‘Free’ Quilpie land set to go to auction after receiving over 600 offers

A small outback town of 800 people has been swamped by applications from more than 600 people hoping to get their hands on “free” blocks of land offered by the shire council, prompting a late change of tack in the name of fairness.

After an overwhelming response from hundreds of potential buyers, the famously “free” land in outback Queensland is now set to go to auction.

Quilpie Shire Council CEO Justin Hancock said that the small outback town of just 800 people was run off their feet with more than 600 responses to the $12,500 grant offer designed to encourage new residents to the shire.

“We had quite a few of our staff manning phones just to keep up,” he said.

“As a result there has been no way for us to log or confirm the order of calls. So in fairness to everyone we’ve decided to stage an online auction.”

Blocks of land on offer in Quilpie as part of the council’s homeowner grant. Picture: Leon O'Neil

Ten blocks of land will go to auction on December 7 and 8 with individuals or entities only allowed to buy a maximum of two lots each.

“We had expectations of selling five blocks across the next two years. And here we are on the brink of selling ten blocks in the first months of our grant offer being made public.”

With the property boom pricing out buyers in major metro or coastal regions, Mr Hancock said it’s clear the appetite is out there for those looking for an easier way to live.

Tom Hennessy and Tessa McDougall at the block of land they have purchased in Quilpie as part of the council’s homeowner grant scheme. Picture: Leon O'Neil

The grant was created by the council as a way of driving new home builds in the shire and addressing the housing shortage that was stopping people from relocating to Quilpie.

Under the grant, anyone who purchased a block of land in the Quilpie Shire had the opportunity to have $12,500 reimbursed when they built and lived in the new house for a minimum of six months.

With some blocks of land selling for the same amount as the grant, the town was seen as offering up “free” land.

However, with the offer now turning into an auction, prices are likely to climb, with Mr Hancock saying it was creating a “true market of value” for the land.

“There are currently blocks of land for sale in Quilpie for around $17,000 so we’re not expecting a runaway result like the Block’s TV auction,” he said.

“The blocks will be excellent value, particularly when the new owners build and live on them – making them eligible to collect our $12,500 new home builder Council grant.”

If the blocks end up selling for more than initially anticipated, the Council has committed to reinvesting additional funds into the grant program and using it to open up more land.

The online auction will see six blocks go up for sale on December 7 with the remaining four on offer on December 8.

The auction site will go live on November 30 for buyers to register their interest at auctioncentre.com.au.

Originally published as ‘Free’ Quilpie land set to go to auction after receiving over 600 offers