Master Painters Association Queensland

Being a member of Master Painters QLD has been an invaluable part of our journey at Coastal Brush. The support, professionalism, and industry recognition that comes with being part of such a reputable association is second to none. We love knowing we’re backed by a network that genuinely advocates for high standards, ongoing education, and excellence in our craft. The resources, training opportunities, and sense of community among members have helped us stay at the top of our game and continue to grow as a business. Winning awards through MPQ in 2023 and 2024 has been an incredible honour – not just for the recognition, but because it reflects the pride we take in our workmanship and our commitment to delivering premium finishes. We’re proud to be part of an association that uplifts the painting and decorating industry and connects like-minded professionals who share a passion for quality and integrity. Thank you, Master Painters QLD, for all that you do! — The Coastal Brush Team

We discovered after engaging a Master Painters Australia accredited painter Prestige Home Transformations to perform works on or family home on the Sunshine Coast, that MPA membership is only the purchase of a logo to display in advertising. In no way shape or form is it any guarantee that the staff working for the MPA accredited business have any MPA training, or any training at all. We wrongly assumed that painting businesses displaying to MPA logo would have staff working for them that had completed some form of training to reach a level of workmanship that MPA expects from its accredited businesses. For the painting of the roof of our home Prestige on sold our "free quote" to a subcontractor Steven St John a QBCC licenced Roof Tiler. At no time was it disclosed to us that Prestige licenced and trained "Home Transformation Experts", as described on their very flashy website, would not be painting our roof but a subcontractor who was provided with a Prestige shirt and Prestige A frame signs to display on the footpath. At no stage did he or Prestige inform us he was Steven St John the roof tiler with the business name Queensland Master Roofing. When we asked David Baird, the owner of Prestige Home Transformations if it was fair and reasonable to advertise online and in written quotes that the work would be performed by Prestige staff, the roofing team as they liked to refer to them. But then engage a 3rd party subcontractor who holds no QBCC licence as a painter, and performed the quoted work badly at a cost to Prestige of about $2000 when the quote was for over $8000. David Bairds reply was "Who says I can't". Steven St John was in no way associated with MPA. We raised or concerns with Chris Munday expecting he would be concerned that a MPA accredited business would be conducting business this way. He confirmed that MPA membership belongs to the business and members can get anyone to perform painting work on their behalf as long as there is no issue with the quality of the work. If there is a complaint about substandard work it should be directed to the QBCC to investigate. So people should not think Businesses displaying MPA accreditation are required to meet any kind of standards required by Master Painters Australia. David Baird was on the board of Master Painters Australia Qld at the time Prestige engaged Steven St John the roof tiler to paint our roof. We unfortunately also used Prestige to do painting work on our home that is defective, and didn't complete much of the work that was in their written quote. Won't go into details as there is currently a QBCC investigation. We hope the business practices of Prestige is an isolated case but David Baird was a board member at the time and is still listed as a MPA Qld Councillor on their website. The role of a Councillor in a not for profit organization is among other duties to "play a vital role in governance and strategic direction. They also ensure the organization operates ethically and legally". So perhaps other MPA accredited painting businesses are employing the same business model as Prestige. Do a free quote. Advertise the quote on line on Hipages or a similar website. Accept an offer to perform the quoted works that is only a fraction of the cost of the "free quote" and pocket the difference. Doesn't matter if the person isn't a licenced painter. Doesn't matter if they have no training or experience. As long as they have the quoting companies shirt and signs they automatically are considered to be covered by the owners QBCC licence. The owner with the QBCC licence doesn't even have to supervise or inspect the standard of the work. As long as nobody complains happy days. And all endorsed by Master Painters Australia. Needless to say we will never use an MPA accredited painter ever again and anyone who does should be very careful that they are getting what was promised in that very expensive "free quote."

Over the last decade, we’ve worked with several training organisations, and Master Painters has stood out as the most professional, organised, and easy to work with. As proud members of Master Painters QLD, we’ve seen first hand how valuable this community is. From training and resources to ongoing support, they’ve helped us grow our business and continue raising the bar. We highly recommend Master Painters QLD to anyone serious about building a strong, reputable painting business.