The Treasurer tabled the 2025-26 Queensland State Budget at last week’s parliamentary sitting and several associated revenue and appropriation bills were introduced. The Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 was passed.
Queensland Law Society has prepared a Proctor article on the State Budget for 2025-26, which highlights allocations relevant to the legal profession.
Bills introduced
- Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2025
- Appropriation Bill 2025
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
- Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (introduced and passed).
Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2025
On 24 June 2025, the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2025 was introduced to the Queensland Parliament by the Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership, David Janetzki.
The Bill provides for:
- Appropriation for 2025–26 to fund the cost of providing the services, equity adjustment and administered items of the Legislative Assembly and parliamentary service in that year; and
- Supply for 2026–27 to allow the normal operations of the Legislative Assembly and parliamentary service to continue until the 2026–27 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill receives assent.
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to portfolio committees on 27 June 2025 to report by 15 August 2025.
Appropriation Bill 2025
On 24 June 2025, the Appropriation Bill 2025 was introduced to the Queensland Parliament by the Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership, David Janetzki.
The Bill provides for:
- Appropriation for 2025–26 to fund the cost of delivering departmental services, administered items and equity adjustment in that year; and
- Supply for 2026–27 to allow normal operations of government to continue until the 2026-27 Appropriation Bill receives assent.
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to portfolio committees on 27 June 2025 to report by 15 August 2025.
Queensland Building and Construction Commission and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
On 27 June 2025, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission and Other Legislation Amendment Bill was introduced to the Queensland Parliament by the Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth, Sam O’Connor.
The Bill’s objectives are to:
- ensure a contemporary, modernised regulatory framework for the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC);
- support the QBCC’s transition in delivering more services digitally to improve efficiency and customer experience;
- streamline workplace safety notifications to improve productivity in Queensland’s building and construction industry.
Useful resources:
The Bill was referred to the State Development, Infrastructure and Works Committee for consideration on 27 June 2025, to report by 15 August 2025.
Legislation passed
- Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
- Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
On 24 June 2025, the Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 was introduced to the Queensland Parliament by the Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership, David Janetzki.
The Bill was passed on 27 June 2025.
The Bill amends legislation administered by the Commissioner of State Revenue (Commissioner) and the Registrar of the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) to implement revenue measures announced in the 2025-26 State Budget and to make other necessary amendments to such legislation.
The First Home Owner Grant and Other Home Owner Grants Act 2000 (FHOG Act) is amended to implement a budget measure to extend the temporary increased amount of the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) from $15,000 to $30,000 for a further year, until 30 June 2026.
The Payroll Tax Act 1971 (Payroll Tax Act) is amended to implement budget measure to extend the 50 per cent payroll tax rebate for wages paid or payable to apprentices and trainees for a further year, until 30 June 2026.
The Duties Act 2001 (Duties Act) and Land Tax Act 2010 (Land Tax Act) are amended to:
- introduce windfall tax provisions, which will only apply in certain circumstances where provisions imposing Queensland foreign surcharges, including recently passed revenue protection provisions, are constitutionally invalid or inoperative; and
- further protect against a successful challenge to foreign surcharge validity and make other supporting amendments.
The State Penalties Enforcement Act (SPE Act) is amended to clarify the circumstances in which a registration fee may be imposed when a matter is registered with SPER on or after 10 June 2022 following a person defaulting on an infringement notice.
The Electricity Act 1994 (Electricity Act) is amended to validate certain transfers of generation authority G01/17 to Tilt Renewables Australia Pty Ltd ACN 101 038 331 (Tilt Renewables), following a technical error in the original transfer.
The Bill also amends the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 (PoQ Act) to:
- provide that the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is the chairperson of each portfolio committee when it is examining a Bill for an appropriation Act in a public hearing held in accordance with section 26C of the Constitution of Queensland 2001; and
- clarify that if the Speaker is present as a witness before an Estimates public hearing held by a portfolio committee, then the Deputy Speaker is the chairperson of the committee at the public hearing while the Speaker is a witness.
Useful resources:
Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
The Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 was passed with amendment on 25 June 2025. The Bill was introduced on 1 May 2025.
The Bill was referred to the State Development, Infrastructure and Works Committee, who tabled its revised report, ‘Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025’ (Report No. 8, 58th Parliament) on Tuesday, 24 June 2025.
Social impact and community benefit amendments
The Bill’s primary objective is to amend the Planning Act 2016 (Planning Act) to introduce a community benefit system into the Queensland planning framework providing the ability to identify, avoid, manage, mitigate and counterbalance the indirect and cumulative social impacts from specific development uses.
The Bill amends the Planning Act 2016, City of Brisbane Act 2010, Local Government Act 2009, Planning and Environment Court Act 2016, and Building Act 1975 to give effect to these changes.
Economic development amendments
The objective of the amendments to the Economic Development Act 2012 (ED Act) is to enhance administrative efficiency and flexibility, enabling Economic Development Queensland to effectively advance government objectives and drive meaningful progress.
The Bill amends specific provisions in the ED Act:
- relating to the appointment and removal of the Chief Executive and Board members, and member representation and attendance at Economic Development Board meetings; and
- to clarify the procedure for appointing and removing the Chief Executive, an Acting Chief Executive and Board members, and to introduce the capacity to delegate Government Board member attendance at Board meetings.
Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games amendments
The Bill amends the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements Act 2021 with the objective of ensuring that the State ‘complies with its obligations under relevant games agreements by ensuring that the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Games) venues and villages are delivered in a timely manner and in a way that maximises the legacy benefits of the Games’.
Amendments were moved during consideration in detail:
Chapter 2 – Planning Act 2016:
- Enable cost recovery by local governments for social impact assessments, community benefit agreements, mediation processes
- Allow regulations to expand procedural matters for mediation.
- Make minor consequential amendments to other Acts.
Chapter 4 – Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements Act 2021:
Key governance changes for the 2032 Games:
- If the AOC Honorary Life President position is vacant, the AOC CEO will fill the role to maintain two AOC representatives.
- The number of Vice Presidents was originally reduced from six to one. This has been amended to include two Vice Presidents: one nominated by the Queensland Minister, one by the Prime Minister.
- Public servants on the Board are exempt from disclosing confidential state information.
- Chief Executive may delegate venue delivery responsibilities.
- Clarifies limitations on initiating proceedings related to Games infrastructure.
- Information notices must be published in newspapers like Koori Mail.
- Chief executives must be notified when default plans take effect.
- Ministerial directions to infrastructure entities must be made jointly with relevant Ministers and after consulting the entity’s board.
- Entities must comply with directions at their own cost unless stated otherwise.
- The Gold Coast Arena has been updated to reflect its use as an indoor venue with seating for 12,000–15,000 people.
Useful resources:
- Bill
- Explanatory Notes
- Statement of Compatibility
- Explanatory Speech
- Amendment in Committee – Government Agreed
- Amendment in Committee – Explanatory Note
- Amendment in Committee – Statement of Compatibility
Subordinate legislation
Subordinate Queensland legislation notified in 2025 is available online.
Queensland Government Gazette
The Queensland Government Gazettes for 2025 are available online.
Parliamentary sitting dates
As indicated on the parliamentary website, the next sitting dates are from 26 to 28 August 2025. Estimate Committee hearings will take place from 29 July 2025 to 7 August 2025.
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