The peak body representing Queensland’s councils has called on the State Government to help support the building sector to activate almost 100,000 residential lots already approved statewide.
Councils have been doing the right thing and progressing development approval applications in a timely way, Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Chief Executive Officer Alison Smith said, but there are now almost 100,000 development approvals that are lying dormant because rising construction costs and labour shortages are impacting the viability to proceed.
“Councils and communities and the development sector obviously want to see more homes built and these development approvals activated in order to help alleviate the current housing crisis,” Ms Smith said.
“We are calling on the State Government to help with policy levers that can help developers start building through the creation of a new catalytic housing fund.
“The latest figures from March 2023 show there was 85,777 hectares of available land suitable for residential development in Queensland and 29,086 hectares across southeast Queensland, which would open up 589,150 homes across the state, including 386,693 in southeast Queensland.
“These figures are proof councils are doing their job to facilitate land for housing, but the other obstacles need to be removed to activate construction and get more people into more homes.”
Queensland councils sounded the alarm on the housing crisis in October 2021, and since then have produced a six-point action plan as well as a suite of almost 40 proposals designed to help address housing issues.
The LGAQ will be joining the Premier’s Housing Roundtable tomorrow, Wednesday 20 September.
For more information, please contact:
Dan Knowles, Media Advisor
Phone: 0432 681 664
Local Government Association of Queensland