Building Policy Framework
The Queensland Government Building Policy Framework (PDF, 868.88 KB), and Building Policy Guideline provides overarching guidance for the strategic and operational management of the Queensland Government’s building construction and maintenance projects. The framework applies to all building construction and maintenance projects and programs. The guideline provides direction on managing the risks and issues involved in procuring new government buildings, looking after buildings, and finding ways that buildings can be repurposed or renewed to support service delivery.
A supporting Building Policy Guideline, authorised by the Building Policy Framework, has been developed to assist Queensland Government employees to implement the framework.
The guideline provides building management practitioners in Queensland Government departments with the scope, risk and processes associated with the Queensland Government Asset Lifecycle Management process.
Suspending Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPICs) on new major projects
The government has temporarily suspended the use of BPICs on all new government-funded construction projects as of 14 November 2024. The suspension also involves the temporary removal of the industrial relations best practice principle in the Queensland Procurement Policy and removal of the requirement for subcontractors to be prequalified.
What’s included
The suspension of BPICs applies to all new major projects and projects that have not reached the procurement stage and projects in procurement, where future stages have not been finalised, or where there is no approved Enterprise Agreement (or industrial instrument).
The Queensland Procurement Policy and the Best practice principles: Quality, safe workplaces guidance have been amended to reflect these changes.
What’s not affected
Worker safety will not be compromised by the suspension. Best practice principles relating to workplace health and safety systems and standards and best practice commitment to apprentices and trainees will remain.
The BPICs will continue on projects where they are already applied unless opportunities for productivity improvements on existing projects arise on a case-by-case basis.
Timeline
Legislation to re-establish the Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) will be introduced to Queensland Parliament by the end of 2024.
Once re-established, the QPC will start a Queensland building industry review in 2025.
The temporary suspension applies immediately and will continue throughout the review and until the government has responded. The long-term impacts and future of BPICs in Queensland will be informed by the QPC review.
The Building Policy Framework will also be amended by the end of 2024.
Why suspend the BPICs
A temporary suspension of BPICs will:
- respond to industry concerns of the negative impacts of BPICs on the wider construction sector in Queensland
- contribute to boosting productivity and reducing costs through increased market competition
- provide greater flexibility and unlock market capacity on government projects by allowing a broader pool of sub-contractors to access major government building construction projects
- support regional and remote communities where it is harder to attract the workforce required to deliver major projects.
The temporary suspension will allow sub-contractors—especially small and family businesses and regional firms—a greater chance of securing work on government projects without needing to gain unnecessary prequalification on building construction projects.
Changes to Prequalification (PQC)
The temporary suspension of BPICs for BPP prequalification means that:
- Managing Contractors need to be prequalified to work on BPP building construction projects but BPICs will no longer be applied; and
- Subcontractors do not need to be prequalified to work on new or existing BPP building construction projects.
More information
Relevant state government agencies will work with affected projects and contractors on what it means for them.
This page will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.