A tiny town in outback Queensland is offering $20,000 grants to buyers of 60 new residential blocks of land it plans to release as part of a long-running plan to boost the local population.
Quilpie, which was home to just 530 people at the time of the 2026 Census but is now closer to 800 after a series of similar grant offers and land releases, has a median house price of $162,500 – the second-lowest in the state.
The new residential lots, which include 30 in the town itself and 30 larger two-hectare blocks in a Rural Residential Estate on the outskirts, will be released next year for yet-to-be-determined prices, and the $20,000 grants will be handed to home builders after they’ve lived in the property for 12 months.
Quilpie Shire Mayor Ben Hall said the offer would be an “incredible opportunity” for anyone who was looking to change their lifestyle and move to regional Australia.
“Property continues to spiral to levels that are unattainable for a lot of people in metro areas, especially with cost of living also going through the roof,” Mr Hall told The Courier Mail.
“We can offer great value for money on property that will allow people to get off the rental merry-go-round and into their own house at a relatively low cost, as well as space and a more relaxed lifestyle and strong community connections.”
Mr Hall said the region had “strong employment opportunities”, but that new housing was needed so roles could be filled.
Housing is more than bricks and mortar, it is workforce development, economic development, health, education, community wellbeing and liveability,” he said.
“Every conversation about growth ultimately leads back to housing.”
Quilpie, which is about 1000km west of Brisbane, first offered home owner grants in 2021, and the initial $12,500 matched the council’s reserve price for each 1,000sqm block, although some sold for as much as $70,000 at auction.
In 2023 the council increased the grants to $20,000, and Quilpie Shire chief executive Justin Hancock said at the time the council was hoping to grow the shire’s population to 1,000.
Header image: Quilpie (Quilpie Shire Council).
