The PipelineDevelopment Pipeline in Noosa Hinterland
1 Proposed45applications on record, none of them currently openLatest March 2025See applications ↓
2 Approved122dwellings approved in 2024-25, or 0.42 per 100 existing dwellings a yearOfficial · ABS to June 2026See approvals ↓
3 Building12major projects committed or under construction, 5 of them already on siteForward · completions to 2029+See projects ↓
4 Delivered178new addresses verified since the 2021 Census, up 1.7% on the existing baseActual · to June 2026Where it landed ↓
In the 2024-25 financial year the ABS recorded 122 dwelling approvals across Noosa Hinterland. AreaSearch tracks 12 major projects here that are committed or under construction, the largest being Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project at an estimated $428m. On the ground, 178 new addresses have been verified since the 2021 Census — growth of 1.7% on the existing address base.
These four figures are deliberately not added together. An application, an
approval and a project under construction are often the same building at three points in its life,
measured by three different bodies with three different lags. Read them as a sequence, not a total.
ApprovedBuilding Approvals in Noosa Hinterland
What councils and certifiers have formally
permitted — the ABS series, published about four months in arrears.
Approvals are running at 0.42 per 100 existing dwellings a year, below the Queensland rate of 0.77. Development here remains overwhelmingly detached: houses account for 82% of recent approvals. Detached houses make up 96% of the homes already standing here but only 85% of the past five years of approvals, so the area is densifying. The average approved dwelling is valued at $546,000 in construction cost.
For its size, Noosa Hinterland is adding 0.42 dwellings a year per 100 existing homes — below the Queensland rate of 0.77 and the national rate of 0.71. That is about 4.4 approvals a year for every 1,000 residents. Building intensity has fallen by about 64% across the published series.
Measured against people rather than housing stock, Noosa Hinterland is approving 3.62 dwellings a year per 1,000 residents — below the Queensland rate of 6.67. The two rate views differ by household size, which here averages 2.8 people per home. Housing the projection to 2041 would need about 2.36 per 1,000 residents a year.
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing
homes, with Queensland and Australia for comparison. This is the
same activity as the totals view, divided by the size of the area — which is the only
fair way to compare a large SA3 with a small one.
Dwelling approvals a year per 1,000
residents, each year divided by that year’s estimated resident
population (ABS ERP at 30 June), not by today’s — which matters most in fast-growing
areas, where a fixed denominator can understate the early years by half. The most recent periods use the latest published ERP, as the population series runs a year behind approvals. Read it alongside the per-100-homes view: the two differ wherever household size does.
Dwelling units approved each financial year. The dashed line is the five-year average of 116.
How intensively is it building?
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing dwellings.
Noosa Hinterland0.42
Queensland0.77
Australia0.71
What is here, and what is coming
Detached houses as a share of existing homes,
against the share of recent approvals.
Existing homes (2021 Census)96%
Approved, last 5 years85%
Approved, latest year82%
Detached housesApartments, townhouses & other
Approvals mix by year
Share of each year’s approvals.
2022
2023
2024
2025
2024-25
$72.9m
Residential work approved
2024-25
$25.6m
Commercial work approved
construction cost
$546,000
Average value per approved dwelling
last two years
244
Residents per approval
Supply & DemandIs Noosa Hinterland Building Enough Homes?
The same approvals, measured against the population
they have to house.
Noosa Hinterland approves about 4.4 new dwellings a year for every 1,000 residents. Since the 2021 Census it has added 2,119 residents but only 178 new addresses — about 11.9 extra people for every home built, against an average household of 2.8. On those numbers supply has not kept pace with growth. Housing the population projected for 2041 implies roughly 62 new dwellings a year from here, which puts the recent approval rate of 116 a year comfortably ahead of what the projection needs.
Growth against supply since the Census
People added for every new address verified,
against the size of an average local household.
People added per new home11.9
Average household size2.8
A bar longer than the household average means
the area gained more residents than its new housing could hold, and the extra had to be
absorbed by existing homes.
Approval rate against projected need
Dwellings a year: what is currently being
approved, against what the 2041 population projection implies.
Approved (5-yr average)116
Implied need to 204162
Implied need assumes the average household stays
at today’s 2.8 people. Approvals are not
completions, and not every approval is built.
What is being asked for right now — applications
collected from council planning portals, before any of it reaches the ABS series above.
AreaSearch tracks applications of material scale; routine minor works such as signage and
fencing changes are not carried, so these are not counts of every application lodged. 4
of them carry an AreaSearch analyst assessment — look for the
Analysed marker in the search below.
AreaSearch tracks 45 development applications of material scale lodged with councils across Noosa Hinterland, the most recent in March 2025. The most common types in the queue are industrial, commercial and retail.
Coverage
AreaSearch reads applications directly from each council’s planning register.
Noosa Hinterland is not yet covered evenly. Noosa (84% of residents) — no lodgement dates published; Sunshine Coast (16% of residents) — only 2 applications in the last 18 months. Those councils are under-represented in every count and chart below.
Number of applications by development type. This is the clearest
single picture of what kind of place Noosa Hinterland is being asked to become. Councils in
Queensland do not publish an estimated cost of works in
their planning feeds, so applications here are counted rather than valued.
Where the applications stand
As reported by the council. Highlighted rows are
applications still in assessment.
Decided or Past43
Public Notification2
2 applications are still marked under
assessment but were lodged more than
18 months ago. Councils often leave determined or
abandoned applications open in their feeds, so
they are counted here but excluded
from the live queue above.
By local government area
Applications on record within each council area that
overlaps Noosa Hinterland. This counts applications inside this
statistical area only — it is not a total for the council.
Sunshine Coast43
Recent applications in Noosa Hinterland
By the number of dwellings proposed, as lodged. Figures are the applicant’s own and are not verified by AreaSearch.
11 accessible dwelling units (including 8 NDIS SDA units) and 4-into-2 lot subdivision.Noosa Hinterland · Public Notification
11 dwellings
11 accessible dwelling units (including 8 NDIS SDA units) and 4-into-2 lot subdivision.Noosa Hinterland · Public Notification
11 dwellings
Short-term accommodation at Weyba DownsNoosa Hinterland · Decided or Past · lodged Mar 2025
Short-term accommodation at Weyba DownsNoosa Hinterland · Decided or Past · lodged Mar 2025
Short Term Accommodation - CMWalsh Holdings Pty Ltd - RG StrategicNoosa Hinterland · Decided or Past · lodged Jun 2019
Short Term Accommodation - CMWalsh Holdings Pty Ltd - RG StrategicNoosa Hinterland · Decided or Past · lodged Jun 2019
Hotel - Restaurant, Bar and Cellar Door - I B Town PlanningNoosa Hinterland · Decided or Past · lodged Sep 2018
Hotel - Restaurant, Bar and Cellar Door - I B Town PlanningNoosa Hinterland · Decided or Past · lodged Sep 2018
BuildingFORWARDMajor Projects & Infrastructure in Noosa Hinterland
What is funded and moving — the projects large enough
to change how Noosa Hinterland works, ranked by committed value and how close
they are to delivery.
AreaSearch tracks 12 current projects across Noosa Hinterland. The largest is Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project at an estimated $428m, due by 2029. That breaks down as 5 under construction, 4 approved and awaiting a start and 3 still in planning. The pipeline is weighted toward residential development, sports & recreation and environmental & disaster management.
Under construction$428mby 2029
Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project
Seqwater is upgrading Noosa's Lake Macdonald (Six Mile Creek) Dam as part of its Dam Improvement Program. The project includes construction of a temporary upstream cofferdam, a new split-level concrete…
A $100 million mixed-use precinct on a 6.6-hectare site featuring a 5,434sqm full-line Woolworths supermarket, 12 specialty retail tenancies, and a 120-bed residential aged care facility (expandable to 160…
Essential renewal and maintenance works at the Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant on Wallum Lane, Noosa Heads, to improve capacity during wet weather events and ensure long-term wastewater service reliability…
Eenie Creek Road Residential SubdivisionIn planning · Residential Development · by 2027 · Noosa Hinterland
$28m
Noosa Biosphere Trails Upgrade ProgramUnder construction · Sports & Recreation · by 2026 · Noosa Hinterland
$4m
Mountain View Estate - PomonaUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2026 · Noosa Hinterland
$8m
Cooroy Sports Complex Master Plan 2020-2030 and ExpansionApproved · Sports & Recreation · by 2026 · Noosa Hinterland
Kin Kin Quarry ExpansionIn planning · Manufacturing · Noosa Hinterland
$12m
Cooroy Housing ProjectApproved · Residential Development · Noosa Hinterland
$4m
Pomona Place PlanApproved · Communities, Precincts & Urban Renewal · by 2035 · Noosa Hinterland
Noosa Trail Network Upgrade (Wahpunga and Woondum Trails)Under construction · Sports & Recreation · Noosa Hinterland
62 Lake Macdonald Drive Social Housing DevelopmentApproved · Residential Development · Noosa Hinterland
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as
definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other
investigations from the project’s source for actual imagery. Developers and
project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact
Us and we will do so.
Estimated value of tracked projects by the year they are due to
complete, stacked by how certain they are. The dark band is money already being spent;
the pale band is still an intention. Estimates are indicative and mix infrastructure
cost with whole-of-precinct development value, so read the shape rather than the totals.
Approvals PipelineDevelopment Applications in Noosa Hinterland
Development applications around
Noosa Hinterland
Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch.
We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
Applications
—
In the local catchment
Est. Value
—
Where disclosed
Under Assessment
—
Awaiting determination
Determined
—
Approved or decided
Approvals pipelineStatus, location, timing and project scale
Loading development applications…
Lodged
Address
Description
Type
Distance
Status
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
ProfessionalPRODevelopment Map for Noosa Hinterland
Applications and major projects plotted where
they are actually proposed, with the
16 projects AreaSearch tracks here on their own tab — filterable by type, delivery stage,
area and committed value. To search every application on record rather
than this sample, use the section above.
Noosa Hinterland spans 2 local government areas — Noosa and Sunshine Coast. Applications here are assessed by whichever of those councils the site falls within. AreaSearch publishes development
figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries. That is deliberate: the ABS
issues a separate official building-approvals series for local government areas, and totals
built up from statistical areas would not match it. Reporting at SA3 keeps every figure on this page
reconcilable with the published ABS series.
Local government area
Share of Noosa Hinterland
Applications on record
Register read to
Noosa
84% of residents
2
No dates published
Sunshine Coast
16% of residents
43
March 2025, few recent records
CompareNearby Development Hubs
The same view of building approvals, applications and
major projects for areas neighbouring Noosa Hinterland.
Data & MethodSources & Method for Noosa Hinterland
The four tenses, and what each one can tell you
Proposed — development applications
Collected from council planning portals. The
earliest signal available, but the least certain: many applications are amended,
withdrawn or refused, values are the applicant’s own estimate, and coverage
varies by council. This is a curated set, not the full council feed:
AreaSearch carries applications of material scale and does not track routine minor
works such as signage, fencing or small alterations, so the counts here are lower
than a council’s own total lodgement figure and should not be compared with it. Applications still shown as under assessment more than
18 months after lodgement are reported separately
and kept out of the live-queue figures: the age profile of open applications is
sharply split between a genuine queue under a year old and a long tail of records
councils never closed. Not every state publishes a cost of works — Queensland,
the Northern Territory and the ACT publish none at all — so on those pages
applications are counted rather than valued and no dollar figure is shown
rather than a partial one. Treated here as a snapshot of the current queue only —
AreaSearch does not chart application counts over time, because the history
reflects when each portal was collected rather than when development happened.
Approved — ABS building approvals
The official series, aggregated to SA3 from
ABS building approvals data, currently published to June 2026.
Counts dwelling units approved, not buildings and not completions. The most recent
financial year is annualised from nine months of data wherever it appears and is
labelled as such.
Building — major projects
Projects tracked individually by AreaSearch
from Infrastructure Australia, state infrastructure agencies, developer disclosures
and council records. Values are estimates and delivery dates are targets. Ranked on
this page by committed value and delivery stage rather than by distance.
Delivered — verified new addresses
New residential addresses verified in the national
address register since the 2021 Census. This is the closest available measure of what has
actually been built, though address creation can lead occupation and lags
construction. It is not a completions count.
Boundaries
Noosa Hinterland is Statistical Area Level 3 31608 in the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (2021 edition).
It has an estimated 26,326 residents, +8.8% since the 2021 Census.
Currency
Measure
Source
To
Dwelling approvals, five-year average
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
House share of approvals
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Residents per approval
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Value per approved dwelling
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Commercial work approved
ABS / AreaSearch
June 2026
Verified new addresses since the Census
Address register / AreaSearch
May 2026
Development applications
Council planning portals
March 2025
Major projects
Infrastructure Australia / state agencies / AreaSearch
Ongoing
Figures on this page are read live from the
AreaSearch database each time it loads, so they update as soon as a source does.
Development in Noosa Hinterland — common questions
How many new dwellings were approved in Noosa Hinterland?
The ABS recorded 122 dwelling approvals across Noosa Hinterland in the 2024-25 financial year, against a five-year average of 116 a year.
How many development applications are lodged in Noosa Hinterland?
AreaSearch tracks 45 development applications of material scale across Noosa Hinterland — routine minor works such as signage and fencing are not included, so this is not a count of every application lodged. Applications are assessed within the Noosa and Sunshine Coast local government areas. The most recent application in our data was lodged in March 2025.
What major projects are planned for Noosa Hinterland?
AreaSearch tracks 12 current major projects in Noosa Hinterland, 5 of them under construction. The largest include Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project, Cooroy Woolworths Neighbourhood Shopping Centre and Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant Works.
Which council covers Noosa Hinterland?
Noosa Hinterland is an ABS Statistical Area Level 3. It is covered by parts of 2 local government areas — Noosa and Sunshine Coast. AreaSearch publishes development figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries, so they reconcile with the official ABS series.
Is Noosa Hinterland growing faster than the rest of Queensland?
On development approvals, Noosa Hinterland is adding new dwellings more slowly than Queensland as a whole — 0.42 approvals per 100 existing dwellings a year against the state figure of 0.77.
How current is this development data?
ABS building approvals are published with a lag of roughly four months; this page carries the series to June 2026. Development applications are collected from council planning portals and refresh continuously, with the most recent application here lodged in March 2025. Major project records are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Each section carries its own currency label so the four are never confused.
Development data is provided for general information.
Estimated values, dwelling counts and delivery dates come from the lodging or delivering party and
are not independently verified by AreaSearch. Confirm anything material with the relevant council
or agency before relying on it.
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as
definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other
investigations from the project’s source for actual imagery. Developers and
project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact
Us and we will do so.