- More than $66 million to fast-track new homes for the Gympie Region through Round 2 of the Residential Activation Fund.
- Residential Activation Fund has unlocked more than 155,000 places to call home for Queenslanders in less than 18 months.
- The Crisafulli Government is building Queensland's future after a decade of decline under Labor saw Queenslanders locked out of the housing market as vacancy rates plummeted to record-lows.
The Crisafulli Government is continuing to unlock housing supply quickly across Queensland, with the next round of the Residential Activation Fund to deliver a place to call home for more Queenslanders in Gympie.
As part of Round 2 of the Residential Activation Fund, the Crisafulli Government is investing more than $66 million to deliver phase 2 of the Gympie Water Treatment Plant upgrade, which includes the construction of pumps, rising mains, filters, disinfection systems and associated infrastructure.
The investment builds on the critical infrastructure projects approved under Round 1 of the RAF, including $36.64 million for Gympie Regional Council to deliver the Gympie Water Resilience and Augmentation Project, as well as $5.4 million for detailed design of Gympie Water Treatment Plant pipelines, pumping stations and storage reservoir.
In total, the Crisafulli Government's Residential Activation Fund has delivered more than $100 million in funding for trunk infrastructure in the Gympie region alone.
The Residential Activation Fund is a key pillar of the Crisafulli Government's plan to unlock housing supply by investing in enabling infrastructure that brings forward new residential development across Queensland.
The award-winning Residential Activation Fund has now unlocked capacity for more than 155,000 homes statewide, following the announcement of five new projects on the Fraser Coast yesterday, helping deliver a place to call home for more Queenslanders.
The Residential Activation Fund is just one of the Crisafulli Government's range of initiatives delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders, including:
- More than $2 billion in joint Federal and State funding to unlock 51,000 homes, including 20,000 for first home buyers.
- Releasing underutilised State land for housing under the landmark Land Activation Program.
- Relief for first homeowners with $30,000 First Home Owner Grants continuing and locked into the Budget.
- Supporting first home buyers by removing stamp duty on new builds.
- Introducing a nation-leading Boost to Buy shared equity scheme to help reduce the deposit gap, with half of the up to 2,000 places reserved for regional Queenslanders.
- Increasing rental availability by lifting subletting restrictions for homebuyers receiving grants and concessions.
- Delivering 1 million homes, including a record pipeline of 53,500 social and community homes by 2044.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the investment was a clear demonstration of Crisafulli Government's commitment to building Queensland's future with a place to call home for more Queenslanders.
"The Crisafulli Government's Residential Activation Fund is pulling every lever to increase housing supply, because you can't build homes without the roads, water and sewerage infrastructure to support them.
"After a decade of decline under Labor, we're getting on with the job of delivering the infrastructure needed to unlock new housing opportunities across the State.
"In Gympie alone, the Residential Activation Fund is delivering more than $100 million worth of critical trunk infrastructure upgrades and has a big share of more than 155,000 homes that have been unlocked across Queensland, demonstrating exactly what's possible when government partners with councils, landowners and developers to remove barriers to housing.
"In less than 18 months, the Crisafulli Government has unlocked more places to call home after Labor's decade of decline, which saw housing lot approvals slump by 29 per cent, leading to record-low rental vacancy rates, a skyrocketing social housing waitlist and the lowest home ownership rate in the country.
"Availability equals affordability and by ensuring supply is unlocked, while also delivering a record number of social and affordable homes and support for first homebuyers, we're delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders, and the fresh start we promised them."
Member for Gympie Tony Perrett said the investment would help unlock thousands of new homes across Gympie and give more families the opportunity to call the region home.
"This is a huge investment in Gympie's future and a major step towards unlocking more homes for local families," Mr Perrett said.
"For too long, housing supply has failed to keep pace with the growth of our community, putting more pressure on families trying to find a home.
"The Crisafulli Government is getting on with the job of fixing that by investing in the water and sewerage infrastructure needed to unlock land and get homes built sooner."
Gympie Regional Council Mayor Glen Hartwig said the record investment through the Crisafulli Government's Residential Activation Fund was critical in ensuring Gympie had the infrastructure it needed to grow and prosper.
"Gympie is known as the town that saved Queensland after the1867 discovery of gold which helped the then colony of Queensland climb out of a severe financial crisis. Today's announcement is Queensland, via this government, returning the favour," Cr Hartwig said.
"This investment through the Queensland Government's Residential Activation Fund, means our region can provide the infrastructure needs for a growing community – something the council and its community could not otherwise afford to do.
"We've already started works at the Jones Hill Sediment Tank Upgrade Project, and this significant investment through this new round will mean we can continue this critical work to replace our ageing treatment plant and associated infrastructure.
"This work is vital to not only address our current needs, but to also boost economic confidence in our region and support our role as a future growth corridor for SEQ."
