Building a community facility

If you want to build a community facility, use the following information to find out if your project needs planning approval. Community facilities include such buildings as a community centre, community hall or club house.

Definition

A premises used for community use provides either artistic, social or cultural facilities or community support services to the public. It may include the preparation and service of food and drink. Brisbane City Plan 2014 includes community centres and community halls as examples of community use. Other examples include an art gallery, library or museum.

The City Plan defines a community care centre as a premises used to provide social support but not accommodation. A community care centre may provide medical care but it is not the primary use of the facility, e.g. disability support services, drop-in centres, respite centre and integrated Indigenous support centres.

A community residence is defined as any dwelling used for accommodation for a maximum of six persons. These persons require assistance or support with daily living needs, share communal spaces and may be unrelated. This use may include a resident support worker engaged or employed in the management of the residence. A community residence does not include the following, which are all separately defined in the City Plan:

The City Plan includes a club house as an example of a club. A club is a premises used by persons associated for social, literary, political, sporting, athletic or similar purposes for social interaction or entertainment. The use may also include the ancillary preparation and service of food and drink.

The City Plan enables uses to be clustered into activity groups. Community facilities is one defined activity group. There are also a number of community facility defined activity subset groups. These include activity groups specifically for community purposes, health care purposes, major health care and educational purposes. Uses included in community facilities include:

Property details

Find out the key facts about the property:

Preferred locations

The City Plan encourages community facilities to set up in the community facilities zones or centre zones (being the principal centre zone, major centre zone, district centre zone or neighbourhood centre zone).

Located on Council land

If your community facility project is on land leased from Brisbane City Council, you will first need to apply for Council's approval for the project as owner of the land.

Building approval

Building approval is separate from planning approval. Licensed private building certifiers or building consultants can provide advice regarding:

  • building work for an existing community facility or a new centre
  • any building approval requirements.

Private building certifiers and building consultants are available using the Queensland Building and Construction Commission's find a local contractor search.

More information

For more information, contact Council's Business Hotline on 133 BNE (133 263) for advice specific to your property and situation.

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