Queensland builders have called for energy efficiency and livable housing requirements set out in the National Code to be made voluntary in a bid to lift productivity in the construction industry.
In a submission to the Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) inquiry into the construction sector, Master Builders Queensland also recommended the Best Practice Industry Conditions on State Government projects being permanently repealed and Project Trust Accounts scrapped.
Master Builders Queensland CEO Paul Bidwell said there also needed to be a mandatory Queensland Housing Code and a more transparent, risk-based regulator focused on its core regulatory functions.
Mr Bidwell said these measures would help improve productivity which was crucial to driving the state forward.
He said improved construction productivity would mean faster build times and smaller price tags for completed projects, including new homes.
“We need a bold, coordinated approach, not only to tackle the housing crisis, but the $59 billion construction pipeline for 2025, plus the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games delivery plan, particularly as the skilled labour shortage persists.”
Mr Bidwell said the submission was made at a time the industry witnessed a plunge in approvals of new homes across Queensland.
He said the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed approvals for detached houses remained steady (+0.2 percent) in the three months to April.
“However, approvals of new units, townhouses and duplexes took a -2.3 percent dive over the same period.”
Download the Master Builders Queensland submission: Productivity Commission MBQ Preliminary Submission June 25
