Stockland welcomes the recent announcement by Deputy Premier Steven Miles approving an additional 1,100 new housing lots in Stockland Aura, bringing the total number of approved lots in the masterplanned community to nearly 10,000.

Stockland Project Director, Josh Sondergeld said the release of the additional lots will help to alleviate the increasing pressure on housing availability and affordability on the Sunshine Coast.

“Our masterplanned communities play an important role in providing accessible home ownership options across Australia. Aura provides a diverse range of quality housing to cater to all stages of people’s lifestyles, including duplexes, two to three-bedroom villa homes, and more traditional-style detached single and double storey family homes,” said Mr Sondergeld.

“Aura is able to respond to the need for more affordable housing through more compact lots and townhomes, while also offering precincts with more generous lots such as the recently launched The Avenues with lots ranging from 434 to more than 800 square metres.

“We have a two-decade, track record in delivering new homes for Sunshine Coast families and the overwhelmingly positive feedback from those who call Aura home confirms we’re delivering on its promise — not only in the diversity of housing on offer, but also in regard to lifestyle.

“As part of our recent Liveability Survey, Aura delivered a 971 per cent satisfaction rate based on 247 responses, so we know the people who live in Aura love what’s on offer.

“There is much positive feedback on the 70 kilometres of existing veloways and walking paths; the 17 local parks, with a further three parks opening in the next two months; and the fantastic sense of community that a masterplanned community is designed to foster,” added Mr Sondergeld.

The Deputy Premier made the additional lot announcement at the recent Sunshine Coast Business Council lunch, hosted for its members and guests at The Lakehouse, Mountain Creek.

Sunshine Coast Business Council (SCBC) Chair Sandy Zubrinich also welcomed the announcement but acknowledged more would need to be done to address ongoing migration to the region.

“The Sunshine Coast’s population is expected to grow by almost to 50 per cent to 500,000 residents in 2041,” said Ms Zubrinich.

“This level of growth requires careful planning and the ongoing release of additional land is essential to create liveable masterplanned communities, ensuring all Sunshine Coast locals can enjoy the quality of life we have come to love.

“We understand that infill in existing residential areas is part of the solution, but in many cases there is not adequate infrastructure to accommodate the increased population in these areas. Greater density requires more schools, retail, parks, amenities and more space on our already congested roads.

“As Deputy Premier Steven Miles said when addressing our members and guests at the lunch, if we want to protect the liveability of our region we will need to change the types of dwellings we live in.

“As our population continues to grow, a lack of housing availability will see us struggle to attract and retain the key workers such as teachers and nurses, who are essential to maintain our standard of living.

“Aura has demonstrated success in this space with more than 50 per cent of homes in the community being purchased by essential and key workers.”

Aura is Australia’s largest masterplanned community and is currently home to more than 9,300 residents, with nearly 20,000 homes expected to be built upon completion.

Upon completion, Aura will have approximately 200 kilometres of dedicated footpaths and bicycle pathways, setting a new benchmark for the provision of active transport in communities across Queensland.

Connection to the Bruce Highway via the extension of the existing Bells Creek Arterial Road is expected to open mid this year.

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

About Aura

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.