Queensland builders will have reduced financial reporting and licencing obligations under changes to the state’s building regulations.
State Housing and Public Works Minister Sam O’Connor said the changes aimed to reduce red tape and costs for those working in the $59 billion construction industry.
Minister O’Connor said changes would be rolled out progressively to give builders, subcontractors, and homeowners greater certainty and fairness.
He said the changes included:
- Scrapping unnecessary financial reporting for more than 50,000 individual operators in the self-certifying licensee categories.
- Providing more time to meet new fire protection licensing rules to minimise disruption to important work.
- Scrapping occupational licence fees for plumbers doing fire protection work.
- Fast-tracking the digitising of licensing and administrative processes which are still paper-based.
- Amending the legislation governing the Queensland Building and Construction Commission to remove duplicate workplace safety notification requirements.
“This is about doing all we can to take the pressure off our building and construction industry to get more Queenslanders into homes.
“We want Queensland to be the building capital of the nation but at the moment our construction sites are the least productive in Australia.”
Minister O’Connor said the regulatory changes would also pause the rollout of new project trust accounts on projects less than $10 million.
“Trust accounts will still be required for private projects above $10 million.”
He said security of payment would be considered by the Queensland Productivity Commission as part of a review of the building and construction sector.
Master Builders Queensland CEO Paul Bidwell said slashing red tape was crucial to unlocking construction in Queensland.
“We’ve been banging on, calling for action on these challenges for years,” Mr Bidwell said.
“By hitting pause on the looming Project Trust Account expansion, scrapping additional financial reporting, and setting a new direction for the QBCC, the state government is better empowering our industry, particularly thousands of small businesses, to get on with the job.”
Learn more about the Building Regulation Reform.
