March 7, 2025
Welcome to the March edition of Projects & Construction Monthly.
This edition addresses:
- Recent Construction News;
- The Building Reg Reno;
- LPC Lawyers’ recently completed ‘Courts and Tribunals’ series;
- LPC Lawyers’ most recent ‘It will Cost You’ series; and
- Opportunities to join the LPC Lawyers’ team.
Recent Construction News
Abedian’s Broadbeach Development
Abedian & Co have successfully acquired the site at 14-18 and 20 Mary Avenue Broadbeach with plans to build a $580 million residential complex.
The residence 47 storey skyscraper is set to comprise a mix of 2-4 bedroom apartments with two communal recreational floors included a lap pool, indoor and outdoor spas, a wellness centre and barbeque areas.
Subject to approval, construction is expected to begin in early 2026.
Abbotsford Bowen Hills
Cintra Property’s 122-apartment project at 23-29 Abbotsford Road has been approved. The $140 million inner-city residential project will include two eight-storey buildings which wrap around a heritage-listed residence from the 1870s.
Construction on the project is underway and expected to reach completion at the end of 2026.
Silverstone Milton Riverside Project
Silverstone have just submitted its development application for a 30-storey residential tower at 299 Coronation Drive, Milton. The development application proposes to deliver 192 apartments, a rooftop wellness retreat and a four-storey podium.
Silverstone originally proposed that this site be developed to deliver a 26-storey commercial tower in 2023 however has shifted its focus to residential development due to changing market conditions.
Building Reg Reno
The Queensland Government’s recent Building Reg Reno aims to streamline the state’s construction processes, reducing regulatory burdens to help address the challenges the industry is currently facing. The Building Reg Reno is being delivered through a series a tranches.
Tranche 1 – Project trust accounts
The regulatory changes will pause the rollout of new project trust accounts on private projects less than $10 million to lessen the administrative burden on smaller contract and allow them to focus on building. Trust accounting will still be required on government contract over $1 million and private projects exceeding $10 million.
Tranche 2 – Minimum Financial Requirements
As of March 2025:
- MFR financial reporting will not be required for lower categories of individual licensees (SC1 and SC2. This means that around 50,000 individual licensees will no longer need to provide annual financial reports to the QBCC;
- A 5 year extension (until May 2030) has been granted to meet the new occupational licencing requirements for passive fire protection work and other upskilling requirements for existing licence holders; and
- Free occupational licences will be provided for plumbers who already pay for a QBCC contractor licence to do certain fire protection work.
Further long-term improvement measures are also being considered to ease pressure on the construction industry. For more information, read here.
LPC Lawyers’ ‘Courts and Tribunals’ Series
LPC Lawyers has recently completed its three-part series exploring the right space to bring a claim for construction matters and why it is essential to bring a dispute in the right setting. Choosing the appropriate forum can impact the cost, time and outcome of the decision, making it critical for parties seeking resolution.
Part 1 – So Many Options!
Choosing the right court, tribunal or alternative dispute resolution is crucial when starting a claim. Part 1 of the series explores the different resolutions available for a construction dispute.
Read the full article here.
Part 2 – QCAT
Part 2 of this series explores the types of disputes it can decide, what proceedings look like and how to start a claim with QCAT. This article also looks at a case example to illustrate the effectiveness of QCAT as a dispute resolution option.
Read the full article here.
Part 3 – The Supreme Court
Part 3 of this series delves into the types of matters the court can hear in relation to construction matters and the recently established BEC list.
Read the full article here.
LPC Lawyers’ ‘It Will Cost You!’ Series
Litigation is an expensive undertaking and at the end of the day, someone has to foot the bill. Who pays and how much – that will be handed down by way of a costs order. In this three part series, we break down the different types of costs orders and on what basis they can be assessed, factors that may affect the making of a costs order, and the process for disputing a costs assessment.
Part 1 – Costs Orders
Part 1 explores the general rules in respect to costs orders and the different basis by which they can be assessed.
Read the full article here.
Part 2 – Deviating from the general rule
Part 2 explores when and why the court will deviate from the general rule as to costs and exercise their discretion to award indemnity costs as opposed to standard costs.
Read the full article here.
Stay tuned for the first instalment of the next article series which will be available on 17 March 2025.
LPC Lawyers’ Continued Expansion
LPC Lawyers is looking to hire with opportunities for growth in our expanding practice.
Litigation Lawyers (1-3 years PAE)
Working closely with an ex-top tier partner, this role is ideal for a candidate who is highly motivated and has experience in drafting correspondence, simple pleadings, briefs for Counsel, and some client advisory work.
For more information about our current opportunities visit our website here or to apply, please email your resume and cover letter to Manaia at [email protected].