Queensland strata industry and legislation updates

Find the latest updates and changes on Queensland community living impacting body corporates

The timeline below summarises relevant legislative and industry changes affecting body corporate stakeholders in #insert state#. It includes helpful links and further reading to help you understand QLD legislative changes.

February 2024

New 2024 land valuations

Critical insights for Queensland schemes

As part of the 2024 Property Revaluation Program announced by the Valuer-General in September 2023, several local government areas in Queensland will undergo property valuation.


Given the escalating property market, a considerable valuation increase is anticipated. Areas included in this program span South East Queensland, encompassing Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Redlands, Somerset, and Sunshine Coast. In addition, numerous regional areas such as Banana, Barcoo, Bulloo, Bundaberg, Central Highlands, Cook, Diamantina, Fraser Coast, Goondiwindi, Isaac, Livingstone, Longreach, Torres, Whitsunday, and Winton.


Since the previous valuation, assessors from the State Valuation Service will undertake the appraisal process, including field surveys, desktop assessments, and property sales analysis.

These assessments will mirror land values as of 1 October 2023 and will be formalised by 31 March 2024, with the new valuations taking effect from 30 June 2024.
Upon receipt of this notice, the body corporate must evaluate the justifiability of the increase and consider lodging an objection within 60 days if there’s a disagreement with the new valuations.


These annual land valuation notices play a role in determining potential land tax liabilities under the Land Tax Act 2010 (Qld) and facilitating local government rates. Therefore, body corporates are encouraged to diligently track their new and prior site valuations and raise concerns if significant discrepancies are identified.
Read on to explore essential information to help understand these areas’ upcoming 2024 land valuations.

November 2023

Proposed amendments to Body Corporate & Community Management Act

Reforms impacting community titles schemes termination

On 14 November, the Queensland Government passed the Body Corporate and Community Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023, marking a significant shift in body corporate laws aimed at boosting confidence and protection for residents and buyers. These reforms provide legislative changes safeguarding owners and buyers across several vital areas:

 

Scheme termination:

New provisions make terminating an uneconomical or dilapidated community title scheme easier by reducing the unanimous termination requirement from 100% to 75% when the body corporate determines that maintaining or repairing the scheme isn’t economically viable.

 

Smoking regulations:

Body corporates can now enforce new by-laws to prohibit smoking, including vaping, on common property or outdoor areas such as balconies.

 

Pet policies:

Body corporates are now prevented from creating by-laws that impose a blanket ban on pets within community title schemes.

 

Vehicle towing:

Clarity and power have been granted to body corporates to enable the timely towing of vehicles from common property.

 

‘Off the Plan’ contracts:

Under the previous legislation, developers could utilise sunset clauses to terminate an ‘off the plan’ land purchase agreement if the settlement didn’t occur within a defined period. The new laws restrict developers’ ability to invoke these clauses, offering enhanced protection and confidence to prospective buyers.

 

Alternative insurance:

This reform empowers an adjudicator to sanction alternative insurance for a body corporate when it cannot meet the required level of insurance for specific buildings.

 

These changes signify a significant stride towards enhancing the living experience in body corporate communities throughout Queensland. Click the link for insights into the Body Corporate and Community Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill reforms.

November 2023

Strata Community Association Awards 2023

Queensland 

We are delighted to announce that BCS Strata Queensland team member’s commitment to industry excellence has been recognised with four nominations and won two prestigious awards at the 2023 Strata Community Association (Qld) Awards for Excellence held on 10 November.

 

 

Our distinguished award recipients are as follows:

 

  • The Strata Community Management Leadership Award was bestowed upon Amanda Docking from our BCS Cairns and Port Douglas team for her exceptional leadership qualities.
  • Jacqueline Hutchins of BCS Southport merited the Strata Community Manager Award to acknowledge her practical and efficient managerial skills.
 

Our noteworthy finalists who represented PICA Group at the awards with commendable dignity include:

 

  • Strata Community Management Leadership Award: Larissa Radford, BCS Mackay
  • Strata Community Manager Rising Star Award: Kara Archer, BCS Cairns
  • Support Team Member Award: Jan Cassels, Strata Support
  • Support Team Member Award: Ashleigh Galbraith, Strata Support
 

These accolades are a testament to our team’s unwavering dedication and exceptional service to the strata industry and to the BCS Strata.

 

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our winners and finalists for their outstanding achievements. Their recognition rightly showcases our ongoing pursuit of delivering services that enhance the local communities that we manage. Our warmest congratulations go out to all, and we look forward to continued success in our endeavours.

 

Follow the link below to view our team’s achievements and award wins.

November 2023

A new chapter in the property sector:

Queensland unveils revamped laws

A major legislative milestone has been achieved in Queensland as the new property laws replace The Property Law 1974. Passed in Parliament, this signals a shift in the state’s property sector and offers a more streamlined and modern transaction framework.

New seller disclosure scheme

The newly enacted laws include introducing a compulsory seller disclosure scheme designed to help home buyers receive all essential property information before deciding on freehold land.

Under the new legislation, it will be obligatory for sellers to provide buyers with a disclosure statement along with any relevant prescribed certificates, such as a body corporate certificate (if applicable).

 

Property law improvements

In addition, the Property Law Bill addresses areas of uncertainty that have cropped up over the years. It introduces updates and improvements to existing property laws, including:

  • A revamped legal structure that aligns with contemporary procedures involving electronic property transactions and the digital creation and signing of deeds;
  • Significant modernisation and updates to provisions associated with leases, providing clearer understanding;
  • Clearly defining the powers of mortgagees and protection for mortgagors;
  • Enhanced regulations addressing concerns and rights among adjacent landowners; and
  • Streamlining and modernising the common law rule against perpetuities for easier comprehension.
 

Read more about the new property laws set to replace the Property Law Act 1974 by following the link below.

November 2023

Australia’s first short-term rental levy

QLD considers Victorian-style Airbnb tax to tackle housing crisis

In a landmark move to tackle housing shortage issues, Australia’s first short-term rental levy was introduced by the Victorian state government, declaring a 7.5% levy from 2025 on all revenue from short-stay accommodation platforms, such as Airbnb.

This move has quickly become the central point of discussion across Australia and could signify a paradigm shift in the management and pricing strategies for short-term rentals. As states consider various approaches to address the housing crisis, the Victorian-style Airbnb tax is emerging as a topic of interest and a potential solution for the housing crisis.

The Queensland government is mulling over mirroring this state-wide levy on short-stay accommodation providers, such as Airbnb and Stayz, to re-examine its short-term rental sector regulations.

The journey so far

Since Airbnb’s Australian launch in 2012, it has only been in recent years that government bodies nationwide have started investigating its impact, along with other similar platforms. The growing scrutiny stems from a shift in use from spare room sharing to professional whole-property management, escalating concerns over housing availability and affordability. 

Queensland’s view on the new levy

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon expressed interest in the Victorian plan and pointed out that Queensland is already implementing several measures included in the plan. However, she described the situation with developers holding over 60,000 approved but not yet marketed lots in south-east Queensland as a “complex issue”. She acknowledged that construction and supply-chain constraints are putting pressure on the development industry and suggested that any interventions must consider the total economic context.

The newly proposed levy and its possible implications will undoubtedly play a significant role in the evolution of the short-term rental landscape in Queensland.