Brisbane skyline to grow greener as council reveals major planning reform

Changes to planning regulations will see Brisbane’s skyline start to resemble world-renowned cities like Singapore and New York.

Brisbane’s skyline could soon mirror world-renowned cities such as Singapore and New York, as a major change to the council’s city plan will make it easier to include rooftop gardens on top of new buildings.

Brisbane City Council has revealed the reform would allow for rooftop green space to be incorporated into new buildings without being included in designated height limits.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said by the time the eyes of the world were on Brisbane for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city’s skyline could be coloured green.

“Brisbane is committed to delivering a climate-friendly Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032,” he said.

“So demonstrating to the world how a subtropical city can include cooling rooftop gardens into its evolution will be an important message about Brisbane to the billions of viewers who will be learning about our part of the world.”

Cr Schrinner said while the major change to Brisbane’s City Plan would mean that rooftop areas were not included in building height restrictions, the gardens would need to meet certain requirements.

Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland chief executive officer Kirsty Chessher-Brown at Brisbane’s Ascot Green. Picture: Josh Woning

These include rules requiring rooftop gardens to be available to all of a building’s residents, minimum requirements for the area that will need to be landscaped with plants and limitations on the amount of space that can be covered with permanent structures.

“Just spreading around a few pot plants with palm trees in them on a rooftop is not going to meet the requirements under the reforms we are making,” Cr Schrinner said.

“We want this major change to spark innovation among building designers so Brisbane’s skyline becomes more vibrant and unique.

“I’m confident that these new green communal areas will be in demand by buyers who want to experience apartment living while have an oasis upstairs available to them.”

Cr Schrinner said while a few rooftop gardens had been incorporated into new Brisbane buildings already, this required the owner to either relinquish a storey of apartments or undertake a major approval process.

“Our reforms will make it easier and quicker for rooftop gardens to be included into new buildings,” he said.

The rooftop garden at New York City’s Rockefeller Centre

“Given the strong community support this proposal received during the consultation we undertook, I am confident Brisbane residents will embrace this change and visitors will wonder why their home cities haven’t gone green.”

Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland chief executive officer Kirsty Chessher-Brown said it was a great result for future residents and the broader community.

“We know from our research how important ‘green’ elements are and this amendment means our members are now better able to deliver usable, attractive and green rooftop spaces,” she said.

“We live in a beautiful subtropical city and allowing our industry to create rooftop spaces which offer shade and shelter allows residents to enjoy our enviable weather all year round.

“Thinking about the form, function and usability of our high density developments is becoming critically important as we all work to accommodate a growing population.”