Last updated: June 2026 Victoria has just introduced laws giving employees a right to work from home. The headlines warned of a new land tax for remote workers. That part is largely a beat-up. But underneath the noise sits a real rule that can catch self-employed...
The government's argument for cutting the capital gains tax discount has a logic to it. Investors who can claim a 50 per cent discount on capital gains have a structural tax advantage over owner-occupiers. Combined with negative gearing, they can deduct property...
There is a date circled in the calendars of every accountant and payroll professional who works with small building businesses. 1 July 2026. That is when payday super takes effect. And for a construction industry already carrying record insolvencies, elevated fuel...
As building and trade businesses mature, the conversation around finance often changes. What may have worked for a builder or trade completing their first few projects does not always translate seamlessly as volumes increase, project complexity grows, or business...
Queensland’s long-running fight over how the GST pie is carved up has entered a new phase, with the Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) now ordered to conduct its own independent review into the economic impacts of Australia’s GST distribution system. The move...
After two years of pain, insolvencies, and cost chaos, Australia’s major construction firms are finally posting profits again. But beneath the headlines of “builders back in black,” the reality is more complex and more telling about where the industry is really...
By TGB Editorial National Australia Bank (NAB) has unveiled one of the largest private-sector commitments yet to tackle the housing crisis, announcing plans to lend at least $60 billion over the next five years to improve housing affordability and supply. In an open...
When builders talk “finance,” it’s usually about progress claims, late payments, or the next client’s pre-approval. But as finance broker Barry Wilkinson from SW Brokerage explains, the real wins; fewer headaches, faster builds, stronger margins start long before a...
The Minns Labor Government has opened Expressions of Interest for its landmark Pre-sale Finance Guarantee (PFG) program a $1 billion revolving fund designed to unstick housing projects languishing between approval and construction. Announced on 22 September 2025, the...
By The Good Builder Editorial Team Australia’s housing affordability crunch is fuelling fresh investment strategies, and the land lease sector has emerged as one of the fastest-growing models. This week, investment bank Macquarie joined the ranks of major players like...
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has announced that the property and construction industry will be its small business focus area for the current quarter. The move reflects both the sector’s economic significance and its record when it comes to tax compliance. The...
A radical proposal to tax “desirable” spare bedrooms has set off a firestorm among Australians and rightly so. The idea, floated at last week’s Economic Reform Roundtable, suggests households with more rooms than they “need” should be hit with higher taxes to free up...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has cut the cash rate again, this time by 25 basis points to 3.6 per cent. It’s the third cut in 2025, following earlier moves in February and May, and it marks the lowest rate since mid 2022. For homeowners, this means some welcome...
South Australia’s first home buyers have received a record injection of government support, with more than $120 million in stamp duty relief and First Home Owner Grants delivered over the past financial year, a policy the Malinauskas Labor Government says is directly...
A New Way to Buy There’s a quiet revolution happening on new home sites across NSW. And no, it’s not a new building material or solar innovation—it’s in the financing. A growing number of builders are adopting “build now, pay later” finance models, with schemes like...
THE TSUNAMI OF INHERITANCE IS HERE Australia is on the edge of the largest wealth transfer in its history. Over the next 20 years, Baby Boomers will pass down an estimated $3.5 trillion in property, assets, and cash, a figure that dwarfs anything we’ve seen before....
By The Good Builder | July 2025 The rate cut we almost had If you were getting ready to celebrate a July rate cut, or just budgeted for an extra-long brunch, the RBA had other ideas. In a surprise to borrowers and bank economists alike less than 24-hours ago, the...
Summary: Western Australia has just launched one of the most accessible construction loans in the country – a new government-backed product that allows home buyers to build with just a 2% deposit and $400 monthly payments during the build. The loan is tailored...
The Queensland Government has launched the $2 billion Residential Activation Fund (RAF) to fast-track the delivery of essential infrastructure and unlock residential development across the state. This initiative is a key component of the “Securing Our Housing...
The Bank of Mum and Dad has long been a fixture in Australia’s property market. But new findings from Mozo’s Bank of Mum and Dad Report 2025 suggest the role of parents in helping their children buy homes has evolved from lender to legacy-maker. In 2025, this informal...
The Federal Help to Buy scheme, where first home buyers partner with the government to purchase a home, has been significantly revamped. After criticism from The Good Builder and others, the scheme's income and property price caps have been increased to make it more...
Yesterday, (Friday 14th of March 2025 if you're reading this later on), the Australian Government responded to the Murray Review, marking an important step towards addressing payment issues within the building and construction industry. With an election on the...
Two key points to note in compiling winning tenders from Rick Hughes, Blulevel Estimating Winning a construction tender is about more than just offering the lowest price. Many factors contribute to a successful tender bid. Here are a few key considerations: How...
In the majority of home building contracts across the country, there is a liquidated damages clause. The clause allows that if the builder doesn’t complete the home within the allotted time in the contract, the client will be able to claim a daily rate every day...
Being in the building trade comes with its unique set of challenges and responsibilities, and keeping the books in order is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome. These five accounting tips will help to keep your business robust, responsible, and most important of...
In what could be the biggest turning point in the year for construction, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has dropped interest rates for the first time since 2020. The RBA has announced a 0.25 percentage points reduction. The cash rate...
Subbies have come out swinging against the Queensland State Government’s decision to pause the future rollout of the Project Trust Account program. Phase 3 of the program, which was expected to commence on 1 March 2025, was going to require public or private...
Here’s a test for you – get on to your mobile and try and find a home and land package in Brisbane for less than $750,000. It shouldn’t take long – because there aren’t many, if any. When you go a bit further out to Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay or pockets of the...
The time for pre-fab homes may have finally arrived. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has become the first major bank to make a significant move to capture a share of the quickly growing offsite construction industry. Later this quarter, the bank will allow...
One of Queensland’s most successful mortgage brokers has called for the Federal Government to increase the cap for its new Help to Buy scheme as the current $700,000 limit will make it nearly impossible to find a property in South East Queensland.
The long, lazy business lunch, where much of our nation’s new business ideas have been spawned, may be making a return in the near future.
Amanda Bulow is a construction industry professional, and founder and CEO of Awesome Women In Construction Estimating a job is a critical part of any project and getting it wrong can lead to financial and reputational damage. While many professionals have their...
LATEST NEWS
Last updated: June 2026 Victoria has just introduced laws giving employees a right to work from home. The headlines warned of a new land tax for remote workers. That part is largely a beat-up. But underneath the noise sits a real rule that can catch self-employed...
The fuel excise cut that was set to expire on 30 June has been extended for another month. The relief is smaller, and it is the last step before prices revert. The Albanese Government has confirmed it will keep a fuel excise discount in place through July, rather than...
As local manufacturers look offshore to scale up, Vietnam is being positioned as Australia's next modular partner. For builders, the real story is what offshore production does to cost, lead times and who controls quality. Australia cannot build homes fast enough....
A penthouse at Burleigh Heads has just reset the state's apartment record. The headline number is the easy part. The harder, more useful question for builders is what it takes to deliver a residence at this level, and what the demand behind it says about high-end work...