Late last year the Queensland Government released their updated 25-year plan and 50-year vision for South-east Queensland. The plan is still in the draft stages until March this year, but so far it’s estimated that:
- An extra two million people are expected to move to the south-east over the next 25 years, equating to 5.3 million Queenslanders in total
- Only 40% of housing will be greenfield, meaning that 60% will be a result of increasing the density of existing properties, ie less houses and more units
- Appropriate jobs, transport and infrastructure will accompany the population surge
- Demand for affordable housing will be accommodated
Assuming that the building targets can be reached (for instance, the amount of cranes in Brisbane’s sky will need to increase by 50%), the below table outlines the population growth projected around the south-east.
Government area |
2015
|
2041
|
Growth over 26 years |
Total gross growth over 26 years |
| Brisbane | 1,162,200 | 1,572,000 | 409,800 | 35% |
| Gold Coast | 555,600 | 928,000 | 372,400 | 67% |
| Ipswich | 193,000 | 520,000 | 327,000 | 169% |
| Logan | 308,700 | 586,000 | 277,300 | 90% |
| Moreton Bay | 425,500 | 655,000 | 229,500 | 54% |
| Sunshine Coast | 287,500 | 495,000 | 207,500 | 72% |
| Toowoomba | 133,400 | 180,000 | 46,600 | 35% |
| Redland | 150,000 | 188,000 | 38,000 | 25% |
| Lockyer Valley | 38,800 | 61,000 | 22,200 | 57% |
| Scenic Rim | 39,800 | 62,000 | 22,200 | 56% |
| Somerset | 24,000 | 38,000 | 14,000 | 58% |
| Noosa | 53,500 | 63,000 | 9,500 | 18% |
Source: SEQ Regional Draft Plan 2016
Take particular note of Logan and Ipswich, growing by 90% and a whopping 169% respectively.
So what does that all mean? Well more people in an area equates to more potential customers. But who are they, and where exactly will they be living?
Not all suburbs are estimated to grow, in fact some of them will stagnate or even slide backwards. There’s definitely going to be hotspots, and some regions will benefit from new shopping centres and transport hubs.
As for the ‘who’ – some areas will focus on single units, others on retirees and mature couples whereas some areas will focus on younger families.
If you’d like to know more about what’s planned for the south-east, please get in touch with us on (07) 3878 9355 or at info@dws.net.au to discuss the population plans as well as anything else that may affect your venue.
