A Queensland lobby group says the not-in-my-backyard mindset, known as nimbyism, is impacting the delivery of crucial housing projects in the state.

Natalie Rayment is the founder of Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY), a Queensland not-for-profit organisation trying to change negative attitudes that she believes are unreasonably influencing development outcomes in the state.

The former town planner said the NIMBY movement had become an increasing problem, threatening new housing developments which were desperately needed.

"There are so many examples, it's hard to pick one," Ms Rayment said.

"We'll have projects that fall over because there is a lot of objection to the project, so much political pressure that the council might refuse a project. 

"Or there are examples when the council approves it, but that objection group, or the NIMBY group, takes it up to court." 

Ms Rayment said projects had been tied up for months or even years when planning decisions were challenged or appealed through the Queensland court system.

Last year a legal stoush broke out as a council in south-east Queensland fought to stop a two-storey development earmarked for people with disabilities.

Assistant Federal Minister for Home Ownership Andrew Bragg told ABC Insiders nimbyism was "poison" for young people.

"When you see councils and states block developments, particularly apartment buildings, that is a disaster for young people," Senator Bragg said.

"So we have to hit the states and the councils in whichever way we can to make sure that we build the supply that's needed."

'A greater good'

A population boom has added 80,000 people to the Sunshine Coast region in the 10 years to 2021, most from within Australia.

The region needs about 3,300 homes a year to keep up with demand, according to data from Queensland University and SQM Research.

Dee South lives in Yandina in the region's hinterland, a development hotspot.

She said she supported a proposal for a 250-unit, over-50s retirement village on Steggalls Road on the outskirts of the otherwise quiet town centre.

"I don't see the downside of it," Ms South said.

Ms South said her home was also located directly opposite another proposed 247-lot housing development.

She said she accepted it may compromise her semi-rural lifestyle.

"We understand that we need housing, it's necessary," she said.

"You see the need for it, we do sort of have to swing in that direction.

A balancing act

It was that attitude Ms Rayment said she hoped more Queenslanders would adopt, especially with the state government planning to build 53,500 new social homes by 2046.

"There's an example out at Cooroy at the moment in the Noosa area," Ms Rayment said.

"It's an affordable housing project, so exactly that type of housing that we need, and the rhetoric around it is, 'Right type of development, wrong place.'"

Noosa councillors recently approved the development on Lake Macdonald Drive, with the first 3,000-square-metre lot to be sold to not-for-profit Coast2Bay Housing.

Acting Mayor Brian Stockwell said it was an exciting project that delivered on the council's housing strategy to roll out new social and low-cost housing for the community.

"Coast2Bay is an established and respected not-for-profit provider of affordable and social housing with access to state and federal funding to support new housing stock," Cr Stockwell said.

Melva Hobson from residents' advocacy group Organisation Sunshine Coast Association of Residents said people were accepting of some projects, not others, and it came down to how the change might affect their lives.

"I think people on the Sunshine Coast generally want to ensure that places are liveable, yes, and that there are facilities there," she said.

"I think people are aware of, and understand the need for more housing and understand the need for action."

Ms Hobson said people would be more welcoming of change, if services and infrastructure came at the same time.

"Public transport is not accessible and not particularly frequent, so we don't have a lot of those [amenities]."

But she said there would always be limits.

"Obviously not everybody wants to have a four or five storey building built next to them when the planning scheme says that they're in a low-density area."