Queensland Deputy Premier Confirms Northshore Hamilton Development Will Lack Affordable Housing
Quick Look
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie confirmed that a 13-tower, 2,200-home development on Brisbane's Northshore Hamilton site will not include affordable housing, despite the state's worsening affordability crisis, citing the removal of Labor-era mandates and claiming market-rate sales.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Northshore Hamilton site was previously planned as the athletes' village for the 2032 Olympic Games under the former Labor government. The current government removed affordable housing mandates from state-facilitated development programs last year.
Queensland's deputy premier says he's "pulling every lever possible" to relieve the housing crisis after confirming a 13-tower development on the "last vacant lot" northside of the Brisbane river won't have affordable homes.
Today, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie announced the Northshore Hamilton former industrial site would be parcelled off to five developers, who between them would build almost 2,200 homes.
Mr Bleijie, who is also minister for state development, infrastructure and planning, dumped the former Labor government's affordable housing mandate from the state facilitated development program last year.
He said mandates "stopped development", suggesting homeowners in the outer suburbs would downsize to riverfront units, freeing up more houses.
"We are in a housing crisis still, we inherited a housing crisis from the Labor government, and we are doing everything we can — we are pulling every lever possible."
Mr Bleijie was unable to say what the land had sold for, only that it had gone for "market value".
Under Labor, the long-vacant 6.1 hectare site was tipped to become the athletes village for the 2032 Olympic Games.
The first residents are expected to move in in 2031.
Mr Bleijie said the towers weren't "required" to be built ahead of 2032, "but having them done before 2032 would be great".
Member for Clayfield Tim Nicholls said it was "the last major development site available" near the CBD, "close to all the things people need and want".
The development will include a 50-bed hotel as well as a supermarket and shops.
"[It's] on the last outstanding northside of the river property location," Mr Nicholls said.
Data released from realestate.com.au on Saturday revealed that nationally housing affordability had fallen to its lowest rate on record, with a household earning a median income of about $125,000 a year could afford just 12 per cent of all homes.
In Queensland, only 9 per cent of homes were affordable for median income households.
Queensland Labor leader Steven Miles said the government was "out of touch".
"Queensland is officially the most unaffordable it's ever been and Jarrod Bleijie's response is to build luxury homes for the wealthy," he said.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Housing affordability in Queensland will continue to decline without policy intervention.
Likely · Within months
The Northshore Hamilton development will proceed as planned with market-rate housing only.
Very likely · Within years
Open Questions
- What is the exact sale price of the Northshore Hamilton land?
- Which five developers received parcels of the site?
- What specific measures is the government taking to address housing affordability beyond market-rate development?
- How will the lack of affordable housing in this development impact low- and middle-income households in Brisbane?
