23 June 2025
The building and construction industry is sending a clear message to the state government: the 2025–26 Queensland State Budget must be transformative.
Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell said tomorrow’s Budget must show a strong investment in the building and construction industry if we are to tackle the housing crisis and rebuild productivity.
“This means leveraging taxation reform, reducing regulatory burdens, and bolstering the construction workforce,” Mr Bidwell said.
“The Budget is being handed down at a time when we continue to fall drastically short of the targets needed to address Queensland’s housing crisis. Building one million homes over 20 years, or 50,000 each year, is a scale of delivery that has never been contemplated, let alone achieved. It demands a fundamental shift in housing delivery.
“The last decade has also brought an influx of complex regulations, escalating construction costs, critical workforce shortages, and declining productivity to our industry. This is all happening as we face a $59 billion construction pipeline this year, plus the Olympic and Paralympic Games delivery program ahead.”
Mr Bidwell said targeted investment and budgetary support was needed to deliver housing targets.
“We had an early win on our Budget asks: the government’s extension of the First Home Owner Grant boost, and a cut to stamp duty, that will help more Queenslanders secure their first homes. The $2 billion Residential Activation Fund is also vital, but we must go further. Stamp duty should only be paid once on the land – with construction costs exempt – to end double dipping by this tax,” he said.
“When it comes to boosting industry productivity, a whole-of-government push is needed. We need support for the industry's shift to Modern Methods of Construction, and grants for small enterprises to upgrade their business practices.
"We need to cut through red tape, while keeping safety and quality as our top priorities, funding the ABCB to make Australian Standards in the NCC free.
“Sustainable workforce growth is also key. A 50 per cent subsidy on first-year wages for construction apprentices and incentives for their completion will empower our industry to progress.
“Queensland stands at the crossroads of unprecedented challenge and opportunity. Transformative budgetary action is not just desirable – it’s essential for our future.”
Read Master Builders’ submission on the 2025-26 Queensland Budget, here.
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