Cost of Living

This bill introduces a waste levy of $70 per tonne on waste sent to landfill in Queensland's populated areas. The levy aims to make recycling more attractive than dumping, fund new recycling programs, and stop Queensland being used as a dumping ground for interstate waste.

This private member's bill proposed a two-year freeze on all residential rents in Queensland at August 2022 levels, with ongoing caps of 2% every two years thereafter. It responded to record rent increases (over 20% annually in Brisbane) and near-zero vacancy rates across the state. Note: This bill was discharged and did not become law.

This bill proposed an Empty Homes Levy to tackle Queensland's housing crisis by taxing vacant residential properties and undeveloped land at 5% of their capital improved value annually. Modelled on Vancouver's successful empty homes tax, it aimed to push an estimated 20,600 vacant homes back onto the rental market. This bill was discharged and did not become law.

This bill establishes Queensland's legal framework for transforming its electricity system to renewable energy. It sets legislated targets for 50% renewable energy by 2030, 70% by 2032, and 80% by 2035, creates frameworks to build transmission infrastructure and Renewable Energy Zones, and guarantees job security for workers in coal-fired power stations.

This bill authorised approximately $4.8 billion in emergency funding for Queensland's COVID-19 relief efforts. It provided $3.18 billion for the remainder of 2019-20 and $1.61 billion for early 2020-21 to protect jobs and support the economy during the pandemic.

This bill improves protections for owners in older unit and townhouse developments established before 1997, bringing their governance rules closer to modern strata legislation. It also enables enforcement of gift card consumer protections.

This bill implements major revenue changes from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 State Budgets. It reforms land tax to account for interstate property holdings, introduces higher coal royalties during high price periods, creates a mental health levy on large employers, and provides various stamp duty exemptions for small businesses, retirement visa holders, and deceased estates.

This bill makes major reforms to Queensland's rental laws to strengthen tenant protections in a tight housing market. It bans rent bidding, applies the 12-month rent increase limit to properties rather than individual tenancies, caps break-lease fees, requires evidence for bond claims, and protects tenant privacy. The bill also requires property agents to complete mandatory annual training and allows local government employees to reduce their superannuation contributions.

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.

This bill establishes the Queensland Food Farmers' Commissioner, an independent statutory office to support farmers in their dealings with major supermarkets. The Commissioner will help improve price transparency, address power imbalances between supermarkets and their suppliers, and provide farmers with a safe avenue to raise concerns about unfair treatment.

This bill authorises extra government funding to pay for energy rebates on Queensland household power bills. It allows unforeseen expenditure from the Consolidated Fund to deliver urgent cost of living relief.

This bill makes Christmas Eve a part-day public holiday in Queensland from 6pm to midnight. It gives workers the right to refuse work after 6pm or to receive penalty rates if they do work, recognising that Christmas celebrations often begin on Christmas Eve.

This bill was discharged and did not become law. It sought to make 50 cent public transport fares permanent in Queensland by amending the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994. The bill was introduced by the Opposition following a 6-month trial that began in August 2024 and saw 18.3% growth in public transport use.

This bill modernises Queensland's fine enforcement system by centralising management of camera-detected offences under a single agency, while also securing rental bonds with a government guarantee and reducing land tax for Special Disability Trusts.

This bill makes major changes to Queensland's energy policy by repealing legislated renewable energy targets and shifting to a 'market-driven' approach. It renames the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Act to the Energy (Infrastructure Facilitation) Act, abolishes three statutory advisory bodies, changes public ownership rules, and creates a new framework for the CopperString transmission project connecting North and North West Queensland to the national grid.

This bill reforms three distinct areas: it regulates tow truck operators who remove vehicles from private property (like shopping centres), ensures 17-year-old drivers remain accountable for serious driving offences, and reduces administration fees for motorists with multiple unpaid tolls. The private property towing reforms respond to community complaints about exploitative practices.

This bill makes three changes to Queensland electricity laws: it clarifies when Solar Bonus Scheme customers can add batteries without losing their 44c/kWh feed-in tariff, it enables apartment and caravan park residents to choose their own electricity retailer, and it allows regional small customers to return to Ergon Retail after switching to a private retailer.

This bill establishes a Queensland Future Fund framework, starting with the Debt Retirement Fund to quarantine money specifically for paying down State debt. It also provides a new legislated guarantee that the State will fully fund public sector defined benefit superannuation. The model is based on similar NSW legislation to satisfy credit rating agencies.

This bill tackles 'claim farming' - a growing problem where anonymous callers from local or overseas call centres contact Queenslanders after car accidents, often impersonating government agencies, to pressure them into making insurance claims. These callers then sell the victims' personal information to lawyers or claims services for a fee. The bill creates new criminal offences for this conduct and strengthens the Motor Accident Insurance Commission's powers to investigate and prosecute offenders.

This bill implements several 2017-18 state budget measures and election commitments affecting property duty, vehicle registration, first home buyer grants, land tax, payroll tax, and mining royalties. It increases taxes on foreign property buyers and luxury vehicles while extending benefits for first home buyers and employers of apprentices.

This bill delivers on three 2024 Queensland election promises. It abolishes stamp duty for first home buyers purchasing new homes from May 2025, lets home buyers rent out rooms without losing their duty concession, and exempts medical practices from payroll tax on GP wages.

This bill implements 2024-25 State Budget measures to help first home buyers and increase taxes on foreign property investors. It raises stamp duty concession thresholds, doubles the First Home Owner Grant to $30,000, increases land tax surcharges for absentees and foreign entities, and extends payroll tax rebates for apprentice wages.