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Planning for Brisbane

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Understand how Council and the Queensland Government work together to plan for our city’s future.

Kayakers on the Brisbane River, with the Brisbane CBD in the background.

About city planning

In Queensland, planning happens at different levels. 

Under the Planning Act 2016 (the Act) and Council’s planning framework, there are 4 key levels that guide development in Brisbane:

  • state planning 
  • regional planning
  • citywide planning
  • neighbourhood and precinct planning.

Council is responsible for citywide planning and neighbourhood and precinct planning. The Queensland Government is responsible for state planning and regional planning. 

Looking for something else

City Plan online

Planning guidelines

Temporary Local Planning Instrument

What is the role of Council in citywide planning?

As Brisbane’s local government, Council is responsible for planning for the future development of our expanding city.

Local governments prepare and maintain local planning schemes to help manage change and growth. These schemes:

  • identify strategic outcomes
  • guide how land is used and developed
  • regulate different types of development based on land-use zones and overlays
  • outline local infrastructure needed to support growth.

In Brisbane, our local planning scheme is Brisbane City Plan 2014 (City Plan). 

We’re also responsible for neighbourhood plans and precinct plans, which we create together with residents and businesses. These form part of City Plan.

Our citywide planning meets Council’s obligations under the Act and Queensland’s State Planning Policy (SPP).

City planning and economic development

There are various strategies and plans that help to guide our city’s future and its growth, including:

  • Brisbane Vision 2031
  • Brisbane City Centre Master Plan 2014 
  • Brisbane Long Term Infrastructure Plan (BLTIP) 2012-2031
  • Brisbane's Economic Development Plan 2031.

Learn more about these strategies and plans.

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Did you know?

You can have your say on Brisbane’s city planning and get updates on what’s happening in your community.

Virtual Brisbane  

Virtual Brisbane is an innovative, computer-generated, three-dimensional (3D) model of urban development within our city. 

We use it to visualise the height and design of proposed future development in relation to Brisbane’s existing landscape and architecture.

It plays a vital role in helping us plan for our city’s future growth and shape strategic planning, development assessment and community engagement.

For more information, email the project team.

Virtual Brisbane video – 1.40 mins

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(Narrator):

Welcome to Virtual Brisbane – Brisbane City Council’s computer-generated 3D model of the city. Keep watching to learn how this innovative technology helps Council plan for our growing city. 

Virtual Brisbane is a spatially accurate and interactive 3D model of the city’s CBD and inner-five kilometres.

It allows Council planners to analyse proposed developments and planning scenarios in greater detail and make more informed decisions about how our city grows.

By animating a proposed development in Virtual Brisbane, our planners can view it from an unlimited range of aspects including ground level, mid-height and birds-eye views.

We can vary the time of day and assess the impacts of height, orientation and design on the surrounding area.

We can also consider other scenarios like adding extra parks and trees to support new development and test what impacts development might have on local infrastructure networks.

For more information on Brisbane City Council’s Virtual Brisbane, call  07 3403 8888 or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au

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State planning in Queensland

The Queensland Government is responsible for state and regional planning in Queensland. It works with local governments to ensure local planning reflects state interests.

The Queensland Government delivers these interests through:

  • the State Planning Policy (SPP): This ensures the State's interests in planning are protected and delivered as part of local government planning across Queensland. The SPP also contains guiding principles to ensure that Council's plans and development assessment systems are as effective as possible.  
  • legislation: The Planning Act 2016 (the Act) is the Queensland Government’s planning legislation. We write our City Plan and assess development applications under this Act.
  • regional planning: Regional plans guide land use planning and decisions. They also align with and protect state interests addressed in the SPP.

Brisbane is one of 12 local governments in the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2023 (ShapingSEQ 2023), the state’s long-term vision for sustainable growth in South East Queensland. 

Frequently asked questions

State planning policies and regional plans ensure local government planning meets state interests. They guide how land can be used for planning and development.

Local governments ensure planning schemes align with state interests as expressed in the State Planning Policy and regional plans.

You may need planning permission to change your land use or undertake building work for your commercial or residential project.

Before you begin your project, find out if you need planning approval.

Development assessment and approval ensures your project meets planning scheme requirements.