The rollout of the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund is gaining momentum, providing more than $60 million to unlock the delivery of almost 1300 homes in Brisbane’s south.
Two critical infrastructure projects at Rochedale will be fast-tracked with the funding allocations.
They include a $47-million boost towards the $57.4 million Gardner Road Extension, expected to unlock 685 new homes.
As well, the $14.7-million Rochedale Road and Ford Road Stormwater Project, which will deliver key drainage infrastructure enabling the delivery of 600 new homes, will be fully funded.
Deputy Premier and State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said by funding shovel-ready projects the $2-billion Residential Activation Fund would ultimately unlock thousands of new homes across Queensland.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Rochedale projects would help meet Brisbane’s housing needs and support the city’s growing population.
“Brisbane is one of Australia’s fastest-growing cities and we are pulling every lever available to deliver more homes sooner,” he said.
“With 96 per cent of new homes delivered by the private sector, the best way to address the housing crisis is working with industry to build more homes sooner.”
The Residential Activation Fund is part of a broader strategy aimed at the delivery of a million homes across the state by 2044.
The fund is focused on alleviating roadblocks for infill and greenfield developments. Applications for the initial round, targeting critical infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage, stormwater, and roads, drew 178 submissions—64 from south-east Queensland and 114 from regional, rural, and remote Queensland.
Meanwhile, listed land lease housing developer Ingenia Communities has recently filed plans for a 166-lot development for seniors and retirees at Rochedale.
Earmarked for a 7.15ha site at 323 Rochedale Road, the proposal comprises a mix of two and three-bedroom homes to be delivered in 11 stages.
In July, the inaugural allocation from the Residential Activation Fund was announced providing $135.98 million for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant at Logan—without which, it is claimed, the local council would have to stop approving new housing in the near future.
It is poised to unlock 20,000 new homes in the fast-growing city of more than 375,000 people in the Brisbane-Gold Coast corridor. Construction is slated to begin in 2026, with the first residential connections expected by 2028.
