Gold Coast Mayor Challenges State Over Housing Development

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has publicly questioned a state government decision that has led to the removal of over 500 affordable homes from a new development. The move, initiated by Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and housing advocates.

Mass Removal of Affordable Housing Units

In May, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie formally requested developers to remove affordable housing components from two significant developments in south-east Queensland. This directive resulted in the cancellation of 550 low-cost homes planned for a 2500-property development in Robina and Merrimac, which received state approval on Tuesday. An additional 36 homes were removed from a project in Lutwyche, Brisbane.

These projects fall under the state-facilitated development (SFD) program, where state authorities hold the final say on approvals rather than local councils. Previously, this program mandated that at least 15 percent of homes in such developments be designated as affordable. However, this requirement was reportedly dropped in March.

Developer Response and Project Acceleration

Correspondence indicates that Walker Group Holdings, the developer for the Gold Coast site, responded positively to the request. The company confirmed it supported the change and had amended its application to eliminate the minimum affordable housing requirement, reallocating those units as standard market-rate housing. An executive for Walker Group stated that the removal of the mandate would “unlock the project and get housing started sooner.”

Mayor Demands Action on Affordable Housing

Mayor Tom Tate has urged the state government to clarify where these now-absent affordable homes will be provided. He emphasized the urgent need for compassionate solutions for the “hidden homeless,” recounting encounters with essential workers like teachers who are forced to live in their cars.

“If you’ve got affordable housing, whether they can buy it or you bring down the rent, at least we can get them out of cars,” Mayor Tate stated. He added that “more affordable housing peppered across our city would be much welcome.”

Records show that Walker Group’s Lakeside project at Merrimac and Robina originally planned for 20 percent of its homes to be affordable, specifically designed to support frontline and essential workers.

Government Defends Decision on Supply and Affordability

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie defended the government’s decision to abandon affordable housing mandates, asserting that increasing overall housing supply is the key to achieving affordability.

“When you restrict, and you put mandates on builders and companies, you don’t get the results,” Mr. Bleijie explained. “We want housing out of the ground. Affordability is going to happen with supply. We need more supply in the market. We have far too much demand at the moment. We need supply, supply, supply, fast, fast, fast.”

The government’s move to remove these mandates reportedly followed recommendations from the state’s productivity commissioner.

Opposition Calls Decision an ‘Abuse of Powers’

Opposition leader Steven Miles condemned the directive, labeling it an “abuse of powers” by Mr. Bleijie. He argued that such powers should be used to compel developers to build more affordable homes, not to remove them.

“It’s effectively the deputy premier directing developers to make their developments more expensive, directing them to remove the affordable components of their projects,” Mr. Miles commented. He noted that developers had previously expressed enthusiasm for including affordable housing, indicating it was commercially viable and that they aimed to exceed targets.

Housing Advocate Concerns

Maiy Azize, deputy director of Anglicare Australia, highlighted that the Gold Coast is already one of the least affordable regions in the country, a situation unlikely to improve without intervention.

“It is vital to force developers to deliver some homes that are affordable,” Ms. Azize stated. “The government has to play a role in that process because the private sector simply isn’t doing it themselves.” She described the removal of affordable housing mandates as “baffling,” adding that a government serious about making homes affordable would enhance, not reduce, such requirements.