Qld government releases Brisbane land for housing, with more sites to come – realestate.com.au

The state has given itself the mandate to “use or accommodate” and is inviting developers to express interest in government-owned land..

The Queensland Government has announced a new program to release underutilized government land to quickly build new homes across the state.

As part of the Crisafulli government’s plan to deliver one million new homes by 2044, the Land Activation Program (LAP) allows developers to identify and register interest in surplus government land suitable for housing.

The program will be led by Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), which can accelerate the delivery of new homes under the Economic Development Act 2012.

The program is also exempt from the Queensland Government’s land transfer policy, allowing land transfers to be made at residual value.

Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the initiative was about accelerating supply and removing barriers.

“Queensland is now open for business and we are continuing the work, cutting red tape, accelerating approvals and bringing development-ready land to market,” Mr Bleijie said.

Under the program, EDQ may also accept proposals from industry identifying state-owned sites with potential for housing. EDQ will then investigate the location and advise on its suitability within 30 working days.

The first parcel to become available through the program is more than six hectares of vacant land in Banyo, in Brisbane’s north, which could deliver up to 400 new homes.

A former Energex depot, this site is 13km from Brisbane’s CBD and within walking distance of a train station, shops and a range of public amenities.

Following the government’s adoption of the LAP policy, EDQ formally expressed interest to Energy Queensland, as landowner, to obtain a transfer of the land at residual value to enable housing development. The transfer has now been completed and is therefore one of the first LAP sites to be put on the market.

The first release will take place in Banyo, 13km from Brisbane’s CBD. Photo: Getty

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The state government has also announced that it will introduce a ‘use it or house it’ policy, which would see surplus state land released and developed for housing where it is no longer needed.

Jess Caire, chief executive of the Queensland Property Council, welcomed the move.

“The industry has long called for a clear and comprehensive audit of underutilized state land, because identifying and activating surplus sites is critical to unlocking the new housing supply our state urgently needs,” Ms Caire said.

“This program represents a meaningful commitment to delivering more supply faster and the industry looks forward to working with government to ensure these opportunities translate into tangible more roof-over-head outcomes for Queensland families.”

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