Housing initiatives and incentives

To support innovation in housing delivery, a range of initiatives and incentives are available to assist:

• Build-to-rent special assessment unit and incentive
• dedicated House and Homes Assessment Team
• other infrastructure charges incentives.

Build-to-rent special assessment unit and incentive

Brisbane’s Sustainable Growth Strategy addresses the competing demands and pressures in facilitating liveable and affordable housing outcomes for Brisbane. All new housing contributes to meeting the challenges of population growth and the changing housing needs of our diverse community.  The strategy includes actions to support innovation in housing delivery for our residents, including new housing forms like build-to-rent.

Council is prioritising the assessment of large scale build-to-rent accommodation in appropriate locations such as land zoned Principal centre, Major centre, Mixed use (Inner city) and High density residential, and in some suburban renewal precincts, Our Productive City Adaptation and Transition or Urban Enterprise area precincts, or other major precincts that can support high density residential. Council is also prioritising the assessment of affordable build-to-rent housing delivered by not-for-profit housing providers.

To facilitate the consistent and streamlined assessment of build-to-rent multiple dwelling development applications, a special assessment unit made up of a network of specialist Council officers has been established. To be eligible for the streamlined assessment of build-to-rent applications lodged with Council, applicants are required to submit a well-made application at the time of lodgement, ideally following a prelodgement meeting. This means completed Council lodgement forms, plans and reports outlining the proposed development against the relevant requirements of Brisbane City Plan 2014.

The Brisbane Build-to-Rent Incentive Policy, available from 1 July 2023, supports construction of new build-to-rent residential multiple dwellings in appropriately zoned locations.

Developments that have not yet commenced construction or use will be eligible to make a request for an Infrastructure Agreement under the Planning Act 2016 that includes deferred payment of Council infrastructure charges for up to five years.

Dedicated House and Homes assessment team

Council has a team to prioritise and assess small domestic scale applications (other than subdivisions) to stimulate new building and construction, particularly smaller scale projects that align with Australian Government initiatives and provide work for smaller and medium businesses.

The eligibility criteria and use types for assessment via the House and Homes team are:

• new dwelling house
• extension to dwelling house (including sheds and carports) 
• dwelling house triggered by an overlay (new house and extensions to an existing house)
• demolition (including partial) of a dwelling house
• dwelling house with a reconfiguration of a lot (one into two)
• dwelling house with boundary realignments (not including LGIP matters)
• section 81 and s82 changes to a development approval where associated with any of the above application types.

To support the streamlined assessment of all development applications lodged with Council, applicants are encouraged to submit well-made applications at the time of lodgement. This means completed Council lodgement forms, plans and reports outlining the proposed development against the relevant requirements of Brisbane City Plan 2014.

Other infrastructure charges incentives

Council offers other infrastructure charges incentives, such as the universal housing design incentive for developments designed to meet the accessibility needs of residents, and charges reductions for eligible community organisations and retirement and aged care accommodation.

Find out if your development may be eligible for other infrastructure charges incentives.