First Tranche of Queensland Infill Funding Released

The first tranche of successful applications has been greenlit under the Queensland Government’s Incentivising Infill Development Fund.

Sixty applications would share in $52 million from the $350-million fund to build homes close to existing services, public transport, schools and jobs, the government said.

This will deliver 1872 homes from “gentle-density” developments through to apartments from Cairns to the Gold Coast, according to the government.

The fund—part of the Homes for Queenslanders plan—covers the cost of infrastructure charges and development application fees for well-located homes, particularly those with a focus on affordability.

“By covering known infrastructure costs, the fund will also prevent these costs being passed on to homebuyers, promoting housing choice and improving affordability,” it said in a statement.

“This fund is a direct outcome of the insights shared from both industry and local governments, bringing forward development activity while also ensuring councils remain funded for critical infrastructure to support necessary growth.”

The government said it was now prioritising assessment of the remaining fund applications ahead of announcing the next tranche in August.

The lion’s share will be built in Brisbane, 1122 homes, with 131 in the Cairns region, 102 on the Sunshine Coast and 62 on the Gold Coast

There will be 85 at Ipswich, 94 at Logan and 90 in the Moreton Bay region, among others.

“Industry told us they had projects ready to go, they just needed that little bit of extra support to make them shovel ready. That’s why we created this fund,” housing minister Meaghan Scanlon.

“There are pockets of land right across Queensland close to public transport, jobs and schools that are underutilised. That needs to change if we’re to meet the demands for housing in Queensland.

“Not only is this fund unlocking that supply, it’s also stepping in to keep councils funded for essential infrastructure like water, parks and roads.”