QCAT Act Review

QMHOA Submission lodged

~January 2026~

In January 2026, QMHOA lodged a formal submission to the statutory Review of the QCAT Act, led by the Honourable David Thomas. The submission period was extended, and the final deadline fell at the end of January.

This Review matters to manufactured home owners because so many disputes under the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act end up in QCAT — and too often members tell us the process is slow, stressful, and doesn’t feel fair or accessible.

Our submission was led by QMHOA’s Assistance Sub-committee team. Between them, the team brings legal qualifications, deep knowledge of the Manufactured Homes Act, and many years of practical experience supporting home owners through QCAT processes.

What our submission covered (plain language)

QMHOA’s submission addressed the Review’s consultation questions (including the overarching issue of delays), and then focused on four core themes that directly affect manufactured home owners:

• Fairness
• Informality (keeping QCAT accessible and non-technical)
• Timeliness (delays and waiting times)
• Legal representation “as of right”

We also used manufactured home park dispute examples to show how long delays and procedural problems can deny practical access to justice.

Key messages we put to the Review

Delays need accountability and transparency. We raised that there is currently no clear, transparent way for parties to understand why some matters face very long delays, and no effective system of accountability when delays drag on.

Fairness must be applied in practice. We asked for more consistent and fair use of QCAT’s discretionary powers, particularly where there is evidence of non-compliance and where one party may be prejudiced by late material or missed deadlines.

QCAT must stay informal and accessible. We emphasised the importance of minimal technicality, and that self-representation (or non-legal representation) should remain the norm for manufactured home disputes.

Mediation is often not the answer. We noted that where internal dispute processes have already failed — and where disputes turn on legal interpretation — mediation can be futile and may simply add more time to an already lengthy process.

What we recommended

In summary, QMHOA recommended practical reforms aimed at faster, fairer outcomes, including:

• Timeliness: QMHOA’s preference is for a transfer of jurisdiction for manufactured home disputes to a new tribunal within the Magistrates Court to address lengthy delays.
• If jurisdiction is not transferred, an independent arbitrator with suitable expertise in the manufactured homes industry should be available as an alternative to waiting for a QCAT hearing.
• Transparency and accountability: publish projected hearing lists, and ensure cases retain their fair “queued position” (so matters don’t lose their place through delays and re-listing).
• Fairness: apply fairness consistently, including more consistent application of discretionary powers where there is evidence of non-compliance.
• Informality: give greater importance to informality and minimal technicality, and keep self-representation as the default expectation.
• Legal representation “as of right”: keep the current position — legal representation should not become automatic, and should be allowed only where clearly justified in the interests of justice.

Read the documents (PDF)

To make this easier for members, we’ve provided:

• A shorter, plain-English Executive Summary written by committee member Laila Hakansson Ware (who was part of the submission team).
• The full QMHOA submission for members who would like the complete detail and examples.

1) Executive Summary (plain-English PDF): Click here to read the Executive Summary

2) Full QMHOA Submission (PDF): Click here to read the full submission

Thank you for your continued support. We will keep members updated as the Review progresses and as we learn more about next steps.

Kind regards
QMHOA Committee

11 February 2026