SE Queensland Growth Areas

February 23, 2018

SE Queensland Growth Areas

One of the biggest advantages Queensland’s capital has over other parts of Australia, especially the southern capitals of Sydney and Melbourne, is affordability.

But we believe investors can also look outside Brisbane’s inner ring to other parts of South East Queensland (SEQ), which are often more affordable again and have all the fundamentals required for property price growth over the long term.

Which other areas in the Sunshine State offer opportunity apart from Brisbane?

At the moment we’re focusing on several regions including Ipswich, Moreton Bay/Redcliffe Peninsula and the Sunshine Coast.

These areas tick all of the boxes for investment. When buying, we look for key attributes including:

Increased population growth forecasts
Planned or current infrastructure spending by governments
Proximity to employment
Proximity to facilities and lifestyle features including shopping centres, beaches, medical facilities
Access to public transport
Gentrification of surrounding suburbs

All of these things make the area attractive to both buyers and renters, driving up prices and rents, as long as demand is greater than supply.

Our top picks for Queensland

Here’s a brief rundown of each region, and why these areas stack up from an investment perspective:

Ipswich

Situated around 40 kilometres southwest of Brisbane, Ipswich is one of SEQ’s fastest growing regions, if not the fastest growing region.

Based on conservative estimates, the population of Ipswich is expected to grow by 2.98% per year between 2016 and 2036, more than triple Brisbane’s estimated growth of 0.9%.

There are billions of dollars in infrastructure in the pipeline, as well as recently delivered, to cater for the growth, which is only making the region more attractive from an investment perspective.

Major projects in the region include:

$300 million expansion of Amberley Airbase (Expected completion 2020)
$64 million St Andrews Hospital Upgrade (approved)
$1.5 billion Ipswich Rail Link
$1 billion Walker Corp Citiswich Industrial Park
$2.8 billion Ipswich Motorway upgrade
$85 million Mater Private Hospital Springfield (opened 2015)
Orion Springfield Central Shopping Centre (200 stores, cinemas and dining)
$200m Springfield Health City aged care and units

Moreton Bay/Redcliffe Peninsula

This region is located around 25 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD.

It encompasses a wide range of areas, including the increasingly popular bayside suburbs such as Redcliffe, the fast-growing North Lakes, and Caboolture, around 50 minutes in the car or on the train from Brisbane, and 30 minutes from the Sunshine Coast.

Based on conservative estimates, the population of Moreton Bay is expected to grow by 1.5% per year between 2016 and 2036, compared to the estimate for Brisbane of 0.9%.

It’s another big growth area of SEQ, with plenty of infrastructure projects creating more amenity, as well as making the area more accessible through transport upgrades.

Major projects in the region include:

$536 million Bruce highway upgrade – 6 lanes (Brisbane to Caloundra)
Moreton Bay University Precinct 10,000 students (Estimated by 2030)
Costco at North Lakes (recently opened)
$140 million Westfield North Lakes upgrade (completed 2016)
Ikea North Lakes (completed 2017)
$1.2 billion Moreton Bay rail line (opened October 2016)
$80 million Kippa-Ring Shopping Village upgrade
$27 million Redcliffe Hospital Upgrade
$65 million Bluewater Square Shopping Centre

Sunshine Coast

There is plenty happening on the Sunshine Coast, stretching from Caloundra, more than 70 kilometres north of Brisbane, to Marcoola, nearly 100 kilometres north.

Much has been made of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital at Birtinya, with growth being driven by this $2.3 billion infrastructure project that opened in 2017 and created plenty of employment. But people are also moving to the area for lifestyle.

Based on conservative estimates, the population on the Sunshine Coast is expected to grow by 1.76% per year between 2016 and 2036, nearly double that of Brisbane’s anticipated 0.9%.

Major projects in the region include:

$2.3 Billion Sunshine Coast Hospital (Opened 2017)
$450 million Sunshine Coast airport expansion (Estimated completion 2020)
$350 million expansion of Sunshine Coast Plaza (Estimated completion 2018)
$73 million Kawana Shopping World Upgrade (complete)
$450 Million Activenture Waterpark and 4 Star hotel (under construction)
$2 billion light rail feasibility studies underway (TBA)
$300 million Maroochydore Town Centre (to be delivered over 53 hectares and 25 years) http://www.maroochydore-city.com.au/
$81 million expansion University of Sunshine Coast (13,400 students in 2017)
$5 billion Oceanside Health Hub (Estimated completion 2020)
$1 billion upgrades to Bruce Highway/Caloundra Road to Sunshine Coast (Estimated completion 2020)
Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade and duplication (TBA)
$1 billion Undersea Communications Cable (TBA)

Data Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland Government Statistics, Hotspotting, SQM Research

Don’t just choose any old property

While buying in the right location is a big part of buying successfully, after identifying a region you’ll then need to drill down further and pick a particular suburb to buy in and then an individual property.

There are specific things you need to look for in a property such as scarcity, land content, the number of bathrooms, that it’s in a convenient and quiet location, and that it has a good outlook. But that’s just a start!

If you want help with finding the right property in the right location, contact us for an obligation-free 30-minute strategy session. For guidance on where to start when it comes to property investing, subscribe to our six-part ‘Ready to Buy Checklist’.

SE Queensland Growth Areas

One of the biggest advantages Queensland’s capital has over other parts of Australia, especially the southern capitals of Sydney and Melbourne, is affordability.

But we believe investors can also look outside Brisbane’s inner ring to other parts of South East Queensland (SEQ), which are often more affordable again and have all the fundamentals required for property price growth over the long term.

Which other areas in the Sunshine State offer opportunity apart from Brisbane?

At the moment we’re focusing on several regions including Ipswich, Moreton Bay/Redcliffe Peninsula and the Sunshine Coast.

These areas tick all of the boxes for investment. When buying, we look for key attributes including:

Increased population growth forecasts

Planned or current infrastructure spending by governments

Proximity to employment

Proximity to facilities and lifestyle features including shopping centres, beaches, medical facilities

Access to public transport

Gentrification of surrounding suburbs

All of these things make the area attractive to both buyers and renters, driving up prices and rents, as long as demand is greater than supply.

Our top picks for Queensland

Here’s a brief rundown of each region, and why these areas stack up from an investment perspective:

Ipswich

Situated around 40 kilometres southwest of Brisbane, Ipswich is one of SEQ’s fastest growing regions, if not the fastest growing region.

Based on conservative estimates, the population of Ipswich is expected to grow by 2.98% per year between 2016 and 2036, more than triple Brisbane’s estimated growth of 0.9%.

There are billions of dollars in infrastructure in the pipeline, as well as recently delivered, to cater for the growth, which is only making the region more attractive from an investment perspective.

Major projects in the region include:

$300 million expansion of Amberley Airbase (Expected completion 2020)

$64 million St Andrews Hospital Upgrade (approved)

$1.5 billion Ipswich Rail Link

$1 billion Walker Corp Citiswich Industrial Park

$2.8 billion Ipswich Motorway upgrade

$85 million Mater Private Hospital Springfield (opened 2015)

Orion Springfield Central Shopping Centre (200 stores, cinemas and dining)

$200m Springfield Health City aged care and units

Moreton Bay/Redcliffe Peninsula

This region is located around 25 kilometres north of the Brisbane CBD.

It encompasses a wide range of areas, including the increasingly popular bayside suburbs such as Redcliffe, the fast-growing North Lakes, and Caboolture, around 50 minutes in the car or on the train from Brisbane, and 30 minutes from the Sunshine Coast.

Based on conservative estimates, the population of Moreton Bay is expected to grow by 1.5% per year between 2016 and 2036, compared to the estimate for Brisbane of 0.9%.

It’s another big growth area of SEQ, with plenty of infrastructure projects creating more amenity, as well as making the area more accessible through transport upgrades.

Major projects in the region include:

$536 million Bruce highway upgrade – 6 lanes (Brisbane to Caloundra)

Moreton Bay University Precinct 10,000 students (Estimated by 2030)

Costco at North Lakes (recently opened)

$140 million Westfield North Lakes upgrade (completed 2016)

Ikea North Lakes (completed 2017)

$1.2 billion Moreton Bay rail line (opened October 2016)

$80 million Kippa-Ring Shopping Village upgrade

$27 million Redcliffe Hospital Upgrade

$65 million Bluewater Square Shopping Centre

Sunshine Coast

There is plenty happening on the Sunshine Coast, stretching from Caloundra, more than 70 kilometres north of Brisbane, to Marcoola, nearly 100 kilometres north.

Much has been made of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital at Birtinya, with growth being driven by this $2.3 billion infrastructure project that opened in 2017 and created plenty of employment. But people are also moving to the area for lifestyle.

Based on conservative estimates, the population on the Sunshine Coast is expected to grow by 1.76% per year between 2016 and 2036, nearly double that of Brisbane’s anticipated 0.9%.

Major projects in the region include:

$2.3 Billion Sunshine Coast Hospital (Opened 2017)

$450 million Sunshine Coast airport expansion (Estimated completion 2020)

$350 million expansion of Sunshine Coast Plaza (Estimated completion 2018)

$73 million Kawana Shopping World Upgrade (complete)

$450 Million Activenture Waterpark and 4 Star hotel (under construction)

$2 billion light rail feasibility studies underway (TBA)

$300 million Maroochydore Town Centre (to be delivered over 53 hectares and 25 years) http://www.maroochydore-city.com.au/

$81 million expansion University of Sunshine Coast (13,400 students in 2017)

$5 billion Oceanside Health Hub (Estimated completion 2020)

$1 billion upgrades to Bruce Highway/Caloundra Road to Sunshine Coast (Estimated completion 2020)

Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade and duplication (TBA)

$1 billion Undersea Communications Cable (TBA)

Data Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland Government Statistics, Hotspotting, SQM Research

Don’t just choose any old property

While buying in the right location is a big part of buying successfully, after identifying a region you’ll then need to drill down further and pick a particular suburb to buy in and then an individual property.

There are specific things you need to look for in a property such as scarcity, land content, the number of bathrooms, that it’s in a convenient and quiet location, and that it has a good outlook. But that’s just a start!

If you want help with finding the right property in the right location, contact us for an obligation-free 30-minute strategy session. For guidance on where to start when it comes to property investing, subscribe to our six-part ‘Ready to Buy Checklist’.