Council ramps up efforts to attract more student accommodation

Published 16 December 2025

• City of Moreton Bay has introduced a new Attraction of Affordable Student Accommodation Development Policy.
• The policy allows Council to remove development application fees and infrastructure charges to encourage more affordable student accommodation across the city.
• This change will help address shortfalls in the local rental market.

City of Moreton Bay has made a move to attract new student accommodation in a bid to make it easier for university students to live and study locally, particularly at the flourishing University of the Sunshine Coast campus at Moreton Bay Central.

Council introduced a new Attraction of Affordable Student Accommodation Development Policy to encourage developers to build more affordable student housing options in targeted areas across City of Moreton Bay.

Mayor Peter Flannery said the policy is a transparent and accountable way for Council to provide remission of development application fees and infrastructure charges for the ‘right development in the right location’.

“This much-needed move will go a long way to addressing the growing demand on our housing market from students looking to study in City of Moreton Bay,” he said.

“The UniSC campus at Moreton Bay Central has exceeded all expectations with faster than expected expansion. Its rapid success has led to high demand for student accommodation that the market hasn’t been able to keep pace with.

“This is a great opportunity to capitalise on the growing demand from both local and international students who are choosing to live and study in Moreton Bay over other destinations.

“Boosting the local supply of student accommodation across the City will also help alleviate a general shortage of rental properties, which has been exacerbated by the influx of students, many of whom are renting houses to live locally.”

Councillor Jim Moloney (Division 8) said the new attraction policy would help support the growing Moreton Bay Central Priority Development Site (PDA) site, ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Moreton Bay Central is home to UniSC and creating investment interest ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said.

“It will become a hub for innovation and economic activity with further expansion of the UniSC site, the future development of the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre as a key Games and legacy community facility, as well as the new Lakes Precinct.

“Having an attraction policy like this in place will further stimulate local economic activity and provide much-needed accommodation, creating a win-win for everyone.”

University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, welcomed the new policy.

“Student accommodation is more than somewhere to live for our growing student population, because it is purpose-built with student needs in mind, in particular safety, convenience and affordability,” Professor Bartlett said.

“Many student housing options have built-in security, support services and facilities like study spaces, shared amenities, and social space, and these are especially important for younger students, or international students who are adapting to living away from home.

“We know that a large percentage of students will continue to live and work where they study so, as City of Moreton Bay continues to grow, it is likely that if they have had a positive student experience, UniSC students will remain in the community long after graduation.”