Development works on community leased or licensed premises

All works carried out on Council leased or licensed premises are required to meet Australian Standards and codes as detailed by the Queensland Government and Queensland Development Code.

Find out more about the following topics.

Free planning advice
Seeking approval to lodge a development application
Development assessment fees reduction
Infrastructure charges reduction
Unapproved works
Designing accessible, inclusive and safe facilities

Closed landfill management
Reducing utility costs
Shipping containers
Advertising devices
Sports field and hard court lighting
Sports field management
Vehicle access to parkland for construction work

Free planning advice

Council regularly holds free Talk to a Planner sessions to help residents, business owners and community organisations learn more about Brisbane City Plan 2014 (City Plan) and how it relates to their building and construction plans.

During these sessions you can speak face-to-face with a planning specialist, giving you the opportunity to ask questions about how City Plan affects your property and development proposal.

Approval to lodge a development application

If you want to undertake any development works within your leased/licensed premises (e.g. new infrastructure, earthworks, redeveloping existing infrastructure (including sports fields)), you must first obtain written approval from Council, as landlord, via the application for works process.

As well as Council's approval as landlord, you may need other approvals from Council, such as building and advertising signs approvals.

Works must not commence until you receive all required approvals.

Flow chart

The flow chart below outlines the process for getting approval from Council to lodge a development application.

Step

Submit an application for works (AFW) to Council for approval as landlord. It can take up to 30 business days for Council to consider your request.

Following assessment, your organisation will be notified of the outcome. If the application is supported, a letter of support will be provided detailing any other required approvals and/or specific conditions that apply to the project.

Step 2

Engage a town planner to lodge a development application and a building certifier to obtain building approval.

Step 3

Submit the relevant Planning Act 2016 forms (either DA Form 1 or 2) to Council to obtain approval from Council's delegate as landowner. This process can take several weeks.

Once delegate approval is obtained, the forms will be returned to you.

Step

Submit the letter of support approving the works together with the signed development application forms to Council via our online lodgement service.

Visit our Applying and post approval page for information about the development application process, types of applications, how to lodge an application and how to avoid assessment delays.

Use our Development application forms page to obtain the Planning Act 2016 development assessment forms.

Development assessment fees reduction

Charitable, religious and not-for-project community organisations may be eligible for financial assistance to reduce development assessment fees and costs associated with obtaining written advice or attending a prelodgement meeting.

If your development proposal is primarily for commercial purposes, a discount is not available.

A request for a fee reduction must be made in writing to Council when submitting your development application. The decision to grant a reduction is made on a case-by-case basis.

For more information about how to apply for a development assessment fee reduction, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Infrastructure charges reduction

Council provides financial assistance to eligible community organisations to reduce the cost of infrastructure charges.

A reduction on infrastructure charges is available for organisations that deliver new or expanded facilities and/or services for the benefit of the wider community. The reduction is available for 75% of the infrastructure charges levied by Council on the associated development approval, up to a maximum of $45,000 for development approvals given between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2022.

Find out more about infrastructure charges reductions on our Infrastructure charges page. You can find information about reduction eligibility on the Eligible Organisations Infrastructure Charges Reduction Request Notice which is linked from this page.

For further information about infrastructure charges reduction, phone Council's Business Hotline on 133 BNE (133 263).

Unapproved works

Works (other than ordinary maintenance) undertaken on community leased/licensed premises, without prior written consent from Council, as landlord, are a major breach of your tenure agreement.

If you undertake works without Council approval, the works will be investigated and you may be required to stop work, comply with Council conditions, and served a notice to remedy the breach within a reasonable timeframe. You may also incur a fine if you have breached other Council local laws (e.g. removing trees and vegetation without approval). Having to rectify any unsatisfactory works or remove infrastructure found to be inappropriate can be costly and time-consuming for your organisation.

Visit the Application for works on community lease site page to learn more about works that require Council approval and how to apply.

For further advice on approvals you may require for development works, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Designing accessible, inclusive and safe facilities

In addition to meeting all Australian Standards and codes, when redesigning or developing new facilities it is critical you ensure the design creates an accessible, inclusive and safe facility for the benefit of all users.

The development of accessible and inclusive facilities involves the use of universal design principles, such as ensuring the design is equitable, flexible, intuitive, and appropriate in terms of size and space. Facility designs should also consider appropriate access pathways and ramps to buildings or activity areas and the use of wayfinding design measures to make buildings and the environment accessible to all people.

Visit the Centre for Universal Design Australia for more information on how to design an inclusive and accessible facility.

Crime prevention through environmental design

Facilities should be designed with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles in mind such as appropriate layout and orientation, lighting, surveillance, and space management to ensure facilities are as safe as possible for community use with appropriate security measures in place. The result is fewer security-related issues and crime.

CPTED concepts and principles are ideally incorporated at the design stage of development but can also be applied to existing developments and areas where crime and safety are a concern.

Refer to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Guidelines for Queensland for more information on CPTED concepts and strategies and how they can be applied to your facility design.

Vehicle access to parkland for construction work

For vehicle access to Council parkland to undertake works within a park, or access to property through Council parkland, you need to complete the Temporary access through Council parkland for private works online form.

For more information, visit our Vehicle access to a park page.

Closed landfill management

Many properties that Council leases or licences were landfill sites and are now referred to as closed landfill sites.

If you are located on a closed landfill site it is crucial you do not undertake any building, development or excavation works without written Council approval.

Find out more about closed landfill management including how to know if your lease/licence area is on a closed landfill site, what your responsibilities area and how to manage a closed landfill site.

Sports field management

Before planning to upgrade or install any new sports field/s, there are numerous things to consider such as site limitations (e.g. being on a closed landfill site, or in a flood zone), your current field condition, lease boundary, and if any additional infrastructure such as irrigation and new water meters will be required.

Before upgrading or installing any new sports field on a community leased/licensed premises, you must first obtain Council approval, as landlord.

Visit sports field management to learn more about maintaining your sports fields, including field remediation.

Visit condition audits to learn about the audits Council undertakes on sports fields to help tenants manage their facilities.

Sports field and hard-court lighting

Before you plan to upgrade or install new sports field or hard-court lighting, consider such as any site limitations (e.g. being on a closed landfill site, or in a flood zone), your lighting and control needs, and if a new/upgraded Energex meter will be required.

Before upgrading or installing any new sports field or hard-court lighting on a community leased/licensed premises, you must first obtain Council approval, as landlord.

Find out more about sports field and hard-court lighting, including what to consider when designing your lighting solution, what to detail in your scope of works, the steps you need to take, and what to do before and after you commence your project.

Advertising devices

Some common advertising devices are permitted for sports, community, and charitable organisations including community events, sports field fences, information, and statutory signs. You will need to undertake a self-assessment of the signage to ensure it is permitted and adhere to any conditions around how it is displayed. For example, a permitted sporting fence sign must be inwardly facing and primarily directed at the users of the facility.

Permitted advertising devices do not require further Council approval unless you need to install infrastructure on the premises to do so.

If you need to install infrastructure to erect a permitted advertising device, or you are wanting to display any licensable advertising devices or notices on a leased/licensed premises, you will need to obtain Council approval via the Application for works on a community lease site online form.

As well as Council's approval as landlord, you may also need other approvals from Council as local authority such as a licence for an advertising device.

Council will advise you about any other requirements when your application for works on a community lease is determined.

Note - Emergency signage to warn of a hazard does not require approval. It is expected that these signs are short-term in nature and only displayed while a hazard is present. You should ensure the erection of the sign also does not create a hazard.

Find out more about advertising devices.

For further advice on advertising devices, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

Shipping containers

Council generally does not support the placement of shipping containers for storage on a Council lease sites.

You may apply to place a shipping container on site as a temporary measure for up to a maximum of twelve months, while a permanent storage solution is found. It is expected that you will obtain approval and secure funding to build a permanent storage facility during this temporary period. Shipping containers must sit on a hard surface (e.g. concrete footings or slab) and be secured or tied down.

As part of the application for works process, Council will notify you of any other requirements you may need to fulfil (e.g. obtaining a Form 15 and 16) if your shipping containing application is approved.

A Form 15 is a compliance certificate for building design or specification provided by a building certifier). It should include design drawings outlining the structural design of the footings or tie downs by a Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ).

Note - If your located on a closed landfill site and/or listed on the Environmental Management Register (EMR) for a notifiable activity, you must ensure the RPEQ is aware of this before beginning a Form 15.

A Form 16 (inspection certificate provided by a building certifier) signs off on compliance with the design after installation and should be provided to Council upon completion of the works.

Email Council with any additional documentation you're required to provide (e.g. Form 15 or 16).

At the end of the temporary approval period, you (as tenant) are responsible for all costs associated with the removal of the shipping container, including any footings or tie-downs used to secure it.

To request the consent of Council, as landlord, to have a temporary shipping container on your lease site, complete the Application for works on a community lease site online form and ensure you:

detail the need and purpose of the shipping container. Council will not support a container for storing merchandise
demonstrate you have explored all alternative options to the use of a shipping container
provide the dimensions and photos of the proposed shipping container
include a map of the proposed location within the leased premises
detail the location of any trees and vegetation impacted by the proposed container
detail all works (e.g. concrete footings/slab) and how you proposed to secure or tie the shipping container down.

If you have an approved shipping container within your leased premises, it must:

remain at the Council approved location within the leased area and only be accessed from leased areas
be kept graffiti free
not be placed in a flood plain
be suitably tied down to ensure it won't cause an issue in severe weather
be removed from the premises before the temporary approval period expires.

For more advice on installing a temporary shipping container on a community lease site, phone Council on 07 3403 8888.

More information

For more help with your development project on a community lease site:

log on to the Community Leasing Information Portal
phone Council on 07 3403 8888.