Brisbane to do the heavy lifting of new homes in SEQ

Brisbane is expected to provide almost a quarter of the new housing needed to support population growth in south-east Queensland, according to the region’s new planning blueprint.

The draft South East Queensland Regional Plan, being released on Wednesday, reveals 900,000 new homes, units and townhouses will be needed to accommodate another 2.2 million people by 2046.

A total of 900,000 new dwellings will be needed in south-east Queensland to accommodate an extra 2.2 million people by 2046.Credit: Dan Peled

Of those new dwellings, the Brisbane City Council area is expected to provide 209,000 – or 23 per cent overall – even though its population growth rate is one of the lowest in the region.

As Australia grapples with the ongoing housing crisis, the plan for the first time sets a target for affordable and social housing.

The government wants 20 per cent of the new dwellings to be made available to low-income earners. It has also stipulated that about 100,000 of the 900,000 new dwellings should be close to public transport and retail, schools and service centres. That is likely to be delivered through increased density.

Overall, the government expects 32 per cent of the new dwellings to be in greenfield sites – an “expansion” of the urban footprint – and 68 per cent to come through higher density “consolidation”. It will be up to councils to deliver on the plan.

However, it is being released as the building industry grapples with significant cost pressures, which have already delayed and disrupted several major projects around Brisbane. Government infrastructure projects will also add to supply-side issues.

Brisbane’s population is predicted to be 1.72 million by 2046, by which time south-east Queensland will have more than 6 million residents.

The fastest-growing region is still tipped to be Ipswich, where more affordable housing and a heavily used railway line will boost the population by 126.3 per cent, or another 294,000 people.

Under the draft plan, Ipswich will need an extra 195,100 dwellings by 2046. However, more people overall are expected to flow into other council areas.

On Sunday, Deputy Premier Steven Miles set the scene for the new plan, which he will release on Wednesday, by outlining the latest population forecasts for south-east Queensland.

“A lot has changed since the last plan was released, including record interstate migration,” Miles said.

“Our population isn’t just getting bigger, it’s changing, with household sizes, demographics and lifestyle trends shifting.”

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said by setting targets for social and affordable housing, the government wanted to set the expectations of councils and developers.

“Importantly, this plan isn’t just about housing affordability, it’s about affordable living,” Scanlon said.

“Making sure the right housing is available at the right location, to maximise access to local services, transport and jobs, is critical.”