Revealed: The biggest property investors in Queensland parliament

A full breakdown of the real estate interests of Queensland’s 93 state parliamentarians shows they own 143 properties, with a third owning two or more. SEARCH PARTIES & PROPERTIES

A third of Queensland’s parliamentarians own two or more properties amounting to 92 titles including land for development – while seven such as housing minister Meaghan Scanlon have none.

Latest Queensland parliamentary declarations show 31 members have two or more properties each, of which the top 14’s tally comes to 54 with Premier Steven Miles and Opposition leader David Crisafulli among the biggest investors on the list.

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Mr Miles and Mr Crisafulli were among five elected members with the third highest number of properties, at four each.

Mr Miles has invested heavily into Brisbane real estate with his home in Mango Hill, plus properties in Alderley (700sq m), a two bedder in Yeronga and a three bedder in West End.

Mr Crisafulli, whose electorate is Broadwater in the northern Gold Coast, had a 25ha sugarcane farm at Lannercost, west of Ingham, listed among his self-managed super fund investments, as well as two other properties in the area via his Crisafulli Family Trust, the largest of which is 45ha in Elphinstone Pocket. He also has a 600sq m property in investor hotspot Townsville, in the suburb of Heatley, according to his declarations.

Both men were among over 20 parliamentarians who declared others sources of income involving rent or property investments.

Premier Steven Miles, pictured at home with his family, owns four properties with his wife Kim. Picture: Adam Head

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli in a file picture at the cane farm his family owns near Ingham. Picture: Michael Chambers

The official figures showed the majority of Queensland’s parliament (53 members) were owner-occupiers with one property – including Treasurer Cameron Dick whose home in Underwood is on a 700sq m block.

But while smaller in number (33), the investors packed some serious titles under their belt led by Queensland’s biggest political property mogul Ipswich West member Darren Zanow who has seven to his name.

Born and raised in Ipswich, Mr Zanow’s real estate interests cover more than 1,900 hectares of land on the outskirts of the Greater Brisbane region – the largest of which is over 1,583ha in Avoca Vale to the west of the Sunshine Coast.

One of the newest members Darren Zanow, sworn in for Ipswich West in April, has gone straight to the top of the Queensland’s political real estate table with seven properties. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

He has land banked up in Ipswich suburb North Booval where he declared a 15.78ha farming property as his principal place of residence and has three others including two farms – potentially his most lucrative investments subject to approval, given massive demand for land for residential development across Greater Brisbane. He also has a 79.441ha freehold development site in Grantham and a 200ha freehold farm in England Creek, near Wivenhoe.

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Tony Perrett had the second highest number of properties on the list at six. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Member for Gympie Tony Perrett of the LNP was not far behind, declaring six properties to parliament, one of which was through his Perrett Grazing Co covering over 3000ha in Mudlo. He has another two pieces of real estate in the area – 3100ha and 19.4ha, plus three in Kilkivan where his home is.

Industrial relations minister Grace Grace, assistant education minister Corrine McMillan and LNP’s Jim McDonald matched the Premier and Opposition Leader with four properties each.

Katter’s Australian Party leader Rob Katter was among seven members with three properties each, with his including his home and an investment property in Mount Isa, plus another in Townsville.

Queensland’s legislative assembly has 93 members elected every four years, with the next state election to be held on the last Saturday in October this year.

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Originally published as Revealed: The biggest property investors in Queensland parliament