27 October 2024
The newly minted Crisafulli Government needs to seize on its promise of a fresh start for Queensland and take urgent action on the red tape that has a stranglehold on housing.
“We extend our congratulations to incoming Premier David Crisafulli and his LNP government on their victory at the polls. Now, it’s time for us to join forces and get on with the job,” Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell said.
“As the new government gets to work, they will find a building and construction industry facing major challenges to deliver the enormous pipeline of work that our communities need – our homes, schools, and hospitals, as well as Olympic and Paralympic Games projects.
“Our industry has been busy adapting and responding to massive regulatory change and a challenging environment. Shortages of skilled labour, limits on productive hours on site and increased construction costs continue to stretch out building programs.
“The Crisafulli Government needs to urgently turn its attention to removing the unnecessary regulation that is standing in the way of new construction. Removing the red tape that is slowing down new builds and hampering small business, as well as a regulatory review of the building industry, must be top priorities for the new government. There are some easy wins on offer.
“The first order of business must be to put the brakes on the rollout of the failed Project Trust Accounts regime to smaller private projects – over $3 million on 1 March, and over $1 million on 1 October 2025. A failure to do this could kill many small businesses. And there is ample evidence they should be scrapped altogether.
“During the election campaign, the LNP made a commitment to re-establishing a Productivity Commission, with its top priority to examine the building industry. This is the vehicle for examining the existing Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC), which we asked for during our Home Truths election campaign.
“Our analysis shows if BPIC is applied to its full extent up to 96 days are lost in a calendar year because of the way rostered days off and working days are micro-managed.
“There are already positive steps being taken on some key issues, and we call on the LNP to commit to continuing to progress these as a priority. This includes the work underway to develop a suite of statewide planning codes for detached houses, secondary dwellings and small units; and a review already in motion into those requirements in the National Construction Code 2022 which are adding cost and technical challenges to the delivery of new housing.
“This is just the start. We have clear evidence on what needs to be done, and these reviews at least provide a way forward for positive change. Not only must they proceed with great urgency, but the resulting recommendations must also be implemented quickly.
“Master Builders has a plan for building our future – and we urge the Crisafulli Government to work with industry on a way forward to tackle the housing crisis.”
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