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“A transition period for home building contracts signed before the engineered stone ban announcement was part of the position agreed at a recent meeting of State WHS Minister’s, to allow builders to finish off those contracts,” said Michael Roberts, Housing Industry Association Queensland Executive Director.
“Now, after Minister Grace Grace’s announcement over the weekend, Queensland won’t get a transition period, leaving builders and tradespeople to pick up the pieces and scramble to find solutions for homeowners who could face delays to completion, contract changes and extra costs,” Mr Roberts said.
“It’s not uncommon for home building contracts to be signed at least 12 months prior to construction commencement, and then there’s time taken to complete the build. It’s likely that confusion and supply of replacement bench top product will see new homes sitting waiting for bench top installation so that homeowners can move in. All involved will take a hit.
“The agreed transition would have allowed a period of six months after the ban takes place on 1 July 2024 for pre-existing contracts to be fulfilled. Builders in NSW and some other states will benefit from the transition, so there will also be cross-border issues and discrepancies.
“The Minister has seriously underestimated the impost this decision will put on the community and industry, and we will see this play out in the second half of the year.
“Thousands of building and sales contracts will need to be varied, and the consequence will be more cost for consumers, and significant administration time and burden for small business.
“HIA supports strong measures to manage the risks of respirable crystalline silica, but we believe that a safe and fair transition could have been achieved.
"Queensland was the last State to make it clear on the rules moving forward, but if the Minister always supported a complete ban as claimed, why did she wait until a long weekend to make the announcement when the announcement could have been made months ago?” Mr Roberts said.
“The Government has not balanced the goal of stable and reliable migration pathways with the removal of restrictions on new home building necessary to meet demand,” stated HIA Chief Economist, Tim Reardon.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the announcement by the Canberra Liberals that it will develop Kowen Forest if elected and calls on other parties and candidates to make the same commitment.
One of the founding members of the HIA Wagga Wagga Branch, Anthony (Tony) Balding, has been awarded life membership of the organisation during the Riverina Housing Awards on Friday 13 September.
“Today’s commitment by Minister Watt to use the National Construction Industry Forum as a conduit through which to move the building and construction industry away from the longstanding and recently high-profile allegations of lawlessness is a further positive move by the Government,” said HIA Managing Director Jocelyn Martin.