Queenslanders are leading a nationwide push towards self-sufficient living, with more city slickers growing their own food and preparing their homes for future disruption than anywhere else in the country.
New research commissioned by Money.com.au has revealed Queenslanders are determined to become less reliant on buying food than any other state, with 57 per cent planning to grow their own food at home, compared to the national average of 48 per cent.
RELATED: The great squeeze: Qld’s housing crisis forces families under one roof
Brisbane home prices up $172k in just one year, but slowdown coming
New research has found more Queenslanders are growing their own food amid cost-of-living pressures and global uncertainty. Picture: Andy Rogers.
The survey of 1000 Australians also found residents in the Sunshine State are the least likely to dismiss the need to prepare their homes for global instability, natural disasters and rising living costs.
The findings come as soaring power bills and cost-of-living pressures drive growing demand for homes with solar systems, water tanks, battery storage and space for vegetable gardens.
Money.com.au’s property expert Nick Burgess said Queenslanders were increasingly treating self-sufficiency features like veggie gardens, solar power and water storage as both a lifestyle upgrade and a financial safeguard against rising household costs and future disruptions.
The cost of groceries and fuel are putting more pressure on households.
“We’re seeing more Queenslanders view self-sufficiency as part financial strategy, part lifestyle choice,” Mr Burgess said. “Rising grocery prices and energy costs are encouraging households to think more carefully about how they can use their property to offset those expenses.
“When you add rising interest rates, insurance premiums and fuel costs into the mix, growing your own food is becoming less of a hobby and more of a practical way for families to regain some control over everyday living costs. It beats taking on another job when you can grow your own food to help put meals on the table.”
Mr Burgess said more households were also developing a preparedness mindset.
| WHERE ARE AUSTRALIA’S MOST SELF-SUFFICIENT HOUSEHOLDS? | |||||
| NSW | QLD | VIC | WA | SA | |
| Growing own food | 44% | 57% | 46% | 49% | 39% |
| Energy self-sufficiency | 41% | 47% | 43% | 38% | 32% |
| Stockpiling fuel/supplies | 28% | 33% | 22% | 19% | 23% |
| Buying an EV/PHEV | 29% | 23% | 25% | 25% | 23% |
| Rainwater harvesting | 24% | 22% | 22% | 29% | 26% |
| Security infrastructure | 17% | 15% | 14% | 16% | 23% |
| Going fully off-grid | 14% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 11% |
| Relocating rural/regional | 12% | 12% | 11% | 15% | 11% |
| Extra storage/outbuildings | 17% | 8% | 7% | 14% | 11% |
| Source: Primara Research | |||||
Veggie gardens are becoming more popular in suburban backyards. Picture: Fawcett Media.
“Repeated floods, cyclones and supply chain disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict appear to have shifted attitudes in Queensland,” he said.
“Many households now want homes that can operate more independently during disruptions, whether that means solar batteries, water storage or access to home-grown food.
“At the same time, the rise of so-called ‘crunchy’ social media content around homesteading, veggie gardens, backyard chickens and low-tox living has helped normalise the idea of producing more at home. What was once considered niche or alternative is increasingly becoming mainstream, particularly among younger families and homeowners.”
Researchers from Primara Research, which undertook the study, believe the state’s repeated exposure to floods, cyclones and severe weather events has created a population more focused on practical household preparedness.
Nick Burgess, Money.com.au. Image supplied.
MORE: Luxury development named country’s best
Primara Research head of research and data Peter Drennan agreed the trend had become increasingly mainstream.
“This isn’t a story about survivalists,” he said. “It’s about a growing group of practical Australians making conscious decisions about their most valuable asset. The mainstream is quietly doing the same thing to their homes.”
Nationally, 16 per cent of Australians said they had already made physical changes to their homes in response to global instability, while another 37 per cent planned to.
Growing food at home was the most common first step, followed by installing solar power and improving water security.
Queensland’s strong appetite for food self-sufficiency contrasted sharply with trends in NSW, where homeowners were more focused on building extra storage and outbuildings.
More households are looking to renewable energy sources, like solar, to save money.
The research found NSW residents were more than twice as likely as Queenslanders to invest in additional storage infrastructure.
Mr Drennan said most of the people surveyed were focused on making affordable, practical changes rather than extreme preparations.
“When people want to act now, they start with what is practical and affordable — growing food, making small changes,” he said.
“But when they are buying, the stakes are higher. Energy independence tops the list, but food production, water security, connectivity and storage all come into play. Self-sufficiency is becoming a property checklist, and it is only going to get longer.”
Climate-smart home upgrades such as solar panels, batteries, insulation, heat pumps and passive design are already saving households an estimated $3 billion a year, with average savings of around $1500 per year, per home, according to the Clean Energy Council.
More than 240 homes across Australia will take part this weekend in Sustainable House Day 2026, with over 150 opening in person and more than 90 featured online.
The event is Australia’s largest community-led showcase of climate-smart housing, with households opening their doors to demonstrate practical ways to reduce energy bills, improve comfort and build resilience to extreme weather.
Helen Oakey, CEO of not-for-profit organisation, Renew Australia, said people were feeling the impacts of extreme heat, rising energy costs, and unreliable power, and were looking for practical ways to respond.
“Climate action doesn’t just start in Parliament, it starts in our living rooms, kitchens and on our rooftops,” Ms Oakey said.
English (US) · 