New data reveals 15,580 retirees are struggling to pay their rent in Queensland.
Queensland is set to become Australia’s hotspot as explosive growth sees the over-65 population increase by more than 10,000 in key suburbs over the next two decades.
The country’s aging population is predicted to shape the future of the workforce, infrastructure and local business needs as new family neighborhoods transform into age-diverse communities.
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Calondra Cay is over 50 years of rural lifestyle at Little Mountain’s Hemingway Country Club.
But it comes at a cost, with the pressure to rent among retirees increasing at nearly twice the rate of population growth.
Research firm Informed Decisions has crunched the numbers to reveal the suburbs set to record their biggest growth in over 65 years with Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast leading the way.
The coastal area – currently home to more than 8,016 over-65s – was predicted to rise to 18,762 over-65s by 2046.
Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast came second, predicted to jump by 9,732 retirees in 2046 to 15,279.
Third was Morayfield in Moreton Bay with a predicted population of 13,000 over 65s in 2046 – that’s 9,645 more than the current population.
Other cities tipped to see an influx of over-65s include Sunshine Coast hotspots Bells Creek and Landsborough and Caboolture, north of Brisbane.
“If you look at the list of suburbs, a lot of these places have existing populations – people who were attracted to the area in the 1990s and are living there and aging in that area,” said Informed Decisions chief economist, Rob Hall.
“Then you attract people who migrate to retirement – people moving out of these more expensive markets (including coastal Sydney) for a better life in Queensland.”
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The towns are set to record the biggest increase in more than 65 years in Queensland’s Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Photo by Jewel Private Residences.
With the predicted influx of retirees, the Retirement Living Council (RLC) has called for urgent changes to the Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) as new data revealed the pressure to rent among Queenslanders aged over 75 jumped 118 per cent since 2013.
There are now 15,580 retirees struggling to pay their rent, far outpacing the group’s 59 percent growth over the same period.
“This is not a red flag – it’s a warning, and even with the CRA, 55,000 older Australians remain under rental pressure, while without it, that number would triple to 180,000,” RLC executive director Daniel Gannon said.
“This data reveals an ongoing crisis in Australian cities, where rental pressures and housing shortages collide with the growing challenge of caring for older Australians.”
Queensland will be Australia’s boomer hotspot in 2046, and the country isn’t ready for it.
Mr Hall said as the over-65 age group grew in south-east Queensland, there would be a greater demand for health care services, health infrastructure and home care.
But, he said, there is a risk that there will not be workers to provide the necessary services.
“If you don’t have workers and local infrastructure, you see those places are at risk,” he said.
“That’s a big challenge in many coastal areas, especially in the eastern seaboard since Covid and the increase in house prices in those regions.
“That makes it difficult for low-income and moderate groups in the health sector to be able to move to those areas.”
Retirement Living Council Director Daniel Gannon.
While the retirement boom points to a shortage of services, there is a silver lining with many new business opportunities set to keep pace with the growing over-65 population, Mr Hall said.
“What’s great is the new opportunities – health businesses, local tourism, financial services, pet services and pet insurance.
“The business mix is starting to change and evolve to meet the changing demographics of the area.”
the business mix begins to change and evolve to meet the changing demographics of the area.
Mr Gannon said the over 65s were choosing Queensland for lifestyle, climate and connectivity.
“These hot spots tell a clear story – older Australians prefer communities that are walkable, have beaches, connectivity and access to care.
“From Surfers Paradise to Cleveland, including these places to live.
“The real question is not whether these suburbs will age – it’s whether they will be well-planned to cope with them.”
We can plan for retirement now, or pay for it later, says Retirement Living Council executive director Daniel Gannon.
Mr Gannon said if housing, health and planning were not aligned, the system would collapse and older Australians would pay the price.
“When older people gather without proper housing and services, the pressure is equally on aged care and hospitals.
“So, we can plan for your old age now, or pay for it later through aged care bottlenecks, overcrowded hospitals and rolling ambulance conga lines.
“We need planning systems that treat age-appropriate housing as essential infrastructure – not an afterthought.
“The truth is that aging is not the problem – it is the failure to plan for it.”
The Informed Decisions research program looks at patterns of international and internal migration, birth rates and life expectancy, and current and future housing development as a local determinant of population growth.
Surfers Paradise, Maroochydore and Morayfield will be home to thousands of retirees by 2046.
