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{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationQLD President's report
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Sharon Piconi
HIA Queensland President
As I mark the halfway point in my term as HIA’s Queensland President, I reflect on some of the momentous changes in the home building industry over the past year.
It’s been another challenging year for the industry, with substantial transformations. Sadly, much of this change has not helped our businesses and our industry in the shared endeavour of building more new homes.
We’ve seen substantial changes to the National Construction Code, including new universal livable housing standards and are continuing to understand and apply these changes in fine detail. We will have more significant code changes to contend with in May, with the introduction of new 7-star energy efficiency standards. We are still waiting to confirm how we will measure and meet those new standards, with the required software yet to be finalised and released to the industry.
In the meantime, the state and federal governments are independently pursuing fast-paced change and regulation. There are new targets for the number of homes to be constructed and an approaching ban on engineered stone products. Queensland’s Project Trust Accounts regime is being amended with a view to expansion in 2025, and the government is considering introducing Compulsory Continuing Professional Development. Some welcome changes are also being implemented at the QBCC, although the industry is yet to see a significant dividend.
Our Queensland team has registered some small but significant wins in addressing MFR reporting standards to reduce accounting costs for smaller building companies. We’ve influenced the development of various state and local council plans. Importantly, we’ve kept the government on track regarding essential NCC exemptions contained in the Queensland Development Code, including maintaining the outdoor area concession for homes when undertaking energy efficiency calculations.
With a Queensland state election due in October, this will be another big year for our advocacy work. Housing will be a significant issue at the election, and we aim to secure a better deal for home builders and our industry. Plenty of housing-related concerns should be addressed, including training and skills, tax reform, productivity, first home buyers and social housing supply. At the top of our list is seeking a commitment from any incoming government to slow down and ‘do no harm’ to our industry through rushed changes and regulations over the coming four years.
If home builders are to play their part in addressing the current housing crisis in Queensland, the government must consult with us. Together, we must develop and implement policies that will encourage the construction of more homes of all shapes and sizes. Genuine long-term support for freeing up our industry to increase housing supply is the only pathway to ultimately address the severe housing shortage that we are facing in our state today.
I look forward to a very productive twelve months ahead, working with our HIA team to secure a better deal for our industry and our businesses in Queensland.