Stockland Aura – one of Australia’s largest masterplanned communities located on the Sunshine Coast – has seen first home buyers make up half of its sales in the third quarter of this financial year (January to March 2024), an increase of 24 per cent when compared with the same period last year.

Stockland Project Director Josh Sondergeld said there was incredibly strong demand for the release of new land in Aura during the first three months of 2024, driven by its range of affordable and aspirational housing options, active lifestyle, and access to schools, jobs, services and major roads.

“The majority of enquiries and sales for new land releases on the Sunshine Coast has been from those already in the area, and most of the demand is from first home buyers. We’ve seen especially high interest for land in Aura in February this year, with the number of expressions of interest in the Acacia release being oversubscribed,” Mr Sondergeld said.

“New land is released every 4 to 5 weeks in Aura, with more land to be released in 2024 within the Acacia at Aura precinct in the suburb of Banya, as well as The Avenues, a premium precinct with larger lots in Nirimba.”

Stockland General Manager for Queensland Development, David Laner, believes the increase in sales has been underpinned by those taking advantage of the doubling of the state’s First Home Owner Grant, which was announced by the Queensland Government in November last year.

“Our customers have told us that the recent change to the state’s First Home Owner Grant has made home ownership more attainable and allowed them to get into the housing market sooner,” Mr Laner said.

Soon-to-be Aura locals, Kerri Norman and Simon Feely, took advantage of the First Home Owner Grant and recently purchased a block of land in Aura’s Cradle Release in Banya.

“We have been trying to get into the property market for two years. Saving for the deposit was definitely the biggest hurdle, so the grant made all the difference and without it, we would not have been in a position to buy for quite some time,” Ms Norman said.

“Once we had been through housing options with the team at Aura, we had a better understanding of the community and its plans for the future. We both knew before we left that we were going to buy there, and within two weeks we had put down the deposit and have been on cloud nine ever since. 

“We love that there is so much going on – there are plenty of parks and outdoor spaces, with more infrastructure planned including shopping centres, schools, a university, and a sports complex. It will be a great place for our teenage son to grow up surrounded by so many opportunities.” 

Alongside the First Home Owner Grant, David Laner said Queensland’s lifestyle attributes and relative affordability were expected to continue driving demand, particularly for affordable housing options across South East Queensland.

“Last year uncertain market conditions resulted in subdued demand, however data from the first few months of 2024 is showing signs of increased buyer confidence,” Mr Laner said. 

“Housing affordability and community creation are at the heart of Stockland’s legacy and purpose, and for more than 70 years, we have helped more Australians achieve the dream of home ownership. We look forward to continuing to provide more affordable housing options to first home owners and young families across Australia.” 

The Stockland Aura Sales and Vision Centre is located at 1 Tucker Street, Bells Creek and is open from 10am – 5pm daily.

More information on the Aura community can be found at: https://www.stockland.com.au/residential/qld/aura

About Aura

Aura is Australia’s largest masterplanned community and is currently home to more than 10,000 residents. On completion, Aura will have over 200 kilometres of walking paths and cycling veloways, connecting the community and encouraging residents to live active and healthy lifestyles. It will also feature its own Central Park, a 120-hectare regional park, 10 sporting grounds as well as parks and playgrounds within 400m walking distance of every home, linking residential areas to local employment precincts, schools, the city centre and local neighbourhood retail centres.

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