The Queensland Parliament recently passed changes to the QLeave scheme, a move that is expected to create significant savings for Queensland’s construction, resources and tourism industries.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Jarrod Bleijie said they delivered on the Government’s election promises to supercharge the economy and revitalise frontline services. The savings from the red tape busting reforms to the QLeave scheme will benefit both workers and businesses, leading to greater economic growth and job security for workers across the State.

According to Mr Bleijie, by reducing the QLeave levy rate for construction and building projects from 0.30 per cent to 0.25 per cent, an estimated $24 million will be saved in the construction and resource sectors. These savings will make a big difference to individual businesses that in the past have been weighed down by ever increasing levies and expenses.

Under the Construction and Tourism (Red Tape Reduction) and Other Legislation Bill, building and construction workers will retain every single one of their QLeave benefits to ensure they have access to paid leave regardless of which project or employers they’re working for at any given time.

Observing that Queensland travel agents have become increasingly burdened by overregulation in recent years, making it more and more difficult for brick and mortar agents to compete with the online tourism industry, he said these reforms will reduce the costs and conditions for tourism operators while introducing a voluntary accreditation scheme to replace the current state licensing scheme to bring Queensland travel agents under the same scheme as other states.

Mr Bleijie said hardworking community groups across Queensland will also be big beneficiaries through the amalgamation of the State’s Community Benefit Fund grants. For many years, community groups had to decipher applications from four separate funding programs, each with different grant limits, criteria and budget requirements depending on which fund they have applied. By streamlining the grants process, community groups will soon be able to apply for up to $35,000 with just one application.

The Government is committed to reducing red tape by 20 per cent in the next six years.