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Cairns infrastructure projects: the statistics and numbers behind the story
Major works across water, health, roads and marine facilities carry explicit funding figures and job estimates drawn from council records.
How we reported this
Cairns Regional Council lists multiple infrastructure projects with documented budgets that together run into hundreds of millions of dollars. The largest single item is the Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Project, valued at $325.5 million, with the construction contract awarded to John Holland Qld.
Water supply and flood recovery
The Cairns Water Security Stage 1 Project is recorded as the largest infrastructure undertaking by Cairns Regional Council. It centres on a new drinking water supply that includes a Mulgrave River intake. A separate Flood Recovery Program is listed as currently in progress, also under the infrastructure category.
Health and hospital works
The Cairns Hospital Expansion Project (Tranche 1) carries a $171 million price tag and will add 64 beds. Early refurbishment works are underway. A new 53-bed Mental Health Inpatient Service building opened in February 2025.
Marine precinct and highway upgrades
The Australian Government has committed $180 million to the Cairns Marine Precinct, which will include a 5,000-tonne ship-lift and is expected to begin later in 2026 while creating 460 construction jobs. The Captain Cook Highway upgrade from Cairns CBD to Smithfield is funded with $287.2 million from the Australian Government and $71.8 million from the Queensland Government. Early works on that route are expected to finish in late 2025. The Bruce Highway, Cairns Southern Access Stage 3 (Edmonton to Gordonvale) is a $535 million project that includes $428 million from the Australian Government.
Airport redevelopment figures
Cairns Airport is running two separate projects: a $60 million Eastern Aviation Precinct and a $55 million international terminal upgrade. These amounts sit alongside the other listed projects on the council’s major-projects register.
Jeff Pezzutti Park upgrade is also shown as in progress under the sport, recreation and parks category. All figures and project descriptions come directly from the verified council project listings and associated government funding announcements.