Builders want new boom
Call for housing grants funding
THE latest instalment of government stimulus packages have proven to be a hit and a miss with the Far North’s construction industry, with one builder calling on the government to turn back the clock to the early 2000s and reinvigorate a building boom.
The industry’s advocacy body Master Builders Queensland earlier this month said residential builders were running on borrowed time as building contracts were either paused or cancelled and inquires began drying up.
They called on the government to introduce stimulus packages to provide the industry with work during a predicted quiet period from September onwards and their pleas were met with the reintroduction of the Household Resilience Program and a $50 billion Infrastructure Guarantee for the commercial sector.
Master Builders Queensland CEO Grant Galvin said the industry welcomed the stimulus packages, but more was still needed, particularly for residential builders.
Last week the government announced a renewed regional Household Resilience Program. The program provides grants to support people in cyclone-affected areas to improve the resilience of their homes,
“The State Government needs to stimulate the industry right now – there’s no point waiting for things to get worse before taking action,” he said.
“We’re now ramping up our calls for a $40,000 homeowners’ grant for all new homes built that will act as a lifeline for residential construction activity.”
He said he anticipated a $40,000 grant would help create 12,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state and help build up to 70 additional new homes in the Far North this year.
Austart homes director Charmaine Matthews said the latest rounds of government support were great news for the industry, but it didn’t do much for those working in project homes.
“We build new homes and those stimulus packages sound like they’re more for renovators. What they could look at is giving grants to everyone who wants to buy a house.
“We had them more than 15 years ago and it didn’t matter if you were building or buying an established property. You got a grant.
“That created a bit of boom last time because people started spending.”
Ms Matthews said her firm currently built about 30 to 40 homes a year, but during the boom in the early 2000s, her franchises collectively built about 200 across the Far North.
Tropical Roofing and Drainage Solutions director Rhys Littman said his firm “absolutely welcomed” the Household Resilience Program after losing about $75,000 worth of work when the lockdown laws came into play.
“It’s hard to say if we’ll make all that up, but I think this program will restore a bit of confidence,” he said.
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