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Apply for a lease or licence renewal

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Renew or amend a facility lease or licence. Apply for a seasonal licence. Get approval for works at leased premises.

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Renew

We will contact you to discuss renewing your community facility lease or licence 9 to 12 months before its expiry date.

Apply
1 Check your eligibility

Before you apply to renew your lease or licence, confirm that your organisation and activities still meet the eligibility criteria.

2 Prepare your documents

You will need to provide copies of the following: 

  • certificate of incorporation

  • constitution (if it has changed)

  • most recent audited financial statements

  • certificate of currency for $20 million public liability insurance 

  • certificate of currency for building insurance (if applicable)

  • current liquor/gaming licences (if applicable).

3 Log into the Community Leasing Information Portal

To request a renewal, log into the Community Leasing Information Portal (CLIP) and complete the ‘Tenure renewal (lease or licence)' form.

You’ll be asked to provide details and to upload your documents.

We'll check your application to make sure it's correct and includes all the supporting documents.

When we receive your application, a member of our team will arrange to meet you on the premises to:

  • undertake a site inspection
  • discuss your organisation's lease or licence agreement and management of the facilities. 

After the onsite meeting, Council will assess your application. We may ask you to submit more information to support your application.

After assessing your application, we’ll prepare a submission for approval.

If the premises are on land managed in trust by Council, ministerial approval may also be required. We'll apply for this on your behalf. 

If your application was successful, our submission will recommend that your lease or licence is renewed.

After approval, you'll receive a Council letter containing the terms and conditions of your renewal. You can use this letter as evidence of tenure for funding applications.

Your formal lease/licence documents will be prepared by City Legal (Council's legal services provider). You'll be given contact details for the person preparing your lease/licence.

City Legal will send the lease/licence documents to your organisation to execute. Your organisation will need to:

  • place the common seal of the association where indicated (if required)
  • have 2 committee members sign the document.

You must return your documents to City Legal and pay City Legal professional fees and lease registration fees.

City Legal will arrange for Council to execute the documents. Leases are also lodged with the Department of Resources for registration.

City Legal will send your organisation an executed, registered copy of your lease or licence. 

Apply for a seasonal licence

What is a seasonal licence? 

A seasonal licence allows an organisation to use a site during specific dates and times during a sports season.

We don’t provide recurring seasonal licences, so you need to reapply before the start of each season.

The season closing date is also the deadline for applying. 

The summer season is from 1 October to 31 March inclusive.

Applications for the summer season close on 31 July.

You'll be notified of the outcome of your application by 31 August.

The winter season is from 1 April to 30 September inclusive.

Applications for the winter season close on 31 January.

You'll be notified of the outcome of your application by 28 February.

How to apply
1 Check the eligibility criteria

Before you apply for a seasonal licence, confirm that your organisation and activities meet the eligibility criteria.

2 Prepare your documents

You will need to provide copies of your organisation’s:

  • certificate of incorporation
  • certificate of currency for $20 million public liability insurance.
3 Submit your application

Complete the online application form.

Amend your existing lease 

You'll need Council consent to amend the conditions of your lease. 

Many community lease conditions are standard, meaning you cannot change them.

If Council approves the amendment, City Legal (Council's legal services provider) will prepare the relevant documents to record the amendment.  

All parties must execute these documents. If you have a registered lease, the amendment must be registered with the Department of Resources

To seek Council's consent to amend the conditions of the lease, send a letter from your organisation to Lease.Management@brisbane.qld.gov.au  

The letter must be on your official letterhead and detail the reasons for the amendment.

Making changes at leased facilities  

You must have Council approval to make changes or undertake works at your leased or licensed premises. 

Works requiring written approval from Council include:

  • installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) 

  • erecting fencing

  • moving soil, filling/earthworks and drainage

  • new building work or extensions/refurbishments to an existing building (including re-painting)

  • new lighting or replacement of existing lighting, including sports field/court lighting 

  • new or refurbishment of sports fields/courts

  • installing play equipment

  • installing signage or signage infrastructure

  • sports field irrigation/bores 

  • tree or vegetation works

  • installing water tanks.

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Note

Unapproved works (other than ordinary maintenance) will be considered a major breach of your tenure agreement.

Before you apply for works approval

You can discuss your project with a Council officer to identify any site constraints you may need to consider.

If your project includes master planning, or new buildings/fields/courts/lights, it's essential you discuss your proposal with an officer from the outset.

You should also check your current condition audit for maintenance work that should be done prior to any new works.

To request advice on works or to access your condition audit, log into the Community Leasing Information Portal (CLIP) or phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Project planning will help your works to run smoothly and achieve your desired outcomes in the required timeframe.

Your plan should define your approach and the process you will use to manage the project. It should include:

  • what you are hoping to achieve and the deliverables

  • costs and deadlines 

  • if you intend to apply for a grant to fund the work (If so, you should submit your application for works well in advance of submitting a grant application.)

  • the scope of works

  • any strategic plans, facility/asset management plans or condition audits that should be referred to 

  • other approvals that may be required (e.g. building approval, advertising sign licence) 

  • any plans, drawings or sketch designs, including site plans and existing and proposed floor plans for building work

  • an estimated project budget, including items such as design and site costs, construction and demolition costs, approval fees, fit-out and contingencies.

Documents you may need to include with your application include:

  • aerial photography or maps with any relevant mark-ups 

  • quotes

  • project plans 

  • letter of support from head tenant (if applicable)

  • any lighting plans.

Your documents can be submitted as Word, PDF or JPG files.

If you don't provide all the relevant attachments, your application will be considered incomplete and take longer to process. 

Apply for works approval for a community leased site

Log into the Community Leasing Information Portal (CLIP) and complete the online application, including your supporting documents.

You will be able to save your application for up to 90 days.

If you have difficulty accessing or using the form, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

After we receive your application, we'll consult with the local Councillor about the works and any relevant Council teams. 

The assessment and response process can take up to 20 business days.

Applications that are considered complex may take longer to assess. Council will advise you of the expected timeframe for response throughout the process. 

Council’s rights as a landlord

Council has the right to:

  • enter a leased or licensed premises at any reasonable time after giving written notice
  • in an emergency, enter at any time, without giving prior notice to the tenant
  • install, maintain, use and replace any pipes, ducts, conduits and wires passing through leased or licensed premises and run water, air, electricity, sewerage or any other service
  • grant easements or other rights over the premises.

Our responsibilities

Council has the responsibility to:

  • undertake condition audits and provide you with a copy of the condition audit
  • undertake a regular grass cutting program of up to 20 cuts per year
  • check in with your organisation at least once a year
  • contact you about your lease or licence renewal at least 9 months before its expiry date.

Frequently asked questions

You may be able to establish a new facility on existing Council land. To enquire, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

The difference between a lease and a license is that a lease is an interest in land granted by a landowner to another person, which gives a right to the land for a fixed time.

Alternatively, a license is a right to occupy land without the land being exclusively granted.