Manufactured home owners have just one week left complete an online survey and have their say on how the industry should look in the future.
Housing Minister Tim Mander said the Government was reviewing the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003, delivering on its election commitments and to make sure it was keeping up with a rapidly evolving industry.
“The Newman Government promised to lower the cost of living and cut red tape so we want to ensure the law provides fair outcomes for manufactured home owners without imposing too much regulation on operators,” Mr Mander said.
“The survey was first launched 11 weeks ago and includes questions on a range of topics including sales, operations, utility charges, rent increases and dispute resolution.”
Mr Mander said the Government was opposed to a recent draft ruling from the Australian Taxation Office which would see manufactured home owners burdened with additional GST on their site rents.
“The Newman Government believes the draft ruling is unfair and has called on the Federal Government to reject it,” he said.
“It’s simply not fair for manufactured home owners to be slugged with an additional cost that doesn’t apply to people renting other types of dwellings like apartments or houses.
“There are approximately 21,000 manufactured homes in parks across Queensland, many of them owned by retirees and seniors, so it is essential that the rights of all parties are clearly defined and understood.
As well as the collating the results of the survey, Mr Mander said that the department would hold meetings with park owners and industry representatives, the legal profession, home owner advocacy groups and other interested parties to build a complete picture of the current state of the industry.
“A consultation paper is scheduled for release by mid-2014,” Mr Mander said.
“The consultation paper will outline the challenges facing manufactured home owners and the residential parks industry and the options to address them.
“Feedback will then be used to finalise recommendations to the Government.
“Submissions from any interested parties are welcome during the ongoing consultation phases of the review.”
The survey is available online at www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au or visit www.hpw.qld.gov.au/housing for more information.
