iKey Facts
- •Brisbane City Council approves ~85% of code-assessable DAs and ~62% of impact-assessable DAs (rolling 12mo)
- •Average code-assessable decision time: 32 working days (within statutory)
- •Average impact-assessable decision time: 88 working days (often longer with RFIs)
- •Apartment DA lodgements have lifted 28% YoY across inner Brisbane
- •See companion: How Long Does Development Approval Take
Why the DA Pipeline Matters
The Brisbane DA pipeline is a leading indicator of supply, developer confidence, and the future apartment market. Vendors who track it understand:
- Which corridors will face new competition in 24-36 months.
- Where council appetite is favourable.
- Where infrastructure charge regimes are changing.
- The probability of approval on their own site type.
Headline Pipeline (Rolling 12 Months)
- Apartment DAs lodged: ~280 (up 28% YoY)
- Townhouse DAs lodged: ~410
- Mixed-use lodged: ~95
- Commercial / industrial lodged: ~140
- BTR-specific lodged: 22 (vs 11 in prior 12 months)
Approval Rates (Rolling 12 Months)
| Type | Approval rate | Refusal rate | Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code-assessable | 85% | 4% | 11% |
| Impact-assessable (residential) | 62% | 14% | 24% |
| Impact-assessable (mixed-use) | 58% | 16% | 26% |
| Industrial / logistics | 78% | 6% | 16% |
Average Decision Times
- Code-assessable — 32 working days (statutory: 35).
- Impact-assessable (no RFI) — 65 working days (statutory: 65).
- Impact-assessable (with one RFI) — 88 working days.
- Impact-assessable (with two+ RFIs) — 130-180 working days.
The single biggest delay driver is RFI cycles, not council speed.
Corridor Approval Rates (Impact-Assessable Residential)
| Corridor | Approval rate |
|---|---|
| Hamilton / Albion | 78% |
| Bowen Hills / Newstead | 72% |
| West End / South Brisbane | 65% |
| Kangaroo Point | 58% |
| Toowong / Auchenflower | 54% (character overlays bite) |
| Inner-ring other | 60% |
| Middle Brisbane | 62% |
"- Sites in 78%+ approval corridors carry a 5-10% premium over 55-65% corridors."
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Common RFI Triggers
In Brisbane impact-assessable DAs, the top RFI triggers are:
- Traffic / parking (45% of RFIs)
- Stormwater & flood (38%)
- Building height / amenity (32%)
- Tree retention / biodiversity (28%)
- Setbacks & side boundary (26%)
- Heritage / character impact (18%)
(More than one trigger can apply to a single DA.)
What This Means for Vendors
- A code-assessable pathway is materially more bankable than impact-assessable.
- Sites in 78%+ approval corridors carry a 5-10% premium over 55-65% corridors.
- BTR DAs are accelerating — vendors with 8,000m²+ sites should track institutional demand.
- Vendors selling "subject to DA" should base timing on the corridor's median impact-assessable timeline (typically 9-12 months from lodgement to approval).
Forecast
- Apartment DA lodgements forecast to rise another 15-20% over the next 12 months.
- BTR DAs forecast to double over the next 24 months.
- Code-assessable timelines forecast to hold.
- Impact-assessable timelines forecast to lengthen 10-15% as Brisbane City Council processes Olympic-precinct lodgements.
Contact ACRES at https://acres.au/contact for a corridor- and use-type-specific DA strategy.
Data sourced from ACRES proprietary tracking, CoreLogic, Property Council of Australia, Cushman & Wakefield, Knight Frank, JLL, and public Brisbane City Council records as of February 2026. Figures are indicative and not investment advice.
About ACRES
The Australian Commercial & Residential Group (ACRES) is a Brisbane-based specialist property advisory firm focused on development site sales, off-market transactions, and strategic landowner advisory across South East Queensland. ACRES advises vendors on negotiation strategy, contract structure, and the specific risks that arise during long settlements and conditional contracts.
Suburbs Mentioned in This Article
Published by ACRES — Australian Commercial & Residential Group
Source: acres.au/insights/brisbane-da-approval-pipeline-tracker | ACRES (Australian Commercial & Residential Group) provides property advisory, development site sales, and residential real estate services across Brisbane and South East Queensland, Australia.
Daniel McCormack
Managing Director, ACRES — Australian Commercial & Residential Group
