Is Your Business Ready for Brisbane 2032? (Time is Running Out!)
Images of the map of Australia with Brisbane flagged and truck and construction equipment leading up to it. Caption reads, "Is your Business Ready for the Brisbane Olympics 2032. Blaze Business & Legal logo and non-affiliation caveat.

Is Your Business Ready for Brisbane 2032? (Time is Running Out!)

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Introduction

The Brisbane Olympics 2032 are set to be a monumental event that will captivate audiences worldwide. But beyond the spectacle and athletic prowess, the Games present a unique opportunity for businesses in Australia. The question is: Is Your Business Ready for Brisbane 2032? This article aims to guide businesses in assessing and preparing for the myriad opportunities and challenges that the Brisbane Olympics will bring.

Images of the map of Australia with Brisbane flagged and truck and construction equipment leading up to it. Caption reads, "Is your Business Ready for the Brisbane Olympics 2032. Blaze Business & Legal logo and non-affiliation caveat.

The Economic Impact of the Olympics

Historically, hosting the Olympic Games has been a double-edged sword for economies. While cities like Barcelona and Sydney have reaped long-term benefits, others like Athens have struggled with debt and unused infrastructure. For Brisbane and Australia at large, the projections are optimistic. The event is expected to inject billions into the economy, with sectors like tourism, construction, and retail widely expected to gain the most.

Image of a Construction Site representing the Brisbane Olympics 2032. Blaze Business & Legal.

The Queensland Government anticipates a significant boost in job creation, international exposure, and infrastructure development. It is already gearing up for massive infrastructure projects, job creation, and international exposure, which will have a ripple effect across the nation.

However, the economic windfall isn’t limited to Brisbane or even Queensland – the ripple effects will likely be felt nationwide.

Image of a lit up dollar sign sitting on top of a table. Are you ready for the Brisbane Olympics 2032?

Opportunities for Different Business Types

The Brisbane2032 Master Plan

The Master Plan for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games states that competition venues will be hosted in the following locations:

  • Brisbane – 22 venues
  • Gold Coast – 6 venues
  • Sunshine Coast – 4 venues
  • Regional Queensland – 3 venues (Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba)
  • Interstate – 2 venues (Sydney, Melbourne).

Local Businesses in Brisbane

The immediate beneficiaries of the Games will be local businesses in Brisbane. The city will see an influx of international tourists, athletes, and officials, leading to increased demand for goods and services – boosting local commerce.

Restaurants, retailers, and local artisans could experience a surge in business.

Brisbane City

The city of Brisbane will undergo significant infrastructure development, offering numerous contract opportunities for construction and public services.

Local businesses stand to gain immensely, particularly those who have positioned themselves to take advantage of the unique opportunities that are likely to arise over the next 8 years.

Businesses in Surrounding Areas

Regions like the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba (which will house Olympic Games venues), Ipswich and Northern New South Wales will also likely feel the impact. As well as their dedicated venues, these areas could host training camps and auxiliary events, providing opportunities for businesses in construction, transportation, and public services.

Statewide Impact for Queensland Businesses

Cairns and Townsville will both house an Olympic Games 2032 venue, which will bring numerous opportunities to each city.

The Queensland Government is likely to issue contracts that span across the State. From waste management to public transportation, businesses that have experience in government contracts should prepare for new opportunities.

And for businesses without that experience, Blaze Business & Legal is able to help position you properly for your first government contract, particularly because Rachelle Hare has spent a number of years working for government and understands the requirements that private businesses need to meet in order to be awarded a contract.
Department of State Development Regional Infrastructure Plan Regions - Blaze Business & Legal

Nationwide Impact

The impact of the Brisbane Olympics will extend beyond Queensland. Federal projects related to the Games may require services from businesses across Australia.

Whether it’s supplying materials for construction or offering specialised consulting services, the opportunities are vast for businesses that have experience working with government bodies or who are able to obtain strategic business advice from consultants such as Blaze Business & Legal.

Not affiliated with, nor a sponsor of, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games

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Preparing Your Business for the Olympics

1. Identifying Opportunities

You need to identify what your business does and where it will fit into the complex map of infrastructure works, development, services, government contracts, planning, and other preparation leading up to the Olympic Games being held in the year 2032.

Is your business a service provider, who may be able to provide services to one of the Local Governments over the next 8 years?

Is your business a consultancy firm like Blaze Business & Legal, who will (and already is) advise other businesses on how to make the most of the opportunities in the relevant industries in the lead-up to the Olympics?

Is your business a supplier, who will likely be frantically busy over the next 8 years as major projects and construction works in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast suck up all their supplies?

Or are you a retail or wholesale business, who may not see increased sales over the next 7.5 years but is likely to be frantically busy over the couple of months around the July-August 2023 Olympic Games?

Tip: Keep in mind that you will need to tender or bid for most opportunities relating to the Olympic Games 2023. Do you know how to deal with Government? Or, if you will be a smaller provider to a larger company, are you set up in the right way to allow you to win bids. Do you have a Modern Slavery Statement, for example?

2. Assessing Readiness

Before you can seize the Olympic opportunities, you need to assess your business’s readiness. This involves a thorough evaluation of your financial stability, operational capacity, existing contracts, staff skills, and existing commitments.

Can your business handle the increased workload? Do you have the necessary cash flow to scale operations? Are your staff skilled in negotiating and administering contracts?

Answering these questions will give you a clearer picture of your readiness to capitalise on the Brisbane 2032 opportunities.

3. Put Proper Policies and Procedures in Place

All businesses need policies and procedures in place to ensure they can run properly and efficiently (and don’t breach any laws). Have employees? Then you need various policies and procedures to govern how your staff will be treated, paid, trained, given leave, and various other things. 

Thinking about providing work or services for the Brisbane Olympics 2023? Then you need your compliance Policies and Procedures even more! 

Rachelle Hare has drafted dozens of Policies and Procedures for her clients over the years, and she can advise which documents you need and help you put them in place. Simple!

4. Structure Your Business in the Right Way

The right business structure is crucial for tax efficiency, scalability, and legal compliance, particularly if you intend to tender for contracts for the Brisbane Olympics 2032.

Tip: Consult with Blaze Business & Legal to ensure your business is optimally structured to take advantage of the opportunities the Olympics will offer.

5. Get Compliant

Not sure you’re fully compliant with your Industry requirements, laws that apply to your business in your Industry, Australian Standards and ISO9001?

Blaze Business & Legal specialises in helping our clients get all their legal obligations and compliance requirements in place so they can move forward, grow and scale without worrying that they will be in breach. Contact us today to discuss how we can help your business.

6. Tendering / Bidding

There will be a huge number of Tender and Bidding opportunities for businesses in industries (particularly in Queensland and New South Wales) such as:

  • Construction
  • Infrastructure
  • Manufacturing
  • Building and Development
  • Transport
  • Professional Services
  • Hospitality and Tourism
  • Health and Allied Health
  • Retail and Wholesale

But if businesses are not used to tendering or bidding, or are not structured correctly – or if they don’t have their finances in order – they may miss out.

Tip: Rachelle Hare is an expert at Bidding and Tendering and has helped her clients prepare thousands of formal tenders and quotes over her 23+ years in practice. She can help you win a bid or a tender, and also ensure that you are able to make a profit out of the work you put in. Contact Rachelle today to ask about her Business Development Services and Strategic Bid Services.

7. Building Relationships and Networking

The Brisbane Olympics will be a networking gold mine. Attend industry events, engage with potential partners, and strengthen relationships with existing clients. For subcontractors, this is the time to build relationships with larger contractors who are likely to secure big-ticket projects.

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Risks and Challenges

Economic Risks

While the Olympics offer numerous opportunities, they’re not without risks. Inflation could increase the cost of doing business, and the market could become saturated post-Olympics, leading to decreased demand. Businesses must be prepared for these economic fluctuations and plan accordingly.

We are expert risk advisers and can help you understand, and prepare for, any risk that is likely to arise over the next 8 years.

Operational Challenges

Scaling operations to meet the demands of Olympic contracts will bring its own set of challenges. These include staffing requirements, potential supply chain disruptions, and maintaining quality control.

Businesses must have contingency plans in place to navigate these operational hurdles.

Case Studies

Learning from past Olympic Games can offer valuable insights.

For instance, Sydney-based businesses that invested in long-term strategies during the 2000 Olympics continue to reap benefits today. On the flip side, businesses in Athens that failed to plan for the post-Olympic market downturn faced significant losses.

The key takeaway is that preparation and long-term planning are crucial for maximising the benefits of such a large-scale event.

Action Plan: Steps to Get Your Business Ready

Analysing, assessing and preparing a SWOT analysis. Blaze Business & Legal. Brisbane 2032
  1. Conduct a SWOT Analysis: Evaluate your business’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in the context of the Olympics.
  2. Financial Planning: Secure funding and ensure sufficient cash flow.
  3. Marketing and Promotions: Develop targeted marketing strategies.
  4. Timeline: Create a detailed timeline for preparations.
  5. Legal Compliance: Ensure all licenses and permits are up to date.
  6. Staff Training: Prepare your staff for increased workload and customer interactions.
  7. Supply Chain Management: Secure suppliers and create backup plans.
  8. Quality Control: Implement quality control measures for products and services.
  9. Business Structure: Consult professionals to ensure your business is structured optimally for tax and legal benefits.
  10. Post-Olympic Strategy: Plan for business operations after the Olympics to ensure sustainability.

Conclusion

The Brisbane Olympics 2032 offer a unique opportunity for businesses to grow and succeed on a global stage. But the key to capitalising on this event lies in meticulous planning, proper business structuring, and proactive risk management. The time to act is now, so start preparing your business to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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About the Author

Rachelle Hare

Rachelle Hare – Managing Director and Principal Practitioner of Blaze Business & Legal

Rachelle Hare

Rachelle Hare is a highly experienced Construction Lawyer and Contract Lawyer, with over 23 years of experience in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Construction Firms, Top Tier Private Practice and Government.With 23+ years of experience as a Senior Lawyer, Strategic Contracting Adviser and Management Consultant in Construction Law, Contracts, Major Projects, Commercial Advisory, Compliance, Procurement, Contract Management and Risk Management, Rachelle has the rare skills to offer you seamless business advice and legal advice to help support your organisation.

As well as a Lawyer and Business Adviser, Rachelle has also acted as a Strategic Procurement Adviser, Compliance Manager, Strategic Risk Adviser and Commercial Manager.Rachelle owns Blaze Business & Legal, a combined Commercial Law Firm and Business Advisory Firm located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Blaze Business & Legal assists a broad range of clients in the Construction Industry and related industries, and advises owners, contractors, subcontractors, NFPs and other organisations on a broad range of Construction Law, Commercial Law, Business Advisory and Management Consulting issues in Brisbane, Queensland and around Australia. Rachelle also owns Blaze Professional Learning, where she offers practical contracting skills, hands-on experience in drafting and working with contracts, and industry insights to help Professionals upskill and advance their careers with real-world skills.

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State of the Australian Construction Industry 2026 | Blaze Business & Legal
For construction business owners and executives across Australia: the industry intelligence you need

State of the Australian Construction Industry

Expert voices, industry data and ground-level intelligence on the pressures reshaping construction in 2026

April 2026 Written and compiled by Rachelle Hare Reviewed by Shannon Drew
Are you in the construction industry? We want to hear what you are seeing on the ground. All contributors credited and linked.
Email your contribution to this Report →

What Is Happening to Australian Construction

The Australian construction industry entered 2026 already under pressure. Labour costs, material prices, insurance premiums and compliance burdens had been rising steadily. Builders were operating on margins that left almost no room for the unexpected.

Then the Iran conflict closed the Strait of Hormuz. Diesel surged. Fuel costs that were already embedded in every quoted price, every purchase order and every subcontract became a moving target overnight. Contracts locked in months ago at prices that assumed a stable cost environment are now being delivered in conditions those contracts were never designed to handle. The consequences are landing across the entire supply chain: delayed projects, disputed invoices, suppliers applying levies mid-job, and businesses that cannot complete what they have already started without absorbing losses they were never asked to price.

The voices collected here represent builders, lawyers, accountants, consultants, insolvency practitioners, civil contractors, peak bodies, industry bodies and commentators across Australia.

36%
Diesel price rise in two weeks following Iran conflict escalation
BuiltGrid, April 2026
5.8%
Construction insolvency rate, above the national average
BuiltGrid, April 2026
7%
Annual construction cost growth before this crisis, nearly double general inflation
BuiltGrid, April 2026
30.8%
Build cost increase that followed the COVID supply shock
BuiltGrid, April 2026
79%
Of civil construction energy that comes from diesel
Civil Contractors Federation Australia, April 2026
~90%
Of Australia's oil that is imported
SBS News, March 2026
Section 1

Financial Pressure and the Fuel Shock

The construction industry in Australia entered 2026 already absorbing multiple simultaneous cost pressures. Shannon Drew, Management Accountant and Fractional CFO at Blaze Business & Legal, has modelled the combined impact of six simultaneous cost inputs across client portfolios. The finding is consistent, in that the total uncontracted cost impact of the current fuel crisis on active projects is two to three times higher than the direct diesel number. What Shannon has found is that a business which has calculated its diesel exposure at $180,000 often finds its full-portfolio exposure increased to $395,000 by the time it takes these other five cost impacts into account. Shannon has written a full analysis of the financial impact of the construction cost crisis on project margins →

Industry Data

Australian industry conditions declined materially in March, with the Australian Industry Index falling 19.9 points to -23.6, the steepest monthly fall since the initial pandemic phase of early 2020. Uncertainty was the main factor, with 30% of businesses reporting volatility in fuel prices, freight and supply arrangements. More than a quarter said rising costs were a major pressure across fuel, freight, raw materials, resins, plastics and packaging.

Australian Industry GroupAustralian Industry Index, March 2026
Peak Body

Construction, and civil in particular, is the most reliant Australian industry on diesel, contributing 79% of our energy. Civil Contractors Federation Australia has spoken to governments and national and state media about the rise in costs and the contract flexibility needed to work through the energy shock. Minimising price rises in maintenance and replacement costs of civil infrastructure requires the government working closely with the civil sector in the period ahead.

Nicholas ProudCEO, Civil Contractors Federation Australia
2 April 2026ccf.com.au
Contractor

Diesel hit $3 a litre last week. We've got lump sum contracts locked in, purchase orders issued, and now suppliers are adding fuel levies or pushing back on supply unless prices move. Every path from here costs someone money that wasn't in the original deal.

Tim BuckleConstruction Contractor, Australia
2 April 2026LinkedIn
Civil Contractor

For regional and civil contractors, the compounding effect is the biggest concern: fuel costs hit transport first, then materials, then every other input. There is no way to swap diesel out. It is what moves everything.

Colm PhibbsCivil Construction, Regional Australia
2 April 2026LinkedIn
Developer

In recent weeks we have engaged with our supply chain, consultants and subcontractors to understand the real cost impact hitting active and pipeline projects. The picture is not uniform, but the direction is consistent, and the pace is faster than anything we saw coming out of COVID.

Wayne AzzopardiHead of Urban Projects, Orion Group Construction and Infrastructure
4 April 2026LinkedIn
Parliament

A national reef operator in Far North Queensland will see fuel expenses increase by $1 million dollars from February to end of financial year in June. Fuel shortages and fuel costs are impacting farmers, the tourism industry, and regional communities and small business owners. One in seven people in Far North Queensland are employed by tourism.

Bree James MPMember for Barron River, Queensland Parliament
Blaze Business & Legal

Our phones have rung off the hook this week. We have had a flood of enquiries from builders wanting to introduce cost-escalation clauses, and from homeowners seeking advice because some builders are now trying to cancel contracts that were only just signed. If they make the wrong move, the consequences can be significant. The smartest thing anyone in the industry can do is slow down, understand their legal position, and avoid making reactive decisions under pressure.

Rachelle HareBusiness Adviser, specialist Construction Lawyer and Managing Director, Blaze Business & Legal
Media

Australia imports roughly 90 per cent of its oil, and the country's refinery count has fallen from eight to just two. The shift has left Australia increasingly exposed to global energy shocks. Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed six oil shipments bound for Australia in April were turned back or deferred due to escalating tensions. The government has alluded to a "national crisis."

SBS NewsFuel Supply Analysis, Australia
22 March 2026sbs.com.au
Analysis

$9 per litre diesel by July? Sounds ridiculous until you actually run the numbers. Australia runs on diesel. We've got 20 to 26 days of supply. We import 90%, refined in Asia, but the supply chain runs through the Middle East for around 48%. We are at the very end of that chain. With flows constrained at 25%, that is where pricing breaks. With flows stalled, you are looking at a 60-plus per cent shortfall, and fast. That is not expensive fuel anymore. That is access. Industries start to slow, or stop.

Marcus ZeltzerConstruction and Infrastructure Adviser, Australia
4 April 2026LinkedIn
Rachelle Hare LinkedIn post April 2026 on the construction industry fuel crisis
Policy Analysis

The current fuel security issue was entirely predictable and, in fact, comprehensively predicted. No recent Australian government can say it was not warned. The "fair-weather" approach that plagues Australia's fuel security could not contrast more starkly with the concerted action directed towards critical minerals. The 2014-15 senate inquiry into Australia's transport energy resilience examined the very issues in which the country is currently mired.

Brent JacksonLowy Institute
19 March 2026lowyinstitute.org

"The global shocks we have been hit with this decade are not passing storms. They are extremes of a more volatile economic climate."

Jon Davies, referencing the Prime Minister's address to the National Press Club • LinkedIn, April 2026
Section 2

Material Costs and Supply Chain Disruption

Fuel is the headline. Materials are where the damage compounds. The Reece Group notifications, cement surcharges and trucking levies represent confirmed, enforceable cost increases arriving mid-project on budgets that never included them. For businesses on fixed-price contracts, each of these increases transfers directly to margin.

Supply chains built on just-in-time delivery and imported product have nowhere to absorb consecutive shocks. The businesses most exposed are those with no forward procurement, no supplier agreements locking in prices, and no visibility into their cost-to-complete across the full project portfolio.

We have written a detailed guide to rising construction costs in Australia and what businesses can do about them →

Media

National average unleaded petrol reached 219.5 cents per litre for the week ending 15 March, up from around 169 cents before the conflict intensified. Diesel climbed to 245.6 cents per litre, with isolated reports of $3 per litre in parts of Sydney's northern beaches. The surge ranks among the sharpest in the developed world, per GlobalPetrolPrices data.

International Business Times AustraliaFuel Crisis Coverage
22 March 2026ibtimes.com.au
Industry Data

Diesel is up 36 per cent in two weeks. Petrol is up 30 per cent. Reece Group has notified customers of price increases of up to 36 per cent on HDPE pipe, 31 per cent on stormwater drainage products, and 28.5 per cent on PVC from 18 April. Cement is up 15 per cent on imports, 10 per cent on local manufacturing, with trucking adding another 12 to 15 per cent on top. CreditorWatch is already warning of another wave of insolvencies across construction, road freight, and every sector in between.

BuiltGridConstruction Supply Chain Platform, Australia
1 April 2026builtgrid.com
Legal

From where I sit advising on contracts and commercial risk, the real exposure for construction, mining and defence lies in the wider logistics and production ecosystem: urea, ammonium nitrate, industrial chemicals and other inputs that keep transport, earthworks, explosives and agriculture moving. Once those start to bite, the pressure shows up quickly in food prices, basic household needs, and wage and CPI expectations.

Kirsten DilenaGeneral Counsel and Commercial Director, DLC Legal (Construction, Mining and Defence), QLD
22 March 2026dlclegal.com.au
Blaze Business & Legal

One of our SME transport clients is now spending an additional $10,000 per week on fuel costs for their trucks. That is not an annualised forecast. That is the cash flow hit landing in a single week. For businesses operating on thin margins with fixed-price commitments, there is no buffer. The question is whether the financial controls are in place to see the problem clearly before it becomes a solvency event.

Shannon DrewManagement Accountant, Costs Accountant, Fractional CFO and Business Adviser, Blaze Business & Legal
Jason Burgess LinkedIn comment on the fuel crisis and construction
Tim Whittle LinkedIn comment on the fuel crisis
Chetan Bidwai LinkedIn comment on the fuel crisis
Section 4

Government and ATO Response

The ATO fuel response measures are available until 30 June 2026. For eligible ABN holders who can demonstrate that fuel costs have specifically impacted their capacity to meet tax obligations, the payment plan provides real cash flow relief. The fuel excise cut reduces costs at the pump from 1 April, but the benefit reverses immediately on 30 June if the conflict has not resolved.

Most of the relief measures are reactive. Businesses need to apply, demonstrate eligibility, and navigate ATO processes. This is worth doing, but it does not substitute for understanding your legal position on live contracts.

If you need advice on your specific situation, this is where to start →

Media

The ATO has launched temporary repayment plans for businesses struggling with surging fuel costs, and will limit compliance actions in the hardest-hit industries. Through the plan, eligible taxpayers can lock in three-year payment commitments, with equal monthly instalments and no upfront payment. The ATO's shift reverses a course of increasingly stern compliance measures that had been in place since the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

SmartCompanySmall Business News, Australia
Official Source

The ATO recognises that high fuel costs are affecting some businesses and will provide targeted support to eligible businesses unable to meet their payment obligations for three months, until 30 June 2026. This includes streamlined access to more flexible payment plan arrangements, including longer payment terms, no upfront payment, and access to general interest charge remission. If high fuel costs are affecting your business's ability to meet tax payment obligations and you are having difficulty getting working capital financing from your bank, please let us know.

Rob Heferen, Commissioner of TaxationAustralian Taxation Office
1 April 2026ato.gov.au
Official Source

From 1 April to 30 June 2026, the fuel excise tax has been cut in half, from 52.6 cents per litre down to 26.3 cents per litre. The Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge, previously 32.4 cents per litre, has also been dropped to zero for the same three-month period. Fuel tax credit rates for heavy vehicles on public roads are now 20.2 cents per litre, and for other business use off-road, 52.6 cents per litre. When the relief ends on 30 June, prices jump straight back up if the conflict has not been resolved.

Australian Taxation OfficeATO Fuel Response
1 April 2026ato.gov.au
Media

We can't control the war in the Middle East. We can't stop the war in the Middle East, but what a responsible government can do is do everything it can to shield its citizens and to shield small businesses. The ATO has agreed to provide temporary relief for businesses unable to meet their tax obligations due to fuel supply issues, including more generous payment plans, remission of interest and penalties, and support in PAYG instalments where there's been a downturn in tax income.

Anne Aly, Small Business MinisterAustralian Federal Government
March 2026sbs.com.au
Section 5

Insolvency, Licensing and Business Survival

The insolvency wave that followed COVID-19 has not fully unwound. Construction remains the highest-risk sector for insolvency in Australia. What the fuel crisis has added is a new trigger point for businesses that were already operating on thin margins, and a new source of uncertainty for builders who do not know what would happen to their QBCC licence or home warranty insurance if they needed to restructure. Marcus Petrovic's contributions below speak directly to that uncertainty: many builders in financial difficulty delay restructuring because they cannot get a clear answer on what restructuring would mean for their licence and their ability to keep operating.

The pattern is consistent: a business wins work at a competitive margin, costs rise during delivery, the margin compresses, cash flow tightens, and a payment dispute or variation rejection breaks the position.

This is where Blaze Business & Legal comes in, providing business, financial management and cash flow, legal, commercial, operational and compliance advice for businesses that are struggling but do not yet need to turn to formal restructuring and insolvency mechanisms. For those businesses that are in financial distress, directors who engage early, while the Small Business Restructure pathway and the statutory safe harbour under the Corporations Act are still available, have significantly better options than those who wait.

We have written about why builders go broke in Australia and what the early warning signs look like →

Insolvency

It's not just the variation in rules between states that creates confusion. It's the uncertainty around whether builders and tradespeople will actually be able to start again and retain their licence and insurance. Outcomes for similar situations can differ not only across states, but more concerningly, even within the same state authority. That uncertainty often leads to people putting their heads in the sand until things get too far gone. If there was more clarity and confidence around these issues, I think more people would make the call to restructure earlier.

Marcus PetrovicDirector, Mackay Goodwin Insolvency Practitioners, Sydney
Insolvency

There remains a critical and often underemphasised issue: the lack of consistency between state regulatory bodies, particularly in relation to licensing and home warranty insurance. Key areas of uncertainty include the treatment of a licence if insolvency occurs, whether it is automatically terminated, suspended or subject to a review process, the timeframe for reapplying, and the status of home warranty insurance during and after restructuring. These are fundamental questions for which even experienced industry professionals are often unable to provide definitive answers.

Marcus PetrovicDirector, Mackay Goodwin Insolvency Practitioners, Sydney
Academic Research

Even before this Middle East war, construction already had more insolvencies than any other industry, more than doubling since COVID. Despite huge demand for new housing, the 2024-25 financial year saw a record 3,490 construction firms enter insolvency. When builders collapse, the contagion spreads quickly: tradies lose jobs, subcontractors go under, projects stall and consumers face financial and emotional devastation. If this oil crisis lingers, more builders are likely to go bust, slowing down housing supply.

Lyndall Bryant, Amanda Bull, Elizabeth Streten et al.QUT Centre for Justice, Queensland University of Technology
31 March 2026theconversation.com
Insolvency

Directors concerned about the financial impact of rising fuel costs on cash flow need to understand what restructuring options are available. The statutory safe harbour regime under the Corporations Act 2001 can support genuine restructuring attempts while providing protection for directors who might otherwise face personal liability for insolvent trading. Such options may be available even if the director suspects the company may be, or is, insolvent.

HWL Ebsworth LawyersNational Commercial Law Firm, Australia
Blaze Business & Legal

Businesses delay restructuring not because they want to, but because they cannot get a clear answer on what will happen to their QBCC licence. Queensland's licensing regime has its own complexities, and those complexities do not pause for a fuel crisis. The businesses best placed are those that already understood their QBCC obligations and MFR requirements before things became urgent. By the time most call us, the options have narrowed.

Rachelle HareBusiness Adviser, specialist Construction Lawyer and Managing Director, Blaze Business & Legal

Contribute to This Report

At Blaze Business & Legal, we are in front of construction businesses every day. Shannon Drew, our Management Accountant and Fractional CFO, has been running the numbers on what is happening to margins across the industry. Rachelle Hare, our specialist Construction Lawyer, has been working through the contract implications.

Our current analysis puts the aggregate cost increase at 7 to 7.5 percent across the board, across fuel, materials, wages, super, insurance, interest rates, and government charges, with more to come in the second half of 2026. But numbers without voices are just numbers, and they don't tell us enough.

We want to hear from the people who are actually living this: contractors, subcontractors, principals, advisers, insurers, suppliers, financiers, industry bodies and commentators. Those who are struggling and those who are not. Those who have found solutions and those who are still looking.

All contributors will be credited and linked. Anonymous contributions can be published with your industry category and state noted.

Please include:

  • Your name, title and business name
  • How your business fits into construction or related industries (eg contractor or supplier)
  • Your state or territory
  • Your quote, comment, data or insights (one to three paragraphs)
  • A link to your website or social media for us to cite

Choose the section that best matches your experience, or contribute to more than one:

Section 1Financial Pressure and Fuel ShockWhat is the cost environment doing to your margins, cash flow, and working capital? Numbers welcome.
Section 2Material Costs and Supply ChainsWhat material and supply chain price movements are you seeing? Confirmed figures and supplier notifications welcome.
Section 3Contracts and Legal RiskWhat contractual challenges are you seeing? Rise and fall clauses, force majeure, fixed-price risk, notices, subcontract issues.
Section 4Government and ATO ResponseAre the government relief measures working for your business? What is missing from the policy response?
Section 5Insolvency, Licensing and Business SurvivalAre you seeing more businesses going under? Have you been personally affected? What are the warning signs?
Section 6The Bigger Picture and OutlookWhere do you think this ends? What does the construction industry look like at the end of 2026?
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Important (please read)

This report draws on published articles, LinkedIn posts, direct correspondence and professional observations shared for the purpose of industry commentary. Quotes have been reproduced accurately and in full context to the best of Blaze Business & Legal's knowledge. Statistics in the stats bar are attributed to their sources. All source URLs were accurate at the time of compilation in April 2026. Rachelle Hare and Shannon Drew's contributions represent their perspective of, and obligations on, the construction industry and do not constitute legal, financial management or business advice.

If you believe your published article or post has been inaccurately quoted, or if you do not wish it to be shown on this page, please email enquiry@blazebusinessandlegal.com.au with the relevant information and we will promptly take it down.

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