The Queensland government has unveiled a series of new COVID-relief packages aimed at supporting the construction industry by driving demand for trade services and creating more job opportunities for tradespeople and contractors across the state.
The $276 million pandemic stimulus package will benefit first home buyers, new home buyers in regional Queensland, senior citizens and small businesses plus provide further contract work in the form of new social housing and TAFE campus upgrades.
Below is a breakdown of the six key elements announced including eligibility and application criteria. If you are a trades based business in the state of Queensland, now is a great time to promote the services you provide which could be paid for using the grants outlined below.
First Homeowners Grant Extension
- $15,000 grant for building a new home
- The home and land is valued $750,000 or below
- Applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and over 18 years of age
- You have not previously received a first homeowner grant in any state or territory of Australia
- You have not previously or currently owned a property in Australia
- Can be used in conjunction with federal government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder grant
More information on the First Homebuyer Grant and how to apply can be found here.
Regional Home Building Grant
- $5000 grant for the purchase or construction of a brand-new house, unit or townhouse in regional Queensland
- The value of the home including the land must be valued $750,000 or less
- Applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and over 18 years of age
- You or your spouse must not have received a previous regional home building boost grant
- You must move into the new home as your principal place of residence within 1 year and live there continuously for 6 months
- Can be used in conjunction with federal government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder grant
- Contracts must be entered into between 16 June 2020 and 31 December 2020
The grant is only available to purchase or build new homes in regional Queensland.
Included areas are:
- Cairns
- Central Queensland
- Darling Downs Maranoa
- Mackay–Isaac–Whitsunday
- Queensland–Outback
- Toowoomba
- Townsville
- Wide Bay.
More information and application information can be found here.
Seniors and Accessibility Renovations Grant
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2000 seniors will be eligible to receive up to $5000 each
- Can be used in conjunction with existing Homes Assist program
- Can be used for household repairs or security and maintenance upgrades on their homes.
This grant will support senior citizens by allowing them to afford necessary small maintenance and security upgrades on their homes. The grant will be provided to around 2,000 seniors and people will a disability, providing an estimated $10 million worth of work for local tradies and handymen.
Repairs and upgrades can include:
- Electrical work (e.g. upgrading electrical safety boxes and smoke alarms to meet safety standards)
- Plumbing works (e.g. to minimise water wastage, including replacement of hot water systems)
- Building works to improve accessibility (e.g. building or repairing ramps and steps, improving driveway and property access)
- Replacing unsafe floor coverings
- Installing internal stairs or chair lifts, and security doors and screens
- Major repairs (e.g. roofing repairs, guttering replacement, stump replacement and replacement of rotting timbers on floors and decks)
- Necessary modifications to kitchens and bathrooms.
More information on the Home Assist and Seniors and Accessibility Renovations Grant can be found here.
“This is a program that will help older Queenslanders make improvements to their homes that they may have been putting off due to financial constraints and, in turn, will give our tradies a shot in the arm,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Works for Tradies Housing Construction Jobs Program
- $100 million will be spent on building new social housing
- Construction to commence on more than 215 new social homes
- Work to be tendered to QBCC licenced local builders
- Work to commence in the next 6 months
Social housing contracts will be tendered for in:
- Gold Coast
- Sunshine Coast
- Cairns
- Townsville
- Mackay
- Rockhampton
- Gladstone
- Wide Bay
- Moreton Bay
- Toowoomba
- Ipswich
More information on the Works for Tradies Housing Program can be found here or if you are a QBCC licensed builder you can register your interest here.
Regional TAFE Upgrades
- More than $1.17 million allocated to upgrade regional QLD TAFE campuses
Campus upgrades include:
- Bohle TAFE – $375,000 Maker Space Innovation Hub to provide education and training areas in advancing technology.
- Bowen TAFE – $200,000 to establish a student-industry collaborative learning centre to support community and healthcare training and high-end manufacturing activities.
- Burdekin TAFE – $350,000 student-industry collaborative learning centre to support community services and early childhood education and training to ensure the provision of high standard personal care services.
- Cannonvale TAFE will build a $250,000 student-industry collaborative learning centre to support major tourism and community and health care training and high-end manufacturing activities.
For further information visit www.desbt.qld.gov.au/training/docs-data/strategies/tafe-infrastructure-plans.
QLD Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program – Round 2
- Applications open 1 July 2020
- Grant amount is a minimum of $2,000 and up to a maximum of $10,000 per eligible small or micro business
- Only 1 application per round will be accepted from an individual ABN or a financial beneficiary of a business
- Successful applicants from round 1 of this program are not eligible for round 2
- Funding will be equally divided between regional Queensland and South East Queensland (SEQ)
- Grant funds can be used towards certain activities occurring from 23 March 2020 onwards. The project must be completed within a maximum of 6 months from the date of approval.
The program aims to see small and micro businesses:
- Prepare for the safe resumption of trading in the post COVID-19 recovery
- Continue to meet operating costs
- Access digital technologies to rebuild business operations and transition to a new way of doing business
- Respond to online opportunities, where possible, to sustain employment and maintain the potential for longer-term growth
- Upskill and reskill business owners and staff to benefit from new technologies or business models
- Embrace business diversification to adapt and sustain operations
- Create or retain employment.
Eligibility criteria
- Your business closed or was highly impacted by COVID-19 shutdown restrictions
- Minimum 30% decline since 23 March 2020, over a minimum 1-month period due to COVID-19
- The business employs less than 20 employees at the time of applying for the grant (not including the business owner(s))
- Have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN) active as at 23 March 2020
- Be registered for GST
- Have a Queensland headquarters
- Annual turnover over $75,000 for the 2018–19 or 2019–20 financial year, or you can provide financial records that show this will be met for recently started small businesses
- A payroll of less than $1.3 million
- Not be insolvent or have owners or directors that are an undischarged bankrupt.
Please be aware that demand will be high for this grant as Round 1 of this program reached capacity in just 4 days. Be ready to go when applications open on July 1st with all the relevant documents for your best chance to secure a slice of this $100 million fund.
For more information on round 2 of the QLD Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant Program, phone 1300 654 687 or email adapt@desbt.qld.gov.au.
