What can a Queensland police officer get as a first home buyer?
Queensland is the most generous state for buyers of new homes. Established homes get less.
There's no grant reserved for QPS officers. You use the same first home buyer schemes as everyone else in Queensland, run by the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO), plus the federal 5% Deposit Scheme. Where police differ is the pay structure lenders have to assess, especially the Operational Shift Allowance (OSA), and a first responder offer from the police-founded QBANK.
First Home Owner Grant
- Who runs it
- QRO
- What you get
- $30,000
- Key limit
- New homes under $750,000
First home (new home) concession
- Who runs it
- QRO
- What you get
- No transfer duty
- Key limit
- New homes, no value cap
First home concession
- Who runs it
- QRO
- What you get
- No duty, or reduced duty
- Key limit
- Established homes: nil to $700,000, phased out under $800,000
5% Deposit Scheme
- Who runs it
- Housing Australia
- What you get
- 5% deposit, no LMI
- Key limit
- Price cap $1,000,000 in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, $700,000 elsewhere
Help to Buy
- Who runs it
- Housing Australia
- What you get
- Government shared equity, 2% deposit
- Key limit
- Income under $103,000 single or $165,000 joint
| Scheme | Who runs it | What you get | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Home Owner Grant | QRO | $30,000 | New homes under $750,000 |
| First home (new home) concession | QRO | No transfer duty | New homes, no value cap |
| First home concession | QRO | No duty, or reduced duty | Established homes: nil to $700,000, phased out under $800,000 |
| 5% Deposit Scheme | Housing Australia | 5% deposit, no LMI | Price cap $1,000,000 in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, $700,000 elsewhere |
| Help to Buy | Housing Australia | Government shared equity, 2% deposit | Income under $103,000 single or $165,000 joint |
Read on the QRO and firsthomebuyers.gov.au on 9 October 2026.
If you buy new, the grant and the duty concession together can be worth more than your deposit. If you buy established, the duty concession still helps up to $800,000, but there's no grant. If you're not in yet, our guide to becoming a QPS officer covers the application and Academy.
The $30,000 First Home Owner Grant
Three times the grant in NSW, Victoria or WA, but only for new homes.
Grant
$30,000
contracts from 20 November 2023
Value cap
Under $750,000
including land and variations
Residence
6 months
move in within 1 year
The QRO pays $30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, and $15,000 for earlier contracts. For owner-builders the date is when the foundations were laid. The home must be new, meaning not previously occupied or sold as a residence, or substantially renovated, and worth less than $750,000 including land and any contract variations.
QRO grant eligibility, in short
- ✓ You're a natural person aged 18 or older
- ✓ You, or someone applying with you, are an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- ✓ Neither you nor your spouse owned residential property in Australia before 1 July 2000
- ✓ Neither of you has lived in a home you owned in Australia on or after 1 July 2000
- ✓ You move in within 1 year and live there continuously for 6 months
The QRO's page doesn't give an end date for the $30,000 amount. Grants like this have been changed at budget time before, so check the QRO page on the day you sign.
Transfer duty: new homes and established homes
Two concessions, with very different limits.
New homes: no duty, no cap
For contracts from 1 May 2025, the first home (new home) concession reduces transfer duty to nil on a new or substantially renovated home, with no value cap on the home and its land. You must move in and live there day to day within 1 year of settlement. You can't sell or transfer before moving in, you can't lease the whole home within a year of moving in, and selling within a year of moving in means only a partial concession.
Established homes: nil to $700,000
No duty up to
$700,000
agreements from 9 June 2024
Phased out
Under $800,000
home concession may still apply above
Maximum saving
$24,525
QRO figure
The first home concession for established homes cuts duty to nil at $700,000 or under, then phases out between $700,001 and $799,999. From $800,000 it no longer applies, though the general home concession for owner-occupiers may. There's a separate first home vacant land concession if you're buying land to build.
New citizenship rule from 1 August 2026
For transactions from 1 August 2026, the QRO requires buyers claiming these concessions to be Australian citizens, permanent residents or specified foreign retirees. That won't affect most QPS officers, but it matters if you're buying with a partner on another visa.
The 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy in Queensland
Federal schemes, run through participating lenders including QBANK.
The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme replaced the Home Guarantee Scheme on 1 October 2025. A participating lender can lend with a 5% deposit and no LMI, because the government guarantees part of the loan. There are no income caps and no limit on places. Single parents and legal guardians can buy with 2%.
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast
$1,000,000
price cap
Rest of Queensland
$700,000
price cap
Minimum deposit
5%
no LMI
You must be 18 or older, a citizen or permanent resident, a first home buyer or someone who hasn't owned Australian property in the last 10 years, and buy a home to live in with a principal-and-interest loan. You must move in within six months of settlement and live there while the guarantee is active. QBANK, BankVic, Police Bank and People First Bank were all on the participating lender list when we checked.
Help to Buy
Help to Buy is shared equity: the government contributes up to 30% of an existing home or 40% of a new one, with a 2% deposit. A First Year Constable on $78,505 base plus the 21% OSA earns about $94,991, which is under the $103,000 single income limit. Overtime and night allowances count too, and by senior constable you'll be well over it.
How lenders read QPS pay and the 21% OSA
Most of the QPS borrowing question comes down to one allowance.
QPS pay tables show base salary only. Most front-line shift officers also get the 21% Operational Shift Allowance, paid on base salary to officers in operational shift positions who take an equitable share of 2- or 3-shift rosters. It replaces shift and weekend penalties, public holiday rates and annual leave loading. It's paid on most leave, including annual leave.
Base salary (Constable 1.1)
- First Year Constable (2026)
- $78,505
- How lenders commonly treat it
- Counted in full
Operational Shift Allowance (21%)
- First Year Constable (2026)
- $16,486 a year
- How lenders commonly treat it
- Often counted with payslip evidence; some lenders shade it
Night and late night allowances
- First Year Constable (2026)
- 20% or 25% of base per shift, on top of OSA
- How lenders commonly treat it
- Often averaged over recent payslips
Overtime
- First Year Constable (2026)
- Double time for operationally available, OST-qualified officers
- How lenders commonly treat it
- Varies most: some lenders count all of it
General Duties retention payment
- First Year Constable (2026)
- $4,000 on 31 January 2026 and 2027
- How lenders commonly treat it
- Likely treated as one-off
| Part of your pay | First Year Constable (2026) | How lenders commonly treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary (Constable 1.1) | $78,505 | Counted in full |
| Operational Shift Allowance (21%) | $16,486 a year | Often counted with payslip evidence; some lenders shade it |
| Night and late night allowances | 20% or 25% of base per shift, on top of OSA | Often averaged over recent payslips |
| Overtime | Double time for operationally available, OST-qualified officers | Varies most: some lenders count all of it |
| General Duties retention payment | $4,000 on 31 January 2026 and 2027 | Likely treated as one-off |
Base salary is QPS's official CPI Uplift Adjustment rate from 1 July 2026. General description, not any lender's policy.
Because the OSA is a fixed percentage paid every fortnight while you're in a shift role, there's a good case for a lender counting it like salary. The risk a lender sees is that it stops if you move to a day job. Show a letter confirming your position is an OSA position, plus recent payslips. Our QPS salary guide explains how the CPI uplift sets current rates.
In Queensland, whether a lender counts the OSA can move your borrowing by tens of thousands of dollars.
What a QPS officer could borrow
Our calculator's method: after-tax pay less costs, tested at 9% over 30 years.
These use 2026-27 tax rates, an illustrative 6% loan rate plus APRA's 3 percentage point buffer, $3,200 a month of living costs for one applicant and a $5,000 card limit. They show how lender rules move the number. They aren't a loan offer.
OSA not counted
$230,000
$78,505 base only
80% of OSA counted
$323,000
a common middle case
All of OSA counted
$346,000
$94,991 a year
The gap between ignoring and counting the OSA is about $116,000. Further up, a senior constable at the top pay point on $118,127 base could borrow about $509,000 on base alone, or about $678,000 with the OSA counted in full. A First Year Constable with the OSA, buying with a partner on an illustrative $70,000, could borrow about $775,000.
APRA kept the 3 percentage point serviceability buffer on 28 May 2026. Without it, the all-OSA example would reach about $464,000. The actual repayment at 6% on $346,000 is about $2,074 a month, against take-home pay of about $2,849 a fortnight with the OSA.
The 2027 rise and the CPI uplift
The QPS Certified Agreement 2025 gives 2.5% from 1 July 2027, plus a CPI uplift of up to 1% if the March 2027 Brisbane CPI beats the increase. On QPS's official 2027 schedule (the 2.5% minimum), Constable 1.1 base becomes $80,467, lifting the all-OSA borrowing figure to about $363,000. Any uplift is back-paid and compounded, so the real figure may be a little higher.
Because the agreement's printed tables are out of date, a lender may ask you for a payslip rather than accept a published table. QPS's CPI Uplift Adjustment page has the official uplifted rates, but keep your most recent payslips handy: they're the best proof of what you're actually paid after each uplift.
Illustrations, not credit advice
Lenders use their own expense benchmarks, income rules and buffers. Your figure could be higher or lower. None of this is a loan offer or recommendation.
Run the numbers with your OSA
Enter your pay point, the OSA, night allowances and overtime. The calculator shows your borrowing range with none, some or all of your variable pay counted.
Probation and the First Year Constable Program
You're sworn in on day one of your first year, but you're still on probation.
Academy graduates are sworn in as First Year Constables on pay point 1.1. The First Year Constable Program is about 12 months of station-based training under Field Training Officers. Finishing it moves you to pay point 1.2, and probation is at least 12 months. These details come from QPS recruiting material, so check your appointment letter for the dates that apply to you.
What helps in your first year
- ✓You're a sworn officer on an agreement salary
- ✓OSA starts once you're in an operational shift role
- ✓QBANK's first responder offer is aimed at QPS employees
What can hold you back
- ✕Short payslip history for the OSA and overtime
- ✕Some lenders' police offers exclude probationers
- ✕A transfer after the program can clash with residence rules
A short payslip history mostly affects the variable parts of your pay. If a lender wants six months of OSA payslips, waiting until mid-way through the program may lift your figure more than any rate discount would.
Police home loan features advertised to QPS officers
What lenders publish on their own pages, read on 9 October 2026. A description, not a recommendation.
QBANK
- Police feature advertised
- FHB First Responders Exclusive Offer for QPS, fire, ambulance, corrective services and Queensland Health employees: minimum 5% deposit, under 95% LVR plus LMI.
- Conditions to check
- Not an LMI waiver; LMI can be added to the loan up to 100% LVR. New lending only, principal and interest, at least $1,500 a month salary credit. Pre-approval lasts 90 days.
People First Bank
- Police feature advertised
- Essential Services Package for sworn police: no LMI up to 90% LVR, loans up to $1.2 million.
- Conditions to check
- Income requirements apply but aren't published on its page.
BankVic
- Police feature advertised
- Police-only special variable rate; "100% overtime considered"; $4,000 cashback for police.
- Conditions to check
- Must be outside any probationary period. Waiver footnotes describe 90% "with LMI": confirm.
Police Bank
- Police feature advertised
- Police Value Home Loan for current or retired police employees; 5% minimum deposit, LVR to 95%.
- Conditions to check
- LMI above 80% LVR. Read in its 2021 product document; confirm current terms.
P&N Bank
- Police feature advertised
- LMI waiver to 90% LVR for police.
- Conditions to check
- WA properties only; broker-referred loans don't qualify.
| Lender | Police feature advertised | Conditions to check |
|---|---|---|
| QBANK | FHB First Responders Exclusive Offer for QPS, fire, ambulance, corrective services and Queensland Health employees: minimum 5% deposit, under 95% LVR plus LMI. | Not an LMI waiver; LMI can be added to the loan up to 100% LVR. New lending only, principal and interest, at least $1,500 a month salary credit. Pre-approval lasts 90 days. |
| People First Bank | Essential Services Package for sworn police: no LMI up to 90% LVR, loans up to $1.2 million. | Income requirements apply but aren't published on its page. |
| BankVic | Police-only special variable rate; "100% overtime considered"; $4,000 cashback for police. | Must be outside any probationary period. Waiver footnotes describe 90% "with LMI": confirm. |
| Police Bank | Police Value Home Loan for current or retired police employees; 5% minimum deposit, LVR to 95%. | LMI above 80% LVR. Read in its 2021 product document; confirm current terms. |
| P&N Bank | LMI waiver to 90% LVR for police. | WA properties only; broker-referred loans don't qualify. |
Offers change and can be withdrawn. Confirm terms with the lender or a licensed broker.
QBANK's offer charges LMI, so compare it with a 5% Deposit Scheme loan, which removes LMI on the same 5% deposit if you're under the price cap. QBANK is a participating lender in that scheme too. Our guide to police banks and credit unions covers QBANK's history and membership.
Buying while posted to rural, remote or hard-to-fill locations
QPS pays real money for the bush. Some of it suits a deposit better than a loan application.
Area Allowance
$13,906
a year from 1 July 2026, listed communities
RLIP year 1
$4,000
then $5,000, then $7,000 a year
One and Two Officer Station
36.5%
of pay point, replaces overtime
Hard-to-fill locations
+2 pay points
after 12 and 24 months, if you stay
The Area Allowance applies to officers living and working in listed communities such as Aurukun, Bamaga, Palm Island and Doomadgee. The Rural Locality Incentive Payment is paid annually in arrears each January at designated rural locations and isn't indexed. Because RLIP comes once a year, lenders may treat it as a bonus rather than regular income. Treat it as deposit money.
The agreement doesn't set police housing rents, and QPS's Locality Allowance rates are only on its intranet, so ask your district about housing costs before a posting. If you'll be posted away for years, buying where you'll live keeps you inside the residence rules: the grant needs 6 months, the new home duty concession needs you to move in within a year, and the 5% Deposit Scheme needs you to live there while the guarantee is active. The rest-of-state cap is $700,000.
Transferring from another force? Interstate and overseas officers recruited through PACE can receive a $20,000 relocation incentive, paid as $10,000 on graduation and $10,000 after the First Year Constable Program and probation. See transferring interstate.
Saving a deposit on QPS recruit pay
QPS recruits are paid during the Academy, and accommodation is free.
Recruits are paid 70% of the First Year Constable base plus a $183 a fortnight training allowance. On the 2026 rates that's about $59,728 a year (calculated by us; the recruiting site quotes conflicting totals). After tax that's about $1,931 a fortnight. With free Academy accommodation, saving 40% would put away about $772 every fortnight.
- 1
Academy
$59,728 a year, calcAbout $772 a fortnight saved at 40% of net recruit pay. The mainstream course is about 8 months; exact weeks aren't confirmed.
- 2
First Year Constable with OSA
$94,991 a yearTake-home pay of about $2,849 a fortnight. Saving 20% reaches a $18,200 deposit in about 15 months.
- 3
Pay point 1.2
About month 12Finishing the First Year Constable Program moves you up a pay point, and your OSA payslip history builds.
- 4
Buy
When readyUse the 5% Deposit Scheme to avoid LMI, and the grant plus nil duty if you buy new.
That $18,200 target is 5% of about $364,000, the price our First Year Constable example reaches with the full OSA counted. If the lender ignores the OSA, the reachable price falls to about $242,000. With a partner on $70,000, the same method reaches about $816,000, needing about $40,800.
Putting it together: new versus established
On the same price, buying new in Queensland can save a five-figure sum.
5% deposit
- New home at $364,000
- $18,200
- Established home at $364,000
- $18,200
First Home Owner Grant
- New home at $364,000
- $30,000
- Established home at $364,000
- Not available
Transfer duty
- New home at $364,000
- $0 (new home concession)
- Established home at $364,000
- $0 (first home concession)
LMI with the 5% Deposit Scheme
- New home at $364,000
- $0
- Established home at $364,000
- $0
Residence rule
- New home at $364,000
- Move in within 1 year; 6 months for the grant
- Established home at $364,000
- Move in within 1 year
| New home at $364,000 | Established home at $364,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| 5% deposit | $18,200 | $18,200 |
| First Home Owner Grant | $30,000 | Not available |
| Transfer duty | $0 (new home concession) | $0 (first home concession) |
| LMI with the 5% Deposit Scheme | $0 | $0 |
| Residence rule | Move in within 1 year; 6 months for the grant | Move in within 1 year |
Eligibility depends on your circumstances and the property. Check with the QRO.
At this price the duty outcome is the same either way, because both concessions bring duty to nil. The difference is the $30,000 grant, which only a new home attracts. Above $700,000 the gap widens: new homes stay duty-free at any price, while the established-home concession phases out. Above $750,000 the grant stops.
Getting help with a QPS home loan
A broker can compare how lenders treat the OSA. Some police offers are direct only.
Questions to ask any lender or broker
- ✓ Will you count my 21% OSA in full, and how many payslips do you need?
- ✓ Do you count night allowances and double-time overtime?
- ✓ Will you lend during my First Year Constable Program?
- ✓ Are you a 5% Deposit Scheme lender with places in my area?
- ✓ Is your first responder or police offer available through brokers?
How our form works, and how we're paid
We don't hold an Australian Credit Licence and don't give credit advice or recommend any loan or lender. The form asks to be put in touch with a licensed mortgage broker. Until we appoint a broker partner, we'll email you the broker's name first, and nothing is shared until you confirm. We may receive a referral fee: see our referral disclosures. P&N Bank's LMI waiver isn't available on broker-introduced loans.
Free email alerts
Queensland first home buyer scheme changes, for police
The $30,000 grant, the new home duty concession and QBANK's first responder offer can all change at budget time. We re-check them and email you when a grant, threshold or police offer moves.
- ✓Queensland grant and duty concession changes
- ✓New, changed or withdrawn police home loan offers
Frequently asked questions
Is there a first home buyer grant for Queensland police?
Not a police-only one. QPS officers use the same schemes as other Queenslanders: the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant for new homes, the first home transfer duty concessions, and the federal 5% Deposit Scheme. Police-specific help comes from lenders, such as QBANK's first responder offer for QPS employees.
How much is the first home owner grant in Queensland in 2026?
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023 (or foundations laid on or after that date for owner-builders), and $15,000 for earlier contracts. The home must be new and valued under $750,000 including land. You must move in within a year and live there for 6 continuous months.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Queensland?
Not on a new home bought under a contract from 1 May 2025: the first home (new home) concession reduces duty to nil with no value cap. On an established home, there's no duty up to $700,000 and a reduced concession under $800,000, worth up to $24,525. Vacant land has its own concession.
Do lenders count the QPS Operational Shift Allowance?
On our illustrative method (6% rate tested at 9%, $3,200 a month of costs, a $5,000 card limit), a First Year Constable on $78,505 base could borrow about $230,000 if a lender ignores the 21% OSA, and about $346,000 if it counts all of it. That gap is why the OSA question matters more than the interest rate.
Can I get a home loan in my First Year Constable year?
Often, yes. You're a sworn officer on salary, and many lenders treat that as permanent employment. Probation is at least 12 months. Some police offers elsewhere exclude probationers, so ask any lender about probation before you apply. QBANK's first responder offer page doesn't mention a probation rule.
What is QBANK's first responder home loan?
QBANK advertises an FHB First Responders Exclusive Offer for QPS, fire, ambulance, corrective services and Queensland Health employees. It's for new lending, principal and interest, with a minimum 5% deposit and under 95% LVR plus LMI, and needs at least $1,500 a month of salary paid into a QBANK account. It isn't an LMI waiver.
Can I keep the first home concession if I'm transferred within a year?
Be careful. The new home concession needs you to move in within a year of settlement, and you can't rent out the whole home within a year of moving in. Selling within a year of moving in can mean only a partial concession. The grant needs 6 continuous months of residence. Check with the QRO before you sign if a transfer is likely.
Does Police Pay Australia recommend a lender for QPS officers?
No. We don't hold an Australian Credit Licence and don't recommend any loan or lender. This guide describes schemes and publicly advertised features, with sources and dates. If you use our form, we introduce you to a licensed mortgage broker and confirm who that is before sharing your details.
Evidence
Sources and how we checked them
Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, read on 10 October 2026. Pay rates and rules change when new agreements are made, so check the source for the date you're reading this. Where we couldn't confirm something from an official source, the page says so instead of guessing. Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy.
- Queensland Revenue Office: first home owner grant eligibility — $30,000 for contracts from 20 November 2023; new homes under $750,000
- Queensland Revenue Office: first home (new home) concession — no transfer duty on new homes for contracts from 1 May 2025; no value cap
- Queensland Revenue Office: first home concession — no duty to $700,000, phased out under $800,000; maximum saving $24,525
- firsthomebuyers.gov.au: Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme for first home buyers — eligibility, no income caps, no LMI, unlimited places; administered by Housing Australia
- firsthomebuyers.gov.au: 5% Deposit Scheme property price caps — caps by state, capital city and regional centres
- firsthomebuyers.gov.au: frequently asked questions — rebranded from the Home Guarantee Scheme on 1 October 2025; move in within six months of settlement
- firsthomebuyers.gov.au: participating lenders — includes BankVic, P&N Bank, People First Bank, Police Bank, Police Credit Union and QBANK
- firsthomebuyers.gov.au: Help to Buy Scheme — shared equity, 2% deposit, income limits $103,000 single and $165,000 joint
- APRA: macroprudential settings maintained (28 May 2026) — 3 percentage point serviceability buffer; DTI limit at six times income
- Queensland Police Service Certified Agreement 2025, via our QLD pay data — pay points, OSA, area and rural allowances
- Queensland Police Service: CPI Uplift Adjustment (CUA) FAQ and visual aids, Tranche 3 (official pay and allowance schedules) — official CPI-uplifted pay rates for 1 July 2026 and 1 July 2027
- QPS recruiting: general entry — recruit pay rule and academy
- QBANK: FHB First Responders Exclusive Offer — QPS and other Queensland first responders; under 95% LVR plus LMI; $1,500 a month salary credit
- People First Bank: Essential Services Package — sworn police; no LMI to 90% LVR; up to $1.2 million; income requirements
- BankVic: home loan offers for police — police-only variable rate, 100% overtime considered, $4,000 cashback
- BankVic: home loans — eligibility incl. outside probation; LMI waivers to 90% LVR; footnote wording
- Police Bank: Police Value Home Loan target market determination (owner occupied P&I) — current or retired police employees; 5% minimum deposit; LVR to 95% with LMI over 80%; dated 5 October 2021
- P&N Bank: Essential Services Offer terms and conditions — broker-referred loans don't qualify for the waiver; WA locations; probation; $250,000 minimum
- ATO: tax rates for Australian residents — 2026-27 rates used for after-tax income
Related guides
Money for police
More in this series
General information, not advice. This guide explains published rules and rates. It doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial, legal, tax or credit advice. Confirm anything you rely on with your force, your police association, the ATO or a licensed professional.