Redcliffe is a waterside suburb of the Moreton Bay Region. It is located at the north-eastern part of the Redcliffe Peninsula, approximately 30 kms from Brisbane. The greater Redcliffe area is comprised of a number of suburbs including Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Newport, Redcliffe, Scarborough and Woody Point.
Redcliffe is an appealing area due to its seaside charm, affordability and proximity to a major city. With the long awaited major developments in rail infrastructure to the area scheduled for commencement in 2013, this area is gaining even more investment appeal.
Let’s put Redcliffe in the spotlight and see if this coastal city is somewhere in which you might consider investing.
The Redcliffe area is home to just over 55,000 people (from 2011 Census report). Redcliffe boasts 22-kilometre of sandy beaches and historically was a seaside resort getaway. With an average temperature of 15-25 degrees Celsius—neither too hot nor too cold— and tree-lined streets plus cool breeze from the seas, Redcliffe has provided a perfect location for retirees. But the demographic of Redcliffe is changing.
Now Redcliffe provides a perfect backdrop for young families who want a laid-back lifestyle whilst being affordable and within commuting distance to Brisbane. Indeed a high proportion of residents do travel elsewhere for work.
In order to fully appreciate the area, let’s take a look at the key figures behind the suburbs in the Redcliffe area.
The Numbers
Aside from Redcliffe, we will be including the following suburbs in the data analysis: Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Newport, Woody Point and Scarborough so you can see the differences in the area of pricing. Check out the tables below.
The People
Let’s take a look now at the demographics of Redcliffe, QLD. We used the Statistical Area Level 3 figures from the 2011 Census for the reports; except for occupation and industry of employment where we gathered the data from the 2006 Census Statistical Region Sector.
Population Age
The median age was 42 years while 22.5 % of the population was made up of the 20-39 age bracket.
Marital Status
Nearly half of the population were married while 16% were separated or divorced.
Education
In Redcliffe 28% of students were in primary school; 21% in secondary, whilst 9% were at university.
Country of Birth
In Redcliffe, 72% of people were born in Australia. Most common countries following Australia were England (6.7%) and New Zealand (6%).
Occupation
In Redcliffe, QLD, most people work as technicians and trades workers, who make up 16% of the workforce. Clerical and administrative workers follow at 15.8%.
Industry of Employment
School education topped the list of industry of employment in Redcliffe (according to the 2006 Census report on Redcliffe City Statistical Region Sector) with 4.8% of workers in this industry.
Type of House
The proportion of separate houses in Redcliffe is not too far (71.8%) compared to state-based (Queensland at 78.5%) and national figures (75.60%). Flats, units or apartments are the next common type of house at 17.2% (higher compared with 13.6% nationally).
Home ownership
Majority of people in Redcliffe rents (38%), higher than the national figures of 29.6%. Outright owners, meanwhile, are at 30%, lower than the national average of 32%.
Mortgage and Rental Payments
The median rent in Redcliffe, QLD was $280 and median mortgage repayments were $1750—lower compared with the state average.
Facilities
Due to its proximity to the sea, the mood at Redcliffe is laid-back and unhurried. That is not to say, however, that Redcliffe is without the facilities to service the vital needs of its residents. There are over a dozen local schools. For tertiary education, there’s a TAFE campus on Klinger Road; a public and private hospital, fabulous lagoon, and beautiful parks.
Business-wise, Redcliffe has a diverse range of both public and private businesses mostly in retail and fishing and seafood industry.
Infrastructure
Perhaps one of the biggest come-ons Redcliffe has to offer to property investors is the construction of the Redcliffe rail link that will connect the Redcliffe Peninsula to the existing Petrie station. A lot of Redcliffe residents commute to Brisbane for work so this project would ease congestion in one of the nation’s fastest and most car-dependent regions. According to reports, construction of this railway “would cut 15 minutes off travel time between the city and Redcliffe Peninsula at peak times”.
Aside from this big railway project, it has been recently reported that Redcliffe got a big chunk in the 2012-2013 State budget with the following sectors benefitting from the budget allocation: disability services, funding for Home Assist Secure, construction of 15 public rental housing dwellings and 24 community-managed State-owned housing at Jeffrey Street, Redcliffe; Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Program to support hockey; capital works for public moorings near Moreton Island; refurbishment of Comboyuro Point at Moreton Island National Park; installation of an interactive display at Cape Moreton Information Centre on Moreton Island; transport project planning and improvement of traffic signals on Redcliffe Roads.
Summary
One of the factors luring young families to Redcliffe is the balance between work and play this Brisbane suburb provides. With its seaside facilities and easy access to Brisbane localities, good facilities and services, Redcliffe is posing itself as a viable investment option to those looking for affordable investing in the sub $400 median price range. With major infrastructure improvements due in the next few years, investors getting in on the sub $400k price tag will be looking for infrastructure related capital growth when the long awaited rail links are in place. This is certainly a location worth looking at.
