1 Proposed25applications in assessmentLeading · to May 2026See applications ↓
2 Approved873dwellings approved in 2024-25, or 0.89 per 100 existing dwellings a yearOfficial · ABS to June 2026See approvals ↓
3 Building41major projects committed or under construction, 20 of them already on siteForward · completions to 2030+See projects ↓
4 Delivered1,642new addresses verified since the 2021 Census, up 6.2% on the existing baseActual · to June 2026Where it landed ↓
In the 2024-25 financial year the ABS recorded 873 dwelling approvals across Southport. Right now, 25 development applications are lodged in the Gold Coast local government area. AreaSearch tracks 41 major projects here that are committed or under construction, the largest being Southport Priority Development Area at an estimated $5.00bn. On the ground, 1,642 new addresses have been verified since the 2021 Census — growth of 6.2% 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 Southport
What councils and certifiers have formally
permitted — the ABS series, published about four months in arrears.
Approvals are running at 0.89 per 100 existing dwellings a year, above the Queensland rate of 0.77. Recent approvals are dominated by attached housing — apartments, townhouses and other non-detached dwellings make up 92% of them. Detached houses make up 45% of the homes already standing here but only 13% of the past five years of approvals, so the area is densifying. The average approved dwelling is valued at $603,000 in construction cost.
For its size, Southport is adding 0.89 dwellings a year per 100 existing homes — above the Queensland rate of 0.77 and the national rate of 0.71. That is about 5.8 approvals a year for every 1,000 residents. Building intensity has risen by about 93% across the published series.
Measured against people rather than housing stock, Southport is approving 5.19 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 2.6 people per home. Housing the projection to 2041 would need about 6.49 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 401.
How intensively is it building?
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing dwellings.
Southport0.89
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)45%
Approved, last 5 years13%
Approved, latest year9%
Detached housesApartments, townhouses & other
Approvals mix by year
Share of each year’s approvals.
2022
2023
2024
2025
2024-25
$673m
Residential work approved
2024-25
$264m
Commercial work approved
construction cost
$603,000
Average value per approved dwelling
last two years
135
Residents per approval
Supply & DemandIs Southport Building Enough Homes?
The same approvals, measured against the population
they have to house.
Southport approves about 5.8 new dwellings a year for every 1,000 residents. Since the 2021 Census it has added 4,736 residents and 1,642 new addresses, roughly one new home per 2.9 extra residents — broadly in step with an average household of 2.6. Housing the population projected for 2041 implies roughly 449 new dwellings a year from here, which puts the recent approval rate of 401 a year about level with 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 home2.9
Average household size2.6
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)401
Implied need to 2041449
Implied need assumes the average household stays
at today’s 2.6 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. 71
of them carry an AreaSearch analyst assessment — look for the
Analysed marker in the search below.
AreaSearch tracks 280 development applications of material scale lodged with council across Southport, the most recent in May 2026. 25 of them are still in assessment. The most common types in the queue are multi-residential, industrial and commercial. Live applications account for about 199 proposed dwellings.
Number of applications by development type. This is the clearest
single picture of what kind of place Southport 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. A further 1 application sit across
1 smaller category,
too few to plot.
Where the applications stand
As reported by the council. Highlighted rows are
applications still in assessment.
Post Assessment178
Completed74
Withdrawn11
Awaiting Further Information6
Lapsed3
Information and Referral2
161 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.
A further 4 applications carry no status in the council feed.
By local government area
Applications on record within each council area that
overlaps Southport. This counts applications inside this
statistical area only — it is not a total for the council.
Gold Coast280
Recent applications in Southport
By the number of dwellings proposed, as lodged. Figures are the applicant’s own and are not verified by AreaSearch.
Development application for 52 multiple dwellings in SouthportSouthport - South · Awaiting Further Information · lodged Dec 2025
52 dwellings
28-unit, 7-storey residential apartment buildingSouthport - South · Awaiting Payment · lodged May 2026
28 dwellings
A proposal for 27 townhouses, ranging from two to three storeys.Parkwood · In Progress · lodged Jun 2025
27 dwellings
8-storey apartment building with 20 units and basement parking.Southport - South · Awaiting Further Information · lodged Dec 2025
20 dwellings
Development of 15 apartments in a 4-storey building.Southport - South · Awaiting Further Information · lodged Mar 2026
15 dwellings
A 4-storey residential building with 15 NDIS apartments.Southport - South · Awaiting Further Information · lodged Dec 2025
15 dwellings
A 5-storey residential building containing 12 apartments.Southport - South · Post Assessment · lodged Apr 2025
12 dwellings
Construction of a 3-storey building with 6 townhouses.Southport - South · Post Assessment · lodged Jul 2025
6 dwellings
BuildingFORWARDMajor Projects & Infrastructure in Southport
What is funded and moving — the projects large enough
to change how Southport works, ranked by committed value and how close
they are to delivery.
AreaSearch tracks 41 current projects across Southport. The largest is Southport Priority Development Area at an estimated $5.00bn, due by 2035. That breaks down as 20 under construction, 10 approved and awaiting a start and 11 still in planning. The pipeline is weighted toward residential development, communities and communities, precincts & urban renewal.
Under construction$1.17bnby 2027
Coomera Connector Stage 1 - Central Section
Construction of an 8km, six-lane section of the Coomera Connector (Second M1) between Helensvale Road and Smith Street Motorway. The project features three grade-separated interchanges at Helensvale Road, Gold…
A landmark $700 million mixed-use precinct in the heart of Southport CBD comprising two slender towers of 101 and 60 storeys linked by a Level 22 fully glazed skybridge. At 393.5 metres, the residential tower…
Monarch Place is the $450 million second stage of the landmark $3.8 billion Imperial Square masterplan in Southport. The development features a 30-level tower comprising 237 luxury apartments, including…
Nerang St, SouthportApproved · Residential Development · by 2027 · Southport - North
$1.00bn
Southport Supportive Housing ProjectUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2027 · Southport - North
$163m
1 Clarke Street Southport Residential Towers and RetailApproved · Residential Development · by 2028 · Southport - North
$350m
Griffith University Village Student Accommodation TowerUnder construction · Education & Training · by 2026 · Parkwood
$120m
Griffith University Village Student Accommodation TowerUnder construction · Education & Training · by 2026 · Southport - South
$120m
Marine Quarter Scenic TowerUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2027 · Southport - North
$180m
Quest SouthportUnder construction · Tourism · by 2026 · Southport - South
$50m
Marine Quarter - Scenic TowerUnder construction · Communities · by 2027 · Southport - North
$140m
Gold Coast ArenaIn planning · Sports & Recreation · by 2030 · Southport - North
$480m
Gold Coast Social Housing - Southport and Miami DevelopmentsUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2026 · Southport - North
$25m
Southport - Nerang Street RevitalisationUnder construction · Precincts & Urban Renewal · by 2026 · Southport - South
$25m
SomaUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2027 · Southport - North
$60m
26 further projects in
Southport are not listed here.
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.
Beyond 2030:
a further $5.00bn across
1 project with completion dates further out — mostly precinct-scale programs whose dates are
indicative. Kept out of the chart so the years you can act on stay readable.
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 Southport
Development applications around
Southport
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 Southport
Applications and major projects plotted where
they are actually proposed, with the
56 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.
DistributionWhere Development Is Happening in Southport
Southport covers 5 statistical areas. Follow any of them through for a full profile of population, housing, sales and amenity at local scale.
Map builder
Each area below opens a map builder on its own page — a tool for
putting a map and a table into a report. Pick the place types you want plotted
(schools, supermarkets, medical, child care, transport and the rest of what
AreaSearch holds), add development applications as their own layer, drop your own
points, then recolour, renumber and export the result as a table or CSV.
A this area only toggle clips everything to the boundary you are looking at.
Searches are charged against your credit balance — 1 credit per 40
results from AreaSearch data — and setting filters costs nothing until
you search. The builder works on one suburb-sized area at a time, which is why it
opens per area rather than across the whole of
Southport.
Development in Southport is assessed within the Gold Coast local government area. 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.
CompareNearby Development Hubs
The same view of building approvals, applications and
major projects for areas neighbouring Southport.
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
Southport is Statistical Area Level 3 30909 in the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (2021 edition), made up of 5 Statistical Areas Level 2.
It has an estimated 69,218 residents, +7.3% 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
May 2026
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 Southport — common questions
How many new dwellings were approved in Southport?
The ABS recorded 873 dwelling approvals across Southport in the 2024-25 financial year, against a five-year average of 401 a year.
How many development applications are lodged in Southport?
AreaSearch tracks 280 development applications of material scale across Southport — routine minor works such as signage and fencing are not included, so this is not a count of every application lodged, of which 25 remain in assessment. Applications are assessed within the Gold Coast local government area. The most recent application in our data was lodged in May 2026.
What major projects are planned for Southport?
AreaSearch tracks 41 current major projects in Southport, 20 of them under construction. The largest include Coomera Connector Stage 1 - Central Section, One Park Lane and Monarch Place - Imperial Square Stage 2.
Which council covers Southport?
Southport is an ABS Statistical Area Level 3. It is covered by the Gold Coast local government area. AreaSearch publishes development figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries, so they reconcile with the official ABS series.
Is Southport growing faster than the rest of Queensland?
On development approvals, Southport is adding new dwellings faster than Queensland as a whole — 0.89 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 May 2026. 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.