Carolyn Male MP, State Member for Pine Rivers, is pleased to announce that the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2010 is now available for public consideration and comment.

Carolyn Male MP said that the draft amendments contained in the Bill clarify and strengthen consumer protection initiatives while also allowing for the continued growth of the residential parks industry, which is an important provider of alternative, affordable housing for some 15,000 Queenslanders.

“The Bill proposes amendments to implement recommendations arising from the comprehensive review of the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003,” Carolyn Male MP said.

In summary, the Bill contains amendments to:
• Clarify the definition of ‘manufactured home’ with respect to modified caravans
• Require site agreements, including special terms, to be drafted in ‘plain language’
• Enable unfair special terms in site agreements to be prohibited by regulation
• Expand the orders the Tribunal may make to assist home owners faced with termination of their site agreement
• Strengthen the Act’s intended purpose that site agreements are for an indefinite duration
• Restrict the ability of park owners to vary site rent, on the basis of market review, outside the terms of a site agreement

“I encourage all interested members of the community, including manufactured home owners and residential park owners, to review and comment on the proposed amendments contained in the Bill, by the closing date of 12 February 2010,” Carolyn Male MP said.

To view a copy of the amendments visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/community-consultation.htm. Submissions should be sent to: Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Amendment Bill 2010, Fair Trading Policy Branch, Office of Regulatory Policy, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, GPO Box 3111, Brisbane QLD 4001, or emailed to: manufactured.homes@deedi.qld.gov.au, or faxed to: 07 3405 4059.