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

    • abhibeckert@lemmy.world
      17·
      5 months ago

      Some CFMEU union jobs pay massive salaries to… stand around and chat with your mates.

      For example they just fixed a water leak under the footpath outside our office. It took about 3 months and there were often five workers standing around doing almost nothing at all for days at a time.

      When I had a water leak at home, we didn’t call a union construction company, we called a sole trader. It took one guy two hours to fix the leak, and he charged his “emergency work” rate, which I’m pretty sure was half the price a CFMEU company would have charged just to give us a quote for the job.