Real Estate
11 June, 2024
Plan for CBD infill projects
CAIRNS Regional Council has applied for $655,000 in Federal Government funding to help deliver a roadmap to guide infill housing in the Cairns CBD.
A council spokesman said the proposed Cairns City Precincts Urban Regeneration Project responded to early insights derived from the Toward 2050 Growth Management Plan.
“With the population of the Cairns CBD projected to increase by 32 per cent from 2021 to 2046, there is an expected need for more infill and higher density housing required within the CBD and neighbouring inner suburbs,” he said.
“There is also the need to address housing needs to support proposed health, university, arts and sporting precinct areas located close to the CBD.
“The Cairns City Precincts Urban Regeneration Project aims to provide guidance for urban infrastructure in the CBD that will support growth, higher density and diverse housing types to match Cairns’ future residential needs.”
The council has made an application for $655,441 from the Australian Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts under the Housing Support Program – stream 1 funding.
It comes as The Retirement Living Council welcomes the Queensland Government’s $350 million fund to incentivise infill development as the sunshine state continues to attract an influx of retirees.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles, speaking at a Property Council event in Brisbane, is encouraging retirement village developers and operators to utilise the new ‘Incentivising Infill Development Fund’.
Mr Miles said he would like to see retirement village developments utilise these fast-tracked approval processes.
“They’re a great example of how we can deliver additional supply (and) make use of existing infrastructure … if they can help us get older people out of five-bedroom houses more suitable for families and into well serviced apartments and villas, that would be great,” he said.
RLC executive director Daniel Gannon said he was pleased to confirm industry’s involvement in this important initiative.
“Premier Miles has confirmed that the retirement living industry has an important role to play in providing more housing supply across Queensland,” he said.
“Across Queensland, there are more than 280,000 people over 75 living in dwellings that are oversized for their needs, which makes rightsizing an important piece of the housing puzzle,” he said.
