Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2024
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
As Minister, introduced the bill to improve fairness and transparency for the 38,000 Queenslanders living in residential parks, particularly seniors on fixed incomes vulnerable to unpredictable site rent increases.
“This bill will improve fairness and transparency for the 38,000 Queenslanders who already call residential parks home and thousands more seniors, in particular, who will consider parks as a retirement living option in the years ahead.”— 2024-03-21View Hansard
Referred to Housing, Big Build and Manufacturing Committee
▸7 members spoke6 support1 mixed
Acknowledged the power imbalance between home owners and park owners and supported addressing it, but questioned the cost transparency of government tiny homes and called for fair CPI calculations based on Brisbane base rate.
“It is no secret that when we talk about the manufactured homes act before us—which I will limit my comments to—there is a power imbalance between the home village owners and the residents.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Strongly supported the bill on behalf of residents at the RV village in Tinana and Latitude25, praising the government for listening to residents who felt bullied and harassed in their parks.
“This legislation with provisions regarding market rent reviews and capping increases at 3.5 per cent or CPI gives certainty to the residents in the parks.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Supported the bill as delivering cost-of-living certainty to thousands of Queenslanders in residential parks, noting the six parks in his electorate and the feedback from residents at Palmwoods Tropical Village.
“Our government has listened to manufactured home owners across the state who are facing site rent increases. I am happy to commend this bill to the House.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Supported the bill as improving fairness and transparency for nearly 38,000 Queenslanders in residential parks, highlighting the Sunnybank Hills Caravan Park in his electorate.
“The bill will amend the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act to improve consumer protections in the parks. It is not only a balanced approach that will assist residents but also a reasonable and viable approach for the industry.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Passionately supported the bill, describing attending a packed community hall at Claremont Resort where residents were angry about rent increases, and praising the buyback scheme and rent reduction provisions.
“This bill restores more financial security to residents and indeed a measure of dignity by limiting rent increases to either the consumer price index or 3.5 per cent, meaning that next year's family budget will not have the extreme blow that hurts our park residents.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Strongly supported the bill representing the 14 residential complexes in his electorate, thanking the committee for holding hearings in Hervey Bay and highlighting the most comprehensive reforms in 20 years.
“The measures contained in the bill are the most comprehensive reforms brought to the manufactured homes park sector in the last 20 years. The difference between the LNP and the Miles government on these matters cannot be more stark. We engage, we consult, we listen and we act.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Strongly supported the manufactured homes reforms for the large number of parks in her electorate, acknowledging home owners committees from Ingenia Bethania and Halcyon Rise and advocate Roger Marshall.
“This bill is about delivering transparency and fairness for people living in manufactured home parks. As part of the Homes for Queenslanders plan, the Miles government is committed to continue modernising the legislative framework around housing to improve protections.”— 2024-05-22View Hansard
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill reforms the law governing manufactured homes in residential parks to protect home owners—mostly seniors—from unaffordable rent increases and difficulty selling their homes. It caps rent increases at CPI or 3.5%, bans market rent reviews, and requires park owners to buy back homes that cannot be sold within 18 months.
Who it affects
Manufactured home owners gain significant new protections, while park owners face restrictions on rent increases and new obligations to buy back unsold homes and publish park information.
Key changes
- Annual site rent increases capped at the higher of CPI or 3.5%
- Market rent reviews banned in all site agreements
- Park owners must buy back homes that remain unsold 18 months after the owner opts into the scheme, with 25% rent reduction at 12 months
- New mandatory registration system for residential parks
- Parks must publish comparison documents so buyers can shop around
- Tribunal can order compensation when site agreements are terminated, and allow homes to stay on site
- Simplified sales process with certain beneficial terms carrying over to new buyers