In a strongly worded speech addressing both award nominees and Master Builders Northern Territory members at the 30th anniversary of the MBNT Excellence in Building and Construction Awards, chief executive Sallyann Innes expressed her concern over some of the 2026 federal budget changes.

In her speech, Ms Innes acknowledged the government is capable of implementing good policy that supports local businesses such as the five per cent First Home Buyer deposit scheme and the Home Grown Territory Grants policy.

However she slammed the federal budget, expressing concern about the reformed capital gains tax.
“When policy threatens investment in projects, businesses, housing supply, or worker safety we have an obligation to say so,” she said.
“There are elements of the housing reforms where we understand the policy objectives, including directing negative-gearing incentives toward new housing and SMSF.
“I don’t necessarily agree they will build more homes, or increase confidence at a time when we need more private investment.
“We need policy that genuinely adds supply.”
Ms Innes said many small businesses, mostly family run, used trusts to manage commercial risk and protect assets, not just to avoid taxes.

“We are deeply concerned about the broader consequences of changes to capital gains tax and, particularly, the proposed tax treatment of trusts,” Ms Innes said.
“For construction, this isn’t an abstract debate about tax.
“Around one in five Australian building and construction businesses operate using trust structures, overwhelmingly small businesses.
“Businesses that have often operated under those structures for decades.”
Ms Innes said the tax changes would lead to small businesses having to restructure their finances which could lead to detrimental side effects.
“These structures aren’t simply about tax, in a high-risk industry they can form a part of the way people manage commercial risk, protect assets and structure their business,” she said.
“Changing that structure isn’t as easy as moving numbers from one column to another … there can be financing implications, licensing implications, insurance implications, contracts, leases, significant stamp duty and restructuring costs.
“At a time when Australia desperately needs builders to build more homes, we should be very careful about introducing policy that makes those same businesses less confident about investing, employing and growing.”

Ms Innes said Master Builders NT understood the policy objectives around the housing reforms in the federal budget, including negative-gearing incentives toward new housing, but didn’t necessarily agree they would build more homes and increase confidence.
She advocated for good government policy that “genuinely adds supply” saying it could encourage businesses to invest.
“At Master Builders we have consistently argued that government cannot build a strong construction industry simply by announcing projects,” she said.
“We will always work with the government when policy supports growth.

“But equally, when policy threatens investment in projects, businesses, housing supply, or worker safety we have an obligation to say so.”
Ms Innes reinforced the role the construction industry plays in the Territory economy.
“Construction enables almost every other industry to operate,” she said.
“You cannot grow Defence in the Northern Territory without construction.
“Resources and energy industries cant develop without construction.
“You cannot expand tourism without hotels, roads, airports.
“You cannot improve health and education facilities without a strong construction industry. You cannot unlock land, develop new suburbs, build communities or attract private investment unless somebody is prepared to build the infrastructure that makes it possible.
“You cannot grow our population without houses or homes.
“Construction doesn’t simply participate in the Territory economy – it drives it!”