Housing

In response to the growing national housing crisis affecting Noosa Shire, Council undertook a Housing Needs Assessment in 2021, identifying key challenges in local housing. Since then, conditions have worsened for many residents, with some forced to leave the Shire due to lack of affordable housing. 

• There is a mismatch between housing type and size and household size and needs. 
• Noosa Shire enjoys a high level of home ownership but correspondingly, a relatively small rental market.
• The number of homes rented to permanent residents dropped by nearly 550 dwellings between 2011 and 2021, despite additional housing development.
• 2,461 households in Noosa Shire were in housing stress in 2021, with 1,624 of these renting. 
• In the 5 years from June 2020 to 2025 median rent for a 3-bedroom house in Noosa Shire rose from $500 to $800 (over 60% increase).   
• Residential vacancy rates have been below 2% in parts of the Shire since 2020.  

Noosa Council prepared and endorsed a Housing Strategy In 2022 which identified various actions including planning scheme amendments, housing monitoring, financial incentives, housing partnerships and affordable housing projects.  

The Queensland Government has a Regional Plan for South East Queensland which can be viewed here. Their Plan calls for almost 900,000 new homes across SEQ by 2046, an average of 34,500 new homes each year, to accommodate a projected population of nearly 6 million people. The State have set dwelling supply targets for each of the twelve local governments within SEQ. For Noosa they have set a target of 5,000 additional dwellings over the 25 years of 2021 to 2046, and specifically, over 80% of these are to be in low rise attached housing (up to 3 storeys in height).