Townsville continues to grow at pace, with a record 1,255 new residential lots approved across the city in the 2025-26 financial year.
Developer demand remains strong in the northern suburbs, with 297, 121 and 107 new lots approved for Shaw, Bohle Plains and Beach Holm respectively.
Cosgrove saw 69 new lots approved, whilst 51 sites were given the green light in Burdell and 38 in Mount Low.
To the south, 224 new lots were approved in Julago, 106 in Rasmussen and 42 in Alligator Creek.
The latest figures represent a 50 per cent increase in new lots approved by Townsville City Council compared to the previous year and dwarfs the nine-year approval average of 630 new residential blocks.
Mayor Nick Dametto said the city had welcomed almost 12,000 new residents in the last five years, with more people, businesses and investment choosing to call North Queensland home.
"We are also approving more housing developments year on year, with 1,255 new residential lots approved this financial year, compared to 832, 448 and 598 in the three previous financial years respectively," Cr Dametto said.
"This is incredible news for our city and our economy, however planning for a city that remains relaxed and liveable well into the future isn't going to happen by accident.
"People are continuing to choose Townsville because of the opportunities available here, whether that's for employment, business investment or raising a family.
"While the growth figures are encouraging, they also reinforce the importance of long-term strategic planning.
"We are very conscious of the need to get the balance right between accommodating growth and maintaining the lifestyle that attracts people to Townsville in the first place.
"That means ensuring the right infrastructure, like roads, retail, parks and essential services to support a growing population, is in place."
Parkside Development General Manager Simon Walker, who is delivering new homes in Shaw, Cosgrove, Kirwan and Mount Louisa, said Parkside was continuing to see demand from people wanting to build to live, or invest in Townsville.
"We're continuing to see demand from people wanting to build to live or invest in Townsville, and that's creating the need for more new housing close to the city," Mr Walker said.
"Greater Ascot is a great example of a master-planned community that's helping meet that demand and giving families more choice.
"Stage 1 of the Town Centre now under construction will also see commercial growth not just residential growth in the estate – our display village in Greater Ascot is set to open in March 2027, which is very exciting for Parkside and Greater Ascot.
"At Cosgrove, we will see over 150 homes titled in the next 6-9 months, with majority of those lots now under contract and we are soon to award the contract for Precinct 5 to commence construction of 175 new lots.
"Bringing more homes and land to market is important as Townsville grows."
Cr Dametto said while Council was pulling the levers it could to bolster housing stock across the local government area, there were barriers such as labour shortages and ongoing critical infrastructure investment that needed to be addressed.
"As Townsville continues to grow, one of our biggest challenges will be ensuring we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver new housing, infrastructure and essential services. Addressing labour shortages must remain a priority if we want to keep pace with demand," Cr Dametto said.
"Continued investment from the State and Federal Governments in enabling infrastructure is also critical. Roads, water, community facilities and transport networks are the foundations that will allow Townsville to accommodate growth, attract investment and remain one of Australia's most liveable regional cities."
The 1,255 lots approved during the 2025-26 financial year represent the highest annual total recorded by Townsville City Council in almost a decade and underline the city's ongoing growth trajectory.
