More Homes, Sooner: A Great Start - But Will It Move the Needle on Supply?

Brisbane City Council’s More Homes, Sooner reforms to the low-medium density residential (LMR) zone represent a genuine and positive step toward unlocking infill housing supply.

The proposed changes improve clarity around built form outcomes, enable 3 and 4 storey development in targeted precincts and introduce parking and lot size reforms intended to improve feasibility. These are practical and necessary adjustments within the current planning framework.

However, the key question remains whether these changes will materially increase housing supply under real-world development conditions.

Is 14% Really 14%?

LMR land represents approximately 14% of Brisbane’s residential footprint. At face value, this suggests a meaningful opportunity to unlock additional housing supply.

In practice, zoning coverage is not the same as deliverable capacity.

Overlay constraints such as Traditional Building Character, flood and coastal hazard mapping, vegetation protections and neighbourhood plan provisions play a significant role in shaping what can actually be developed. These controls are entirely appropriate and serve important planning objectives, but they also reduce the proportion of land capable of realising increased density.

As a result, the theoretical extent of LMR land is not the same as the net developable infill capacity across the city.

What Happens in Practice

In the current market, development activity is concentrated on sites where planning certainty, yield potential and commercial feasibility align.

Sites that are relatively unconstrained are more likely to proceed. Conversely, sites affected by multiple overlays or complex planning requirements often experience delays, reduced yield or do not proceed at all.

The proposed zoning uplift improves feasibility in appropriate locations, but its impact will not be uniform across the LMR zone.

Where the Bigger Opportunity May Lie

Low Density Residential land accounts for approximately 60% of Brisbane’s residential footprint.

Much of this land is located within established suburbs that are already supported by infrastructure, located near centres and serviced by public transport. Despite these attributes, these areas remain largely limited to detached housing outcomes under the current planning framework.

This presents a broader strategic opportunity.

Targeted and modest reform in well-located Low Density areas could expand the pool of deliverable infill sites while maintaining appropriate built form outcomes and neighbourhood character.

A Commercial Reality Check

Planning reform is necessary, but it does not, in itself, deliver housing.

The translation of zoning capacity into built outcomes is ultimately determined by feasibility. Construction costs, finance availability, land assembly and market demand all influence whether a project proceeds.

If you would like to see our full submission or discuss the implications, feel free to get in touch.

In the current environment, only sites that present a clear alignment between planning settings and commercial viability are likely to be delivered.

Final Thoughts

The More Homes, Sooner reforms represent a constructive and important step forward. They improve clarity, support feasibility in targeted areas and signal a clear policy direction.

However, their ability to materially increase housing supply may be limited if considered in isolation.

If Brisbane is seeking to meaningfully increase supply, these reforms should extend beyond the LMR zone to include strategically located Low Density areas.

The opportunity is not to fundamentally change suburban character, but to evolve it in a way that responds to location, infrastructure and market conditions.