Queensland's real estate lobby says people are too afraid to point out that unions are driving up the cost of housing, but an economist says that while wage growth is a contributing factor, so too are growing material costs, labour shortages and excessive government regulations.

In short: The Real Estate Institute of Queensland says high-paying government projects are pushing up the cost of construction.

An economist says growing wages are a contributing factor, but growing material costs, labour shortages, and excessive government regulations are in the way of development.

What’s next?: The government has vowed to build 55,000 social houses by the year 2046.

Crazy how the wealthiest people in society are all those over paid tradies

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    1•5 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    High-paid union tradies are “largely” responsible for Queensland’s worsening housing shortages, according to the state’s peak real estate lobby.

    Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) chief executive Antonia Mercorella said unions were driving up housing costs but people were too afraid to point it out.

    Ms Mercorella said she supported the idea of building more social houses in principle, but in practice there were steep barriers to boosting supply.

    Ms Mercorella said these failed to address the “elephant in the room” of low housing supply exacerbated by tradies with high wage expectations.

    CFMEU Queensland Northern Territory state secretary Michael Ravbar said Ms Mercorella’s “outburst” was proof of how out of touch she was with the construction industry.

    They, like thousands of other Queenslanders, suffer at the hands of predatory real estate agents who always put profits ahead of people."

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