Queensland's deputy premier wrote to developers asking them to remove affordable housing from their building applications — months after the LNP government changed planning laws to scrap requirements for cheaper homes.
Jarrod Bleijie, who also serves as the state's planning minister, sent letters in May to two developers requesting they cut affordable housing from their projects. The first was Marketplace Developments' Lamington Markets project in Lutwyche, Brisbane's inner north. The original plan included two residential towers with 240 dwellings, some of which would be affordable.
Bleijie told the developer the affordable units should be reallocated as "standard market-rate housing within the development" to align with LNP changes to Queensland's State Facilitated Development legislation.
"The changed application will maintain development that is for an urban purpose and will assist in the delivery of an identified priority of the state, being the delivery of housing," Bleijie wrote.
A similar request went to Walker Group for its Lakesview development in Robina, on the Gold Coast. The project was originally planned for 2750 homes, with 550 set aside as affordable housing — including units for frontline health workers near Robina Hospital.
Walker Group executive of development Peter Saba acknowledged the request in a response letter and supported the change. But he also revealed the total number of dwellings would drop to 2500, citing "changing market demands and revisions to the proposed apartment typology."
State Facilitated Development was a special planning instrument introduced by the former Labor government in 2024. It was designed to speed up planning approvals and override local government planning laws. Earlier this year, the Crisafulli government announced an SFD "reset" to unlock housing faster, removing the requirement for developers to include at least 15 per cent affordable housing in their applications.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles revealed the letters during a press conference on Tuesday. He called the requests an "extraordinary abuse of power."
"This is an extraordinary abuse of power by the deputy premier, an abuse of power that should be used to direct developers to build more affordable homes," Miles said.
Shadow housing spokesperson Meaghan Scanlon was particularly critical of the Lakesview amendment. She noted the project was originally meant to provide affordable housing for frontline health workers.
"The LNP have killed these projects and killed the very process designed to allow working people to live in the cities that they work in," Scanlon said.
Bleijie didn't directly comment on the letters but issued a statement saying "availability equals affordability." He pointed to the government's Residential Activation Fund and Land Activation Program, which he said would unlock more than 100,000 homes, plus initiatives to boost affordable housing.
Queensland Council of Social Services acting chief executive Bronwen Kippen said governments should be pushing for more affordable housing, not less.
"On the face of it, this decision runs in contravention to this," she said.
"Five years ago, community services organisations were telling us they were concerned that they couldn't find homes for people and families they were supporting. Now they're concerned about their frontline workers, who can't find affordable housing and, in some instances, are experiencing homelessness themselves."
Lamington Markets developer James Rennell said he was excited to get the ball rolling and declined to engage in political debate.
"Every government has its own approach to increasing housing supply and improving affordability outcomes. Our role as developers isn't to participate in political debates. Our role is to deliver," he said.