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New Queensland Government Stimulus Measures

  • June 17, 2020

New Queensland Government Stimulus Measures

The Queensland Government has announced a range of new stimulus measures as part of a second stage of the Government’s Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs plan.

The measures seek to support construction sector jobs during the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The package includes:

$106M first home owner grants and regional home building boost

In addition to reaffirming the existing First Home Owner Grant (FHOG), the Queensland Government has announced a $5,000 grant for buyers of eligible new homes in a regional location. A regional boost to the FHOG had been a long-standing advocacy position of the Property Council.

As with the FHOG, the regional home building boost will be available to owner occupiers of new properties valued up to $7,000. To be eligible the property must be bought or built in:

  • Cairns
  • Central Queensland
  • Darling Downs Maranoa
  • Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday
  • Queensland-Outback
  • Toowoomba
  • Townsville
  • Wide Bay.

Eligible contracts must be entered into between 16 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 and must be one of the following:

  • a contract to purchase a new home including a substantially renovated home
  • a contract to build a new home.

The build must have commenced from 16 June onwards.

$100M – Works for Tradies program

The ‘Works for Tradies’ housing program will see contracts signed to commence construction of an additional 215 new social homes by the end of 2021. The program will deliver social housing across the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Wide Bay, Moreton Bay, Toowoomba and Ipswich.

$100 million for small business recovery grants

A second round of the Small Business COVID-19 Adaption grants will provide $10,000 upfront grants to small businesses forced into hibernation by the crisis.

The first round of these grants was oversubscribed, and the second round will prioritise businesses operating in regional Queensland. Businesses are advised to prepare the required documentation in readiness for grant applications opening on July 1.

More information on these measures can be found at www.covid19.qld.gov.au and www.business.qld.gov.au