Queensland housing pledge faces 20,000-worker shortfall

Queensland needs about 20,000 additional construction workers to support its housing target, Master Builders says, as the LNP government maintains its pledge to deliver one million homes by 2044.

Completions reached 34,627 homes during the last financial year, against the annual requirement of 50,000 to achieve the goal. Separately, Australian Bureau of Statistics data put construction underway in the June quarter at more than 52,500 homes.

Michael Hopkins, Queensland deputy chief executive of Master Builders, identified labour shortages as the industry's leading concern. He said attracting skilled tradespeople and expanding apprentice training needed greater emphasis. Housing Minister Sam O'Connor also ranked workforce availability as the biggest challenge, but said the government would retain its target.

Within the overall pledge, 53,500 homes are earmarked for social and community housing. The government says its first two years have seen 4,913 social and affordable homes delivered, while construction is underway on another 6,574.

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh supported the social housing ambition but urged a wider response. She called for affordable housing targets to be restored in priority development areas. O'Connor said the mandates were dropped after industry feedback indicated they made some developments unviable.

At August's end, the social housing register contained almost 42,000 active households. McVeigh said eligibility criteria had gone unchanged for two decades, restricting access. O'Connor said eligibility changes were not being considered while so many households remained waiting.