Room to roam
High density is the future for northern suburbs, but there’s plenty of space in the south
While development on Cairns’ northern beaches is leaning toward higher density, it looks like there’s plenty of room to roam in southern suburbs on the cusp of a growth curve that heralds positive change for Cairns.
The family-owned Cutters Rise development has just released more land with lot sizes from 600sq m to 1006sq m and a starting price of $189,900.
Astute planning means infrastructure such as a child care centre, medical precinct and retirement villas are encompassed in Cutters Rise.
At the Sugarworld development at Edmonton, blocks range from 650sq m to at 2946sq m.
At Avalon at Goldsborough, every lot is more than 4000sq m.
The giant development Pinecrest at the end of Cooper Road, Mount Peter, could ultimately have 1500 homes in nine stages, and it too, has large block sizes.
The Department of Education has bought land for a primary school to service the new community.
Cairns Regional Council has a deal with the state government for a $15m interest-free loan for essential infrastructure.
The $535m Bruce Highway Southern Access Corridor is due for completion mid-2023 with 10.5km of highway duplication, 10km of local road construction and 8km of cane rail infrastructure, along with a ¬dedicated off-road cycleway and a total of 4.5km of upgraded and realigned rail line.
The Woolworths supermarket shopping centre opened at Gordonvale in July 2022 and there are signs some heavyweight investors have their sights set on land in the southern suburbs for further development.
Cairns is in a critical housing crisis.
The region’s population is expected to swell by 100,000 by 2050, and the issue is simply that demand has far outstripped supply.
There just aren’t enough homes available as people migrate here from southern cities for jobs and the Far North’s sought-after lifestyle.
So it’s exciting that forwardthinking developers are investing in the future of Cairns, with a focus on the spacious south.