Central Queensland

The story of development, and subsequent population growth, in Central Queensland is dominated by development in greenfield areas adjoining existing centres. The SA2 experiencing the greatest proportional growth over the forecast horizon, is the Parkhurst - Kawana area. Here, large estates such as Ellida, Edenbrook, and Riverside Waters Estate have just gotten off the ground, and represent the last remaining greenfield growth front for Rockhampton.

Local government is proactively planning for expected population growth with major infrastructure projects, such as the recent North Rockhampton Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade.

The greatest absolute growth - over 10,000 people added across the forecast horizon - is expected in the Yeppoon SA2. Yeppoon has a large amount of identified residential zoned land in its southern suburbs (Hidden Valley, Taroomball, and Lammermoor) which are being rapidly taken up for housing, as demand remains strong from families and retirees alike. This growth is further supported by the proactive approach of local government in driving the recent Temporary Local Planning Instrument, and developing the concept for an "East West Connector" arterial road to help unlock future housing.

While the above two examples feature growth adjoining and extending on existing infrastructure and population centres and largely constitute organic growth, another two examples of alternative population growth are the SA2s of Boyne Island - Tannum Sands and Agnes Water - Miriam Vale. Here, population is predicted to grow by over 3,000 people in each SA2, however, neither location supports a self-sustaining economy in terms of job provision, and existing infrastructure requires substantial expansion to support rapid growth, particularly in Agnes Water. Boyne Island is proving attractive to families looking for large land blocks at relatively affordable prices, while Agnes Water primarily attracts retirees and holiday home buyers. Agnes Water in particular has jumped in popularity since the COVID period, so the sustainability of the trend remains to be tested.

Demand for detached housing driving this market, and medium density developments remain rare. The most likely source of development at somewhat higher densities here are manufactured home estates, but even those are limited largely to the Agnes Water expansion. While local government has effectively provisioned for possible future densification with relevant upzoning, the realisation of that pathway is likely to remain in the long-term future.

We set the context for our local area forecasts with a presentation of our state- and regional-level forecasts for Queensland.

Access the presentation slides (including our forecast data for each region), and a short recap or the full webinar presentation on-demand. Learn what's driving change and how much growth will go to each region of the state over the 25 years to 2046.

The population forecast for Queensland