AUSTRALIA’S transport infrastructure market has proven its resilience and is gearing up for its next wave of investment, according to a new report by Ansarada Procure, an infrastructure procurement platform.
Even as the landmark build cycle in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland winds down, deal activity across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) has reportedly “held firm”, and Australia has produced the largest transport infrastructure deal anywhere in the world so far this year.
The 2027 Transport Infrastructure Outlook Report, produced by Ansarada in partnership with Infralogic, surveyed 150 senior executives across Asia-Pacific, EMEA and the Americas, spanning government agencies, privately-owned transport infrastructure developers and transaction advisories.
Ansarada managing director Justin Smith said Australia was entering “an exciting new chapter”.
“A decade of extraordinary megaprojects has built world-class expertise, and the market has proven remarkably resilient through the cycle.”
According to the report, Australia produced the single largest transport infrastructure transaction anywhere in the world in 2026 to date, with Macquarie Asset Management’s USD$8.3 billion acquisition of Qube Holdings, Australia’s largest integrated logistics and infrastructure provider, ahead of deals in Europe, Asia and North America.
It was described as “a clear signal of continued investor confidence” in the long-term value of Australian infrastructure.
After completing a major infrastructure build cycle in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, the Australian market described as entering “a period of consolidation” after a decade defined by signature programs including the Sydney Metro, North East Link and Cross River Rail.
The report suggests a sector rapidly professionalising its procurement.
Globally, 85% of respondents now rate their procurement process as efficient, up from 65% a year ago, while adoption of purpose-built procurement software has nearly doubled, from 39% to 68%. Confidence in data security has surged, with those reporting no confidence at all falling to just 9%, from 35% twelve months earlier.
Australia enters its next investment phase with a decade of hard-won infrastructure procurement experience behind it.
Practitioners point to a shift towards collaborative contracting models such as alliancing and early contractor involvement, deeper site investigation and risk analysis, and a more disciplined, need-driven approach to project selection, all supported by purpose-built platforms that give teams a single, secure and auditable source of truth.
Mr Smith said the real test of a mature market wasn't the size of the pipeline, rather “it's how well it's delivered”.
“Australia has an opportunity to set the standard, running procurement that is more efficient, more transparent and more auditable than ever before, and turning a strong pipeline into projects that are delivered with confidence,” he said.
Australia’s “next wave of infrastructure investment” is described as arriving as global transport infrastructure investment hits new peaks.
Worldwide deal value climbed 29% year-on-year to a record USD$317 billion across 661 transactions in 2025, led by roads, airports and seaports.
Sentiment has also shifted towards roads and airports over rail and seaports, with roads now expected by 70% of respondents to be among the top two sectors for value invested globally over the next two years, up from 51% a year ago.