One number captures the Fraser Coast story: in 2006 we had about 86,117 residents (ABS Estimated Resident Population). By June 2024, that figure had climbed to 120,685. That is roughly 34,500 more people living, working, retiring and investing here than 20 years ago – and it is the single biggest force shaping land supply, roads, schools, health services and housing demand.
Here is the detail that matters for 2026. The Fraser Coast forecast for 2024-2026 shows natural increase is negative (more deaths than births), with an estimated -751 people from natural change. Yet total population still rises because net migration more than replaces it, with +3,896 people forecast to be added through migration over the same two years. In plain English: our growth engine is people choosing to move here, not baby booms.
That changes the ‘shape’ of demand. Lifestyle movers often arrive with equity, different housing preferences, and an expectation of services. It also amplifies pressure on infrastructure and approvals. You can see it in the age profile: our median age is 51 (one of the oldest in Australia), and the 65+ cohort is far larger than Queensland overall. That is not a problem – it is a defining feature – but it means we must plan housing, health and transport differently to a younger city.
For FCPIA members, the takeaway is simple: planning certainty and delivery pace matter more here than most places, because our growth is choice-driven. If we make it hard to build, we do not slow demand – we just move the pain into price, rents and overcrowding.
Stats source: profile.id / .id (Informed Decisions) using ABS Estimated Resident Population (ERP) and forecast.id components of change (2024-2026).
