Property Council fears more red tape, licenses from new review
The Property Council feared the State Government was about to impose a licensing system on developers after it announced a review of developers’ financial and operational capacity, ethical behaviour and work practices.
Energy Minister Mick de Brenni. (Photo: ABC)
It follows legislation introduced in 2018 banning developers from donating to political parties, a decision that still rankles many in the industry.
The developer review panel will be headed by Alison Quinn and will be supported by a reference group of key industry stakeholder representatives.
Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni said the review would consider the benefits of ensuring everyone was accountable for the financial security and sustainability of the $47.4 billion building industry, and the range of options to achieve this.
The review has the backing of Master Builders.
While the Government has not mentioned the licensing of developers the Property Council said it was concerned that it could be an outcome of the review.
The council’s Queensland executive director Jen Williams said the terms of reference had not been released but the scope of the review raised red flags and pointed to “vague, unsupported concepts regarding ethical behaviour and work practices’’.
“This is a time when the Queensland Government should be looking at introducing an investment roadmap to attract and retain capital in the state, rather than seeking out new ways to regulate Queensland’s biggest industry,” Williams said.
“Any move towards licensing developers risks investment and employment in Queensland.
“The Australian Government has undertaken a comprehensive review into building quality, with no recommendations being made regarding further regulation of the development industry.
“Likewise, the Queensland Government has recently implemented its own security of payment reforms to address identified issues across the supply chain of the building industry.
“There is no evidence being provided to demonstrate the significance of any issue the review seeks to address, once again unfairly tarnishing the property industry.
“Without properly considered terms of reference for the Review and a thorough investigation into the impact of any recommendations, it also risks being counterproductive to achieving many of the Government’s broader aims, such as fast-tracking of housing supply.’’
