{"id":76688,"date":"2026-08-20T17:05:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/76688\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:05:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:05:36","slug":"brisbane-council-passes-zoning-overhaul-for-small-block-4-storey-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/76688\/","title":{"rendered":"Brisbane council passes zoning overhaul for small block, 4-storey buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"

It means dramatic changes allowing minimum lot sizes to drop from 260 sqm down to 120 sqm<\/a> \u2014 smaller than a standard tennis court \u2014 while standard low-density blocks within 300 metres of shopping centres can now be split into 300 sqm lots. <\/p>\n

The plan raises building heights from two-and-three storeys up to four storeys near frequent public transport hubs and shops<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Council hopes the policy will trigger up to 6000 new villas, townhouses, and apartments by 2032 to reverse a steep decline in new construction. <\/p>\n

Independent councillor Nicole Johnston cast the lone dissenting vote, warning the simplified assessment processes would simply boost developer profits at the expense of local communities. <\/p>\n

Opposition Deputy Leader Cr Lucy Collier supported the vote but raised severe concerns that local roads, footpaths, and sports clubs are already at breaking point.<\/p>\n

Readers flooded the post-vote discussion, deeply divided between younger residents desperate for diverse housing choices near major transport corridors and long-term homeowners who claim the council is sacrificing trees, parking, and neighbourhood character to build congested suburban slums.<\/p>\n

About 67 per cent of readers in an online poll voted that they did not agree with the minimum block sizes.<\/p>\n

See what you had to say below and join the conversation >>><\/p>\n

WHAT YOU SAIDThe \u2018sardine city\u2019 and future ghetto warnings<\/p>\n

Julius<\/p>\n

Atrocious, hideous, diabolical. Welcome to the Ghetto.<\/p>\n

NormanO<\/p>\n

Future slums will the result. In a world of Zoom conferencing, fibre internet speeds, automonous vehicles delivering goods and transporting people, why do we need to live in sardine cans? Policy failure on all fronts.<\/p>\n

STANLEY<\/p>\n

The beginning of slumland.<\/p>\n

Lorraine<\/p>\n

Council don\u2019t care about people. The place looks like a dump. This is just what we need, more congestion. Too many people crammed in which can only lead to bigger issues. Council can\u2019t cope now. This council has lost its way.<\/p>\n

MargieQ<\/p>\n

Too hot most of the year in Brisbane to have such small blocks and little airflow around the homes. SE Qld will become slum city the way they are packing it up now.<\/p>\n

Gav<\/p>\n

Well, there goes the trees, the wildlife and the reason to live in those affected areas. It saddens me when I see photos of new housing developments with dark roofs, no yards and narrow roads with no visible signs of life. No trees, no wildlife, no shade and no relaxing feel to it, I\u2019m glad I was a kid 50 years ago.<\/p>\n

Rachel<\/p>\n

In 1994, the LNP campaigned against Mayor Jim Soorley for creating a \u201csardine city\u201d. How the tide has turned.<\/p>\n

The \u2018NIMBY\u2019 pushback and the density defence<\/p>\n

The Chief 1960<\/p>\n

Watch all the NIMBYS emerging from the hollows.<\/p>\n

Proudsceptic<\/p>\n

It is a good idea as it is aimed at preventing urban sprawl. Homes do not need to take up a large footprint. Vertical homes are the solution to reduced footprints. The suburbs mentioned have sufficient parks for children to play in.<\/p>\n

Peter<\/p>\n

Smaller block sizes are needed to help increase population density in city. It will be opposed by Nimbys. It is what is needed to prevent more urban sprawl. It can more efficiently use the existing infrastructure and help solve the housing crisis.<\/p>\n

TERESA<\/p>\n

Reduce front setbacks and encourage townhouses. Like Carlton in Vic and Paddington in Sydney. Activate a connection with the street. And yes, developers need to show a profit, Ms Johnson. The alternative is nothing gets funded by the banks and nothing gets built.<\/p>\n

Jen<\/p>\n

If this allows less towers to be built it\u2019s a positive step.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure, parking, and regional decentralisation<\/p>\n

Ari<\/p>\n

What ever happened to decentralisation? There is lots of land in regional areas and people just need businesses to employ them and infrastructure to go with it. As the southeast grows the infrastructure has to expand anyway.<\/p>\n

Peter<\/p>\n

Exactly, I just drove up to Wide Bay and there is so much land. So much land. Why not expand and build new towns. They don\u2019t because it\u2019s cheaper for council and gov to cram people into small boxes just like a little Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Scott<\/p>\n

How stupid is this council getting . roads and water are. Well past breaking point with what they have done. Ant more will be a total. They can\u2019t keep up with maintaining potholes now, road conditions are atrocious \u2026 squeezing 2026 traffic now into 1930\u201ds roads is beyond stupid \u2026<\/p>\n

Bobbie<\/p>\n

Ultra-small blocks will probably mean no garages with more and more cars turning streets into slalom courses. I wonder if what this is really all about is increasing the number of ratepayers because Brisbane has just about run out of green space for housing.<\/p>\n

Libby<\/p>\n

Small blocks = cars parked in streets = cars stolen = injured people and even fatalities. Not worth it.<\/p>\n

Edge<\/p>\n

Born in Brissie \u2026 lived and worked there for 60 years \u2026 by the time I retired, I was sick of the humidity, the toll roads, traffic, over priced tiny lots and people parking half on footpaths and half on the narrow streets \u2026 yep \u2026 life here in Tassie on my half acre block is sweet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It means dramatic changes allowing minimum lot sizes to drop from 260 sqm down to 120 sqm \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76689,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[113704,113737,113799,113724,41360,113726,19263,113710,7154,113803,113732,113717,113735,41512,113797,113768,59562,53877,113767,62189,52917,113779,113751,113811,113814,113716,113746,113718,113808,38541,67975,113812,113743,113711,113761,5460,113755,113739,113777,99,10934,113721,29113,6524,36917,113787,4543,4546,113766,3352,113736,33402,113774,15096,113714,65946,113773,113771,113762,113733,113709,113745,113725,53927,113747,24261,113781,113744,113789,113708,1213,113757,46673,113790,3430,113810,113705,113753,105383,113760,113763,38992,113702,113741,113775,113770,113800,66418,113782,113706,113756,113754,113794,113796,98163,113752,82789,113742,47967,113769,113783,113734,113707,113802,113786,113778,113727,1408,113713,7350,3081,113720,113712,113791,18325,58073,30466,55396,113748,113740,113730,18606,4993,113738,113728,113807,113801,113809,6327,113719,113792,113813,82855,113765,113723,113729,17320,113798,113788,247,54468,103515,36676,113784,38322,113806,113776,54029,113795,113703,47997,95113,113764,42938,38459,113804,113805,39151,86335,45162,38346,113772,47944,40795,113715,113759,39005,60517,38893,41425,65793,59798,37073,36698,113793,38650,113722,113750,17467,36657,67731,22607,1364,113785,46081,113815,113749,309,3815,113758,113731,113780],"class_list":["post-76688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brisbane","tag-bobbieultra","tag-nimby","tag-120-sqm","tag-120sq-m-blocks","tag-41360","tag-113726","tag-19263","tag-2026-traffic","tag-7154","tag-260-sqm","tag-300-metres","tag-300-sqm-lots","tag-4-storey-units","tag-50-years","tag-6000-new-villas","tag-a-sardine-city","tag-a-connection","tag-a-debate","tag-a-dump","tag-a-good-idea","tag-a-kid","tag-a-landmark-overhaul","tag-a-large-footprint","tag-a-little-tokyo-scotthow","tag-a-positive-step-infrastructure","tag-a-profit","tag-a-standard-tennis-court","tag-a-steep-decline","tag-a-sweeping-decision","tag-a-total","tag-a-world","tag-all-fronts-stanleythe-beginning","tag-all-the-nimbys","tag-an-online-poll","tag-ant-more","tag-apartments","tag-atrocious-ghetto","tag-automonous-vehicles","tag-bigger-issues","tag-brisbane","tag-brisbane-city-council","tag-building-heights","tag-businesses","tag-carlton","tag-cent","tag-chief-1960watch","tag-children","tag-city","tag-congested-suburban-slums-about-67","tag-council","tag-dark-roofs","tag-decentralisation","tag-developer-profits","tag-developers","tag-diverse-housing-choices","tag-dramatic-changes","tag-fibre-internet-speeds","tag-footpaths","tag-four-storeys","tag-frequent-public-transport-hubs-and-shops","tag-front-setbacks","tag-furious-debate","tag-future-ghetto","tag-goods","tag-higher-apartment-towers","tag-homes","tag-housing-overhaul","tag-in-petersmaller-block-sizes","tag-increase-population-density","tag-independent-councillor-nicole-johnston","tag-infrastructure","tag-its-way-margieqtoo","tag-land","tag-less-towers","tag-life","tag-linkblockthe","tag-little-airflow","tag-lmr","tag-local-communities","tag-local-roads","tag-long-term-homeowners","tag-lots","tag-major-transport-corridors","tag-massive-lmr-zoning-plan","tag-mayor-jim-soorley","tag-micro-block-homes","tag-minimum-block-sizes","tag-minimum-lot-sizes","tag-more-and-more-cars","tag-more-congestion","tag-more-urban-sprawl","tag-ms-johnson","tag-much-land","tag-narrow-roads","tag-neighbourhood-character","tag-new-construction","tag-new-housing-developments","tag-new-towns","tag-nimbys","tag-no-garages","tag-no-relaxing","tag-no-shade","tag-no-trees","tag-no-visible-signs","tag-no-wildlife","tag-no-yards","tag-opposition-deputy-leader-cr-lucy-collier","tag-parking","tag-past-breaking-point","tag-people","tag-photos","tag-point-readers","tag-policy-failure","tag-positive-step","tag-potholes","tag-pushback","tag-ratepayers","tag-readers","tag-reduced-footprints","tag-regional-areas-and-people","tag-regional-decentralisationariwhat","tag-road-conditions","tag-roads","tag-roads-and-water","tag-sardine-cans","tag-sardine-city","tag-se-qld","tag-severe-concerns","tag-shopping-centres","tag-slalom-courses","tag-slum-city","tag-slumland-lorrainecouncil","tag-small-blocks","tag-small-boxes","tag-sports-clubs","tag-standard-low-density-blocks","tag-streets","tag-such-small-blocks","tag-sufficient-parks","tag-sydney","tag-the-alternative","tag-the-banks","tag-the-city","tag-the-conversation-housingpollwhat","tag-the-council","tag-the-density-defencethe","tag-the-existing-infrastructure","tag-the-expense","tag-the-ghetto-normanofuture-slums","tag-the-hollows-proudscepticit","tag-the-homes","tag-the-housing-crisis","tag-the-housing-crisis-teresareduce","tag-the-infrastructure","tag-the-lnp","tag-the-lone-dissenting-vote","tag-the-minimum-block-sizes-see","tag-the-number","tag-the-place","tag-the-plan","tag-the-policy","tag-the-post-vote-discussion","tag-the-reason","tag-the-result","tag-the-simplified-assessment-processes","tag-the-slums","tag-the-solution","tag-the-southeast","tag-the-street","tag-the-suburbs","tag-the-tide","tag-the-trees","tag-the-vote","tag-the-way","tag-the-wildlife","tag-the-year","tag-this-council","tag-those-affected-areas","tag-thousands","tag-tomorrow","tag-too-many-people","tag-townhouses","tag-trees","tag-two-and-three-storeys","tag-urban-sprawl","tag-vertical-homes","tag-vic-and-paddington","tag-war","tag-wide-bay","tag-younger-residents","tag-zones","tag-zoom-conferencing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}