The QBCC (Queensland Building and Construction Commission) has had its highest record in licensee numbers in more than five years from tradies coming from southern states. Data shows, tradies from VIC and NSW are migrating to QLD in record number as skills shortages affect the construction industry. This year, QBCC has approved 821 mutual recognition licenses from Australian states and territories and New Zealand compared to only 578 and 795 licenses were approved in years 2016 and 2020 respectively. See table below of QLD’s licence approvals from interstate.
Building approvals for houses in QLD has showed no signs of slowing down even when pandemic already started last year. The apartment sector also gaining the same momentum as houses do. In fact, the number of cranes in Brisbane has increased at a record pace in the past quarter while Gold Coast and Sunshine Coasts has also beat other regional cities’ crane counts across the country. According to Domain, 66% of property enquiries in Southeast QLD came from NSW making the state as the popular destination for property investors and interstate migrants. The building and construction industry in QLD had remained strong during pandemic. “Queensland has been the place to be during the pandemic and we’ve kept building sites open across our great state”, QBCC interim commissioner Richard Cassidy said.
While construction industry is gaining its momentum, tradies from other states see this as a chance to move to QLD for career opportunities apart from lockdowns preventing them from working on site. International border closure and a massive increase in QLD’s building demand has also made interstate migration count of tradies at a record pace.