Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh:
In the state’s most ambitious infrastructure program ever, more than $11.6 billion dollars will be invested on new infrastructure on the Gold Coast over the next 20 years.
Pointing out that the Infrastructure Plan also includes the more than $7.5 billion identified for water infrastructure projects that will benefit the entire SEQ region, Ms Bligh said it showed the State Government’s strong commitment to infrastructure delivery.
Queensland’s Future Population – 2006 Edition presents the results of the latest population projections for Local Government Areas in Queensland. The projections are produced in three series – low, medium and high – and are available by five year age groups and sex for the period to 2026. The report also contains analysis of some of the implications of the projected future population growth, such as local variations in future population size and age structure.
Population in the South East Queensland Region is booming
The South East Queensland Region, combining Brisbane and Moreton Statistical Divisions and Toowoomba City, has the largest concentration of urban development and contains the majority of the State’s population. The Region had 2.78 million residents in 2006, more than two-thirds (68.8%) of Queensland’s total population. The South East Queensland Region’s population is projected to increase to 3.96 million people by 2026, an increase of 1.18 million people or average growth around 60,000 people each year (or 1,150 people each week).
Gold Coast City captures the largest share of Queensland’s population growth.
Among all Local Government Areas in Queensland, Gold Coast City is expected to have the largest population growth over the next 20 years (nearly 267,000 people). This equates to average population growth of more than 13,300 people per year or more than 250 people per week.
Source: Queensland Government release
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AUSTRALIA’S rental vacancy rate has fallen to the lowest level in almost 40 years, with pressure mounting on the Federal Government to address housing affordability in the May 8 budget. Figures from the federal Treasury show the rental vacancy rate fell to 1.36 per cent in the December quarter — the lowest since the series began in 1969.
Source: The Age
The front page of the Weekend Bulletin comments that “cashed up investors” have rediscovered their love affair with the Gold Coasts beach front property market splurging $115 million in just 8 weeks.
The same issue mentioned the Gold Coast Councils plan to move their headquarters to Robina into a $10 million building, along with a new $15 million library which, if it goes ahead should cement Robina as the Gold Coasts nerve centre. The proposed site is expected to be within the Robina town Centre precinct and to include a cluster of 5 to 10 story developments. They also comment on a planned museum, Southbank (Brisbane) styled cafes and restaurants and a boutique hotel.
Source: Weekend Bulletin
House prices are going back up after a long lull with strong gains recorded in most capital cities as the nation leaves the property downturn well and truly behind.. Average house prices grew by an average 1.1 per cent across Australia in the first three months of the year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’s House Price Index, which takes the average of the nation’s eight capital cities.
Brisbane prices were up 2.9 per cent over the quarter and 10.2 per cent over the year.
Source: News.com.au
BRISBANE faces a future of higher density developments in suburban centres under a 20-year plan City Hall hopes can accommodate massive population growth while keeping the city livable. The plan maps out how council plans to provide the majority of 145,000 new dwellings needed over the next 20 years, with the bulk to be located in the city’s already built-up locations. Under the plan, the CBD can expect to grow by 6300 people and 5400 more homes in the next 20 years, while key activity centres such as Upper Mount Gravatt will be the target of 5000 more homes and 7800 additional people.
Source: Courier Mail
