Queensland Train Manufacturing Program – Local Content Benefits

Background

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) engaged NineSquared to assess the economic and social legacy benefits of the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program (QTMP). The program will deliver 65 new six‑car passenger trains, supported by new manufacturing and maintenance facilities in Torbanlea and Ormeau. With the Fraser Coast region historically experiencing higher unemployment and lower incomes than the Queensland average, the QTMP represented a major opportunity to revitalise local industry, expand the manufacturing workforce, and strengthen community wellbeing through a strong local content commitment.

Our Role

NineSquared undertook a comprehensive assessment of the economic, workforce, and community impacts associated with QTMP’s local content strategy. This included:

• Economic Contribution Analysis
  We modelled the flow‑on impacts of local content expenditure across the Fraser Coast, Queensland, and Australia. Our analysis estimated that QTMP’s local commitments would deliver significant increases in regional output, employment, and supply‑chain activity.

• Workforce and Skills Development
  We evaluated QTMP’s commitment to allocating at least 15% of project hours to apprenticeships, traineeships, and targeted skills initiatives. This included assessing long‑term workforce benefits such as increased participation from women, Indigenous Australians, and other under‑represented groups, along with strong lifetime earnings impacts for trades graduates.

• Community Impacts
  NineSquared analysed QTMP’s Short‑Term Accommodation Plan designed to prevent rent escalation during construction. The assessment found that the plan would help stabilise rental vacancy rates and avoid sharp rent increases, supporting community cohesion and housing affordability.

• Industry and Technology Development
  We reviewed projected industry spillovers, including the role of the Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in strengthening advanced manufacturing capability and stimulating cluster development across the Fraser Coast.

Key Outcomes

• Strengthened regional supply chains and business participation.
• Increased diversity and capability within Queensland’s manufacturing workforce.
• Reduced risk of housing stress due to targeted accommodation strategies.
• Foundations laid for a growing advanced manufacturing precinct supported by technology transfer and skills development.
• A clear evidence base for government decision‑making on local content policy.