Queensland Budget 2018: What it Means for the Property Industry

Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad handed down the Queensland State Budget on Tuesday, delivering a surprise $1.5 billion surplus and putting an extra $200 million into people’s pockets.

This year's budget focused on infrastructure, tourism and mining funding.

Property investors will also be met with a 0.5 per cent increase in the land tax rate for aggregated holdings above $10 million, as well as an increase in the additional foreign acquirer duty from 3 per cent to 7 per cent.

The government also announced it will cut back the first home owners' grant.

So what does the state budget mean for the property industry?

Here is what you need to know.

Related reading: Federal Budget 2018: Infrastructure, Investment and Build to Rent

Additional Foreign Acquirer Duty

Aligning with states nationwide, the Queensland government announced an increased rate for additional foreign acquirer duty.

The AFAD is an additional tax on relevant transactions that are liable for transfer duty, landholder duty or corporate trustee duty which involve a foreign person directly or indirectly acquiring certain types of residential land in Queensland by foreign persons.

The duty will rise from 3 per cent to 7 per cent and is forecasted to result in an increased revenue of $33 million per annum.

Infrastructure Improvements

The state government will dedicate $4.217 billion to transport and roads.

The Sunshine State's long-awaited duplication of the Sunshine Coast rail line received $161 million.

The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project received $543.3 million, a route to the north of Toowoomba from Helidon to the Gore Highway.

Brisbane's Cross River Rail received $733 million to go toward the $5.4 billion project. The federal government failed to pledge any assistance towards the Cross River Rail project earlier this year leaving the state government to foot the bill.

There's also $487 million over four years for upgrades to the M1 on Brisbane's south and on the Gold Coast.

Related reading: Queensland Government Announces $45bn Infrastructure-Heavy Budget

Exhibition StationImage: Cross River Rail Authority

First Home Buyers Grant Slashed

First home buyers have come to expect a $20,000 starter grant since 2016 will now see it cut to $15,000 if they buy a house from July onwards.

The $5,000 boost had been added to the grant in 2016 by former Treasurer Curtis Pitt, with the measure supposed to be in place for just one year.

It was extended twice in six-months until the end of 2017 and then to June of this year.

Related reading: First Home Buyers Hit Five-Year High

Land Tax Increase

Under the new taxes introduced in Tuesday's budget, foreign landowners with more than $10 million worth of landholdings will now be in line for a 0.5 per cent increased rate of land tax.

Individuals with properties worth more than $10 million will now incur an additional rate of 2.25 per cent (or 2.5% for trusts or companies) for every dollar of taxable value over $10 million.

This is expected to bring in $71 million in revenue in its first year, with a projected 11 per cent increase in 2018-19 land tax revenue.