Tranche 2 of Queensland's Building Reg Reno rolled out

Building and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025

On 7 March 2025, the Building and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025 (BOLA Regulation) was notified. The BOLA Regulation amends various regulations made under the Building Act 1975, Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018, and Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991.

The BOLA Regulation forms part of tranche 2 of the Queensland Government’s Building Regulation Renovation (Building Reg Reno), which was introduced on 10 February 2025. Tranche 1 paused the rollout of trust accounts to projects below $10 million to allow smaller contractors to focus on building.

Key changes from the BOLA Regulation include:

• Extension of the exemption period for building certifiers to hold professional indemnity insurance with cladding exclusions from 30 June 2025 to 30 June 2027. This extension allows for the completion of the comprehensive review of the construction sector currently being undertaken by the Queensland Productivity Commission, with a report expected by the end of 2025.  It also ensures that building certifiers can continue to operate with the necessary insurance while the industry adapts to any new recommendations or changes resulting from the review.
• Extension of the Queensland Development Code Mandatory Part 4.5 exemption period for certain narrow lots and pre-built dwellings from the Liveable Housing and Design Standard, as outlined in the Modern Homes standards, to 30 September 2026. This extension aims to support the industry’s transition and provide ample time for adjustment.
• Extension of transitional timeframes for meeting occupational licensing requirements for passive fire protection work and fire protection upskilling requirements to 1 May 2030. These extensions are intended to give the industry more time to comply with the revised fire licensing framework.
• The removal of annual financial reporting requirements to the QBCC for individual self-certifying 1 and 2 contractor licensees (those with a maximum annual revenue of up to $800,000) will affect approximately 50,000 individual licensees, significantly reducing regulatory and administrative burdens.

These changes aim to enhance confidence and productivity in the building and construction industry by reducing the regulatory burden while maintaining necessary regulatory safeguards.

The Building Reg Reno is considering broader reforms in tranches 3 and 4, which will complement the Queensland Productivity Commission’s review. We will closely monitor the development of these reforms and provide updates as they progress.