Queensland mining towns’ skyrocketing rents and prices see government intervention

New developments and affordability incentives are being jump started in some of Queensland’s mining towns as a result of increasing rents and prices for homes.

State land has been fast tracked for houses and industry through the Regional and Resource Towns Action Plan in resource region towns.

Now one year since the plan has been put into place, 40% of the 136 actions have been implemented.

Premier Jeff Seeney said that resource towns had been hindered in the past by poor planning and tight restrictions, leading to unaffordable housing.

The plan, finalised in March 2013, used council input to determine what could be done about the difficult situations for those living in mining towns.

For instance, back in 2013 in Queensland’s Roma, the government built and offered 13 homes to low and middle income families. There were more than 300 expressions of interest from those fitting the criteria.

The homes are currently rented at a discount of almost 50% of the market value:
One-bedroom: $190 per week
Two-bedroom: $230 per week
Three-bedroom: $260 per week

The Regional and Resource Towns Action Plan Implementation Report indicates that rents of up to $600 per week for one-bedroom units in Roma have been seen.

“For me, a stand out success story of this plan is Roma,” Seeney said.

“Here the government has fast-tracked development of the Clearview Rise residential development, improving the supply of residential land in Roma,” he explained.

“In addition, $2.12 million has been provided to undertake sewer augmentation, $1.12 million to upgrade the sewer trunk servicing the Clearview Rise and $2.3 million to improve stormwater infrastructure within Roma.”

Clearview Rise, in Roma’s Priority Development Area, will provide 300 homes – from four-bedroom houses to studio apartments, terraces and lofts – for affordable prices.

Several stages have been fast tracked by Economic Development Queensland, including Stage 4 by four months and Stage 2 by 10 months. Stages 1, 2 and 4 are currently complete.

Current packages available for house and land from $239,000 to $466,900, and land only from $94,000.

“The South-West Queensland town of Roma has been heavily impacted by the growth of the resource sector in the Surat Basin,” the report explains.

“The imbalance of housing supply and demand has led to spiralling housing purchase and rental prices, and a lack of appropriate housing options.”

Seeney also pointed to a 112 hectare parcel of land being transferred to the Maranoa Regional Council to complement a 500 hectare parcel of and adjacent to it.

“These initiatives accelerated the release of land to market and will see council better able to deliver affordable housing to Roma residents,” he said.

Seeney is now looking at developing land at the Whitsunday Coast Airport, and is working with Member for Whitsunday, Jason Costigan, who welcomes the opportunities for the area.

“The resource sector plays a massive role in the economy of the Whitsundays and the neighbouring local government areas of Mackay and Isaac,” Costigan said.

“I’m delighted to see the Whitsundays included in this plan which over time will help our region to better reap the benefits and meet the challenges resulting from the important resource sector.”