State signs off 55-hectare Dreamworld masterplan at Coomera
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has approved a 55.3ha masterplan around Dreamworld and WhiteWater World, allowing staged tourism, entertainment and high-density housing over the next decade.
Image: GC Prestige
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has approved a 55.3ha masterplan around Dreamworld and WhiteWater World, allowing staged tourism, entertainment and high-density housing over the next decade.
- Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie approved a 55.3ha masterplan around Dreamworld and WhiteWater World
- The plan allows staged tourism, entertainment and high-density housing over the next decade
- The application was lodged with council in September 2023 and called in by the state in October 2025
- Ardent Leisure says it has invested more than $180m in the park over four years
- The state also declared the 1,200ha Halls Creek PDA on the Sunshine Coast for up to 12,000 homes
What's happening
The Queensland Government has approved a 55.3-hectare masterplan covering the land at and around Dreamworld and WhiteWater World at Coomera. The Urban Developer reported the decision on 20 July 2026. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie signed off on the plan after calling in the development application from the City of Gold Coast in October 2025.
The masterplan sets a planning framework for staged redevelopment over the next decade or so. Besides expanding the two theme parks, it allows hotels, entertainment, hospitality and housing on one of the largest landholdings in the northern Gold Coast corridor. Bleijie said the approval "gives Dreamworld the certainty it needs" to attract private investment while supporting tourism and housing supply.
The key details
The application was lodged with the City of Gold Coast in September 2023. Council later asked for the project to be assessed as state-significant because of its economic and housing implications, and the state stepped in during 2025. The approval comes with conditions: staged delivery, compliance with the site's existing development code, and upgrades to the surrounding road network as each stage proceeds.
- Site area: 55.3 hectares, including and adjoining Dreamworld and WhiteWater World
- Tourism uses: theme park expansion, tourist accommodation, entertainment, hospitality and eco-tourism attractions
- Residential uses: high-density housing including multiple dwellings, retirement living, residential care and rooming accommodation
- Other uses: retail, commercial and visitor-focused uses integrated with the housing
Owner Ardent Leisure says it has invested more than $180 million in the park over the past four years and that this has supported more than 1,000 jobs. Dreamworld chief executive Greg Yong said the approval opens up one of Australia's largest tourism-led mixed-use opportunities. He pointed to a shortage of "quality hotel accommodation" between the northern Gold Coast and Brisbane, and to the chance to deliver housing close to heavy rail.
The same report covered the declaration of the 1,200-hectare Halls Creek Priority Development Area south of Caloundra. It could hold up to 12,000 homes, with an Early Release Area expected to fast-track about 1,000 of them.
Timeline and next steps
- September 2023: application lodged with the City of Gold Coast
- October 2025: the Deputy Premier calls in the application
- July 2026: masterplan approved
- Next decade: staged delivery, with road upgrades tied to each stage
- Later in 2026: public consultation on the Halls Creek development scheme
Why it matters for developers and landowners
An approved mixed-use masterplan of this size gives the Coomera area a clearer long-term picture. It shows tourism, accommodation and dense housing being planned together, and it links road upgrades to development stages. For owners of surrounding land, that is useful context when thinking about future demand for housing, services and employment uses in the corridor.
The approval is a framework, though, not a construction start. Each stage will still need delivery decisions, and the timing of any flow-on effect for nearby sites is uncertain. Landowners should treat it as one input among many, including infrastructure timing and local zoning, when assessing their own site's potential.
Frequently asked questions
Who approved the Dreamworld masterplan?
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie approved it, after calling in the application from the City of Gold Coast in October 2025.
How large is the approved Dreamworld masterplan?
It covers 55.3 hectares of land at and around Dreamworld and WhiteWater World at Coomera.
Does the Dreamworld masterplan include housing?
Yes. It allows high-density residential uses including multiple dwellings, retirement living, residential care and rooming accommodation, integrated with retail, commercial and tourism uses.
Source: The Urban Developer, published 20 July 2026. This article is an independent summary and commentary by GC Prestige based on the original report — read the source for full details.
The Urban Developer
Read the original article →This is an independent summary written by GC Prestige for general information. All facts are attributed to the original publisher above — please refer to the source for full details. Not financial or planning advice.
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