QLD Treasurer Praises Gold Coast Property Figures

Recently released Gold Coast property figures are welcome news for the industry, state treasurer Tim Nicholls has claimed.

The politician pointed to the latest data from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), which highlighted an eight per cent rise in townhouse and apartment sales on the Gold Coast in 2012, as a sign of economic strength.

"[The] results add to the ever-increasing list of industry reports that show the emergence of green shoots in the sector, and the economy more broadly," he explained.

According to Mr Nicholls, the statistics also show that the Newman government's housing policies are having a positive impact.

He cited several initiatives as being influential, including the reintroduction of the Principal Place of Residence Concession, which can save families up to $7,000 when buying a home, and the $15,000 Great Start Grant.

The latter scheme provides first home buyers with financial support to purchase or build a new house.

"We're reforming state planning legislation to streamline processes by allowing developers to deal with one single office," Mr Nicholls added, which he said would reduce the complexity of moving ahead with real estate projects.

His comments followed a recent survey by the Property Council of Australia that ranked Queensland as having the country's best performing government overall.