced workforce and strong ties to heavy industry, manufacturing, construction and energy. As Australia continues to discuss sovereign capability, advanced manufacturing, energy security and industrial resilience, there is growing recognition that regional industrial centres may have an important role to play.

One of the more interesting aspects of the discussion was the level of interest around collaboration and industry readiness. Rather than businesses waiting for procurement packages to suddenly appear, there was strong emphasis on businesses becoming informed early, understanding the direction of industry, building capability, strengthening networks and positioning themselves ahead of future opportunities.

The meeting also reinforced the importance of industry conversations happening outside of capital cities. Too often, regional businesses hear about opportunities after major decisions have already been made. By facilitating discussions locally, industry has a greater opportunity to better understand what is emerging and how businesses may be able to position themselves moving forward.

Following the meeting, Connecting Industry is now exploring the potential to facilitate a future AUKUS-focused industry event or forum in Gladstone in collaboration with the AUKUS Forum. While still in the early stages of discussion, the concept would focus on practical industry engagement, supply chain capability, infrastructure requirements, manufacturing opportunities and helping businesses better understand the broader landscape surrounding AUKUS and Defence-related industries.

Importantly, any future event would not simply focus on policy or politics. Instead, the focus would be on practical industry discussion, capability building, procurement pathways, long-term industrial opportunities and creating greater awareness for businesses wanting to better understand where Australia’s industrial future may be heading.

As always, one of the biggest takeaways was the importance of relationships, conversations and being involved early. Major industry shifts rarely happen overnight, but the businesses that position themselves early, stay engaged and continue building capability are often the ones best placed when opportunities emerge.

Final Industry Observation

One of the clearest themes continuing to emerge across industry is that projects are no longer progressing in isolation.

Investment decisions, approvals, infrastructure planning, workforce pressures, environmental expectations, community engagement, procurement pathways and government policy are becoming increasingly interconnected.

For businesses across the supply chain, that means understanding industry today requires more than simply watching for tenders or procurement announcements.

It requires staying connected to the broader conversations shaping where projects are heading, how they are evolving and what challenges and opportunities may emerge before formal procurement begins.

That is ultimately what Get Connected is designed to support.

Not simply providing updates but helping businesses and professionals remain informed, engaged, visible and connected to the people, conversations and industry movements shaping the future of the sector.

As the Get Connected community continues to grow, we also plan to introduce a dedicated Get Connected LinkedIn Group to help extend industry conversations beyond events, encourage the sharing of insights and strengthen connections across the network.

As always, thank you for being part of the Get Connected community.

Kieran Moran.

Director – Connecting Industry Pty ltd.