Townsville’s NIMBY hotspots have been revealed. Picture: Evan Morgan
Townsville is regional Queensland’s NIMBY capital with five of its suburbs being named in the top 10 NIMBY resistance hotspots thanks to almost non-existent new dwelling approvals.
A shock analysis revealed “an entrenched pattern of underdevelopment” across Queensland, intensifying the affordability crisis as families compete for a limited supply of new homes.
Research by MCG Quantity Surveyors pinpointed areas with the lowest building approvals across the past two years, with undersupply dire in Brisbane and regional growth areas from the Gold Coast to Townsville.
“Australia’s housing market faces significant pressure due to surging population growth, heightened demand, and an alarmingly low rate of new dwelling approvals,” MCG Quantity Surveyors managing director Mike Mortlock said.
“While many regions grapple with meeting housing demand, certain suburb areas stand out starkly as hotspots of resistance – often referred to as NIBMYism (Not In My Back Yard) – to new developments.”
In the 24 months to January 2025, only 337,564 dwelling units were approved nationally.
MCG’s report identified 65 suburbs in Queensland with less than 5,000 building approvals, coupled with less than a 1 per cent increase in housing stock.
MCG Quantity Surveyors managing director Mike Mortlock.
Five of the 10 worst regional Queensland suburb areas were in Townsville, three were in Central Queensland and one each in Mackay and Wide Bay.
Brisbane’s worst-ranked areas included: Wakerley, Riverhills, Seventeen Mile Rocks-Sinnamon Park, Middle Park-Jamboree Heights, Carindale, Jindalee-Mount Ommaney, Mansfield, Stafford Heights, Sheldon-Mount Cotton, and Boondall.
Topping the regional Queensland list was Cranbrook, followed by the Wulguru- Roseneath area and Annandale.
Also making the top 10 were Heatley and the Gulliver-Currajong-Vincent area.
Mr Mortlock said the dearth of approvals in Townsville reflected an “ongoing reluctance to densify or renew, even in the face of population pressures”.
The pattern was repeated across hubs including Mackay and Bundaberg.
“These are established communities with thousands of homes, yet the housing stock has barely budged,” he said.
“The risk here is clear: without intervention, affordability in these markets will erode just as quickly as in the capitals.”
Natalie Rayment, Brisbane town planner and CEO of YIMBY Qld, said homeowners with “blind faith” in opposing development risked “pricing a new generation out of the housing market”.
“Good housing policy and quality design are essential,” Ms Rayment said.
“But I like to ask people – if you say ‘no’ to more housing in your neighbourhood, then what are you saying ‘yes’ to?
“There’s always a trade-off, whether that be increasing housing costs, increased levels of homelessness or reducing opportunities to downsize and age in place in the future.
“There’s also added pressure to push new housing further out of the city, increasing the commute and potentially expanding into farm land or koala habitat.”
YIMBY CEO Natalie Rayment, near her office in Newstead. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen
Ms Rayment said when a housing project was denied or delayed in response to strong community objection, it often led to further restrictive practices.
“Decision makers tighten up the rule book to ensure no more are allowed to slip through the system – think the townhouse ban, or capping heights, reducing floor plates, or increasing carparking numbers, each coming with a direct cost on housing,” she said.
“Worse still, each time this happens, it rocks the confidence of the housing sector, reducing the risk appetite needed to get new projects off the ground.
“It’s a downward spiral. And we need a re-set. Urgently.”
NIMBY pressure in wealthier suburbs like Noosa, New Farm and Main Beach was strong, as homeowners fought to preserve “neighbourhood character”, Ms Rayment said.
“But NIMBY pressure plays out in many areas, often opposing affordable housing options like smaller units,” she said.
“Recently, we’ve seen even more intense objections to social and affordable homes, with some residents going beyond planning issues to raise concerns about social issues like youth crime.”
Building approvals for new houses and units plummeted across much of the state over the summer months.
While approvals for detached homes and units rose by 8.4 per cent from last year, the 36,147 homes approved fell short of the government’s annual target of 50,000 new homes.
The three-month trend to February 2025 shows approvals down by 8.8 per cent – blowing out to about 30 per cent in regions like Mackay and Whitsunday, Far North Queensland, and the Gold Coast.
Building approvals are down in Townsville. Picture: David Clark
Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell highlighted a critical skills shortage.
“The disconnect between the number of people entering the construction industry and the workload is growing, and is the most pressing challenge for our sector,” Mr Bidwell said.
The Construction Skills Queensland Horizon 2032 report found the shortfall in workers will intensify to around 50,000 by 2026-27.
“With a pipeline of just over $59b in homes, schools, hospitals, and community infrastructure in play for 2024-25, and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games projects ahead, it’s time to rethink our approach to finding more workers.”
The housing shortage is a key issue ahead of next week’s election, with both major parties unveiling policies aimed at addressing the supply-demand imbalance.
Ray White economist Nerida Conisbee said skyrocketing building costs had made it more affordable to buy an existing home than purchase a new one – undermining policies aimed at encouraging new construction.
“Construction challenges have worsened, with industry insolvencies continuing to rise and now exceeding 1200 annually,” Ms Consibee said.
“Labor productivity remains low, and the average time to complete a house has increased from approximately 6.5 months pre-pandemic to over 10 months today.
“These factors severely limit the industry’s capacity to deliver on ambitious housing targets.”
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