More than 30 blocks of land in outback Queensland have been snapped up for "bargain" prices, in an auction that attracted interest from across Australia.
The vacant lots were put up for sale by the Flinders Shire Council in the state's north-west in a bid to address the region's housing shortage.
Of the 48 available blocks in the towns of Hughenden, Torrens Creek and Prairie, 34 sold at auction on Monday.
The land ranged in price from about $5,500 to $20,000.
Flinders Shire mayor Jane McNamara said she was "very excited" by the result.
"I think the greatest thing now is that a lot more people know where Hughenden is, they know of the opportunities that are in north-west Queensland," she said.
"It's a great testament to people taking an interest in properties west of the Great Dividing Range."
Real estate agent Brett Garnett said the sale attracted 371 interested buyers from across Australia.
"There were registrations from every state," he said.
"The first person I've spoken to since the sale closed said they'd better get on a plane and come and see what they've purchased."
Mr Garnett said one family bought multiple blocks on the same street, where they plan to build homes to live in and rent.
Sisters 'jump for joy' at bargain buy
Among the successful bidders were 24-year-old Jamie Lee Coward and her 20-year-old sister Brydie.
Ms Coward said the pair "jumped for joy" when they managed to secure a block of land each for a low five-figure sum.
"I was pretty excited to get that opportunity, seeing as though there's not much housing in Hughenden here at all, especially to buy or rent," she said.
"I think everyone today definitely got a bargain.
"I was looking at prices in Townsville for units and stuff like that, but I've saved myself a lot of money."
Ms Coward recently moved home to Hughenden to take up a new career as a train driver, while her younger sister works for the council.
"We've got pretty good, steady futures here in Hughenden and this is the community we've grown up in, so we're happy to stick around and give back," she said.
Increasing housing stock
In a region crying out for more housing, Cr McNamara was hopeful the successful auction would result in more homes being built.
Each sale includes construction conditions to prevent the blocks from sitting empty.
But the mayor admitted the scheme was not an immediate fix to the outback's housing woes, especially given material and labour shortages.
"It's all about availability — we're looking at 12 months for our local people to build anything," she said.
"We know that [with] modular homes, there's a lengthy waiting list too."
Cr McNamara said the land sales had given her renewed hope about the future of her community and its ability to attract new residents.
"I hope that we'll have a really broad cross section, whether it's professional people, whether it's medical people, or whether it's tradespeople or retirees – they're all welcome in Hughenden," she said.
