McCullough Robertson’s Community Housing team has supported Queensland’s peak housing bodies – Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA), Q Shelter, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland, in negotiating a landmark Master Agreement with the Queensland Government to transform the community housing sector’s contracting framework.

Our experience in the community housing sector enabled us to anticipate and address key challenges, helping to consolidate approximately 2,000 individual agreements into just 114 contracts. This has resulted in a streamlined and consistent framework, providing the sector with greater clarity, support, and operational certainty, and enabling community housing providers to focus on delivering more affordable and secure homes for Queenslanders.

The Master Agreement was initially piloted with select providers to test its effectiveness. This process reflected extensive collaboration between the Government, sector peak bodies, and the broader housing community sector.

Minister for Housing and Public Works, Sam O’Connor, said that the new agreement will “save time, reduce complexity, and help get homes built sooner across Queensland.”

Community Housing Industry Association Chief Executive Officer, Julie Saunders, said the Master Agreement gives community housing providers “a consistent, modern framework that gives them the support and certainty they need to get on with the job”.

“The Master Agreement will assist industry greatly by cutting red tape, speeding up delivery, and ultimately making more homes available to those Queenslanders that really need this support,” Ms Saunders said.

McCullough Robertson is pleased to have contributed to this significant initiative, assisting to unlock the sector’s potential to respond to Queensland’s urgent housing needs.