The regional community showing how downsizing can strengthen housing for everyone

Regional Queensland is seeing more than its fair share of stress when it comes to housing supply, highlighting the importance of having the right mix of homes for people at different stages of life.As Australia’s population grows, the demand for family-sized homes is also increasing and states like Queensland are setting high targets for new homes.Recent data shows that these new builds are concentrated in major cities.June 2026 Building Approvals data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that 69.4% of Queensland’s approved new homes in the past year were in Greater Brisbane or the Gold Coast.This is despite the fact that, according to the ABS’ June 2026 internal migration data, more Queenslanders left Greater Brisbane for regional areas than moved in the other direction.In Queensland’s regional centres, especially lifestyle destinations like Rockhampton, downsizing is one way established housing stock can be freed up for families.“When over-50s have attractive options to right-size, it can free up established family homes for the next generation,” says Andrew Coulter, Chief Operating Officer of GemLife, one of Australia’s leading over-50s lifestyle resort operator...