The Queensland Government declared on Wednesday its plans to build three brand new cities in the state's southeast from the ground up to answer to the problems of population growth.

The government will commission its land development body to manage three greenfield areas in the region's west and southwest to build master-planned communities that will be homes to an extra 250, 000 people in the future.

The areas at Ripley Valley, west of Springfield, and Greater Flagstone and Yarrabilba in Logan's south near Jimboomba, will be the target for the construction.

Premier Anna Bligh told media that developing three “model cities” would elevate the lifestyle of Queensland citizens. She added that access to school by children would be nearer and families will enjoy using the public transportations while looking at the green scenery.

She adds that fast tracking the development of these areas will add to the region's urban activity, with the new satellite cities located just 40 kilometers away from the centre of Brisbane.

The development will require the Government to expand its urban footprint and provide more transport links and infrastructure.

The move came after the Southeast Queensland Regional released a forecast of 750, 000 new homes in the region over the next 20 years in existing suburbs.

Meanwhile, the Urban Land Development Authority will take over the development areas to respond to the challenges of dealing with the region's predicted population growth.

The authority will utilize four months to oversee the sites as Urban Development Areas, and add in another 12 months to bring the first housing lots to the market. Construction is expected to commence by 2011.

The Government hopes the authority will allow development of affordable and medium housing to keep pace with population growth.

The government expects that more than two million people will look for homes in the southeast Queensland over the next 20 years, bringing its population to 4.4 million by 2031.