Australian town offering people $20,000 to move in

An outback Queensland town is so keen to grow, it’s offering people $20,000 to move in.

With parcels of land worth less than $20k in some cases, it could effectively mean you could grab a property for free.

But the catch is you’ll have to love living in the middle of a partial desert.

The generous scheme aims to grow the population of the Quilpie Shire, 1000 km west of Brisbane and close to the Northern Territory border, by 20 per cent to 1000.

“We were the first council in Outback Queensland to introduce such a policy, and it was a huge success – we had interest from all around Australia as well as globally from the US, India and Ireland,” Quilpie Shire Council CEO Justin Hancock told the Western Times.

“Our new $20,000 grant will cover most of the price of their land if they build and live on it.”

The town has reportedly already tempted over a Japan based academic.

“It’s exciting to know that our connectivity is going to allow someone to trade the bright lights of Tokyo for the red dirt of the Outback,” said Mr Hancock.

On the banks of Bullo River, the Quilpie area’s economy is mostly based on farming and mining. The region has some of the world’s largest deposits of boulder opals.

Culinary options are on the light side but the Imperial Hotel in the centre of Quilpie does a mean steak and the Old Empire Café can rustle up a coffee, a muffin or a burger.

There are two small supermarkets in town, a regional hospital and a couple of schools. Two weekly flights connect Quilpie with Brisbane.

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New homes going into an estate on the south side of town Photo: Leon O’Neil

Called the Home Owner Grant, the shire council first introduced the initiative in 2021.

Then, its limit was $12,500. But a rise in land values has seen the grant grow as well.

“You would be hard pressed to find a better deal anywhere in Australia,” Mr Hancock said in 2021.

“Depending on the cost of the land chosen, it can equate to us essentially giving land away.”

The town’s limited housing stock meant he had to live in a retirement village for six months when he first move d to Quilpie.

People who get the grant have to build at home valued at less than $750,000 which they then live in for at least six months.

It’s limited to new home owners.

The original grant has already seen seven blocks of land sold particularity on a new estate taking shape to the town’s south. Two four bedroom houses are going up with another two in the works.

“Despite the recent baby boom of our existing residents we still need to see new residents move into our region to help support this goal,” said Quilpie Shire mayor Stuart Mackenzie.

“As a friendly community we look forward to welcoming any new residents into the shire.”

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Tom Hennessy and Tessa McDougall at the block of land they have purchased in Quilpie as part of the council’s home owner grant. Photo – Leon O’Neil

Inspired by the original grant, first time buyers 23-year-old Tom Hennessy, a technical officer at Quilpie Shire Council and 24-year-old Tessa McDougall, who moved to town from Brisbane to take up a teaching role purchased a block of land in Quilpie in 2021.

“There’s probably not a lot of people our age who are getting into the property market – but it’s so affordable in Quilpie, and even more so with this great land grant, and we’re confident it’s going to be a great investment for our future,” Mr Hennessy said.

“Tessa has friends and family in Brisbane who are struggling to get into the property market so we feel very fortunate to be able to do this now.

“It’s a great lifestyle and small town vibe, there’s no crime and everyone is pretty laid back.”

Quilpie still isn’t as generous as the Italian town of Mussomeli which in 2019 began selling abandoned houses for just one euro – about $1.60.

The country’s small villages were struggling to hold on to residents with many deserting the regions for urban areas.

Situated close to Sicily’s Amalfi Coast, Mussomeli’s buildings are a steal. But buyers must agree to renovate their new homes within a year of purchase.

Article source: Queensland Property Investor