Proposed citywide amendment - Major amendment package K

Brisbane is a great place to live, work and relax. To ensure our friendly and liveable city continues to thrive and Brisbane City Plan 2014 (City Plan) remains effective and up-to-date, Brisbane City Council is proposing amendments to some of its citywide provisions with Major amendment package K.

Through amendments to City Plan, Council ensures planning decisions continue to reflect principles developed with community input, including protecting our city’s backyards and unique character, and creating and protecting greenspace.

The proposed amendments include changes across a range of citywide provisions, including:

  • zone changes
  • overlay changes
  • industry changes
  • park changes
  • heritage changes
  • planning scheme policy changes.

This proposed Major amendment package K is following the ‘major amendment’ process outlined in the Queensland Government’s Minister’s Guidelines and Rules.

The proposed Major amendment package K was endorsed with changes in response to public consultation by Council on 25 October 2022. It is currently with the Queensland Government to request the Minister’s consideration and approval to adopt. Once Queensland Government approval has been received, proposed project timeframe details will be updated.

Note, due to caretaker conventions in place ahead of the local government elections scheduled for March 2024, Council will be unable to progress any proposed planning scheme amendments until after April 2024.

Community consultation

Public consultation on the proposed amendment package has closed.

Council's proposed amendment package was open for public consultation from 12 July to 23 August 2021.

A summary of the matters raised and a response for how these have been considered has been included in the consultation report.

Download the consultation report:

Public consultation documents

The changes proposed to City Plan under Major amendment package K are summarised below.

The full details of the proposed amendment that underwent public consultation can be found on version 21 of City Plan online. You can also download the schedule of mapping amendments to understand what mapping changes were proposed:

Zone changes

The proposed zone changes include:

From Emerging community zone to Low density residential zone and application of the Dwelling house character overlay

These proposed zone changes will give effect to Brisbane’s Future Blueprint action “Audit Emerging Community land and rezone to Low density residential land where appropriate”.

The properties relevant to this proposed change were identified through a suite of selection criteria to ensure their appropriateness to be rezoned to Low density residential.

The Low density residential zone code is also being amended to include provisions to require a structure plan to be prepared for development of low density residential zone land where on a site which is more than 7000m2.

Zone changes to properties purchased by Council through the Bushland Acquisition Program

The proposed amendment includes rezoning properties which have been acquired through Council’s Bushland Acquisition Program. The Bushland Acquisition Program purchases and protects properties with significant environmental value in Brisbane.

The majority of acquired bushland properties are managed as conservation reserves and are proposed to be included in the Conservation zone. Some acquired bushland properties are located within urban park corridors and are proposed to be included in the Open space zone.

The proposed changes will give effect to Brisbane’s Future Blueprint to “Protect and increase Brisbane’s natural habitat from 37% to 40% by 2031”.

Overlay changes

The proposed changes to overlays include:

  • Commercial character building overlay – additions and removal of properties in response to further investigations
  • Dwelling house character overlay – additions and removals to reflect proposed changes to zoning
  • Pre-1911 building overlay – removal of a property where the age of the building has been identified as after 1911
  • Significant landscape tree overlay – addition of significant landscape trees to reflect Vegetation Protection Orders under the Natural Asset Local Law. There are also changes to the Significant landscape tree overlay code to outline the significant trees being added
  • Streetscape hierarchy overlay – to align nominated footpath widths with the adjacent Low-medium density residential zone precincts and allow for suitable transition in footpath widths between the residential zones
  • Traditional building character overlay – removal of properties that are already located in the Commercial character building overlay.

Industry changes

The proposed changes give effect to actions 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8 from the Brisbane Industrial Strategy 2019, to strengthen City Plan provisions protecting industrial zoned land, while also providing a more flexible approach to land use outcomes in different Industry zones. Proposed changes include: 

  • support warehouse uses in the General industry C zone precinct within the Australia TradeCoast and South West Industrial Gateway Major Industrial Areas, where uses are for logistics or a distribution centre, subject to meeting the appropriate thresholds
  • support appropriate non-industrial uses in the Low impact industry and General industry A zone precincts that meet the specific needs of workers and enhance the function of industrial areas
  • support research and technology industry uses to facilitate the evolution of advanced manufacturing in the Mixed use zone
  • aligning car parking rates with contemporary employment densities, technologies and increasing hours of operation
  • updates to the Strategic framework to reinforce and reflect action 8 of the Brisbane Industrial Strategy 2019.

Park changes

The proposed changes will modify various parts of City Plan to streamline the delivery of public parks by Council where appropriate, by updating the Prescribed accepted development table,  the Biodiversity areas, Coastal hazard, Flood and Street hierarchy overlay tables of assessment, the Flood and Streetscape hierarchy overlay codes, the Park code and the Infrastructure design planning scheme policy.

Heritage changes

The proposed changes include updates to the Heritage overlay code to clarify the intent and application of performance, and the Heritage planning scheme policy to reference guidance on how to prepare a Conservation Management Plan.

An update to the tables of assessment (Categories of development and assessment – Overlays) for the Heritage overlay is also proposed to remove the reference for State heritage places to be assessed by Brisbane City Council, in line with the Planning Regulation 2017.

Planning scheme policy changes

The proposed changes to planning scheme policies include:

Heritage planning scheme policy

  • Updated guidelines for preparing a Conservation Management Plan, and guidelines for the archival recording of Local heritage places.

Infrastructure design planning scheme policy

  • Changes to support best practice construction standards and to align with the Streetscape hierarchy overlay for streetscapes adjoining the Low-medium density residential zone.
  • Stormwater amendments to update and clarify planning, design and construction methods for stormwater drainage.
  • Inclusion of six new Brisbane standard drawings for traffic signal post mounted CCTV boxes, bicycle kerb ramps, bicycle direction arrows, community notice boards, attribution stands and tree grates.

Brisbane standard drawings

4000 series - Traffic signals and intelligent transport systems

This category contains standard drawings for traffic signals and intelligent transport systems.

Select a document

5000 series - Pedestrian and cyclist facilities

This category includes standard drawings for pedestrian and cyclist facilities.

Select a document

7000 series - Fences, barriers and public furniture

This category contains standard drawings for fences, noise barriers, entrance barriers, vehicle access and seating.

Select a document

9000 series - Streetscape and landscape

This category includes standard drawings for streetscape planting and landscaping.

Select a document

Transport, access, parking and servicing planning scheme policy

  • Inclusion of a standard for warehouse uses to align car parking rates with contemporary employment densities, technologies and increased hours of operation.

Major amendment package K mapping

Timeline

Table of project milestones
19 November 2019Council proposed to amend City Plan
December 2019 - April 2020Queensland Government review
12 July - 23 August 2021Public consultation including an opportunity to have your say on the proposed changes
Late 2022 - to be confirmedFinal Queensland Government review
To be confirmedQueensland Government approval to adopt and Council adoption and gazettal

Other City Plan amendments

You may be interested to view details on other proposed amendments to City Plan.

Register for updates

To stay informed about City Plan, including proposed amendments and to receive other Council planning and development updates, you can register for email updates.

More information

For more information about the proposed major amendment to City Plan, you can:

  • email the project team
  • phone Council on 07 3403 8888
  • write to:
    Strategic Planning
    City Planning and Economic Development
    Brisbane City Council
    GPO Box 1434
    Brisbane QLD 4001.
Last updated:

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