Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031, released today, would ensure future growth is managed sustainably to protect the coast’s unique natural environment and lifestyle.

“This plan strikes a balance between population growth and the need to protect the lifestyle that residents of the coast value and enjoy by guiding development patterns over the next two decades,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“It responds to the key issues facing the south east region, including continued high population growth, traffic congestion, koala protection, climate change and employment generation.

“Crucially, this is a plan to manage growth, not just accommodate it.

“South East Queenslanders have been very clear they want us to protect their open spaces. They simply won’t accept urban sprawl that eats away at the region’s green lungs and impacts on our enviable way of life.”

Mr Hinchliffe said the population of the Gold Coast was expected to increase to 749,000 from the current 466,500 by 2031 – a 60 per cent increase.

“This will require the designated urban footprint to accommodate an estimated 143,000 new dwellings through a combination of infill and broadhectare development,” he said.

“This equates to 19 per cent of the new dwellings needed across South East Queensland, which has been reduced from 22 per cent of new dwellings forecast in the previous plan – easing the development pressure on the coast.

“Infill development predominantly around Southport, Robina, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Coolangatta, Nerang, Helensvale and Bundall will cater for up to 97,000 of these, while broadhectare developments in areas such as Coomera, Hope Island, Pimpama, Ormeau, Maudsland and Reedy Creek are expected to accommodate 32,000 dwellings.

“Overall, settlement patterns will be conducive to good environmental management and will protect key areas such as the Green Heart, the Spit, the coast’s world-famous beaches and hinterland.

“To support this, development will be concentrated around transport hubs, while densities will be at least 15 dwellings per hectare in order to efficiently use land and infrastructure.

“That’s why the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project is so important and infrastructure such as this is crucial to our plan to protect the Gold Coast lifestyle that is the envy of Australia.”

Minister Hinchliffe said the plan would also ensure employment growth would support the expected population increase.

“Historically, the Gold Coast’s economy has been linked to tourism and recreation industries, however, it has diversified and comprises significant commercial, retail and industrial areas, as well as specialist health, education and technology hubs,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“The coast’s Principal Activity Centres at Southport and Robina are expected to expand their roles as commercial, retail, administrative and specialist centres and evolve into integrated, mixed-use centres.

“Tourism will continue to be a significant economic driver, while the local marine industry will grow through an expansion of the Gold Coast Marine Precinct at Coomera and the proposed establishment of a marine industry precinct at Steiglitz.”

Mr Hinchliffe said mitigating the effects of climate change and protecting the region’s koala habitat were also key elements in the plan.

“South East Queensland is one of Australia’s biodiversity hotspots and is renowned for the quality and diversity of its natural environment. The region is home to rich native flora and fauna as well as the largest urban koala population in Australia” he said.

“Overall, this is a plan to ensure that South East Queensland is managed in a sustainable way by reducing the region’s ecological footprint while enhancing its economy and the quality of life of residents.

“The plan will help to protect biodiversity, contain urban development, build and maintain community identity, reduce car dependency and support a prosperous economy.

“In future, our communities will be built and managed using contemporary measures to conserve water and energy and featuring buildings designed to take advantage of our subtropical climate.”

For more information on the regional plan visit www.dip.qld.gov.au or freecall 1800 070 609.

The REIQ March quarter median unit and townhouse prices show not only steady prices in most areas but also modest increases in sales numbers.

Demand from first home buyers continues to underpin this segment of the market.

“Units and townhouses are remaining popular due to their affordability and because they are often more centrally located,” REIQ chairman Peter McGrath said.

Sales numbers were up in Brisbane and on the Gold and Sunshine coasts particularly, while median prices were on the increase in Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone and the Sunshine Coast.

While the top end of the residential house market has struggled over recent times, there are signs that this segment of the unit and townhouse market is showing signs of life, particularly on the Gold Coast.

“The top end of the market is becoming increasingly popular as buyers take advantages of some good opportunities,” he said.

Units and townhouses in prime Gold Coast waterfront suburbs such as Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Tugun and Surfers Paradise all recorded very healthy median price increases over the period.

“These waterfront locations have staged a comeback. There has been a good volume of sales in response to some very good buying opportunities,” he said.

“This segment of the unit and townhouse market has adjusted to the market conditions and is certainly reaping the benefits.”

Over the March quarter, 2.3 per cent of all unit and townhouse sales in Queensland were for more than $1 million compared to 1 per cent of all house sales on land less than 2,400sqm over the same period.

Currently first home buyers with vacant land valued at up to $150,000 are exempt from the transfer tax but that will be increased to $250,000 from July 1.

There will also be concession for land worth up to $400,000.

But the savings could be eaten up if home buyers are hit by another $5000 per lot by developers when the Government scraps infrastructure subsidies for them.

It is reported that the State Government looks set to scrap its infrastructure charges subsidy of 40 per cent for water and sewerage charges which would force developers to pass on the extra costs to home buyers.

The new stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers offer savings of:

* $1050 for land worth $175,000.

* $2675 for land worth $200,000.

* $4050 for land worth $225,000.

* $5675 for land worth $250,000.

The tax break comes on top of last year’s abolition of stamp duty for first home buyers purchasing established houses worth up to $500,000.

It also sits alongside federal first-home buyers’ grants which have helped prop up the property market.

But there are concerns the payments and tax breaks going to first-home buyers are stopping house prices falling to an acceptable level after years of inflation.

On the Gold Coast, houses and apartments stabilised in the March quarter for the first time in months, largely thanks to first-home buyers.

Meanwhile, in keeping with the State Budget’s ‘job-generating infrastructure’ theme, $1.4 billion was put aside for 4000 new public houses in the next three and a half years.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser said the Government was making the ‘largest injection into public housing in the state’s history’. He said Queensland was leading the way in its help to first-home buyers.

“Our reforms are directly aimed at stimulating the housing sector. And housing construction means jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships,” he said.

The REIA welcomes the implementation of the First Home Savers Account and urges those aspiring to own their home to consider opening an account.

“The First Home Savers Account will provide a platform to increase the number of first home buyers with the demand they will create for housing providing an impetus to increase the amount of new housing stock in the market’ said REIA President Noel Dyett.

Data from the latest Deposit Power/REIA Housing Affordability Report showed that the total number of first home buyers in the market in the June quarter 2008 had decreased 17% when compared with the same period last year clearly showing that some impetus is needed.

The Government will contribute an extra 17% on top of funds deposited into the First Home Savers Account up to the value $5,000, a potential contribution of $850 per year.

Home buyers are being urged to move quickly, with house prices across Queensland defying predictions of big drops and poised to take off again on the back of cuts to interest rates and stamp duty.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland figures for the June quarter, released today, show the industry weathered the effects of interest rate rises and big petrol price increase.

Median prices were steady across most of the state for the three months. Some areas including the Gold and Sunshine coasts, Townsville and Macky – registered falls, but Brisbane, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Redland continued to grow.

A 1 per cent rise in Brisbane took the median price to $495,000 for the quarter, overtaking the Gold Coast which had a 2.4 per cent dip to $490,000.

“These results fly in the face of some commentators who had predicted doom and gloom and substantial price drops for property markets across the country,” REIQ chairman Peter McGrath said.

“Brisbane, particularly was an extremely pleasant surprise. “Considering what the consumer had to go through during that quarter – two interest rate rises and the filtering down of earlier interest increases, massive spikes in petrol prices and general negativity about the economy – the market has shown a lot of resilience.

“It’s set a very important platform for the market to ease forward later this year as interest rates begin to come down.

The message is simple the market has bottomed in real terms, interest rates have stabilised. So if people have the financial capacity to enter the market, now is the time to start looking to go forward.”

In southeast Queensland, the median house price for Ipswich was up 1.6 per cent to $32,000, Moreton Bay rose 0.7per cent to $379,000, Redland was $450,000 (up 0.2 per cent) and the Sunshine Coast dipped 1.2 per cent to $464,500.

The Whitsundays was the strongest regional centre in the quarter, with median prices