The Village Townsville has been named as the best affordable housing development at the 2017 Property Council of Australia / Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation and Excellence Awards in Sydney.

 Owned by Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), The Village is 3.5km from the centre of Townsville and overlooks riverfront parkland and tree-lined avenues. The development will eventually be home to about 1000 families.

Property Council chief executive Ken Morrison said the award recognised EDQ’s commitment to put inner-city home ownership back in the reach of Townsville residents.

“The Village offers a diverse range of high quality housing options – from affordable terraces to waterfront homes. This mix of housing caters to a wide demographic and creates a liveable and vibrant community,” Mr Morrison said.

EDQ is a specialist land use planning and property development unit within the Queensland Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.

Lots at The Village range from 70 sqm to 700 sqm, and 78 per cent of all residential dwellings are priced at or below the median house price in Townsville.

The restoration of 5 Martin Place in Sydney by Dexus and Cbus Property took out the Australian Development of the Year award for for 2017 and the $80 million restoration of Western Australia’s State Buildings, Perth, was named Best Heritage Development.

Little National Hotel in Canberra was presented with the Development Innovation award and the Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport won the category fof Best Tourism and Leisure Development.

Stockland’s Aura development on the Sunshine Coast was presented with the award for Project Innovation and the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, owned by the City of Greater Geelong, was named Best Public Building.