New homes for Cairns step closer

The people and businesses of Cairns will benefit from Queensland Government funding that will pave the way for the construction of 18,500 new homes at Mount Peter, south of Cairns.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney announced in State Parliament today that the State Government had identified the first three projects to be funded under its Priority Development Infrastructure program.

“We promised at the election to provide better infrastructure and planning in regional Queensland to help build thriving communities where Queenslanders want to live and work,” Mr Seeney said.

“Our Priority Development Infrastructure (PDI) Co-investment Program will see the State Government co-invest in start-up projects such as road, water supply, sewerage and stormwater infrastructure that will enable councils to attract investment to get associated developments off the ground.

“We recognised we needed to work with councils and the private sector to get projects moving – projects to provide the catalytic infrastructure that would support growth in residential, commercial and industrial developments.

“In Cairns, we will partner with the Cairns Regional Council and the Satterley Property Group to fund infrastructure for the Mount Peter master planned area.”

This co-investment will enable the construction of trunk water and sewer infrastructure for residential development to begin on the first 1,000 lots in the Mount Peter master planned area. Covering over 3,300 hectares in total, Mount Peter will ultimately provide an estimated 18,500 homes for 40,000 residents.

Member for Cairns Gavin King said infrastructure at Mount Peter has been talked about for many years, but it’s taken the Queensland LNP government to deliver it.

“Under Labor the construction industry was on its knees, but our government has been able to deliver what Labor never could,” Mr King said.

“We have seen a turnaround in construction activity in the last two years, and this project will continue that solid momentum.”

Member for Barron River Michael Trout agreed the funding for Mount Peter was welcome news for the Far Northern City.

“This is a fantastic announcement for a city that is experiencing rapid growth, and this infrastructure will pave the way for much needed residential development,” Mr Trout said.

“The north side of Cairns is fast running out of available land for housing, so this development to the south is definitely needed.”

Cairns Region Mayor Bob Manning said he was pleased the State Government had invested in the future of Cairns.

“Mount Peter is considered to be the key growth area for the Cairns Region for the next 20 years,” Cr Manning said.

“Council has invested heavily in the master planning project and we’re pleased to see the State Government has recognised the importance of this development by investing in the future of Cairns.

“Satterley’s ability to access this funding has been made possible as Council’s infrastructure charges regime complies with the State Government’s Fair Value of Charges initiative.

“This is clear evidence of an ongoing commitment by Council and the State Government to stimulate activity in the local construction industry and to support development in the region.

“We look forward to working closely with Satterley to implement the Mount Peter Master Plan.”

Mr Seeney said over the past few months Economic Development Queensland had been working with councils to identify projects in their regions that will deliver significant flow-on benefits for the community.

“By supporting Priority Development Infrastructure projects in places like Mount Peter we are giving local governments and the private sector the confidence to invest in infrastructure that will grow regional economies,” Mr Seeney said.

“The co-investments we are making will be recovered from these new developments and will, in turn, be rolled into future catalytic infrastructure projects that will provide jobs and business opportunities across Queensland.”

Further information on the Priority Development Infrastructure program is available at: www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/pdi

[ENDS] 16 October 2014

Media Contact: Jane Paterson 0417 281 754 or Elizabeth Spry 0418 928 744