Australia has nearly 1.3 million potential sites for new strata developments, according to research by CoreLogic and Archistar.

The study analysed urban land where local regulations allow higher-density housing but which hasn’t yet been developed.

The findings suggest there’s room for up to three million new strata units across the country, with nearly 500,000 in “low-complexity” areas—sites with fewer obstacles to development.

The focus was on smaller-scale projects, averaging 2.5 units per site.

Melbourne leads the way with capacity for 1.2 million new strata units, followed by Sydney (934,000), Brisbane and Adelaide (400,000 each), Perth (63,000), the ACT (59,000), Hobart (58,000), and Darwin (4,000).

Over half of the identified sites are within 2km of a train station, making them ideal for accessible, low-rise developments like townhouses, duplexes, or triplexes.

CoreLogic Research Director Tim Lawless noted the appeal of this approach.

“This style of infill development is often more sympathetic to the local character and tends to encounter less resistance from local residents who are often wary of higher densities,” he said.