Anthony Pitt, Partner at HopgoodGanim, said there are at least nine major recommendations made by the QLD Government's Housing, Big Build and Manufacturing Committee of its Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2024. 

The Bill, as The Weekly SOURCE reported in March, will if approved have a significant impact on the operation of Over 50s land lease communities in Queensland. It proposes:  

• site rent increases – introducing a site rent increase cap and banning market reviews; 

• introduction of a manufactured home buyback and rent reduction scheme; 

• additional requirements for termination orders; 

• requiring additional methods to pay the site rent to be offered; 

• creating a system of residential park registration; 

• requiring parks to publish a comparison document; 

• requiring parks to have a maintenance and capital replacement plan; 

• additional requirements for site agreements; and 

• a new resale process requiring a new site agreement to be entered into in place of an assignment. 

In its report, the Chair of the Committee described the Bill as “the most comprehensive reforms brought to the manufactured homes parks sector in the last 20 years”. 

"Despite the arguments put forward by park owners and industry representatives against the significant amendments, the Committee’s sole recommendation was for the Bill to be passed," said Anthony. 

To add to concerns, the committee believes an examination by the state government of the future shape and structure of the manufactured homes (residential parks) sector would be warranted.  

"This may include a thorough examination and analysis of the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act and its applicability to the future shape of the sector. It may also include an examination of an expanded range of ownership models for the manufactured homes (residential parks) sector, such as a community title model, that may better meet the needs of some senior Queenslanders who rely on these residential parks to be the ‘low-income retirees’ haven’,” the committee stated. 

"Finally, the committee believes a guiding principle for all stakeholder in this sector – home owners, park owners, as well as the state government - is that of ‘co-investment’ and partnership, and that principle should be reflected in future actions aimed at preserving, improving and enlarging the manufactured homes (residential parks) sector.” 

Anthony said in an article Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon has up to three months to respond to the Committee’s report which must outline whether the Committee’s recommendation will be adopted. Then the Bill may be brought back before Parliament for debate and to be passed. 

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