Wide Bay beachside communities experience unprecedented growthJBy Johanna MarieABC Wide BayTopic:Regional Development and Planning33m ago33 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 8:00pmConstruction is underway on a housing development at Innes Park. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)In short: Bundaberg Regional Council has approved nearly 5,000 residential lots along the coast.The demand has come from southerners and retirees.What's next?Residents are concerned about infrastructure and investment in their communities.abc.net.au/news/qld-beachside-communities-undergo-major-transformation/105268338Link copiedShareShare articleThousands of beachside blocks are hitting the market in regional Queensland as sleepy coastal towns grapple with population growth and changing identities.The Wide Bay region, about 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, is home to sleepy beachside suburbs thrust into a major transformation from rural farmland to residential subdivisions.Bundaberg Mayor Helen Blackburn said about 5,000 housing lots were under construction on the 15-kilometre coastal stretch between Elliott Heads and Bargara.Residential and retirement housing developments are under construction at Innes Park. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)"That's significant … that will change the face of our region," she said."People are seeing us as maybe the next Sunshine Coast."The communities are in high demand from southerners and retirees, with approvals for more than 2,000 additional retirement and over 50s dwellings.Helen Blackburn says the region is experiencing unprecedented growth. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)"People have found out the secret of our Bundaberg coastline, our beautiful waterways, and our clean, fresh environment," Cr Blackburn said."There's no doubt that it will grow and grow substantially in the next few years."Affordable place to liveNot everyone is retired.Shantara Manulat, who recently moved from the Gold Coast, operates a coffee van near Innes Park."Everyone's so welcoming, I've made so many friends being here and yeah, I'm just loving it, I wouldn't go back," the 27-year-old said.Shantara Manulat moved from the Gold Coast to Innes Park. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)She said it was an easier place to run a business because there was less competition.She said it was also a more affordable location to live.The median house price in the Wide Bay region, which incorporates Bundaberg, has risen to $611,000, according to the latest Proptrack report.Identity crisisAt the southern fringe of the region, the Fraser Coast is also experiencing similar growth with $3 billion in commercial projects approved by the council in 2024.A master-planned community with more than 1,600 home sites is expected to be built at Dundowran Beach in the next decade.Hervey Bay has experienced plenty of growth recently. (ABC News: Lucy Loram)Some of the more controversial approvals, including an 18-storey high-rise development on the Esplanade at Hervey Bay, have sparked debate over the urbanisation of the area."I'm not against development but it needs to be in the right places," resident Ross Horne said."We used to come here when we were school kids and now it's a whole different place."While many locals supported the growth, there were concerns that roads and infrastructure would not cope with the increase in traffic.Near Bundaberg, Bargara café owner Joey Caruana said he wanted to see the state government invest in schools and sporting infrastructure."The growth of soccer clubs, athletics, nippers … there's a need for a sporting base," he said."A multi-purpose facility where we can have footy, hockey, netball, all the things that young families want."Bargara has experienced an influx of southerners moving to the town. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)Infrastructure and labour shortageEarlier this year the state government announced a $2 billion Regional Activation Fund, with half of the money to be spent on upgrading roads, drainage and other infrastructure in rural areas.The first round of funding is to be issued to councils from July."We're aware that we need to try to make sure that our roads are maintained so that we can keep up with the traffic … and we need to make sure that we have enough hospital staff, policing staff," Cr Blackburn said.She said finding qualified tradespeople was another issue."I would say at this point in time we're probably a bit stretched in terms of the labour market," she said.The Queensland government has promised to build 1 million homes over two decades. (ABC News: Johanna Marie)Despite the challenges, Cr Blackburn said the coastal expansion was necessary to help attract families and professionals to move from south-east Queensland."Every place needs to grow, and we need new ideas and new people so that we can have those eateries and those shops that we desperately would like to have in our region," she said.ABC Wide Bay — local news in your inboxGet our local newsletter, delivered free each ThursdayYour information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 33m ago33 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 8:00pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top Stories'Third party' vote looks set to beat CoalitionTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows A triangular chart showing an example of some electorates shifting from LNP to 'Other candidates' at the 2025 federal election'We've hit the lottery': Businesses cash in on Labor's home battery rebateTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows A man with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses on top of his head smiles at camera.Labor win turns sour as the bloody realpolitik takes centre stageLAnalysis by Laura TinglePhoto shows Two men in orange hi vis vest, with one holding up a dollar coinErin Patterson was building Lego hours after serving deadly meal, court hearsTopic:CourtsPhoto shows A close up photo of Erin Patterson looking over her shoulder wearing glases.India's retaliation to terror attacks reflects a changed strategy. 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