Council to entice investors

Infrastructure fees waived

ENCOURAGING investment in medium density accommodation to resolve a housing crisis is the main thrust of Tablelands Regional Council’s new $2m investment incentive policy.

Qualifying developments can have up to $100,000 in waived infrastructure charges as council seeks to entice investors to the accommodation-starved region.

Mayor Rod Marti said the scheme for new developments could result in more housing stock.

“We have one of the lowest rental vacancy rates in the state (.05 per cent), we’ve got a real issue with housing and this is just one of the things that will support supply,” Cr Marti said.

“It’s for medium density housing – duplexes, triplexes, blocks of flats, there are significant concessions.

“We think it is an opportunity for those investors who need an incentive to bite the bullet and say ‘yep, we’ll build a block of flats’.”

The Tablelands local government area has just 7 per cent of dwellings as medium and high-density housing options compared to 23 per cent in regional Queensland, 24 per cent in Queensland and 27 per cent across Australia, a council report noted.

The scheme also aims to encourage strategically important industries and major catalytic projects – and Cr Marti revealed council is holding talks with James Cook University and CQUniversity about establishing a presence on the Tablelands.

“We are talking with corporate players in the health sector about investing on the Tablelands and talking to different enterprises that would value-add to agriculture,” Cr Marti said.

“We are trying to capitalise on the massive investment into Queensland health.”

He said major projects currently under way on the Tablelands included the Atherton Hospital redevelopment ($78.5m), Kaban wind farm ($370m) and the widening of the Kennedy Highway ($30m) between Mareeba and Atherton.

“We want to continue the momentum we have with those big infrastructure projects, with our local investors,” Cr Marti said.

The council scheme requires applicants to preference local workers and local suppliers in their construction project.