Brisbane, Planning Framework
When you add a carport or deck to your Brisbane home, Brisbane City Plan 2014 is the planning framework that determines what's allowed, what needs approval, and how the assessment works. Here's what you need to understand.
Brisbane City Plan 2014 is the local planning scheme for Brisbane City Council, the document that governs what you can build on your property, where you can build it, and what approvals are needed.
The planning scheme works alongside Queensland's state building legislation, primarily the Building Act 1975 and the Queensland Development Code. The City Plan handles planning matters; the QDC handles building standards. Both apply to most residential additions.
You can access Brisbane City Plan 2014 online at cityplan.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
Brisbane City Plan 2014 classifies development into three categories:
Accepted development: Exempt from planning approval. Some very minor structures fall here, but most carports and decks don't.
Code assessable: Requires a building approval assessed against the relevant codes. This is the most common pathway for carports, decks and room extensions. Assessment is typically handled by a private building certifier.
Impact assessable: Requires a full planning application to Brisbane City Council with a public notification period. Applies when a project doesn't comply with the relevant performance outcomes.
For most homeowners adding a carport or deck on a standard residential lot without significant overlay complications, code assessable is the relevant category.
Two things in Brisbane City Plan 2014 have the most practical impact on residential additions:
Zone: Most residential properties sit in the Low Density Residential, Character Residential or Medium Density Residential zone. Character Residential zones have stricter requirements for visible additions.
Overlays: The most common for residential additions are character and heritage overlays (design requirements), flood and waterway overlays (setbacks and height), and bushfire overlays (construction standards). Overlays can apply to individual properties, two houses on the same street can have completely different overlay conditions.
We check your property's zone and overlays as part of the suitability review before any commitment.
For a standard carport or deck in a Low Density Residential zone with no significant overlays:
For properties in character or heritage overlay zones, additional design requirements apply. We identify this at suitability review. Submit your project details here.
Brisbane City Plan 2014 is the local planning scheme governing land use and development across Brisbane City Council's jurisdiction. It sets out the zones, overlays, codes and assessment requirements that apply to residential additions.
Yes. Carports, decks and room extensions are all subject to Brisbane City Plan 2014. The plan determines whether your project is accepted development, code assessable, or impact assessable.
Accepted development is exempt from building approval. Code assessable development requires a building approval assessed against the relevant codes. Most residential carports and decks are code assessable.
Brisbane City Plan 2014 is available at cityplan.brisbane.qld.gov.au. You can search your property address to see what zone, overlays and neighbourhood plan provisions apply.
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Send us your address and project details. We check zone and overlay status at suitability review, at no cost or commitment.