QBCC Reform and New Directions: Reducing Red Tape And Unnecessary Costs For Builders, Tradies and Subbies
The last couple of years have seen a rising demand for building approvals across most of Queensland, leading the industry to urge the Crisafulli Government to eliminate unnecessary regulations that are hindering new construction.
On 10 February 2025, the Crisafulli Government introduced the Building Regulation Renovation (Building Reg Reno), a reform initiative that will implement regulatory changes in a series of phased tranches.
These changes will be implemented gradually, providing builders, subcontractors, and homeowners with greater certainty.
Some, but not all, of these changes include:
- Sole traders holding an individual QBCC licence in their own name will no longer be required to submit annual financial reports, provided their approved maximum revenue falls under $800,000. However, this change does not affect QBCC licensed companies, which must continue to meet annual financial reporting obligations for their category, regardless of revenue.
- The compliance deadline for builders affected by the passive fire licensing changes introduced under the 2021 Fire Licensing Framework reforms has been extended from 1 May 2025 to 1 May 2030. All other licensing changes under the Fire Protection Licensing Framework have already commenced.
- The exemption allowing certifiers to carry out all other private certifying functions while holding Professional Indemnity insurance with an exclusion for external cladding work has been extended from 30 June 2025 to 30 June 2027. This extends the existing exemption that was set to expire. No other changes have been made to the Professional Indemnity insurance requirements.
- Accelerating the digitisation of licensing and administrative processes that remain paper based.
- Amending the legislation governing the Queensland Building and Construction Commission to eliminate duplicate workplace safety notification requirements.
- The introduction of new project trust accounts for projects under $10 million will be halted, allowing smaller contractors to focus on constructions, and less on administrative tasks. However, trust accounts will still be mandatory for private projects exceeding $10 million. The Queensland Productivity Commission will consider security of payment as part of its ongoing review of building and construction.
Statistics – Has anything changed?
Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals a noticeable shift in Queensland’s residential construction landscape, with approvals for multi-unit dwellings now outpacing those for detached houses. In the three months to December, the Downs & Western region (Toowoomba) recorded the strongest growth, with approvals rising by 40.9%. Central Queensland and Wide Bay Burnett also saw significant increases of 26.6% and 10.8% respectively. These figures were largely driven by a rise in unit developments.
The greater Brisbane area had a 26.9% percent increase for multi-unit approvals.
Our team of experience construction lawyers can assist you through all stages of construction, be it domestic works, an infrastructure project or navigating the roll out of the Building Reg Reno and ensuring that you are complying with all the requirements.
Our team is well versed in the realities of the construction industry and are abreast of the current laws, regulations and standards applicable to your circumstances.
If you are unsure about your compliance, RCR’s experienced team of construction lawyers are here to help you navigate the complex bodies of law governing construction law.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards ensuring compliance.
The blog published by Rostron Carlyle Rojas is intended as general information only and is not legal advice on any subject matter. By viewing the blog posts, the reader understands there is no solicitor-client relationship between the reader and the blog published. The blog should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a legal practitioner, and readers are urged to consult RCR on any legal queries concerning a specific situation.
