Warnings are mounting over the future of housing on the Gold Coast, with new research revealing the city is falling behind apartment construction targets.
The latest Apartment Snapshot Report from the Property Council of Australia found only 2,431 new apartments and townhouses were registered across the Gold Coast in 2025, a 6.3 per cent decline from 2024.
Although 24 new apartment projects were launched during the year, researchers found nearly 60 per cent of apartments expected to be completed in 2028 and 2029 are at risk of delay or being scrapped altogether.
Property Council Queensland Executive Director Jess Caire said the report highlighted both opportunity and urgency, with rising construction costs and labour shortages continuing to weigh heavily on developers.
She said reforms were needed to improve project feasibility, including making the Residential Activation Fund permanent
“There are some positive signs in this year’s data, including an uplift in project launches through 2025 and stronger completion numbers forecast for 2026 and 2027,” Ms Caire said.
“We know that the State Government is increasingly focused on housing supply right across Queensland.
“That’s why we’re calling for the successful Residential Activation Fund to be made permanent and to make it easier for apartment projects to access that funding so essential upgrades can be made to power, water and road infrastructure.
“We cannot address housing choice, affordability or supply challenges at the scale required without more apartments being built. The data in this report reinforces that everything must be on the table to give apartment projects the best chance of succeeding.”
The report also revealed a slowdown in build-to-rent developments, with the approved pipeline dropping from around 1,700 apartments last year to just 850 this year.
Industry leaders are now calling for faster planning approvals and changes to Queensland’s tax settings, warning more apartments will be critical to tackling the region’s growing affordability and housing supply pressures.
