Queensland Priority Development Areas – Capitalise on planned growth

The Queensland State Government, in particular the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, has recently updated the progress and information relating to assigned Priority Development Areas (PDAs).

PDAs are parcels of land within Queensland, identified for specific accelerated development, with a focus on economic growth. They facilitate methods for fast tracking and concentrating development, through which existing local planning frameworks and by-laws may be suspended in the interest of economic development.
 

Staying ahead of the curve

We have previously discussed that staying aware of the major and minor projects from around the country, will help reveal a broader scope of opportunities and keep you ahead of the curve.

With 31 separate PDAs, there are many opportunities waiting to be seized by the intuitive developers and investors. In this article, we will dive down into five of the 31 to reveal some the government’s planned infrastructure and investment programs, and also to uncover the potential ways developers and investors might capitalise on these plans.
 

Yeronga, Brisbane
One of the more recently declared PDAs, this three-hectare allotment has been identified as a potential key urban renewal opportunity under the state government’s Advancing our cities and regions (AOCR) strategy.

The PDA was established in August 2018 and has set out an overarching planning framework that will support the future economic and community outcomes in the area. Ultimately the objective is to transform this unused site, on the corner of Park Road and Villa Streets, into an inviting, sustainable, connected and integrated place.  

The vision for the future uses of the space is outlined in the PDA description and encompasses such work as,

• Delivering a predominantly residential community with a range of other compatible uses including a new Yeronga Community Centre
• Integrating with, and complementing the Yeronga State High School
• Promoting housing innovation and diversity to improve housing options and address housing affordability
• Delivering an efficient, safe, inviting, attractive and legible street and movement network that is pedestrian and cyclist friendly, complements and responds to the site’s natural topography and protects the safety and function of the surrounding road network
• Improving active and public transport connectivity in the PDA and surrounding area
• Contributing to a sense of place and identity for the PDA and surrounding area by embracing the surrounding landscape, heritage and cultural qualities.

This listing in Annerley has potential to benefit from the development in Yeronga. 
 To view other development sites close to the Yeronga PDA click here.

Caloundra South
Declared in October 2010, the Caloundra South PDA covers 2,310-hectares to the south-west of Caloundra, situated between the Bruce Highway and Pelican Waters, north of Bells Creek Road.

The Caloundra South PDA will become a community providing approximately 20,000 dwellings to house a population of approximately 50,000 people. 5,000 houses are assigned to be affordable for key workers and first home buyers, with a further 2,000 houses to be accessible for persons with disabilities and at various life stages.

Vibrant, mixed use activity centres will provide a focus for the community and offer convenient access to retail, services, well designed civic spaces, community and cultural facilities and local employment opportunities.

There exists significant opportunities in the greater Caloundra area as families and working couples are established in the new PDA. Coastal towns will benefit from an increase of local tourism and the focus on developing a mix of housing configurations, for differently-abled people, also provides a broad scope of potential projects.

This listing in Currimundi has potential to benefit from the development in Caloundra South. 
 To view other development sites close to the Caloundra South PDA click here.

Rockhampton – Central Queensland University
The CQU Rockhampton PDA was declared in December 2011, expanding over a 189-hectare area around five-kilometres north of the Rockhampton CBD.

It was born with the intention of creating a vibrant mixed-use precinct, in partnership with the university and community, that will integrate educational, cultural, retail, recreation, commercial and community facilities with a wide range of residential developments.

The PDA will provide a diverse range of housing choices through facilitating a mix of densities, types, designs, price points as well as both home ownership and rental options.

A planning document for the PDA has been created to assist in planning, carrying out, promoting, coordinating and controlling the development of land in the CQU Rockhampton PDA. This development scheme sets out the land uses, development criteria and infrastructure envisaged for the CQU Rockhampton PDA – it’s now available for view and use on the PDA webpage.

The vision outlined for the CQU Rockhampton PDA lists these development opportunities as primary focus

• Mixed-Use Centre: A main street incorporating a retail core area is a focus for community life. The broader mixed use area will cater for a range of business, retail, residential, service and community uses that support the university's learning and research functions.
• Sports fields and open spaces
• Central Queensland University
• Residential areas: The proposed development scheme highlights some areas for higher density residential development near the mixed use centre with lower density residential areas throughout the remainder of the residential area. A childcare centre will continue to play an important role and be a significant facility in the residential area.

These listings in Rockhampton City and Berserker have potential to benefit from the development in Rockhampton. 
 To view other development sites close to the Rockhampton – Central University Queensland PDA click here.

Yarrabilba
20km south of Logan Central is the designation of the Yarrabilba PDA. Most of the 2,222-hectare area is a former commercial pine plantation bounded by the Plunkett Conservation Park to the east, Waterford Tamborine Road to the west and Plunkett Road to the south.

Yarrabilba will be a new, self-contained town that will provide an attractive lifestyle in a well-designed urban community for up to 50,000 people in 20,000 dwellings. Of these, a concerted effort will be made to include a diversity of housing, including affordable and accessible housing to cater for the broad demographic mix attracted to the area and changes in lifestyle as the community matures.

The vision outlined for this regional community will also focus on supporting employment creation opportunities, in particular the provision of early on-site jobs and work-from-home. A high degree of employment in a range of occupations will be contained within the PDA. Education and training will be offered in the area to provide an appropriately skilled workforce and opportunities for life-long learning.

Community infrastructure, including a bus service, will be developed in the PDA and the population will be supported initially by services located in the Logan area. 

A mix of residential and commercial opportunities exist within the Yarrabilba PDA and in the surrounding towns.

This listing in Tamborine has potential to benefit from the development in Yarrabilba. 
 To view other development sites close to the Yarrabilba PDA click here.
 

Southport
The Southport PDA was declared in October 2013 and encompasses approximately 195.7-hectares within the existing Southport CBD. This includes the former Gold Coast hospital site, Broadwater Parklands and residential areas located directly north of Railway Street and south of Queen Street.

Southport is the pre-eminent centre of the Gold Coast with the highest concentration of employment and the largest share of office space (149,240sqm), attracting a workforce of 24,857 people. Southport is also the most populated centre in the city with a resident population of 28,315.

The Southport PDA aims to attract national and international investment through a streamlined and facilitated approach to development. By building upon the existing economic, lifestyle and environmental opportunities, the government aim to lift Southport into a world-class destination both residentially and for tourism.

Developments sought to achieve this will include;

• Commercial office space
• Medium to high residential densities with a mix of dwelling sizes and types
• High-end retail uses
• Small-scale neighbourhood and local services where appropriate
• Quality public open space

Existing infrastructure investments will also be maximised such as the Gold Coast Chinatown, Gold Coast Light Rail, the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre and the Southport Broadwater Parklands.

These listings in Southport (Marine Parade and Ferry Road) are located within the PDA and will benefit from the development scheme. 
 To view other development sites within and surrounding the Southport PDA click here.
 

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Note: In February 2013, the Urban Land Development Act 2007 (ULDA Act) was repealed and replaced with the Economic Development Act 2012 (ED Act). From then on, land areas identified for priority development were referred to as Priority Development Areas (PDAs), not Urban Development Areas (UDAs), and existing UDAs were transitioned to PDAs under the ED Act.