Homes for Queenslanders: Miles Government to deliver more homes, faster

• Miles Labor Government plans to open up more access to land and to encourage more housing development, including social and affordable housing
• $350 million to create a state-wide infrastructure fund to encourage private market-feasible infill development.
• Work towards a Ground Lease Model pilot to unlock more social and affordable housing on surplus government land.
• Inclusionary Planning Pilot Program to help developers, the community and councils understand how different inclusionary planning models can work in practice.

Premier Steven Miles and Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon have today announced new initiatives under the Homes for Queenslanders plan to deliver more homes faster.

$350 million will be invested in the new Incentivising Infill Fund to encourage development in underutilised areas – close to jobs, services and facilities.

Feedback from industry included the impact of infrastructure charges on major developments, which is why the fund will provide relief from infrastructure charges for market-ready development.

To qualify for funding, proposals must demonstrate returns to the Queensland community by facilitating smaller, more affordable and well-located housing options.

This is about density done right and making sure we maximise opportunities on underutilised land with access to existing infrastructure, jobs and services to protect our natural environment as we grow.

We’ve already invested more than $328 million since 2021 in infrastructure to support Queensland’s growing areas through the Catalyst Infrastructure Fund, Building Acceleration and Growth Acceleration Funds.

This has unlocked more than 25,000 new lots across South East Queensland.

We are also leading the way and exploring different financial and commercial models to partner with the private sector, encourage supply and demonstrate what can be done on state-owned land.

The Government will partner with the industry to unlock more social and affordable homes on state-owned laned through a new pilot Ground Lease Model.

The Ground Lease Model aligns with the Federal Government’s national housing reform blueprint which calls on State Governments to open-up more state-owned land for housing.

It also builds on the housing delivery and financing models already being delivered in partnership with community housing providers and the private sector through the Housing Investment Fund and Economic Development Queensland.

Pilot project locations will be explored in Varsity Lakes, Mango Hill and Pimlico. 

A further measure of the Homes for Queenslanders plan will see the creation of a new State Facilitated Development Team. This team will speed up the planning and development process and solve development and infrastructure issues that delay new homes.

This new pathway will fast track approvals of state significant proposals and will be targeted on applications that include affordable and or social housing.

The new State Facilitated Development Team will also manage five new pilot projects to test different models of inclusionary planning in Queensland – under an Inclusionary Planning Pilot Program.

The pilot projects will aim for around 20% affordable housing products by using various incentives such as density bonuses and alternative car parking rates to test the commerciality of different models.

We will soon be inviting proposals for the first tranche of Inclusionary Pilot Projects to be run by the new team.

Quotes attributable to Premier Steven Miles:

“A key pillar of the Homes for Queenslanders plan is building more homes faster.

“The Infrastructure Infill Fund, combined with initiatives like the Ground Lease Delivery Model, will deliver more housing options in demand areas – close to schools, transport and healthcare.

“This funding is in direct response to the feedback we’ve received from industry.

“My government is listening, and we want to work together to get the job done.

“As Queensland grows, so must our approach to partnering with industry players to unlock more social and affordable homes.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Public Works Meaghan Scanlon:

“This fund will unlock the type of homes Queenslanders are telling us they need – that are more affordable, the right size and allow access to daily needs.

“We want to create new opportunities in urban areas so that younger generations can enter the market, and older generations wanting to downsize can stay near their families. ‘

“The Ground Lease model will also encourage new players and new investment into the housing market, and we are working hard to partner with the private sector to enable more housing supply, including social and affordable housing.

“Homes for Queenslanders will see unlock more homes, faster, because every Queenslander deserves to have a place to call home.”

Quotes attributable to Property Council’s incoming Queensland Executive Director Jess Caire:

“It is has never been more expensive to build homes in Queensland and this is a welcome initiative that will assist in fast tracking much needed supply by addressing the single biggest barrier to delivery– cost.

“Research commissioned by the Property Council last year reinforced infrastructure charging relief as a key lever in facilitating development and fast-tracking new housing.

“It is pleasing to see the government has listened to industry’s feedback that more needs to be done to bolster the viability of new housing projects.

“We look forward to working with them on the detail to ensure it achieves its intended outcome – rapidly unlocking much needed housing supply for Queenslanders.”

Quotes attributable to Bluebird Property Managing Director Riye Arai-Coupe:

“Across the State, developers and landowners are working hard to unlock underutilised land to build these much-needed affordable new homes.

"We commend the Miles Labor Government for continuing to actively support and work with the industry to ease delivery constraints and open new housing supply opportunities.

“The Incentivising Infill Fund will create many more opportunities for developers and community housing providers to build new homes in more locations that offer good access to public amenities such as transport, schools and employment.

“Any support that aids in reducing the cost of building more affordable homes in well-serviced areas is very welcomed by the industry.

“The new Ground Lease Model pilot will ultimately unlock new land and opportunities to build new social and affordable housing that has otherwise not been readily available to community housing providers and the private sector.

“Unlocking state-owned land for housing while reducing the cost of new homes will also attract new investment into social and affordable housing and will enable further growth in new housing supply.”

ENDS

Media Contact: Francis Dela Cruz – 0420 592 078 and Robyn Wuth - 0461 555 208