$146m infrastructure package to unlock 18,900 Gold Coast homes

Queensland has committed $146 million from the second round of its Residential Activation Fund to trunk infrastructure on the Gold Coast. The state says the money will open up land for about 18,900 homes across three projects. These are the first projects funded under round two.

The funding covers sewerage, road and electrical works serving Worongary, Robina, Pimpama, Coomera, Upper Coomera and Parkwood. The centrepiece is an upgrade of the Merrimac Sewage Treatment Plant to treat waste for 110,000 equivalent persons. Acting Mayor Mark Hammel described it as the most significant state funding for City-owned infrastructure "in decades".

• The Gold Coast population is forecast to pass one million by 2046
• Round two of the fund was lifted to $1 billion in the state Budget, bringing the program to $2 billion
• The state says the fund has fast-tracked more than 100,000 homes statewide, around 98,000 of them in round one
• The opposition questioned how long buyers will wait and criticised recent cuts to affordable housing requirements

Why it matters for developers & landowners: Trunk infrastructure is often the real constraint on greenfield and infill supply in the northern growth corridor and around Robina. Landholders in the serviced catchments should watch the delivery timing closely, as servicing can quickly change a site's feasibility and value.

Source: The Urban Developer, published 22 July 2026. Summary and commentary by GC Prestige — read the original article for full details.