BCC remove Sport & Rec land incentive

The Lord Mayor has announced that Brisbane City Council will remove the ability to build retirement village and aged care facilities on sport and recreation zoned land.

The proposed changes to the City Plan 2014 to enable development of seniors’ housing projects on this land had formed part of Council’s broader 2016 package of incentives, aimed at encouraging age-appropriate developments in Brisbane.

Council had previously committed to consider the co-location of retirement facilities and aged care facilities on privately owned sport and recreation zoned land. 

The City Plan 2014 amendments had been with the Queensland Government for over a year, and were recently approved to proceed to public notification subject to a number of conditions.

When announcing the decision, the Lord Mayor pointed to onerous conditions imposed by the Queensland Government to achieve this amendment to the City Plan, and a desire not to see the broader initiative affected by community controversy. 

The Property Council has responded publicly to the decision, expressing concern that political considerations are  disrupting the delivery of seniors’ housing in Brisbane.