Subdividing land

Most subdivisions need planning approval from Brisbane City Council. Proposed subdivisions are assessed according to the Brisbane City Plan 2000 to ensure that lots are of a suitable size and shape to allow a home or new industry to be built and meet community standards.

Subdivision includes:

• creating two lots from one existing house lot
• creating a number of lots from one larger parcel
• rearranging the boundaries of a lot, without creating a new lot
• creating a community title scheme
• creating a ‘volumetric subdivision’ (using space above or below the land)
• subdivision by lease exceeding 10 years

Subdivision process

Before a new lot can be sold, it has to be created and its title registered. The process is:

1. Planning approval - submit planning application to Council, including proposed plan of subdivision.
2. Assessment - Council assesses application against rules in City Plan and Local or Neighbourhood Plans.
3. Compliance - you comply (or make changes to comply) with conditions, undertake required works and pay charges.
4. Plan sealing - Council ‘seals’ the plan of survey and returns it to the you.
5. Registration of title - Applicant/owner arranges for registration of the sealed survey plan with the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management and title is issued under the Land Title Act 1994.

Planning approval steps

Subdivisions can be time consuming and costly. You must get a surveyor and possibly other consultants to make a planning application to Council. When the application is approved, the plans must be sealed by Council and registered with the Queensland Government.

Read the planning approval process for:

• industrial subdivision
• residential subdivison

Proposed subdivisions with 10 lots or less may be suitable for assessment using the RiskSMART process.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges to connect the new lot(s) to Council infrastructure apply. You may need to give Council part of your land (as part of conditions of approval) for purposes like:

• road widening
• parkland
• access easements

This may affect the financial feasibility of your project. 

Useful links to state requirements

• Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997
• Sustainable Planning Act 2009
• Land Title Act 1994

More information

To find out more information, you can refer to:

• Frequently asked questions - subdivision
• Subdivision and Development Guidelines

For information on volumetric subdivision and subdivision by lease contact Council.