Article | Future Cities
Business Insights | Unlocking the Places of Tomorrow Through Government Disposals
The next phase of government disposals is not just about selling land. It is about aligning public intent, market depth and delivery capability to create lasting precinct outcomes.
August 14, 2026
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Government asset disposals are often treated as a transaction, a process to release surplus land and realise value.
In reality, they are one of the most powerful levers government has to shape cities, unlock precincts and influence what gets built next.
As Ben Wicks, Senior Director, Capital Markets Development Sales at CBRE, puts it, “Government disposals shouldn’t be thought of as a sell-down of land. They’re an opportunity to set the direction for how a place evolves over the next 10 to 20 years.”
At a time when housing supply, infrastructure investment and economic growth need to be better aligned, the way public land is brought to market matters. It sets the conditions for who participates, what gets delivered and how places take shape over time.
Across Australia, demand continues to concentrate in well-connected locations. Places with access to transport, jobs and amenity consistently attract deeper buyer pools and show stronger pricing resilience.
For government, that changes the framing. The value of land is tied to how it fits within a wider growth story, not just what it is worth today.
When disposals are positioned this way, the focus shifts to future potential and the type of development outcome that should be enabled.
Capital is increasingly selective. Buyers prioritise opportunities where there is clear planning direction, visibility on delivery pathways and alignment with long-term demand drivers such as housing undersupply and population growth.
As Alex Mirzaian, Senior Director, Capital Markets Development Sales at CBRE, notes, “Depth of demand doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from clear positioning, transparency and giving the right groups confidence to invest time and capital.”
In Sydney’s residential market, persistent supply constraints continue to support pricing and absorption, even in tighter capital conditions. That provides a clear signal about the opportunities the market will support and the importance of structuring disposals, so demand shows up in a competitive way.
The strongest precinct results come from buyers with patient capital, a track record in complex delivery and a clear focus on place creation. These groups respond to opportunities where the vision is clear and the process is structured and transparent.
In practice, this means targeting buyers with a clear intent to deliver, not just land bank, and ensuring commitment is tested early. When bidders understand both the constraints and the upside, they engage more deeply and compete more meaningfully.
As Lord Darkoh Director, Capital Markets Private Wealth observes, “Government landholdings are rarely standalone. When you connect them and sequence them properly, you can unlock an entirely different scale of outcome.”
A single well-structured disposal can catalyse a precinct. Several aligned disposals can reshape it. Taking a broader view allows government to deliver housing at scale, integrate employment uses and reposition underutilised land into active, connected places.
The difference is not just how an asset is taken to market, but how clearly the opportunity is defined and who it is matched with.
As Alex Mirzaian, puts it, “Our role is to align government intent with the part of the market that can actually deliver, and to structure the process so that competition translates into real outcomes on the ground.”
That requires a live understanding of buyer appetite, capital flows and delivery capability. When that insight is applied early, it shapes who shows up, how they compete and ultimately what gets built.
It is this connection between intent, market depth and delivery capability that determines whether a disposal simply clears, or actually creates something meaningful.
As Ash Nicholson, Director, Government and Industry at CBRE, says, “The opportunity in disposals is not just unlocking land, it is shaping the places that come next.”
Viewed this way, the measure of success shifts. It is not the price achieved at sale, but the role each site plays in a broader precinct and the outcomes delivered over time.
Housing supply, employment uses and community infrastructure all start to align when disposals are approached with this level of intent.
Done well, these processes do more than transfer ownership. They help define the places of tomorrow, how they function, who they serve and how they contribute to the wider community.
In reality, they are one of the most powerful levers government has to shape cities, unlock precincts and influence what gets built next.
As Ben Wicks, Senior Director, Capital Markets Development Sales at CBRE, puts it, “Government disposals shouldn’t be thought of as a sell-down of land. They’re an opportunity to set the direction for how a place evolves over the next 10 to 20 years.”
At a time when housing supply, infrastructure investment and economic growth need to be better aligned, the way public land is brought to market matters. It sets the conditions for who participates, what gets delivered and how places take shape over time.
From assets to outcomes
The starting point is not the asset in isolation, but its role within a broader precinct.Across Australia, demand continues to concentrate in well-connected locations. Places with access to transport, jobs and amenity consistently attract deeper buyer pools and show stronger pricing resilience.
For government, that changes the framing. The value of land is tied to how it fits within a wider growth story, not just what it is worth today.
When disposals are positioned this way, the focus shifts to future potential and the type of development outcome that should be enabled.
Creating depth of demand
Strong outcomes are not created simply by taking an asset to market. They are created by building genuine depth of demand.Capital is increasingly selective. Buyers prioritise opportunities where there is clear planning direction, visibility on delivery pathways and alignment with long-term demand drivers such as housing undersupply and population growth.
As Alex Mirzaian, Senior Director, Capital Markets Development Sales at CBRE, notes, “Depth of demand doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from clear positioning, transparency and giving the right groups confidence to invest time and capital.”
In Sydney’s residential market, persistent supply constraints continue to support pricing and absorption, even in tighter capital conditions. That provides a clear signal about the opportunities the market will support and the importance of structuring disposals, so demand shows up in a competitive way.
Attracting the right buyers
Not all demand delivers the same outcome.The strongest precinct results come from buyers with patient capital, a track record in complex delivery and a clear focus on place creation. These groups respond to opportunities where the vision is clear and the process is structured and transparent.
In practice, this means targeting buyers with a clear intent to deliver, not just land bank, and ensuring commitment is tested early. When bidders understand both the constraints and the upside, they engage more deeply and compete more meaningfully.
Unlocking precincts, not just sites
Government land is rarely standalone. It sits within corridors, centres and communities already under pressure to grow.As Lord Darkoh Director, Capital Markets Private Wealth observes, “Government landholdings are rarely standalone. When you connect them and sequence them properly, you can unlock an entirely different scale of outcome.”
A single well-structured disposal can catalyse a precinct. Several aligned disposals can reshape it. Taking a broader view allows government to deliver housing at scale, integrate employment uses and reposition underutilised land into active, connected places.
Connecting intent with delivery
This is where disposals move from process to real city-shaping outcomes.The difference is not just how an asset is taken to market, but how clearly the opportunity is defined and who it is matched with.
As Alex Mirzaian, puts it, “Our role is to align government intent with the part of the market that can actually deliver, and to structure the process so that competition translates into real outcomes on the ground.”
That requires a live understanding of buyer appetite, capital flows and delivery capability. When that insight is applied early, it shapes who shows up, how they compete and ultimately what gets built.
It is this connection between intent, market depth and delivery capability that determines whether a disposal simply clears, or actually creates something meaningful.
A more purposeful approach
The next phase of government asset disposals is about taking a longer view.As Ash Nicholson, Director, Government and Industry at CBRE, says, “The opportunity in disposals is not just unlocking land, it is shaping the places that come next.”
Viewed this way, the measure of success shifts. It is not the price achieved at sale, but the role each site plays in a broader precinct and the outcomes delivered over time.
Housing supply, employment uses and community infrastructure all start to align when disposals are approached with this level of intent.
Done well, these processes do more than transfer ownership. They help define the places of tomorrow, how they function, who they serve and how they contribute to the wider community.
