15 December 2023
The appointment of Steven Miles as Premier of Queensland is an opportunity for the state government to reexamine legislation hampering the building and construction industry.
Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell said the new leadership needs to back the industry to build more homes, more affordably.
“We know that Queensland is well short of the 48,000 homes we need to build each year, to meet its share of the national five-year target of 1.2 million dwellings,” Mr Bidwell said.
“As we find ourselves in the grips of a housing crisis, we are calling on Queensland’s new leadership to pull every possible lever to turn things around.
“While we’re hopeful the recent doubling of the First Home Owner Grant will prove a shot in the arm for the residential sector, there’s plenty more red tape ripe for cutting.
“Reassessing costly aspects of the new National Construction Code requirements would be a good start, along with measures to streamline the various approvals and processes a builder has to navigate on a daily basis and improve fairness to builders and homeowners dealing with the building regulator - the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
The state government’s own statistics show Queensland’s population is projected to grow by almost 4 million to reach 9.2 million over the next 50 years.
Mr Bidwell said it was imperative the industry be empowered to play its part in meeting booming demand.
“Future-proofing the building and construction industry is vital in ensuring we can deliver not only homes, but the hospitals, schools, infrastructure, and Olympic and Paralympic Games projects the state is relying on.
“We need more apprentices, fairer contracting terms, and assistance for businesses to adopt new technologies.
“There is also an opportunity for government and industry to work together to solve some of the complex issues impacting delivery of major projects.”
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