Australia has ambitious plans when it comes to investing in public infrastructure. A skilled workforce that is available when required will be pivotal in realising these plans. The proposed rapid expansion of public infrastructure is testing the limits of existing capacity and capability. Signs of shortages are already prevalent across the workforce with demand anticipated to reach unprecedented levels, well beyond the sector’s ability to service them. A new framework to understand the public infrastructure workforce projects a shortage of 105,000 roles being unfilled in 2023 with 34 of 50 occupations likely or potentially in shortage.