Thousands of homes for 2032 and beyond in Bowen Hills

• The Crisafulli Government fast-tracks up to 27,000 homes and a unique dining district in Bowen Hills, next door to key 2032 and beyond precinct.
• Amendments will reignite one of Queensland’s oldest Priority Development Areas (PDAs), which had been left to languish during Labor’s Housing Crisis.
• Similar development scheme changes resulted in a massive 466% increase in housing-related development applications within less than 12 months.   
• The Crisafulli Government is building Queensland’s future and delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders after a decade of decline under Labor. 

The Crisafulli Government is delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders and levelling up the area surrounding one of the key precincts for 2032, with a unique dining and hospitality district, further building on the major city-shaping economic transformation and legacy investment the Games will unlock.  

Up to 27,000 homes in Bowen Hills could be fast-tracked thanks to amendments that will reignite one of Queensland’s oldest Priority Development Areas (PDAs), which had been left to languish during Labor’s Housing Crisis.  

The proposed updated development scheme will also support additional artisan food and drink uses near the Brisbane Showgrounds, including boutique breweries and micro-distilleries.  

The 108-hectare area neighbours the Victoria Park Precinct, which will connect Victoria Park, the new Brisbane Stadium, the National Aquatic Centre and the Brisbane Showgrounds into an internationally recognised precinct. 

Under the former Labor Government, housing lot approvals plummeted 29 per cent, meaning more Queenslanders found it increasingly difficult to find and keep a roof over their head.    

The Bowen Hills Priority Development Area was declared back in 2008 by the Bligh Labor Government and the Crisafulli Government committed to reviewing it in March this year. The total number of homes will be delivered across the life of the PDA.

The Crisafulli Government is building Queensland’s future, with the proposed amendments, including raising height limits from 30 to 50 storeys, removing red tape and other unnecessary barriers for industry created by successive Labor Governments, increasing the number of projected homes in the area by up to 4,000 compared to Labor’s restrictive policy.  

The amendments build on planning reforms introduced by the Crisafulli Government in other Priority Development Areas to support housing delivery and investment. 

Similar development scheme changes the Crisafulli Government introduced in the Woolloongabba PDA resulted in a massive 466% increase in housing-related development applications within less than 12 months.   

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the Crisafulli Government was addressing Labor’s Housing Crisis while leveraging the Olympic and Paralympic Games for future generations. 

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to leverage and grab hold of the halo benefits and city shaping economic legacy that the 2032 Games will unlock,” Deputy Premier Bleijie said.   

“Bowen Hills is on the doorstep of the planned Victoria Park Precinct and will become a thriving place to call home for thousands of Queenslanders, as well as a place for visitors to enjoy and businesses to invest and grow.  

“By removing the red tape and barriers to growth left by Labor, the results speak for themselves. Similar amendments by the Crisafulli Government in Woolloongabba sparked a massive 466% increase in housing development applications in less than a year. 

“By unlocking a place to call home for more Queenslanders and keeping the Games back on track, the Crisafulli Government is delivering generational and transformational legacy that locals and visitors will benefit from for decades to come.” 

UDIA Queensland CEO Kirsty Chessher-Brown said the amendments would allow the area to reach its full potential.  

“The revised Bowen Hills PDA reflected a modern and future-focussed vision for this critically important inner city location,” Ms Chessher-Brown said. 

“The proposed amendments respond to industry's feedback for a greater focus on the feasibility realities of delivering urban renewal in the current climate. The changes also reflect Bowen Hill's significant potential to offer a high quality environment to support homes, jobs, and places to enjoy and relax.   

“Unlocking supply is the only solution to the current crisis and the draft changes set a clear and sensible pathway to boosting supply in this important precinct.” 

The community is encouraged to have its say on the proposed amendments until 09 October 2026 via the Economic Development Queensland website https://www.edq.qld.gov.au/projects/bowen-hills/ 

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: Ash McDermid, 0412 731 355