Land sale boosts affordable housing stock

First home buyers will benefit from a new affordable residential development planned for 34 Kerr Road, Kallangur in Brisbane’s north, Housing Minister Robert Schwarten announced today.

Mr Schwarten said a minimum of 10 percent of housing developed on the site would be set aside for first home buyers and the development would also include social housing and affordable housing sites.

“The site is located 27km north of the Brisbane CBD at the access point for the future highway overpass linking to the Northlakes Master-planned Community,” he said.

“It’s also close to facilities needed by young families and retirees including employment, public transport and regional shopping centres.”

The announcement followed the sale of the six hectare site to Village Building Company for future residential development.

Mr Schwarten said the Department of Housing had released the site through an invitation to offer process, which attracted strong interest from the development community.

“The submission from Village Building Company best met the department’s vision for the site by offering diverse and affordable housing options,” he said.

“Village is also a proven developer with successful developments at Murrumba Downs and Kallangur, just north of Brisbane, delivering over 1,300 mixed-sized lots, and multiple developments in the Australian Capital Territory, Coffs Harbour and Wollongong.”

Village Building Company’s Development Manager, Paul Pham, said his company was keen to extend its development of affordable housing products in Brisbane.

“Our estates incorporate open space, parkland, bicycle paths and community facilities, and the Kerr Road development will have over one hectare designated for parkland along with a landscaped buffer to the Bruce Highway,” he said.

“The local area plan encourages small lot and medium density product and we’ve embraced this with a proposal for around 100 lots, with a mix of detached homes, villa homes and strata titled houses on lot sizes from 220m² to 450m².”

Mr Pham said the Village Building Company was consulting with the Moreton Bay Regional Council to deliver highly liveable and affordable housing options primarily targeting first home buyers.

“By reducing the land size and wasted space, simplifying designs and placing emphasis on facilities for young children, the Village will offer housing options for families as well as low maintenance housing for older people,” he said.

“We expect prices to range from $250,000 to $370,000, with three-bedroom homes starting at around $300,000, putting home ownership within the reach of young couples,” he said.

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