Cairns housing: Council awarded new funding for population planning

Deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie has some “breaking news” for Cairns, but locals will have to “wait a couple of weeks” to know what housing plans the government has for the Far North city.

The Cairns Regional Council is yet to approve housing development on old sugar cane land around the Mt Peter housing estate, despite the developers completing earthwork and readying contractors to begin construction on the much needed new houses. An aerial view of where the new home building is ready to begin near Mt Peter, south of Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie had some “breaking news” for Cairns, but locals will have to “wait a couple of weeks” to know what housing plans the government has for the Far North city.

The Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning spoke alongside a number of Far North mayors in Cairns on Thursday, breaking down how an $89m Residential Activation Fund investment would be divided among eight local governments.

Absent from the Cairns Esplanade press conference, however, was any representation of Cairns Regional Council.

“I had a very good meeting with some of the councillors and the mayor of Cairns Regional Council … and even though (it) has not been awarded in round one of the Residential Activation Fund – I can give you all some breaking news,” Mr Bleijie said.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie provided a breakdown of how an $89m investment in trunk infrastructure would be divided among eight Far North councils.

“(The electorates of) Cairns, Barron River and Mulgrave are going to be well looked after but you’re going to have to wait a couple of weeks.

“The council and I and the Queensland government are working on more housing supply across Far North Queensland.”

However, Mr Bleijie did announce $350,000 for CRC and $127,313 for Tablelands Regional Council to update planning documents under the $12.5m Scheme Supply Fund.

“(That will) go towards their planning scheme amendments to help them get the engineers, the consultants required to do their planning scheme for population growth,” he said.

Cairns Regional Council division 1 councillor Brett Moller wants to see the state government commit to delivering critical trunk infrastructure, including electricity supply, water and sewerage, to the city’s southern growth corridor around the fledgling subdivisions of Mt Peter and Gordonvale. Picture: Brendan Radke

The deputy premier said Cairns’ application to have Mount Peter declared a priority development area to share the burden of infrastructure delivery with the state government was still under consideration with Economic Development Queensland.

Prior to the state budget, Division 1 councillor Brett Moller said the council was seeking $23m to undertake new planning on trunk infrastructure within the southern growth corridor.

The request was part of a broader long-term application with the council seeking $150m each from both state and federal governments, to be matched by ratepayers in a $450m Securing Cairns’ Housing Foundations plan to open up 3800 new lots in the southern growth corridor.

Originally published as Cairns housing: Council awarded new funding for population planning