Community
19 April, 2025
Housing fund unlocked
LOCAL authorities, such as Cairns Regional Council, and developers are being urged to apply for the Crisafulli government’s new ‘Residential Activation Fund’ designed to unlock much-needed housing across Queensland.
The $500 million first round is focused on shovel-ready projects that can get started sooner and help ease the housing crisis by fast-tracking the infrastructure needed to build in places like Cairns and Far North Queensland.
Of the $2 billion fund, at least half will be invested in regional Queensland, as part of a bigger plan for one million additional homes across the state by 2044.
The fund is a key pillar of the Crisafulli government’s ‘Securing Our Housing Foundations Plan’, aimed at breaking down the barriers to building and delivering more new homes sooner.
It comes as Cairns Regional Council seeks $300m from the state and federal governments to start infrastructure works between Gordonvale and Mount Peter to create lots for up to 3800 new houses.
Member for Barron River Bree James and Member for Mulgrave Terry James said the fund would help unlock land and get more homes built sooner, helping locals find a place to call home.
Local councils like Cairns or local landowners can apply for funding to build infrastructure for infill or greenfield sites, such as water supply, sewerage, stormwater, power and roads.
“We’ve guaranteed $1 billion specifically for regional Queensland, because we know how urgently our communities require new housing,” Miss James said.
“Fixing a decade of Labor’s housing crisis won’t happen overnight, but we’re focused on delivering more homes by getting construction moving in FNQ,” she said.
“The RAF will fund missing pieces of critical infrastructure like roads, water, sewerage, and power to unlock and kickstart housing developments across the state,” Mr James said.
“Whether it’s 5000 new homes in Cairns or 50 new homes in Charleville, this new fund is the infrastructure game changer needed to unlock new homes across Queensland,” he said.
Round one prioritises projects that are ready to go, to get infrastructure in place and quickly and help more Queenslanders move into a home faster.
