South East Queensland is currently witnessing an exceptional surge in population growth, accompanied by rapid changes in lifestyles and work patterns. The reasons behind this trend are clear – Queensland boasts an incredible lifestyle and a robust economy that fosters abundant job opportunities and business prospects.
According to projections by the Queensland Government, SEQ is estimated to welcome an additional 1.64 million residents and accommodate nearly 800,000 new homes by 2041. These numbers indicate the region’s significant population growth and the corresponding need for housing and infrastructure development.
As SEQ continues to evolve, it is essential for the government, local authorities, and relevant stakeholders to plan and invest in infrastructure, housing, and employment opportunities. By proactively addressing these needs, SEQ can effectively meet the demands of its growing population, ensuring sustainable development and a high quality of life for its residents.
The Role of the Growth Areas Team
One of the ways the State Government is proactively addressing these needs is through the establishment of the Growth Areas Team (GAT), which aims to address the increasing demand for affordable housing in rapidly expanding regions of SEQ.
Through identifying the challenges posed by various growth fronts, GAT’s primary objective is to unlock land and facilitate the development of well-planned communities. The team operates across multiple local government areas in South East Queensland, addressing growth challenges in various regions.
Several key projects highlight GAT’s active role in driving growth and facilitating housing supply:
- Growth Acceleration Fund (GAF): The establishment of a new $50 million co-investment loan funding scheme to support essential infrastructure delivery in South East Queensland growth fronts to expedite the provision of critical infrastructure, such as roads, water supply and wastewater systems and assist in unlocking new residential land.
- Underutilised Urban Footprint (UUF): The review of 75 UUF areas across SEQ. The work provided an update as to the developability of these areas in the short, medium and long term, and identified barriers to be overcome to support land supply in a growth region.
- Priority Growth Areas Legislation: GAT is working alongside the state planning agency to develop legislative amendments to the Planning Act 2016 to deliver improved planning outcomes for growth areas in SEQ.
- Caboolture West: In partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council, GAT led the land use and infrastructure planning for the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP), a priority growth area, which will eventually provide approximately 30,000 new homes for 70,000 people.
- Southern Redland Bay: Investment in essential infrastructure to assist with providing approximately 5,000 residential lots for over 10,000 people.
- Redland Housing Supply and Diversity Strategy: The Strategy will identify current and future housing needs for Redlands including diverse, accessible, and affordable housing typologies.
Barker Ryan Stewart’s QLD Planning Manager, Nicole Webb, previously held senior management positions within GAT, where she was involved in several of the key projects relating to land supply and housing diversity across SEQ.
GAT will continue to work alongside local governments, state agencies, utility providers, and the development industry to proactively address the challenges associated with growth in South East Queensland, and help create planned, liveable urban communities to support the region’s future growth.
How Barker Ryan Stewart can assist
Our South East Queensland office assists clients in the thriving South East Queensland market, as well as servicing our existing clients in the Northern NSW region.
We are well-positioned and resourced to assist with providing urban planning, civil engineering, infrastructure planning and project management services required for your next development in the region.
If you have any queries about growth in SEQ or how we can assist, please don’t hesitate to contact our QLD Planning Manager, Nicole Webb, at nicolew@brs.com.au or on 07 5582 6555.
Cover image sourced via Unsplash.
