An extra 1100 housing lots for a growing Coast suburb have been welcomed but a business council delegate says “more needs to be done” to address population growth.
The recently announced lots for Stockland Aura brings the total number of approved lots in the masterplanned community to nearly 10,000.
Sunshine Coast Business Council chair Sandy Zubrinich welcomed the additional lots but acknowledged more would need to be done to address ongoing migration to the region.
“The Sunshine Coast’s population is expected to grow by almost to 50 per cent to 500,000 residents in 2041,” Ms Zubrinich said.
“This level of growth requires careful planning and the ongoing release of additional land is essential to create liveable masterplanned communities, ensuring all Sunshine Coast locals can enjoy the quality of life we have come to love.
“We understand that infill in existing residential areas is part of the solution, but in many cases there is not adequate infrastructure to accommodate the increased population in these areas.”
Related story: Government unlocks a further 1100 lots in booming area
She said greater density required more schools, retail, parks, amenities and more space on our already congested roads.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles made the additional lot announcement at a recent Sunshine Coast Business Council lunch, hosted for its members and guests at The Lakehouse, Mountain Creek.
“As Deputy Premier Steven Miles said when addressing our members and guests at the lunch, if we want to protect the liveability of our region we will need to change the types of dwellings we live in,” Ms Zubrinich said.
“As our population continues to grow, a lack of housing availability will see us struggle to attract and retain the key workers such as teachers and nurses, who are essential to maintain our standard of living.
“Aura has demonstrated success in this space with more than 50 per cent of homes in the community being purchased by essential and key workers.”
Stockland project director Josh Sondergeld said the release of the extra lots would help to alleviate the increasing pressure on housing availability and affordability in the region.
“Our masterplanned communities play an important role in providing accessible home ownership options across Australia,” he said.
“Aura provides a diverse range of quality housing to cater to all stages of people’s lifestyles, including duplexes, two- to three-bedroom villa homes and more traditional-style detached single- and double-storey family homes.
“Aura is able to respond to the need for more affordable housing through more compact lots and townhomes, while also offering precincts with more generous lots such as the recently launched The Avenues with lots ranging from 434sqm to more than 800sqm.
“We have a two-decade track record in delivering new homes for Sunshine Coast families and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from those who call Aura home confirms we’re delivering on its promise — not only in the diversity of housing on offer, but also in regard to lifestyle.”
Aura is Australia’s largest masterplanned community and is currently home to more than 9300 residents, with nearly 20,000 homes expected to be built upon completion.
When completed, Aura will have about 200km of dedicated footpaths and bicycle pathways, setting a new benchmark for the provision of active transport in communities across Queensland.
Connection to the Bruce Highway via the extension of the existing Bells Creek Arterial Road is expected to open mid-year.
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