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Staff Reporter
New laws in Queensland will help relieve agents and consumers of pages of paperwork, according to the state's attorney-general.
Attorney-general Jarrod Bleijie yesterday released a proposal to slash red tape and fulfil the Newman government’s election commitment to streamline home sale contracts.
“Consumers are often overwhelmed by pages of paperwork so they just sign on the dotted line without reading the fine print, which can be dangerous," he said.
“The existing Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 (PAMDA) is a cumbersome law covering more than 23 licence and registration classes across seven industries,” he said.
“Our goal with this review is to deliver positive red tape reduction reforms that support industry growth, but also maintain a high level of protection for consumers.”
Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) chairman Pamela Bennett said the reforms were long overdue.
“The length and complexity of the legislation made navigating and complying with the PAMD Act very difficult for real estate practitioners,” she said. “The REIQ has long voiced our concerns about the PAMD Act and we are extremely pleased the focus of the reforms relate to the reduction of red tape and the simplification of the contract process.
“We are particularly pleased with the proposal to eliminate the PAMD Form 30C Warning Statement and the requirement to direct a buyer’s attention to it. Anecdotal evidence gathered over many years tells us this document, which is multiple pages in length, was largely ignored by buyers and provided no real consumer benefit.”
Mr Bleijie claimed the changes would simplify the process for consumers by incorporating the PAMDA warning statement into the contract, removing unnecessary duplication from the buying process.
“We have already removed sustainability declarations and have drafted new bills to split PAMDA into industry specific acts.” These are:
- Property Occupations Bill 2013
- Motor Dealers and Chattel Auctioneers Bill 2013
- Commercial Agents Bill 2013
- Agents Financial Administration Bill 2013
“These bills include amendments to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses licensed under PAMDA and consolidate licence categories.”
The government is calling on the industry to review the draft bills and provide feedback on how to further slash unnecessary red tape and duplication for their industries.
For a copy of the consultation paper and to provide feedback visit Fair Trading.
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