Greenfield land is undeveloped land in the Urban Footprint that is potentially suitable for future urban development. It is generally found on the fringes of existing urban areas.

Following the release of the Queensland Housing Affordability Strategy in July 2007, the state government reviewed the supply of greenfield land in South East Queensland’s Urban Footprint. 

After conducting a constraints and opportunities analysis, the government identified 42 greenfield areas. These areas are distributed equitably across the region, amongst local governments and developers. 

The locations are illustrated in the Delivering the Queensland Housing Affordability Strategy - Greenfield land supply in South East Queensland action plan.

The areas do not have specific boundaries or addresses. Rather, they are general localities or ‘nodes’ where development could occur. As more detailed planning occurs over the next 6–12 months, the boundaries will be refined.

The areas do not encroach into the inter-urban breaks of the South East Queensland Regional Plan.

Characteristics and size of greenfield sites

Of the 42 greenfield areas, 22 are ‘committed areas’ - they have urban zonings, existing development approvals and/or established or committed infrastructure. Twelve of these areas have been identified as priorities and will be brought forward over the next six months.

The remaining 20 areas are ‘potential areas’ - currently not zoned for urban development nor included in state and local government infrastructure plans. Five of these areas have been identified as priorities and will be made developer-ready within the next 12 months.

The areas range in size from about 100 ha to 5000 ha. The area available for development will vary, depending on land constraints.

Some areas are in single ownership (e.g. Caloundra South), others have multiple owners (e.g. Oxley Wedge). Landowners will be consulted over the next 12 months.

Much of the land will be used for housing, however it will also accommodate a mix of other uses, including employment, infrastructure, recreation, open space and environmental management.

The boundaries of the areas will need to be determined before the number of lots can be calculated. The potential lot yield will vary from area to area. Lot sizes will be determined by local governments in their town plans.

Land supply and its link to housing affordability

Land holding costs and development approval times have been identified by the development industry as adding to the cost of housing in South East Queensland.

Removing regulatory hurdles will save developers time and money, while increasing the supply of land ready for development will increase competition between developers - putting downward pressure on house prices.

The Queensland Government has no control over other housing affordability factors, such as interest rates and mortgage deregulation.

Timeframes for development of greenfield land

The government will work to ensure the land comes onto the market as soon as possible and development applications are considered without delay. This can occur more quickly for committed areas where planning is already advanced.

The government is expecting the development industry to respond accordingly, by bringing approved greenfield areas to the market in a timely manner.

Over the past year, the industry has publicly stated it can deliver additional land to the market if the government addresses issues such as holding costs, infrastructure delivery and approval delays. 

Under the Integrated Planning Act 1997, local governments are responsible for the detailed planning and development approval of greenfield development sites in Queensland. This will continue to be the case.

Responsibility for building infrastructure - roads, water, sewerage - to support urban development

Committed greenfield areas generally have established or promised infrastructure, some of which falls under the state government’s $107 billion South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program. 

Most of the potential greenfield areas are outside current state and local government infrastructure delivery programs. Consequently, developers of these areas would need to demonstrate how the necessary infrastructure would be funded and delivered.

Development in these areas will be subject to the Integrated Planning Act 1997, which provides for community consultation on planning and development assessment.

The role of government in developing greenfield land

Planning and development assessment of greenfield areas will generally remain the responsibility of the relevant local governments.

The Department of Infrastructure and Planning will coordinate and implement the action plan on behalf of the state government. A dedicated implementation team will facilitate the release of greenfield land for development. The team’s chief task will be to work with local governments, state agencies and the development industry to - within six months - remove regulatory hurdles to committed greenfield areas. Over the next year, the team will, in consultation with the relevant local governments, establish a planning framework for the five potential greenfield areas being brought forward.

The Urban Land Development Authority will get involved only if the greenfield site is declared an Urban Development Area.