Regional plan sets foundation for growth

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Friday 15 December 2023

MEDIA RELEASE

Regional plan sets foundation for growth

The Property Council has today welcomed the release of the 2023 South East Queensland Regional Plan which sets out a strategic framework for the region to respond to population growth and the ongoing housing crisis.

The South East Queensland Regional Plan states that the region will grow by 2.2 million people by 2046. This will require 34,500 new homes per year, which the plan outlines will largely be delivered via infill development.

Property Council Queensland Executive Director Jen Williams explained that while the delivery of the plan was an essential step in responding to the housing crisis, how the plan is implemented will be crucial.

“Delivering a refreshed South East Queensland Regional Plan was a key outcome of the 2022 Housing Summit and the Property Council welcomes a new plan that is far more in line with the rapid growth that South East Queensland is experiencing,” Ms Williams said.

“The plan itself contains much needed dwelling targets and does not shy away from the challenge that we have in front of us to increase housing supply.

“But a plan by itself will not fix the housing crisis. How the objectives and goals within the document are achieved is what matters to Queenslanders.

“In the plan there is a significant focus on leveraging higher density developments such as apartment buildings to meet housing targets.

“Unfortunately, sky high construction costs continue to render the delivery of higher density stock largely unviable.

“As such, it is vital that new greenfield development is not ignored by state and local governments as it will be essential in alleviating the pressure on the housing system, especially over the short term.

“If the government truly wants to unlock new housing supply, then it must consider how to increase the financial feasibility of projects whether that be through infrastructure charge discounts, tax incentives, or density bonuses.

“If this does not happen then the targets that the government has outlined in this regional plan will be extremely challenging to achieve.

“The Property Council has consistently re-iterated that we are in a housing crisis and every lever must be pulled to create additional housing.

“When it comes to housing, we need more of everything, everywhere.

“The Property Council commends government for acknowledging the scale of the housing challenge in the regional plan and stands willing and ready to assist with ideas for how these goals can be achieved on the ground,” Ms Williams said.

ENDS

Media contact: Matthew Johnson l 0447 667 502 | [email protected]