Queensland’s friendliest town celebrates land and baby boom
A Quilpie Outback move trumps sea and tree changes for land affordability and job opportunities
A year after creating global interest in a special New Homeowner Grant designed to encourage new home building, Quilpie Shire Council has confirmed that they will continue offering the grant, as well as revealing plans to offer more housing and land in the Outback region.
“We’re already well ahead of the Federal Government’s Housing Accord and some of the key Budget announcements around building new houses across Australia. The grant that we announced at this time last year was focused around creating new homes for our region, and it’s a commitment we intend upholding moving forward. Housing in Australia is amongst the most expensive globally, with median house prices in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne sitting above $900K – putting them well beyond what many Australians can afford,” said Justin Hancock, CEO Quilpie Shire Council.
“The Government has said they will work with local governments to tackle supply caused by land release and zoning policies – and in Quilpie we’re already looking at new land releases and what we can do out here to kick start investment. We can offer the security of good jobs with well-paid positions available right now, a township that has a reputation of being one of the friendliest in the State and a great way of life. And with blocks still as low as $25,000 for serviceable, flood free land we’re an awesome regional option. We think an Outback change beats a tree or sea change any day.”
Land values have doubled in the Quilpie region since the grant was launched last October, with some of the blocks of land in the Curlew Estate currently for sale for $25,000 – still representing great value for money compared to coastal and metro land prices.
In addition to encouraging new land purchase to build in the region, Council also has a $2 million grant through the Queensland Government and will re-develop the Old Works Depot in Quilpie into six 2-3 bed townhouse villas in the New Year.
In early 2022 Quilpie Shire Council will release the tender to undertake this build, with the potential to extend this up to 30 dwellings.
“We expect our land and region to continue attracting good growth. In the last twelve months we have seen a 57% increase in sales to April this year. New businesses are opening, and with land also available in Quilpie’s industrial area business opportunities will continue to develop,” added Justin Hancock.
At the time of announcing the grants in October 2021, Quilpie Shire Council had modest hopes of selling five blocks of land in a two-year time frame. As the one-year anniversary passes, seven blocks of residential land have been sold – as well as the sale of long held industrial blocks of land.
“There was a lot of talk last year that we were giving away land for free. Which wasn’t the case – there were always stipulations designed at giving our community the long-term benefit of new houses being built. But with demand for growth within our Shire, we look for new home-owners to enter our housing market and take advantage of the grant on offer.
The campaign was successful beyond our wildest dreams and resulted in the sale of seven blocks of land, four of which happened during the original campaign. It’s been an extraordinary response and sales result for our small community. And we’ve also had the benefit of our land values rising off the back of the interest. We currently have eighteen blocks of land for sale with local agents. It’s a record number for our region, and we also have signed contracts for two blocks of land in the Industrial area with two more in negotiation,” added Justin Hancock.
The online auction of the blocks of land from the initial campaign was managed by Quilpie Agents GDL with the first auction taking place in December 2021.
“It was such an exciting time. We had huge media interest from around the world, which drew potential buyer inquiries from the US and India. It was a little surreal. At the time I was on maternity leave and had said I was happy to still work on the land sales from home, expecting it to attract the usual level of interest. Instead, I was thrown into one of the biggest campaign for this region and having to find additional child-minding support for my baby daughter. Luckily family, friends and work colleagues rallied and supported me throughout the campaign,” said Nutrien Harcourts GDL listing agent Dannielle Stevenson.
With the housing crisis worsening across Queensland, and 46,000 people currently on the social housing register, the time to make a move to a more affordable region has never been better.
“The Queensland State Government has undertaken a housing summit to address the shortage of affordable housing across the state. We know that Quilpie offers great long-term options in terms of affordability and availability”, said Justin Hancock.
Quilpie is also bucking the National trend of a ‘baby drought’ that has led to calls for the return of the controversial baby bonus.
“Quilpie is undergoing something of a baby boom at the moment. And in fact, two of our new land purchasers will soon welcome a baby to their newly renovated house in the Curlew Estate. We have more than ten locally based families welcoming babies between now and March 2023, with six of those set to be born in December and January alone!
It’s exciting for the local childcare centres and schools and refreshing to see the town attracting young families as well as retaining young couples who are keen to start and establish their families in Quilpie. We have a well-earned reputation as being one of Queensland’s friendliest towns and we have an easier way of life with more space and freedom. And such great value for money for those who have been priced out of buying in major metro or coastal regions,” added Justin Hancock.
Average 1,000m2 blocks of land in Quilpie are selling for as little as $25,000 – with some of the eighteen properties for sale in the region also being move in ready houses.
The New Homeowner Grant that was launched twelve months ago remains available in Quilpie and is under-written by Council – giving anyone who purchases a block of land in the Quilpie Shire the opportunity to have $12,500 reimbursed when they build and live in the new house for a minimum of six months.
The offer is made in addition to other first homeowner Government incentives.
With a population that sits close to 800, Quilpie is located 1,000km west of Brisbane and has amenities including supermarkets, a butchery, bakery, newsagent, hairdressers, retail shops, a hospital, Medical Centre, Pharmacy, two schools (Prep to Year 10), Early Learning Centre, Community Gym, Sporting ovals, tennis and basketball courts, free swimming pools, weekly flights and an abundance of open space.
Quilpie Shire is also a popular Outback tourist destination renowned for scenic locations such as Hell Hole Gorge, red dirt bike and hiking tracks, taking a step back in time with Australia’s largest dinosaur at the Eromanga Natural History Museum, Opal fossicking, yabbying, bike and horse riding, fishing, tree and rock climbing, kayaking, sand dune surfing in the desert and a rich local history.
The region is currently covered in wild desert flowers following unseasonable rains. “It’s spectacular and is attracting an abundance of birds and other wildlife to our region. It’s what you could call a bumper season for both farmers and the wildlife and fauna out here. It’s amazing to see the red earth peppered with wildflowers,” concluded Justin Hancock.
Find Boundless Opportunities for property development in South West Queensland at https://www.swqroc.com.au/opportunities#property-development