Australia’s shortage of new homes has been well documented. Now, the Queensland government is looking to underutilised state-owned land as part of the solution.

Developers are being asked to identify government-owned land they want to buy. It comes after social and affordable housing mandates were scrapped in a bid to boost overall housing supply.

The move forms part of a broader plan to accelerate housing construction and address shortages across the market. However, it has already sparked debate about whether increasing supply at speed will come at the expense of social and affordable housing outcomes.

So, what exactly is the government’s plan — and how has it been received?

What is the government proposing?

According to the state’s deputy premier, the Queensland government is not afraid to partner with the private sector to help meet its target of one million new homes by 2044, under a new land activation plan.

Developers who are aware of underutilised state-owned land are being invited to submit unsolicited proposals to Economic Development Queensland to develop those sites.

The government will also identify and release state-owned land it considers underutilised. It has already flagged plans to make seven state-owned sites available to the market in the coming months.

Under the new approach, developers will no longer be subject to social and affordable housing mandates introduced by the previous government. The government argues those requirements discouraged development and slowed the delivery of new homes.

However, private developers will still be subject to conditions aimed at ensuring projects progress quickly and housing is delivered to the market as soon as possible.

How has the plan been received?

The government’s plan has been largely welcomed by the property sector. The sector has long argued that constraints on land supply are slowing the delivery of new homes.

The Property Council of Australia said it was encouraging to see the government and private sector working together. This is crucial given the private sector delivers around 96 per cent of housing in Queensland.

It says unlocking underutilised land could help bring more homes to market sooner.

However, social housing advocates have expressed concern about the removal of social and affordable housing mandates.

Aimee McVeigh, the chief executive of the Queensland Council of Social Services, says the approach is troubling. She highlights that the state’s social housing waiting list is at record highs.

“It is very troubling to see initiatives that should be used to increase social and affordable housing instead giving the benefit to developers to produce more housing that won’t benefit the people who need it the most,” she said.

The debate comes as house prices in Brisbane are expected to rise by around 20 per cent over the next two years, a trend that is likely to place further pressure on renters and those waiting for social housing.

The government, however, says the land activation plan does not replace its commitment to social housing. It has pledged to deliver 53,000 new social homes by 2044. This is alongside measures aimed at increasing overall housing supply.

The push to accelerate housing development highlights the growing demand for construction workers, as governments and developers look to bring more homes online over the coming years.

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Article References

Brewster, A (3 February 2026) ‘Queensland land activation program lacks affordable homes mandate’, Financial Review, accessed 9 February 2026.

Levinson, B (3 February 2026) ‘Queensland to developers: Tell us what government land you want to buy‘, Financial Review, accessed 9 February 2026.