New research from CBRE suggests the Games will place sustained pressure on the region’s industrial and logistics sector, while helping drive a longer-term uplift in infrastructure investment and freight connectivity.
The Olympic Impact on Brisbane Industrial and Logistics report indicates demand will be driven by construction activity, warehousing requirements and logistics-related uses linked to infrastructure delivery and population growth.
CBRE’s Head of Industrial and Logistics Research, Sass Jalili, said Olympic-related activity could generate an additional 150,000 to 300,000 square metres of industrial and logistics demand by 2032 - an uplift of around 10 per cent on baseline forecasts.
“The Olympics won’t change Brisbane’s growth trajectory - they’ll accelerate it,” she said.
Supply under pressure as activity ramps up
While the Games are expected to strengthen long-term market fundamentals, the report highlights growing near-term constraints as construction activity accelerates across the region.
Labour shortages, rising costs and competing project timelines are expected to affect development feasibility and slow the delivery of new industrial stock in some locations.
Industrial precincts with strong access to major freight corridors are likely to face the greatest pressure, intensifying competition for existing assets and development-ready land.
Ms Jalili said the biggest challenge may not be demand, but delivery.
“As Olympic infrastructure projects ramp up, competition for labour, materials and development capacity is expected to increase, creating additional pressure on industrial construction timelines and costs,” she said.
“Hence why our forecast on tighter vacancy for industrial is mainly being driven by falls in new supply – we forecast vacancy to fall below 3 per cent from 2028 onwards.”
Structural drivers to outlast Olympic impact
The report notes that the Olympic program is accelerating a once-in-a-generation infrastructure pipeline across South East Queensland, with a strong focus on freight efficiency and transport connectivity.
Planned upgrades connecting major freight corridors, the Port of Brisbane and Brisbane Airport are expected to enhance logistics performance and strengthen regional supply chains.
These improvements are expected to support long-term demand for industrial land, warehousing and logistics assets, particularly in strategically located precincts.
“History shows that major transport infrastructure often has a longer-lasting impact than the event itself,” Ms Jalili said.
“For Brisbane, the Olympics should reinforce South East Queensland’s emergence as one of Australia’s most important industrial and logistics markets over the next decade.”
