On 10 February, we hosted Minister for Housing and Public Works, and Minister for Youth, Sam O’Connor, at our Brisbane headquarters as he announced the state government’s Building Reg Reno plan.

(above image: Brisbane CBD from Southbank, July 2024. Image source: King Elliot. Republished under Creative Commons License 1.0)

It was day 101 for the Crisafulli Government – just 24 hours after the number of days the community, media, and those who sit on the other side of the House have come to regard as the yardstick for whether a new leadership is kicking goals on its promises.

From our industry’s perspective, we’ve seen swift action and commitment to change during this time.

The Building Reg Reno promises sweeping regulatory reform, from immediate action, to longer-term ‘bigger fixes’. Aimed at builders, tradies, and subbies, the changes are designed to cut red tape, drive down unnecessary costs, and ensure the industry runs smoother.

Right off the bat, the further rollout of Project Trust Accounts (PTAs) has been paused for private projects below $10 million. From March, financial reporting will be scrapped for 50,000 small business operators, and specialist fire workers given a five-year reprieve before needing to meet new licensing rules.

Other reforms on the way aimed at easing pressure on the industry include removing duplicate safety reporting, fast-tracking digital licensing, and streamlining processes at the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).

We have welcomed this announcement as a sign that the state government is listening to the industry, helping to reduce the burden of red tape hampering construction.

Scrapping the need for the smaller contractors to do the annual financial reporting will save them money and plenty of heartache – and there is proof PTAs don’t work. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen insolvencies where the project was covered by a PTA; but the money wasn’t there, and the subbies didn’t get paid.

We’re not suggesting that security of payment is not a big issue – it is, and we need to fix it. By hitting the pause button, the state government has given us time to put the framework under a microscope and find a solution that is going to work.

The last few months have also seen us make headway on several of our other top priorities for change.

In January, we wrote to Minister O’Connor outlining our 12-point plan for a regulatory overhaul of the QBCC. We set out how the building industry regulator can be transformed through immediate operational change and longer-term regulatory and structural reform, to a more transparent and risk-based regulator that is focused on its core regulatory functions and supported by an industry-experienced board.

The regulator remains the number one concern for many Master Builders members, and the fact the Building Reg Reno points to streamlining its processes is heartening.

The current freeze on Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) for new state government projects was another crucial move. We will continue to urge the Commission to consider the benefits of eliminating BPIC permanently to ensure more projects are completed safely, on time, and within budget.

These changes are just the beginning, with the government committing to a comprehensive look at the regulatory barriers in our industry through the upcoming Queensland Productivity Commission’s review.

Productivity in our industry has plummeted over the last 10 years, down 18.1 per cent nationally, largely attributed to a shortage of skilled labour, and limits on productive hours on site.

This is crucial to keep in mind as we work to hit the ambitious housing targets set for Queensland. The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics tells us 36,429 new dwellings were approved in 2024, up 7.4 per cent on the previous year. While this is good news, it’s still a far cry from the shift needed to meet the housing targets.

At the time of writing, we are preparing to launch our updated Policy & Advocacy Plan. We’re chalked up some wins in the last 101 days (and counting) – but there is plenty more work to be done to slash the red tape hampering construction in Queensland.

Our priority is to create a more efficient, secure, and thriving industry. We aim to offer solutions to expand our workforce, adopt sustainable construction methods, and provide the necessary homes, schools, hospitals, community facilities, and Olympic and Paralympic Games projects for our state.

Our voice has been heard by the state government – and now we need to keep the dialogue flowing.

Enjoying Sourceable articles? Subscribe for Free and receive daily updates of all articles which are published on our site

Want to grow your sales, reach more new clients and expand your client base across Australia’s design and construction sector?

Advertise on Sourceable and have your business seen by the thousands of architects, engineers, builders/construction contractors, subcontractors/trade contractors, property developers and building industry suppliers who read our stories across the civil, commercial and residential construction sector