'Build, baby, build': Politician's land approvals in spotlight amid donation spree

Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie is facing scrutiny over his personal approval of town planning changes that favor housing development in a zone where a major developer had recently made a substantial donation. The developer, David Trask, contributed $50,000 for a private lunch with Bleijie shortly before the planning changes were approved.

These changes, which planning experts suggest could significantly boost land values, have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest for politicians. Trask, whose companies own $32 million worth of land in the Narangba area, has refuted claims of any conflict. He stated that the broader region had long been considered for residential development and denied discussing specific changes affecting his holdings with the state government.

Bleijie, who has publicly encouraged developers with the slogan "build, baby, build," refused to answer questions regarding conflicts of interest. Instead, he directed attention to the government's mandate to address a housing crisis. The planning amendments are part of the LNP state government's broader housing policy, which includes the reversal of an eight-year ban on political donations from developers to state politics.

The land in question is located in Narangba, approximately 45 minutes north of Brisbane. While the local council had previously explored residential development for parts of the area, the focus shifted towards industrial usage in 2025. Council concerns about "premature development applications" led to a temporary freeze on a 445-hectare area to facilitate planning for an enterprise zone.

However, regulatory documents reveal that Bleijie, in his capacity as planning minister, approved the changes in June, albeit with conditions. This approval followed discussions between council officers and government departments, overriding the council's planning schemes through a temporary local planning instrument. The council had initially sought this instrument to manage development applications within the proposed future enterprise and employment area.

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'Build, baby, build'