LGA · QLD · FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

Cairns Region

Far North QLD's tourism + defence + health centre — $1.1B tourism + airport expansion. Roughly 1700km from Brisbane CBD.

Far North Queensland Hotspotting refresh: Jun 2026 1700km from CBD

Investment thesis

What this LGA is for

Far North Queensland regional city, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. Highest population growth of any regional centre in Queensland between 2016 and 2041. Gross Regional Product $13.989 billion in 2025, supported by construction, healthcare, tourism, education, defence and agribusiness. Tourism remains the cornerstone, with international visitation rising 14.6% in the year to September 2025 and record spending of $1.1 billion. Cairns Airport continues to expand global reach. FY2026 Council budget $723 million with a $429 million capital works program. Major housing pipeline: Mount Peter Priority Development Area, $450M Southern Growth Corridor, plus social and affordable housing precincts. Defence, port activity, education and health infrastructure broadening the employment base.

Key numbers

Snapshot of the Cairns Region economy and demographics.

Gross Regional Product (2025)

$13.989B

Tourism spending (2025)

$1.1B

FY2026 Capital Works Program

$429M

Population growth of any QLD regional centre (2016-2041)

Highest

Infrastructure pipeline

The committed and in-flight infrastructure spend reshaping the LGA.

$450M

Southern Growth Corridor

Mount Peter Priority Development Area + adjacent corridor. Major future housing supply + commercial precinct development.

Major

Cairns Hospital expansion

Multi-million-dollar upgrade to the regional hospital. Anchors regional healthcare employment.

$1.1B

Tourism economy

International visitation up 14.6% YoY in 2025. Underpins hospitality + tourism + retail employment + short-stay rental demand.

Major

Cairns Airport expansion

Continuing expansion of global flight reach + terminal capacity. Major employment + tourism driver.

Major

Cairns Marine Precinct upgrades

Major marine + port infrastructure upgrades. Underpins shipping + tourism + fisheries economy.

Major

Defence presence

Major Defence employment + adjacent industries.

$723M

FY2026 Council operating budget

Includes $429M capital works on roads, water, sewerage, community facilities, tourism assets.

Major

Mount Peter Priority Development Area

Major masterplanned community in delivery. Long-term housing supply.

Major

Cairns NRLW team facility

High-performance centre for the NRLW team. Adds to regional sporting + community amenity.

Suburbs in scope

Suburbs we actively track within Cairns Region. House market data from PropTrack via Hotspotting LGA report (12 months trailing).

Suburb	Median	Yield	1yr growth	Vacancy	Read
Palm Cove	$1.10M	4.00%	+9%	0.50%	Coastal premium tourism + family suburb
Clifton Beach	$975K	4.10%	+19%	0.60%	Northern beaches premium
Goldsborough	$955K	4.00%	+13%	0.60%	Hinterland premium
Freshwater	$950K	4.50%	+27%	0.50%	Strong YoY growth
Edge Hill	$936K	4.40%	+20%	0.50%	Established middle-tier
Kewarra Beach	$870K	4.60%	+13%	0.70%	Northern beaches
Trinity Beach	$860K	4.70%	+9%	0.70%	Northern beaches
Redlynch	$860K	4.60%	+18%	0.60%	Established outer suburb
Brinsmead	$850K	4.60%	+12%	0.60%	Established middle-tier
Smithfield	$805K	4.80%	+13%	0.70%	Northern middle-tier
Kanimbla	$800K	4.70%	0%	0.60%	Established middle-tier
Kamerunga	$798K	4.60%	+16%	0.60%	Established outer suburb
Caravonica	$790K	4.80%	+29%	0.70%	Strong YoY growth
Mount Peter	$784K	4.70%	+16%	0.70%	Priority Development Area
Manunda	$749K	4.30%	+24%	0.70%	Strong YoY growth
Mount Sheridan	$715K	4.80%	+14%	0.70%	Outer middle-tier
Bayview Heights	$708K	5.30%	+18%	0.80%	Affordable middle-tier
Holloways Beach	$705K	4.90%	+12%	0.70%	Coastal middle-tier
Earlville	$700K	5.40%	+13%	0.80%	Affordable middle-tier
Mooroobool	$700K	5.20%	+22%	0.80%	Affordable middle-tier
Bentley Park	$690K	4.80%	+9%	0.80%	Affordable middle-tier
Gordonvale	$685K	4.60%	+10%	0.80%	Outer middle-tier
Edmonton	$680K	4.80%	+16%	0.80%	Affordable outer
Holloways Beach Unit / Machans	$630K	4.90%	-29%	0.80%	Most affordable LGA entry
Manoora	$550K	4.80%	+17%	0.90%	Most affordable LGA entry

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