Why the Brisbane waterfront plan has no affordable homes

The Queensland government has approved the redevelopment of the Northshore Hamilton former industrial site, the last vacant lot north of the Brisbane River. Five developers will divide the 6.1‑hectare parcel and construct almost 2,200 homes across 13 towers, together with a 50‑bed hotel, a supermarket and other shops.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie removed the affordable‑housing mandate that the previous Labor government had attached to the state‑facilitated development program. Bleijie said the mandate “stopped development” and argued that dropping it would allow the project to move forward.

Because the mandate was removed, the approved plan does not contain any affordable homes. Bleijie also said the precinct is not required to be completed before the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, although finishing it earlier would be “great”.

Queensland’s housing market already shows a severe affordability problem. Data from realestate.com.au indicate that only 9 % of homes in the state are affordable for households earning the median income.

Bleijie said his government is “pulling every lever possible” to address the housing crisis, but the absence of affordable units in the Northshore Hamilton project highlights the immediate impact of removing the affordability requirement.

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