For those of you who are landlords, there are new reforms in effect in Queensland. These reforms apply to all residential tenancies and include any house rentals, caravan rentals or rooming accommodation.

Whether you: are buying or selling a house, already own a house that you live in, are building or substantially renovating a house, or own investment properties, you should make sure you are aware of the current and upcoming Smoke Alarm Laws. From 1 January 2017, ..

In December 2018 the Queensland Government introduced amendments to the minimum financial requirement (“MFR”) laws for QBCC contractor grade licensees.

Here is a common scenario we see all the time in the construction industry. You enter into a construction contract which has specifications that require you to install a particular product, for example, a bath, air-conditioning system, a fire collar or whatever. You install it but it’s defective. What are your rights?

The Queensland government has announced that the Security of Payment provisions of the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act (BIFA) will commence on 17 December 2018.

The licensing regime erected by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld) (QBCC Act) is, to quote Churchill “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. That said, if you want to be involved in the construction industry in Queensland, it is a riddle which you need..

Owners of private and local government buildings in the Mackay region must meet new state-wide obligations to undertake a mandatory three stage process to identify if a building has ‘combustible cladding’.

Given the spate of insolvencies in the construction industry, it is unsurprising that we have acted for a number of contractors who have received correspondence from liquidators: asserting that certain payments made to the particular contractor represent an “unfair preference”; and demandin..

A recent decision of the Supreme Court* has provided a guidance as to the extent to which an adjudicator is required to give reasons for an adjudication decision pursuant to the Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004 (Qld) (‘the Act’). Hyatt Ground Engineering Pty Ltd (‘Hyatt’)..

The Queensland Government (which had previously delayed implementation of the changes to Queensland’s security of payment law until 1 July 2018) has yet again pushed back the commencement date. Commencement date now set for 17 December 2018 This time, we are told that the changes will comm..

Up until 2002, the prices of residential property in Mackay matched the ebb and flow of the sugar industry. However, in 2002, this all changed and house prices became firmly aligned to the growth of the coal mining sector in this region. So when the price of coal started to take a batt..

The recent tragedy at the Grenfell Tower in London highlights the importance to contractors of the risks and dangers in utilising non-conforming products. Grenfell Tower was a public housing building, with over 129 flats. It has been revealed in the weeks following the tragedy that zinc cla..

The Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works is currently considering changes to the building certification regime. Under Queensland’s current model, customers can seek certification services from a range of licensed and accredited private building certifiers or from their loca..

Australia’s foreign resident capital gains withholding regime came into effect as a response to the increased pressures of low tax compliance of foreign residents. The new framework applies to buyers of specific Australian property sold by foreign resident sellers. The withholding regime app..

Ever since the Richardson decision (a decision of Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia) the cost to businesses for vicarious liability for acts by their employees of discrimination, sexual harassment or harassment and bullying can no longer be treated lightly. Until now, the minimal dama..