Anti-sprawl plan launched
More than 600 people move to Brisbane every single week, and we urgently need more homes while also resisting the sprawl that impacts on bushland and adds to traffic congestion.
By unlocking the areas close to Indooroopilly, Carindale and Nundah new residents can have access to great transport and shops nearby.
Lord Mayor Schrinner and I want to put more homes where the jobs are, where the transport is and where the services are.
By focusing on anti-sprawl, we protect Brisbane’s unique lifestyle while creating opportunity and greater housing choice for the next generation.
Indooroopilly, Carindale and Nundah are the right places for growth, and under our plan they will be thriving lifestyle precincts into the future.
This is about delivering new homes for Brisbane families while ensuring our suburbs remain the best places to live, work and relax.
We know that aside from the chronic undersupply of housing, one of the biggest challenges facing Brisbane as it continues to grow, is around traffic congestion and car dependency.
As the population increases, so too does the imperative to shift our reliance on private vehicle usage and boost patronage of public and active transport.
There is no better way to reduce congestion than by ensuring new homes are built in close proximity to the services residents will need, in locations well serviced by public transport networks that connect them with the rest of the city-region.
As we continue to grow and reimagine our built environment, Brisbane is building a reputation for well-designed, locally responsive precincts, each delivering an authentic and unique experience, loved by locals and visitors alike.
Through focusing on individual centres within suburbs, Brisbane is able to retain that authentic appeal, while ensuring we continue to provide the housing and services the city so desperately needs.
The evolution of suburban centres is really just allowing them to continue evolving to meet contemporary community needs.
These centres nearly all started life in planning over 40 years ago as designated shopping centres only – places which people drove to primarily for shopping.
Over time, they have added entertainment, medical, and a range of other non-retail uses. Their trading hours have also changed and are now seven day a week activity centres.
They are increasingly places people want to live near in more numbers, and work near – if we allow it to happen.
Allowing more diversity of housing choices within walking distance of emerging suburban centres makes sense for downsizers, essential workers and others.
And the best news is that this process of suburban renewal will be delivered by private capital – just as has happened in places like New Farm, Teneriffe or West End.
More Details
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has unveiled the next stage of a major anti-sprawl plan that will enable more homes to be built close to Indooroopilly and Carindale shopping centres, as well as Nundah Village.
Under the plan, more apartments will be allowed in these locations so more people can live closer to public transport and shops.
These suburban centres have been chosen because of their excellent public transport, including the Indooroopilly train station, Carindale bus interchange and the Nundah train station.
This approach is about providing more housing choices for more people in the right places while protecting Brisbane’s suburban lifestyle.
The plan will focus on the area immediately around three major suburban centres:
- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre – with new homes close to the railway station and shops.
- Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre – with more housing opportunities around the bus interchange and retail hub.
- Nundah Village – with more housing opportunities centred on the village precinct and train station.
This latest plan is in addition to the Schrinner Council’s wider suburban renewal plans.
The Suburban Renewal Precincts program started in 2022 to transform underutilised land into vibrant, mixed-use communities and is now underway in Alderley, Stones Corner, Wynnum and Mt Gravatt.
Land zoning in these precincts is being reviewed to ensure it is consistent with community expectations and creates opportunity for new housing in well-serviced areas, while protecting the character of our suburbs.
Suburban Renewal Precincts include:
- Alderley – announced in September 2025 with community engagement to start this year.
- Stones Corner – amended plan approved by Council this week and now sent to the State Government for final review.
- Wynnum – draft version of the plan released this week, with next stage of community consultation to open on 7 October.
- Mt Gravatt – initial consultation completed with a draft version of the precinct plan coming soon.
Planning work will also soon begin around Westfield Chermside Shopping Centre, the next area set to benefit from the Suburban Renewal Precincts program.
By allowing more homes in and around these centres, Brisbane will create vibrant neighbourhoods where people can live close to jobs, transport, shops and services.
Current allowable building heights around Carindale Shopping Centre are up to 10 storeys and at Indooroopilly Shopping centre are up to 20 storeys
The plan will update the planning rules to make it easier to allow taller buildings to deliver more housing and mixed-use projects close to these well-located centres.
In Nundah, the existing heights of up to 12 storeys are planned to remain with changes to allow greater flexibility to deliver more residential homes in mixed-use buildings.
By updating planning rules, these centres can accommodate taller buildings and more housing while ensuring development is well-designed and in line with community expectations.
To achieve this, Brisbane City Plan 2014 will be updated.
Work on the changes around the three suburban centres will now begin, with community consultation expected in 2026 so residents can have their say.
Brisbane is growing rapidly and by 2046 will need around 210,800 new homes to support its growing population.