Varsity Lakes Land Release Puts TOD Vision Back on Track
It is a long-dormant slice of what was first flagged as an ambitious transit-oriented urban village almost 20 years ago.
And finally—with a more urgent backdrop—the Queensland Government is moving to unlock the state-owned parcel opposite Varsity Lakes train station at the end of the Gold Coast line.
It has brought the 1.1ha site on Station Parade to market under its Land Activation Program, with expectations of delivering up to 250 homes.
Concept renderings indicate the potential for up to five medium-rise towers.
Back in 2007, the government outlined a blueprint for what was then pitched as Queensland’s first true transit-oriented development (TOD)—a 14ha “station village” designed to cluster housing, retail and commercial activity around the city’s heavy rail terminus.
The Varsity Lakes train station was officially opened in December of 2009.
But while the broader precinct has since evolved in fits and starts, the Station Parade site has remained conspicuously undeveloped.
In more recent years, however, South-East Queensland’s housing equation has shifted dramatically, with population growth outpacing supply and affordability tightening across key urban markets.
As a result, such underutilised holdings have become critical pieces of the supply puzzle.
The Varsity Lakes parcel, previously held by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, has been transferred to Economic Development Queensland, which is tasked with securing a deal with the private sector to develop the site.
The EDQ’s more conventional market-led play also strips away constraints and accelerates delivery timelines.
“By pulling every lever available to the government, we are creating more opportunities for industry to build homes and for Queenslanders to find housing that’s within reach,” Deputy Premier and State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said.
“This will deliver homes close to transport, jobs and essential services, including affordable housing options that are within reach of everyday, hardworking Queenslanders.”
The Varsity Lakes land release is the latest in the government’s statewide roll-out as part of its Land Activation Program, with other sites already released at Mango Hill, Banyo and Pimlico in Townsville—with a combined delivery target of 1150 homes.
