Mount Peter

Key details

The Mount Peter Priority Development Area (PDA) was declared on 30 July 2025 and the Mount Peter PDA Interim Land Use Plan is now in effect.

The PDA covers approximately 2,650ha of land in the Southern Growth Corridor in the Cairns Regional Local Government Area. The area is bounded by the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to the west, the Bruce Highway to the east and extends from the existing community of Edmonton in the north to Mackey Creek in the south.

The Mount Peter PDA was declared at the request of the Cairns Regional Council to provide a streamlined planning framework that accommodates the future housing needs of the Cairns region. The area is recognised as a future growth area in the Far North Queensland (FNQ) Regional Plan.

The Mount Peter PDA will:

• Support the delivery of the ‘Securing Our Housing Foundations’ policy to give more Queenslanders a place to call home.
• Establish a streamlined framework for land use, infrastructure planning and development assessment in the area.
• Facilitate the construction of the essential infrastructure necessary to support new homes and jobs and enhance liveability in the region.
• Facilitate job creation and enhance local economic development by providing homes in proximity to the Cairns South State Development Area (SDA).

For information about upcoming engagement activities or provide comments on the PDA, please visit the Mount Peter PDA Have Your Say page.

Mount Peter PDA Interim Land Use Plan

The Mount Peter PDA Interim Land Use Plan is a temporary planning instrument that regulates land use and development activities in the area until the PDA Development Scheme takes effect.

The ILUP includes two precincts:

• Precinct 1 – Residential North is located adjacent to existing residential neighbourhoods in the north of the PDA.  Development applications may be lodged, assessed and decided while the ILUP is in effect.
• Precinct 2 – Investigation Area covers the remaining PDA area. While the ILUP does not provide for urban development, development may occur if it relates to existing lawful uses, is temporary or interim in nature, or involves land reconfigurations that does not result in further fragmentation.

Development assessment

Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) assesses development applications for this PDA.

All development applications are assessed against the Mount Peter PDA Interim Land Use Plan until the Development Scheme is finalised. EDQ will engage with Cairns Regional Council during the development application process.

Infrastructure

The funding and building of infrastructure is key to facilitating development within PDAs. The ED Act authorises MEDQ to set and levy infrastructure charges within a PDA. The Infrastructure Funding Framework (IFF)  is the primary EDQ policy document for charges in the Mount Peter PDA. As outlined in the IFF, the Mount Peter PDA refers to the relevant Local Government’s charging instrument to determine the calculation of these charges.

Infrastructure Activation Fund

The Infrastructure Activation Fund is a $2.4 billion investment by the Queensland and Australian Governments to fast-track homes within key growth areas over the next five years.

Across Queensland, the program will unlock or accelerate 51,368 new homes, with 20,547 supporting first home buyers. Within the Mount Peter PDA, this includes supporting the delivery of approximately 13,145 new homes to 30 June 2034, with 5,258 supporting first home buyers within the PDA.

Led by EDQ, the program will support the delivery of these homes over the next eight years by investing in key catalyst infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer upgrades. The investment will unlock development ready land specifically in the Waraba, Southern Thornlands and Mount Peter PDAs and other key growth areas.

Further information regarding the program is available on the Infrastructure Activation Fund page.

Mount Peter PDA Boundary Map