Queensland’s housing supply crunch is set for a major boost, with the Crisafulli Government announcing funding for infrastructure projects in both Moreton Bay and North Queensland. Together, these projects will unlock more than 16,500 new homes, signalling one of the largest coordinated pushes to fast-track housing in the state’s history.
Breaking Ground in the North
In North Queensland, the government has committed $53.5 million to three key projects expected to unlock 6,250 new homes across the Burdekin, Whitsundays and Townsville regions.
- Build Bowen South – Utilities ($33m boost): a 30km sewer main, five new pump stations, and upgrades to existing infrastructure to support greenfield and infill development.
- Elliot Springs Ridge Crossing ($20m boost): a new road, water and sewerage infrastructure providing critical access to Precinct 2 of the Elliot Springs master-planned community in Townsville.
- Burdekin Housing Activation Planning ($500k): a project to identify and prepare new land for housing in Ayr.
Deputy Premier and State Development Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the investment would reverse years of stagnation:
“After a decade of neglect, the Crisafulli Government is reversing Labor’s Regional Housing Crisis by giving more Queenslanders a place to call home.”
Local councils echoed the sentiment, pointing to backbone infrastructure as the missing piece. Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins said the sewer project would “underpin livable communities and enable more than 960 dwellings over the next decade”. Townsville’s Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney added that the works would accelerate land release in one of Queensland’s fastest growing cities.
For Burdekin, where teachers and workers were forced into caravan parks during the peak of the rental squeeze, Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort said the planning project would “remove uncertainty, expedite approvals and streamline delivery”.
Moreton Bay: Unlocking the Waraba PDA
Further south, the City of Moreton Bay will benefit from $45.8 million in RAF funding across four infrastructure projects, unlocking 10,300 new homes.
The biggest ticket item is the Bellmere Road Corridor Upgrade and Caboolture River bridge, which together will enable 8,850 homes in the Waraba Priority Development Area (PDA) – a master-planned community projected to eventually deliver 30,000 homes.
Additional funding will also support the establishment of a new community at Woodford and other critical trunk infrastructure across the region.
Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery welcomed the move, highlighting the city’s growth pressures:
“As South East Queensland’s fastest growing city with 240 new arrivals each week, we urgently need new homes. Funding from the RAF will help accelerate Waraba – our city’s biggest growth area.”
Local MPs also weighed in. Andrew Powell (Glass House) called it a “game-changer for the city”, while Ariana Doolan (Pumicestone) said it was about “delivering practical solutions to address affordability”.
What is the RAF?
The Residential Activation Fund (RAF) is a $2 billion initiative from the Crisafulli Government designed to unlock land and fast-track housing through critical trunk infrastructure – water, sewerage, stormwater and roads.
Round one funding, initially $500m, has been doubled to $1 billion in response to demand, with 178 applicationsreceived across Queensland. At least 50% of funding is reserved for regional, rural and remote projects.
The RAF forms part of the government’s Securing Our Housing Foundations Plan, which aims to deliver one million new homes by 2044.
The Good Builder Take
For builders, these announcements are more than just political wins – they represent a pipeline of opportunity. Unlocking 16,500 homes across two regions will drive demand for tradies, suppliers and project managers at a time when many builders are hungry for stable workloads.
Key takeaways:
- Infrastructure is king: The RAF is tackling the bottleneck head-on. Without sewer mains, water supply and road corridors, land sits idle. For builders, this means confidence that approvals can turn into shovels in the ground faster.
- Regional rebalancing: With at least half the funding committed outside of SEQ, builders in Townsville, Bowen and Ayr are set to benefit. It signals strong government backing for decentralised growth.
- Waraba on the move: For Moreton Bay, Waraba is the big play. At full build-out, 30,000 homes means long-term work for builders and suppliers, from civil contracts to housing construction.
- Partnerships matter: Both announcements highlight collaboration between state government, councils and private developers. For builders, aligning with these partnerships will be crucial to winning work.
As the RAF rolls out, builders should watch closely for which projects clear the funding gate. With round one oversubscribed, competition will be fierce – but the upside is clear. These projects don’t just unlock land, they unlock livelihoods.
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