Gavin King chats with Cairns-based town planner, James McPeake, about realistic developments needed for a growing population with limited space to expand.

James explained that Cairns requires approximately 1000 new dwellings to be built per year to accommodate growth. In the current state, he predicts Cairns has only less than five years of land supply remaining.

James also discussed using more vertical space and speculated on the potential possibility of developing the flood plains of the Barron River delta, north of Cairns.