A six-hectare block on Blinzinger Rd in Banyo, once used as an Energex depot and left idle for about a decade, will be the first site brought to market under the new Land Activation Program. The site, which sits close to transport links, shops and schools, is expected to deliver up to 400 new homes and is being promoted as a way to lift housing supply more quickly in Brisbane’s north.
The Banyo site covers just over six hectares and has remained fenced and unused despite growing demand for housing in the surrounding suburbs.
Program material published by Economic Development Queensland states the land is suitable for residential development and could support several hundred dwellings. Information about how industry participants can register interest and submit proposals is available on the Economic Development Queensland Land Activation Program page.
How the Program Works
The Land Activation Program allows private developers to identify under-used public land and register interest in building housing, while public agencies are expected to flag sites that are no longer required for operational use. Economic Development Queensland will assess proposals to determine whether land is genuinely surplus and suitable for housing, with additional sites expected to be released across the state following the Banyo rollout.
Details of the program were published through an official statement outlining the aim of accelerating land supply and reducing delays tied to planning and approvals.
The Key Flashpoint: Affordability
Unlike earlier land partnership models, the current approach does not require social or affordable housing to be included when sites are sold to private developers. Supporters of the program argue that removing these conditions allows housing to be delivered faster and at lower upfront cost.
Critics say the absence of affordability settings means the plan is unlikely to help households on low incomes or those waiting for social housing, particularly as prices and rents continue to rise.
Why the Approach Has Shifted
The move follows reporting on a KPMG review of the former Ground Lease Model, which found the approach would have required significant public funding while delivering a limited number of homes. That analysis estimated a cost of $1.7 billion for 715 dwellings, prompting a shift toward a market-led strategy focused on releasing land rather than subsidising rents.
Property forecasts cited in recent reporting warn Brisbane home values could continue climbing, intensifying debate about whether increased supply alone will ease affordability pressures.
History of the Energex depot site in Banyo
The site on Blinzinger Rd in Banyo has a long industrial past tied to the electricity network in Brisbane’s north. A public notice about remediation works states that the facility was originally built for the electricity arm of Brisbane City Council and was later transferred to the former South East Queensland Electricity Board in 1977, before becoming known locally as the Energex Banyo depot.
The property operated from the 1950s until 2007, including use as an electrical transformer refurbishment facility. It was listed under Queensland’s Environmental Management Register due to its historical use for oil storage.
Planning material within Brisbane’s City Plan neighbourhood plan documents flags the Blinzinger Road precinct and notes housing outcomes tied to the site’s future once it was no longer needed for its former purpose. Separately, an industry project page on a replacement distribution centre states that the new facility was intended to replace the ageing Banyo operation for warehousing needs, supporting the view that activities shifted away from the Banyo depot over time.
Published 3-Feb-2026
