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Institute research: 2026 Fees and Charges insights released

Development assessment fees and infrastructure charges across Queensland, council by council

The Institute has finalised its 2026 collection of Development Assessment Fees and Infrastructure Charges across Queensland. Now in its 13th year, this annual research is exclusive to members and provides a consistent view of council-level trends and how development costs have shifted over time.

The updated interactive dashboards let members compare current fees, year-on-year movements and longer-term trends across residential, subdivision, operational works, commercial and industrial development categories. We greatly appreciate the time taken by participating councils in confirming the fees and charges.

Development assessment fees continued to trend higher in 2026, with many councils increasing charges across residential, subdivision and operational works applications, though the scale and direction of change varied considerably between councils and development categories. Brisbane recorded increases across most assessed categories (up 4.9%), while Sunshine Coast moved the other way, cutting its dwelling house fee by 29.7% to $980.

Infrastructure charges also moved higher on the whole, with the State cap rising 3.7% to $38,029. Several councils recorded large increases across specific charge categories, including Logan (residential charges up 18%) and Gladstone (most categories up around 14.8%).

The full research, covering every council and development category, is available exclusively to UDIA Queensland members.

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Access the 2026 insights and interactive dashboards

The 2026 Development assessment fees and infrastructure charges research is exclusive to UDIA Queensland members.

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Institute research: SEQ greenfield land supply research released

The Institute has today released an extensive research report into greenfield land supply in South East Queensland (SEQ). The UDIA National Housing Pipeline® was undertaken with members to better understand the issues constraining greenfield land for housing supply.

This research evidences the exact scale, nature, and drivers of land supply challenges in SEQ and provides an important opportunity for the industry to constructively contribute developer insight and intentions to housing and land supply monitoring programs.

While the issue is complex, the research identified key issues constraining the delivery of greenfield housing land supply. At the current industry delivery rate, SEQ has only 3.2 years of short term land supply.  With severely limited stocks, further housing affordability pressures are likely to prevail.

3.2 years

of supply left in ‘Urban Residential’ and ‘Priority Development Areas’

118,850

detached dwellings shortfall against ShapingSEQ targets

The research also revealed that the primary challenge of delivering greenfield housing supply is infrastructure coordination. 58 percent of identified greenfield housing land requires commitment/funding for infrastructure such as major roads, sewer, water, and electrical prior to housing delivery.

58%

of identified yield requires commitment / funding for enabling infrastructure

26%

of total identified supply constrained by koala conservation requirements

An additional 9,223 hectares within the Urban Footprint is notionally prescribed for housing but is constrained from residential uses due to hard development constraints. Koala mapping constraints make up the highest yielding constraint, with a total 5,452 hectares constrained, or 26 percent of total identified supply in SEQ.

While there is no silver bullet to address the issue, the Institute recommends the following key actions to ensure detached greenfield land supply meets the State Government required housing targets:

Increase infrastructure coordination and delivery
Facilitate greater levels of infrastructure delivery by funding catalytic infrastructure, undertake comprehensive planning throughout the entire Urban Footprint, expand Priority Infrastructure Areas and provide greater levels of state transport and public transport investment.

Expedite the review of local planning schemes
Expediting the review of local planning schemes can increase industry capacity to bring forward supply.

Plan now for next growth fronts
Give industry and the community a clear roadmap of where growth should occur by planning now for future growth corridors.

Resource Council and utility providers for faster approvals
Ensuring all levels of approval are effectively resourced would allow greater efficiency in getting homes on the ground faster.

Incentivise delivery
Consider incentives to promote the delivery and uptake of smaller dwelling types.

Reconcile overlays
Rationalise environmental overlays to prioritise key environmental corridors and ensure residential land supply is not located where critical conservation is required and remove these lands from the tally of land available for housing.

The Institute’s CEO, Kirsty Chessher-Brown supported the findings of the research and highlighted the dire need to address the issues at all levels of Government.

“If we don’t have seismic change, we can expect the levels of supply to remain well below the State’s identified detached dwelling targets, as set out in ShapingSEQ which can only mean an ongoing housing affordability crisis.  When coupled with the significant apartment crunch identified by the Institute earlier in the year, there are some very serious concerns about the region’s future housing supply.” Kirsty said.

The Institute will continue to work with all levels of government and advocate for changes that will increase the delivery of detached greenfield housing stock as it is a critical component in alleviating the current housing crisis.

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Introducing the UDIA Housing Index

We are excited to announce the launch of the UDIA Housing Index – a national research initiative providing a comprehensive health check on the new build housing market across Australia.

What is the UDIA Housing Index?

The UDIA Housing Index is a quarterly report drawing from a diverse range of data sources. It offers valuable insights into the key indicators of demand, supply, and costs for new residential developments.

Why is this important?

The housing market is constantly evolving and staying informed is crucial. The UDIA Housing Index provides timely, data-driven insights to help industry professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders navigate the dynamic landscape of residential development.

Stay ahead of the curve

By monitoring the UDIA Housing Index, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the trends shaping Australia’s housing market, empowering you to make informed decisions.

Bookmark the link below to ensure you don’t miss out on updates.

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