Wednesday, 25 May 2022

Building practitioner fees

Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (17:48): (1940) My matter tonight for the adjournment is for the attention of the Treasurer, but it is also clearly of interest to the Minister for Planning. The chamber has recently been discussing the new tradie tax, the layer of additional costs that has been imposed on builders, building companies, building surveyors and others, and obviously the state government is proposing to register a huge swathe of carpenters, tilers, painters, plasterers and a long list of trades over coming months. Obviously on 2 May they increased massively the charges for builders, building companies, building surveyors and others—in some cases by 100 per cent, in some cases 200 per cent, in some cases even more. In a tiny number of cases there was an adjustment down, but overall the fee increases were very large.

I received back a response from an earlier adjournment from the planning minister, and he has said that this increase in charge is justified. Now, we do not think it is at this time, and we do not think it is a good way forward at any time in the sense that it hits housing affordability directly—higher costs for builders, higher costs for tradies. Obviously it is passed straight through into housing costs for families, housing costs for first-home buyers—housing costs that go up and up and up, with the cascade of the layer of taxes imposed by the Andrews Labor government. But obviously just at the moment, quite separate from that general argument, we are at a point with Metricon and a number of other firms where they are under huge pressure with increased supply costs—wood and steel and others—but also increased costs through labour. They are in a very tenuous position. They have got huge cost pressures. I say at this point it is especially unwise to slap them with new taxes, with new charges. Why would you do it now? Why must they do it now? It is thoughtless. Yes, they have got a huge need for money, as Mr Ondarchie says. They have got cost blowouts everywhere. They are desperate for more taxes. But this is especially unwise with the building and construction industry at the moment.

My request to the Treasurer is to intervene, and with his colleague the Minister for Planning preferably remove these charges completely, but at a minimum pause them. Do not force these through right now when we have got these challenges in the building industry. My simple request is for him to meet with his colleague and between the two of them pause these charges at a minimum—preferably remove them, but at a minimum stop this damage now.