InfrastructureLindsay SaundersFri 18 Sep 26
Qld’s Rework of Bowen Hills PDA Adds 50-Storey Skyscrapers to Mix
Proposed changes to the Bowen Hills Priority Development Area could enable up to 27,000 homes across the 108ha inner-Brisbane precinct.
The amended development scheme would add about 4000 homes to the 23,000 already planned over the life of the PDA, according to Economic Development Queensland.
The proposed changes include allowing buildings of up to 50 storeys on larger mixed-use sites of more than 3000sq m, compared to the current 30-storey provision.
The changes would also allow plot ratios of up to 12:1 on larger sites, compared with the current 9:1 provision.
The state is proposing to remove a number of housing, sustainability and urban design requirements, scrap value uplift charges and provide greater flexibility for performance-based development outcomes.
The Bowen Hills PDA was declared in 2008 and covers land including the Brisbane Showgrounds, Old Museum, Perry Park, Bowen Park and Bowen Hills and Exhibition railway stations.
The precinct is about 3km from the Brisbane CBD and sits alongside the Victoria Park precinct, which is being developed ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The proposed scheme would also introduce a new planning category for artisan food and drink businesses, allowing uses including boutique breweries and micro-distilleries around the Brisbane Showgrounds.
Urbis director Michael Cattoni said the proposed changes would reinforce Bowen Hills as one of Brisbane’s strategically important urban renewal areas.
He highlighted the proposed increase in building heights and plot ratios, as well as the simplification of housing and sustainability requirements aimed at improving development feasibility.
Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland chief executive Kirsty Chessher-Brown said the amendments responded to industry feedback about the feasibility of delivering urban renewal in the current market.
She said the changes provided a pathway to increasing housing supply while supporting homes, jobs and other uses within the precinct.
The government said the changes were intended to reduce barriers to development and respond to feasibility issues affecting urban renewal.
The amendments are open for public notification, with submissions closing on October 9. Economic Development Queensland expects the amended development scheme to be finalised in November.
The announcement follows changes to the Woolloongabba PDA, where the Queensland Government said housing-related development applications increased by 466 per cent within 12 months of the amended scheme taking effect.
