Security of payment

Queenslanders who work in our building and construction industry make an invaluable contribution to our communities and the economic prosperity of our state. They deserve to be paid for the work they do.

The Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017  (BIF Act) gives them confidence that this will happen.

The BIF Act has requirements that are not just important for subcontractors and their families – they are important for Queensland’s economy and productivity.

During extensive consultation, people in the building industry told us that subcontractors were sometimes not getting paid for their work, putting livelihoods and lives at risk.

We have responded to these concerns with a set of reforms that will help make sure Queenslanders are getting paid, make it easier for subcontractors to navigate the claims process, and strengthen the powers of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) so the action it takes will be meaningful and effective.

Our progress

Since the release of the Queensland Building Plan in 2017, we have created additional industry protections under the BIF Act and the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991, including:

• Strengthened minimum financial requirements for licensing
• Improved security of payment protections:
  • Trust account framework
  • Progress payments
  • Retention requirements
  • Resolving payment disputes

More information

• More information about security of payment
• Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Regulation 2018 (PDF, 308KB)
• Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) (Transitional) Regulation 2018
• Analysis of security of payment reform for the building and construction industry—November 2016 (PDF, 337KB)