Subbies must be protected

SINCE 2013 there have been more than 50 building companies collapse in Queensland, leaving debts of more than $500 million and 7000 subcontractors unpaid.

These are staggering figures but on their own do not paint an adequate picture of the personal pain and hardship inflicted on honest, hardworking Queenslanders and their families.

And the tales of woe are tipped to continue this year if government does not act.

Since 2013 no charges have been laid over the collapse of major builders in Queensland and nobody who has lodged fraud complaints has been formally interviewed by police before their matters were shunted off to ASIC.

The level of debt left unpaid and the number of small businesses affected deserves a meaningful response.

The Palaszczuk Government has shown an eagerness to act.

New building industry “fairness reforms”, which were introduced in December last year, will ensure “everyone working in the building industry is paid in full, on time, every time”, according to the Housing Minister Mick de Brenni.

This month, new minimum financial requirements were introduced in an effort to help the Queensland Building and Construction Commission detect and mitigate against builder insolvencies.

The Labor administration has also established a trust account system for public-funded building projects valued at between $1 million and $10 million to ensure subcontractors get paid.

Yet despite all this, there continues to be cases of builders collapsing and subcontractors being left unpaid.

With the steep downturn in dwelling approvals occurring Australia wide, particularly in regional Queensland, there is significant risk that more builders will fail and leave a trail of debts.

So it is essential that the Palaszczuk Government acts on the clear evidence of an industry in crisis and establishes a police taskforce with the resources and expertise to fully investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute to the law’s full extent. A clear signal is essential that illegal behaviour in the industry will not be tolerated.

Until that happens, behaviour that would be considered intolerable in any other endeavour will continue to destroy lives and ruin Queensland small businesses.