Thanks to a major overhaul of building regulations, thousands of self-employed builders and subcontractors across Queensland will soon spend less time buried in paperwork and more time on the tools.
From next month, 50,000 builders, tradies, and subcontractors—who make up a massive 97 per cent of the state’s licensed workforce—will no longer have to complete annual financial reporting or set up trust accounts for privately funded projects under $10 million.
The move, announced by Housing Minister Sam O’Connor, aims to ease the admin burden on small businesses so they can focus on getting houses built.
“The Crisafulli Government is removing unnecessary red tape and reinforcing the foundations for a stronger, more efficient building industry that can deliver the homes and infrastructure Queensland needs,” Minister O’Connor said.
“We have a huge challenge ahead of us to fix Labor’s Housing Crisis but the Crisafulli Government is up to the challenge and taking immediate action.
“We want Queensland to be the building capital of the nation but at the moment our construction sites are the least productive in Australia.”
More time for licensing & fewer admin headaches
In addition to scrapping financial paperwork, the state government is also pausing trust account requirements for smaller contractors, giving tradies breathing room from added bureaucracy.
Under the new regulations, tradies will be given more time to meet fire protection licensing rules, allowing them to comply without unnecessary pressure. Additionally, occupational licence fees for plumbers conducting fire protection work will be abolished, reducing costs for these workers.
The government is also fast-tracking digital licensing, making the process quicker and more convenient for builders and subcontractors.
There’s also a plan to cut duplicate workplace safety notifications—a move aimed at making the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) more efficient.
This latest move comes on the back of the state’s suspension of union Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) on major government projects, which has long been blamed for spiking project costs and reducing productivity.
These changes have been welcomed by the industry, with Master Builders Queensland chief executive Paul Bidwell calling it a game-changer for small businesses.
“We’ve been banging on, calling for action on these challenges for years, and in the first 100 days of the Crisafulli Government, we’ve seen swift action and commitment to change,” Bidwell said.
“Slashing red tape is crucial to unlocking construction in Queensland. By hitting pause on the looming Project Trust Account expansion, scrapping additional financial reporting, and setting a new direction for the QBCC, the state government is better empowering our industry, particularly thousands of small businesses, to get on with the job.”
The construction sector has been doing it tough, with skyrocketing material costs and a string of company collapses shaking the industry. With these changes, the government hopes to reduce the admin burden and get more homes built faster.
For tradies, it means less time wrestling with paperwork and more time on the tools—just how it should be.
