Citywide amendment - rooftop gardens and landscaped greenspace - Major amendment package G

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 has adopted changes to some of its citywide provisions with the rooftop gardens and landscaped greenspace amendment (Major amendment package G).

Through amendments to City Plan, Council ensures planning decisions continue to reflect principles developed with community input, including creating and protecting greenspace.

The amendment included changes across a range of citywide provisions to:

• encourage the provision of rooftop gardens by allowing those that achieve required standards to be excluded from the calculation of maximum number of storeys in medium to high density locations supporting residential, commercial and mixed use multi-storey developments
• ensure rooftop gardens are integrated in the overall design of buildings, support a green building appearance and enhance the presentation and visual amenity of rooftops and the skyline
• ensure where landscaping is proposed in rooftop gardens and other artificial growing environments (such as green roofs and green walls on buildings), City Plan standards are appropriate to ensure the successful delivery, maintenance and performance of landscaping over the long term.

This amendment package followed the ‘major amendment’ process as outlined in the Queensland Government's Minister's Guidelines and Rules. 

Council endorsed the amendment with changes following a review of submissions and referred the amendment to the Queensland Government for consideration to adopt. Council adopted the amendment on 22 March 2022, and the amendment became effective on 27 May 2022.

Community consultation

The amendment package was open for public consultation from 16 November to 13 December 2020.

Following careful consideration of submissions received during the public consultation period, Council endorsed the proposed amendment with changes on 23 November 2021. The changes included:

• changes and additions to the Rooftop garden administrative definition in Schedule 1 to increase the maximum combined total footprint of roofed structures to 40% and exclude lift shaft and stairway from the calculation of roofed and enclosed structures.  
• additional updates to the name of the Landscape design guidelines for water conservation planning scheme policy to the Landscape design planning scheme policy.

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:

• Proposed citywide amendment - Major amendment package G – Rooftop gardens and landscaped greenspace – Consultation report (Word – 136kb)

Download the full details of the proposed amendment prior to consultation: 

• Schedule of amendments – Planning scheme (Word - 57kb)
• Schedule of amendments – Planning scheme policy (Word - 43kb). 

Changes to the following parts of City Plan were proposed and consulted on:

• Rules about determination of maximum building height
• Centre or mixed use code
• Multiple dwelling code
• Retirement and residential care facility code
• Brisbane City Council administrative definitions
• Filling and excavation code
• Landscape work code
• Landscape design guidelines for water conservation planning scheme policy.

Timeline

Other City Plan amendments

You can view details of 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 3403 8888
• write to:
  Strategic Planning
  City Planning & Economic Development
  Brisbane City Council
  GPO Box 1434
  Brisbane QLD 4001