It’s hoped the restoration of the Queensland Productivity Commission will drive down house prices.
The Commission was axed in 2021 and the State Government has passed a Bill to re-instate it.
The LNP says it will cut red tape in the building industry and tackle excessive construction costs that are often passed on to buyers in various taxes.
Burnett MP Stephen Bennett says all current contracts will be honoured.
“Our first order of business will be to immediately review the building and construction industry,” he says.
“We know Labor’s CFMEU Tax, under Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC), added up to 25 percent to the cost of major projects.
“That was going to affect our major projects locally like the Paradise Dam rebuild and the construction of the new Bundaberg Hospital by adding unnecessary costs.
“Quite easily now, we can honour the current contacts, but going forward, we can drive value for money to ensure our projects will be delivered on time and on budget.
“A re-established Commission will help lift productivity growth by identifying areas for improvement to policy and regulatory settings to support business activity and income growth, provide improved government services and deliver on the Government’s housing and infrastructure priorities.”
Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce President Tim Sayre says red tape has been the bane of small business for years.
“Over the last few years red tape has increased to the point where it impacts almost every aspect of our businesses, stifling innovation and hampering expansion and growth as it takes business owners away from their day to day operations, which in turns hampers the growth of our local economies and the growth in jobs,” says Mr Sayre.
“The worst part of red tape is the duplication.
“We’ve already heard from local businesses who have several examples of not only needing to supply the same information to various governments, simply because their systems don’t talk to one another, but having to supply the same data multiple times to the one department.”
The Commission will officially be established upon the commencement of the Queensland Productivity Commission Act 2025, with appointments to be announced shortly.
The Bill supports the transition of existing staff from the Office of Productivity and Red Tape Reduction within Queensland Treasury to the new Commission.
