Let’s get serious about density: it’s multiple choice

It is time to get serious about density.

As newly elected councillors are sworn in, the focus turns to delivering on the mandate given to them. However, this term brings with it a unique challenge: southeast Queensland is expected to experience exponential population growth by 2046, with the Gold Coast alone needing to accommodate 388,300 more people and 161,700 new dwellings. To achieve this, SEQ councils will have to adopt a mix of housing typologies, including increased infill development, more medium-high density, and some new land release.

Although infill and density may present the biggest challenge, we must work with the community to meet this demand through a variety of housing types and choices, rather than just assuming that density is only about constructing large towers. It is far more nuanced than that.

Take the proposed new residential developments at Foxwell Road in Coomera, for example. The developer is seeking an uplift in their scheme to accommodate more dwellings, including more affordable rentals. This sits in a diverse plan that has a mix of housing types, including detached homes, duplexes, and apartments, in a low, medium, and high-rise setting. The uplift would accommodate 720 new dwellings, from what I understand. While there may be transportation challenges in that area right now, this is a perfect example of how we might meet the demand for housing and how the community can benefit from it.

In my opinion, we need to consider what type of housing and how it should be delivered, rather than objecting to density in absolute terms. If we do not actnow, I fear we are just kicking the problem down the road.

As a Coomera resident, I understand the challenges. My wife and I bought there knowing it was a future urban growth area that would provide for some of the residential demands of the Gold Coast. Therefore, a development proposal like this did not surprise me.

Rather, it is a ‘litmus test’ for the sort of density that must be considered, in the right locations, to meet forecast demand. Of course, I accept the arguments about transport and infrastructure, and that is exactly the sort of case that needs to be made to the state government for investment, to complement residential developments like this one, and many others.

The City of Gold Coast is undergoing renewal of its own right now, with five new councillors joining the fold and a transition to a new deputy mayor. It is encouraging to see the mix of skills the new councillors bring, which complement the experience and steady hand of many existing councillors, including planning chair, Mark Hammel. We need to have important conversations with the community about how to meet population demand.

We are eager to collaborate with the council, development industry, and wider community to play a role in delivery of affordable housing in the Gold Coast market. Given the region has one of the highest unmet housing needs in the country, we need to act.

Jackson Hills is the policy & strategic engagement manager at Q Shelter, the state’s peak body for housing and homelessness, and a Coomera resident.