Housing initiatives and incentives

As Brisbane continues to grow, planning for well-designed housing with appropriate access to transport and facilities is critical to our city remaining an affordable and sustainable place to live.

Brisbane City Council is prioritising actions to deliver more homes sooner through the Brisbane Housing Supply Action Plan. The action plan will support the implementation of Council’s housing strategy, Brisbane’s Sustainable Growth Strategy, through targeted actions to address short-to-medium-term housing supply.

Council offers a range of initiatives and incentives to support housing innovation, increased choice and supply:

• Housing supply incentive
• Build-to-rent incentive
• Special assessment unit
• Dedicated House and Homes assessment team
• Other infrastructure charges incentives.

Housing supply incentive

To support construction of new homes sooner, the Brisbane Housing Supply Incentive Policy will help ease the upfront financial impacts of delivering new residential housing.

Council is offering infrastructure charges reductions to support construction of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom multiple dwellings in identified well-serviced growth areas.

Eligible developments yet to commence construction can request to enter into an Infrastructure Agreement under the Planning Act 2016 to reduce infrastructure charges payable.

This incentive is part of Brisbane’s Housing Supply Action Plan that implements Brisbane’s Sustainable Growth Strategy and will be supported by Council’s special assessment unit for fast-tracking of eligible, well-made applications.

Build-to-rent incentive

Available from 1 July 2023, the Brisbane Build-to-Rent Incentive Policy is an infrastructure charges deferral incentive to support construction of new build-to-rent residential multiple dwellings in appropriately zoned locations.

Developments that have not yet commenced construction or use are 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 5 years.

This incentive is an action of Brisbane’s Sustainable Growth Strategy to support more liveable and affordable housing outcomes and will be supported by Council’s special assessment unit for fast-tracking of eligible, well-made applications.

Priority will be given to large scale build-to-rent accommodation in land zoned Principal centre, Major centre, Mixed use (Inner city) and High density residential.

Special assessment unit

Council has established a unit of networked specialists to streamline assessment of priority development applications that support its housing initiatives.

Streamlined assessment is currently available for applications under the Brisbane Build-to-Rent Incentive Policy. It will be expanded to include applications under the Brisbane Housing Supply Incentive Policy.

Ideally following a prelodgement meeting, applicants are required to submit a well-made application at the time of lodgement, along with all required forms, plans and reports outlining the proposed development against the relevant requirements of Brisbane City Plan 2014.

Dedicated House and Homes assessment team

Council has a team to prioritise and assess single homes.

Eligible applications:

• 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)
• dwelling house with a reconfiguration of a lot (one into two)
• dwelling house with boundary realignments (not including infrastructure matters)
• section 81 and section 82 changes to a development approval when 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 and 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 charges reductions for eligible community organisations.

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