Brisbane Plots Unlocking Industrial Land for Homes

Brisbane City Council has flagged rezoning key industrial pockets for housing and upgrading other precincts to support 24/7 logistics uses. The proposed amendments to Brisbane’s City Plan are now open for consultation. The city said they aimed to continue the transition of the Queensland capital’s industrial areas to residential, feeding into the council’s “anti-sprawl” agenda . As part of the amendments, the zoning, overlays and neighbourhood plan requirements for 17 sites identified in the Brisbane: Our Productive City strategy would be amended. The changes aim to reflect the change in future land-use intent for the sites that were determined as “not having long-term value for the city as industrial land”. The amendment progresses zoning changes that could open up more sites for housing, according Place Design Group director Angus Green. “In several cases, these underutilised sites have been rezoned to low-density residential, low-medium density residential, or mixed-use zones, unlocking opportunities for new housing and neighbourhood-scale development,” Green told The Urban Developer . ▲ Sites at Wynnum have been identified for transition from industrial to low and medium-density residential. These rezonings would affect key pockets at Nundah, Upper Mount Gravatt and Wynnum. But Brisbane’s industrial precincts haven’t been sidelined in the council amendment packages. A host of precincts need to be “responsive to evolving economic and workforce needs”, according to the council, so the City Plan amendments propose the conversion of several general industry zones from C to B. This would also allow for additional forms of development such as warehouses and logistics, typically allowing 24/7 operations. The council said that the new industry mapping would ensure major industrial areas supported a wide range of activities, while “maintaining adequate separation from sensitive uses” such as housing. Green said that the amendment proposals marked a “notable shift” in Brisbane’s industrial landscape and that general industry B zones were “highly sought after” by major institutional industrial developers. ▲ A warehouse at Acacia Ridge, a well-established industrial hub. “In effect, this rezoning unlocks greater flexibility and boosts the development potential of key sites across Acacia Ridge, Banyo, Coopers Plains, Darra, Hemmant, Lytton, Murarrie, Richlands, Virginia and Wacol,” he said. The “welcome change” made a significant departure from the council’s 2019 strategy, he said, which emphasised general industry C land. “The new direction signals a recalibration of priorities—one that better reflects evolving market needs and the rising demand for modern, adaptable industrial spaces,” Green said. “It opens the door to a wider range of warehouse and logistics operators and supports a more diverse mix of tenancy sizes. “In particular, last-mile logistics, workstores and industrial unit developments are well positioned to benefit from the increased flexibility and market appeal the rezoning will deliver.” An additional package of amendments relates to design requirements for a range of small-scale housing types “to support diverse housing options”. They include a limit on the size of secondary homes relative to the size of the site, and a total site cover of 50 per cent to ensure sufficient space for backyards, including on small lots. ▲ Policy changes around secondary homes have also been proposed. Green said that while some changes were “promising”, several proposed shifts raise important concerns for housing diversity and supply. “[Capping maximum site cover at 50 per cent across all lot sizes] significantly limits the capacity to deliver row housing and compact freehold products that have been successfully rolled out in a number of Priority Development Areas,” he said. “These proven typologies are critical to delivering the ‘missing middle’ and providing diverse and affordable housing options.” The amendment also introduces tighter restrictions on secondary homes, capping their size at the lesser of 80sq m or 10 per cent of the site area. On a typical 450sq m lot, Green said, this would reduce a secondary home to just 45sq m. “At a time when unlocking suburban backyards could provide meaningful relief to housing pressures, these constraints risk closing off a valuable source of gentle density,” he said. However, a more flexible approach to deep planting requirements for multi-residential developments was needed, Green said. “Historically, these provisions have been rigidly enforced, often conflicting with basement layouts and underground servicing constraints. “Allowing deep planting to be achieved through a mix of structural soil and soil cells to achieve the minimum 10 per cent requirement offers a more practical pathway for infill development and will ultimately support higher-performing landscape outcomes.” The amendment packages are open for feedback until December 1.

Brisbane Plots Unlocking Industrial Land for Homes

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