By Roxanne Alterio · Place Estate Agents
Negative gearing and the capital gains discount were left untouched. The first home buyer deposit scheme has been expanded. A significant infrastructure spend for Queensland was confirmed. Build-to-rent tax concessions were extended, which will add rental supply over the medium term. For most Brisbane sellers, the direct impact is modest. The indirect implications for buyer demand are more interesting.
After months of speculation, the government left negative gearing and the 50% capital gains tax discount entirely unchanged. This is significant for Brisbane investors. The tax treatment of investment properties remains as it has been, which means the financial logic of holding and eventually selling a Brisbane investment property is no different today than it was before the budget.
For sellers of investment properties, particularly those selling after more than 12 months of ownership, the CGT discount remains in place. If you are an overseas investor selling an Australian property, note that non-residents are not eligible for the CGT discount regardless. This has been unchanged policy for several years.
The Home Guarantee Scheme has been expanded to 50,000 places per year, up from 35,000. This allows eligible buyers to purchase with a 5% deposit without paying lenders mortgage insurance, with the government guaranteeing the remaining portion.
For Brisbane sellers, this matters. More buyers qualifying for purchases in the $500,000 to $800,000 range should maintain competition at the entry and mid-market price points, particularly in suburbs like Moorooka, Greenslopes, Tarragindi and Holland Park West where median prices sit within reach of first home buyers.
If your property is priced in the first home buyer range, the expanded scheme should help maintain a buyer pool. This is a positive signal for sellers in the inner south and inner west of Brisbane.
The budget confirmed $33.6 billion in national infrastructure investment, with $8.1 billion allocated to Queensland projects over the forward estimates. This includes continued funding for the Brisbane Olympic infrastructure pipeline, Cross River Rail, the Bruce Highway upgrade and a number of south-east Queensland transport and hospital projects.
Infrastructure investment has a meaningful, if lagged, effect on property values in the corridors it serves. Woolloongabba, in particular, continues to benefit from Cross River Rail-related development. The 2032 Olympics pipeline also provides a sustained development backdrop for inner Brisbane suburbs that is unlike anything seen in the city since the 2000s.
The government extended the managed investment trust withholding tax concession for build-to-rent developments, reducing the rate from 30% to 15% for eligible offshore institutional investors. This is designed to stimulate supply of purpose-built rental apartments in major cities including Brisbane.
Build-to-rent adds rental supply, which can soften rental yields over time in areas where large BTR projects are approved. For investors in units and apartments near the CBD or inner ring, this is worth tracking. The effect is medium-term and Brisbane's current rental vacancy of around 1.1% gives significant buffer. But it is a signal to watch.
Energy bill relief, Medicare and HECS debt indexation changes were the headline measures aimed at household budgets. These do not directly affect property markets but sustained cost of living pressure has historically reduced buyer confidence and auction participation in the lower and mid-market price bands.
The flipside is that the RBA's rate cutting cycle, which began in February 2026, is doing more to improve borrowing capacity than cost of living measures are doing to suppress it. Net borrowing capacity for the average Brisbane buyer has improved meaningfully since the rate peak in late 2024.
Budgets create noise. The fundamentals of selling well in Brisbane have not changed overnight. Your comparable sales data, your property's preparation and your agent's suburb performance are still the variables that matter most to your outcome.
Regardless of budget announcements, the most important thing you can do before listing is know exactly what your property is worth. Roxanne prepares personalised valuations with verified comparable sales, delivered within 24 hours.
Get Roxanne to Call YouIf you have a question about anything in this article or your Brisbane property, Roxanne is happy to chat. Free and no obligation.
If you have a question about anything in this article, or about your Brisbane property, Roxanne is happy to chat. Free and no obligation at any stage.