Further Brisbane City Plan amendment packages are in train and in combination with Major Amendment Package H, will result in unintended constraint of the development of townhouses and apartments outside of the LDR Zone. Notably, Amendment Package J proposes to remove available parking reductions where within 400 metres walking distance of a public transport interchange. It also clarifies that visitor spaces must be calculated and rounded up separately to resident numbers, whilst also increasing minimum car parking rates for townhouses and apartments where not within proximity of the CBD and surrounding inner suburbs. For example, where a 2 bedroom unit currently requires 1.25 spaces plus 0.15 spaces per unit for visitors, the proposed amendments require 2 spaces per 2 bedroom unit plus 0.25 spaces per unit for visitors.

The immediate outcome is that additional car parking spaces will need to be provided and integrated into the building layout. This will reduce yield or require costly basements where they could otherwise be avoided.  In our experience, we know this is an unavoidable consequence, and long term in-fill resident project managers have seen the impacts of such changes happen before.

The changes will reduce housing affordability and compromise project viability of sites already purchased for development. Further, a reliable and predictable supply of housing to supplement the capacity lost through proposed BCC prohibition of townhouses and apartments in the LDR Zone will result.

The consequence of Major Amendment Package H will be less available development sites and a higher end cost for the full spectrum of purchasers. These include retirees looking to relocate within their suburb, empty nesters, or first home buyers looking to locate in Brisbane within reasonable commuting distances of the CBD and major employment centres.

If you own land with development potential or value affordable housing options for yourself and future generations, we urge you to make yourself aware of this proposed amendment to the planning scheme. We consider these changes exceed the authority of any public consultation outcomes, will halt unit development in the City and threaten a construction industry already in decline.

More information is available here.

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