TGB has covered every major RAF announcement since April 2025. This is the consolidated status update: where the money has gone, which projects have confirmed construction underway as of June 2026, and what is still to come in Round 2.

The Scoreboard at June 2026

Round 1 of the Residential Activation Fund is effectively closed. Almost $994 million has been committed across 97 approved projects, spread from the Torres Strait to the Southern Downs. The government’s headline figure is that these projects will collectively unlock more than 98,000 new homes across Queensland.

That number represents land that has had its primary infrastructure constraint removed — meaning development can proceed where it was previously stalled. It does not mean 98,000 homes are currently under construction. The enabling works themselves, however, are starting to move.

Round 2 closed for applications on 24 April 2026. A $500 million pool is being assessed, with successful project announcements expected from July 2026.

In May 2026, a separate $2.4 billion Infrastructure Activation Fund was announced as a joint state-federal initiative targeting three SEQ Priority Development Areas. That is a different program, covered separately at the end of this article.

97 projects approved. Almost $994 million committed. Round 2 pool of $500 million under assessment. Announcements expected July 2026.

Where the Money Has Gone: South East Queensland and Wide Bay

Table 1 — RAF Round 1 commitments: SEQ and Wide Bay

The largest single commitment under Round 1 is the Logan wastewater treatment plant upgrade at $135.98 million. Without expanded sewage treatment capacity, Logan City Council faced a hard ceiling on new approvals. The upgrade removes that ceiling, with an estimated 20,000 lots unlocked as a result.

Ipswich received two separate road upgrades totalling $73.6 million, unlocking a combined 11,300 new home sites in the Ripley Valley growth corridor. In Gympie, two water augmentation projects received $42 million and works are confirmed underway. On the Fraser Coast, five projects totalling $52.1 million are progressing across Maryborough and Hervey Bay, with construction actively underway as of June 2026.

Where the Money Has Gone: Regional Queensland

Table 2 — RAF Round 1 commitments: Regional Queensland

Regional Queensland has received more than half of Round 1 funding, consistent with the program’s stated commitment. The geographic spread runs from North Queensland’s growth corridors to outback councils in remote western Queensland.

The most concrete delivery evidence as of June 2026 comes from Rockhampton and Mount Isa. In Rockhampton, the Alexandra Street extension and the sewage treatment plant UV disinfection upgrade are both actively under construction, confirmed in February 2026. In Mount Isa, Gliderport Road construction started in March 2026. These are among the first publicly confirmed instances of shovels in the ground on RAF-funded works.

In Townsville, the $29.5 million Northern Beaches Trunk Road Infrastructure Package was funded in July 2025. In Cairns and Far North Queensland, $89 million across 16 projects was committed in August 2025. In Mackay and the Whitsundays, $41.66 million was committed in September 2025. The fund’s 12-month commencement rule means most of these projects are entering their construction window now.

What “Funding Committed” vs “Under Construction” Actually Means

The distinction matters for builders. The RAF funds enabling infrastructure, not residential construction. The pipeline works in sequence:

1. Government commits funding to a specific infrastructure project.

2. The funded body (council or developer) progresses design, procurement and construction contracts.

3. Infrastructure construction commences and is completed, typically within three years of announcement.

4. Development applications for residential lots are processed against the now-serviced land.

5. Builders can tender for and commence residential construction on those lots.

The projects confirmed under construction as of June 2026 are at step three. The majority of Round 1 commitments are moving through steps two and three. For builders, the practical residential pipeline from those projects is 12 to 36 months away depending on project scale and approval speed.

Projects Confirmed Under Construction — June 2026

Table 3 — Confirmed construction underway at June 2026

These are the locations where the government has publicly confirmed works have commenced. They are not an exhaustive list. Many other Round 1 projects are likely in early construction stages without separate media releases, given the 12-month commencement requirement.

Round 2: $500 Million, Announcements from July 2026

Round 2 guidelines were released in February 2026. Applications opened shortly after and closed on 24 April 2026. The $500 million second round modestly expands eligibility from Round 1: power and telecommunications are now explicitly fundable alongside water, sewerage, stormwater and roads.

Successful projects will be announced from July 2026. Construction must commence within 12 months of announcement and be completed within three years, meaning most Round 2 projects will be in construction through 2027 and 2028.

When Round 2 announcements land, total committed under the RAF will be $1.5 billion of the $2 billion program total. A further $500 million is expected in subsequent rounds.

The Infrastructure Activation Fund: A Different Program

Announced on 18 May 2026, the Infrastructure Activation Fund is a joint state-federal initiative totalling nearly $2.4 billion over five years. It is delivered through Economic Development Queensland and targets three designated Priority Development Areas — Southern Thornlands, Waraba and Mount Peter — as well as other identified growth corridors.

The IAF is projected to unlock more than 51,368 new homes, with 20,547 reserved for first home buyers. The federal contribution is $399 million in grants and $1.6 billion in zero-interest concessional loans. Queensland contributes a matched $399 million. First completions are expected by mid-2028.

The IAF is not the RAF. It operates through a directed government-led delivery model, not a competitive grant process. But it adds a substantial second pipeline on top of the RAF, specifically targeting the SEQ growth corridors that will define Queensland’s residential construction workload for the next decade.

  THE GOOD BUILDER TAKE

  The RAF has moved faster than most infrastructure programs of its size. Announcements started in July 2025, confirmed construction is underway in at least five locations as of June 2026, and Round 2 is about to add another $500 million to the pipeline.

  The honest read, though, is that funding announcements and residential building activity are separated by a sequence of steps that takes time. Infrastructure construction, lot registration, development approvals and residential construction are each their own process. The RAF funds step one. The rest still depends on builder capacity, materials availability and market conditions.

  What the fund has changed is the structural constraint. Infrastructure bottlenecks holding Queensland’s housing supply back for years have been cleared, or are being cleared now. That is a genuine shift in the pipeline. The question for builders is whether they are positioned to move when the lots come.

  Watch the Round 2 announcements in July carefully. They will indicate where the next wave of infrastructure investment is landing — and therefore where the next wave of lot supply is likely to emerge from late 2027 onwards.

More news from Queensland: Fee-Free TAFE Cuts Threaten 11,000 Queensland Construction Placements

Sources: Queensland Government ministerial media releases (statements.qld.gov.au), Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning, Queensland Government A Place to Call Home, Economic Development Queensland. All project data is sourced from publicly available government records. Round 2 announcements are expected July 2026 and are not reflected in this article.

Author: TGB Editorial