🏗️ Planning for Progress: What Brisbane’s LMR Reform and Sydney’s Blackwattle Bay Revitalisation Signal for Developers

At OwnerDeveloper, we believe that planning reform is opportunity in disguise—and right now, both Brisbane and Sydney are making bold moves to reshape their housing supply futures.

Two announcements last week—Brisbane’s review of low-to-medium density residential (LMR) zoning, and Sydney’s rezoning of Blackwattle Bay to support over 1,500 new homes—signal a growing urgency among governments to unlock development-ready sites, remove red tape, and incentivise private investment in housing.

🏙️ Brisbane: Rethinking the Middle Ring

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has called out an alarming stat: only 445 homes were delivered in LMR zones in 2023, compared to a 10-year average of 1,110. With 14% of the city zoned for LMR, this is a huge missed opportunity.

The council’s planned review—focusing on car parking minimums, building height limits, and lot sizes—isn’t just about supply. It’s about feasibility.

As marketing and feasibility partners to builders and developers, we see this as a game-changer. If successful, this reform could pave the way for up to 6,000 new homes by 2032. For first-time developers and small-scale builders, this shift could finally make infill projects viable again.

🌊 Sydney: Blackwattle Bay Reimagined

In Sydney, the NSW Government has greenlit a major rezoning of the former Fish Market site at Blackwattle Bay, unlocking 320 additional dwellings and lifting the total to 1,500+ new homes—7.5% of which will be set aside for affordable housing.

This “once-in-a-generation” project will introduce:

• A continuous 15km foreshore walk from Woolloomooloo to Rozelle

• A 1.1-hectare waterfront park

• Integration with the future Metro West station at Pyrmont

With Lendlease, Mirvac and Stockland shortlisted to deliver the mixed-use precinct, this development is set to be both ambitious and influential in shaping future harbourfront planning outcomes.

🔍 Our Take at OwnerDeveloper

We welcome these planning shifts because they reflect what developers on the ground already know:

• Feasibility is the new battleground.

• Red tape—not demand—is the biggest bottleneck.

• Well-located, medium-density development is the key to affordability.

As consultants who support feasibility analysis, tender pricing strategy, site sourcing and superintendent services, OwnerDeveloper is ready to help you navigate this evolving policy landscape—whether you’re planning a duplex in Indooroopilly or a boutique block in Leichhardt.

If you’re looking to capitalise on emerging opportunities in Brisbane or Sydney, now is the time to act.

📩 Talk to us to discuss your next project or download our free Property Development Due Diligence & Project Management Checklist at https://www.ownerdeveloper.com.au/avoidcostlymistakes

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