Queensland Planning Reforms: What the Planning amendment Regulation 2025 means

The Queensland Government has recently introduced the Planning Amendment Regulation 2025, which updates the Planning Regulation 2017 (Qld). These changes aim to improve housing supply, streamline approvals for essential education infrastructure and strengthen safety and design standards. The amendments focus on four key areas:

• shared and workforce housing;
• community residences;
• temporary relocatable classrooms for State schools; and
• build-to-rent housing.

Housing Accommodation

The Government has extended the streamlined provisions for rooming accommodation until 2 December 2026. These changes are designed to ensure a steady supply of rental housing while Local Governments update their planning schemes. Key changes include:

• new landscaping requirements within front boundary setback; and
• continued support for rental housing options during the transition period.

Rural Workers’ Accommodation

Temporary pathways under the Queensland Rural Workers Accommodation Initiative have been extended to simplify approvals for rural worker housing projects. Key updates include:

• Part A – Repurposed existing facilities: Extended for 12 months to allow ongoing use of existing premises;
• Part B – New small-scale accommodation: Extended for 24 months to streamline approval for new rural worker housing; and
• additional safeguards ensure that new developments avoid mapped hazard areas.

Community Residence

Community residences provide housing for people who need assistance with daily living and promote inclusion in residential neighbourhoods. The amendments introduce clear design, siting and hazard considerations. Key changes include:

• reduced zones where community residences can be built without development approval;
• introduction of natural hazard considerations, including flood, bushfire, coastal, landslide and mining-related hazards;
• maximum of 7 bedrooms per residence, with design requirements for Class 2 and 3 buildings:
• maximum site coverage: 70%;
• front setback: 6m;
• rear setback: 4m; and
• side setbacks: 1.5m.

Why it matters:

• ensures housing is safe and appropriately scaled;
• provides consistent standards across Queensland; and
• supports vulnerable residents while maintaining neighbourhood character.

Temporary Relocatable Classrooms for State Schools

To accommodate growing enrolments, a Temporary Accepted Development (TAD) pathway has been introduced for relocatable classrooms. This pathway will operate until 31 December 2029. Key points:

• applies only to State schools and not to private schools;
• includes requirements for building height, setbacks and avoidance of hazard areas;
• enables rapid deployment of temporary classrooms while maintaining safety and community standards; and
• after 2029, use rights will cease unless planning approval is obtained for permanent use.

This pathway ensures that schools can quickly respond to enrolment growth without creating long-term impacts on school sites or surrounding communities.

Build-to-Rent Housing

A new land use definition for build-to-rent housing has been introduced, providing clarity for Local Governments and developers.

What is built-to-rent housing?

• purpose-built for long-term rental accommodation;
• entire developments remain rental stock, managed by a single entity;
• typically includes on-site management and shared amenities; and
• must include 50 or more dwellings.

Why it matters:

• encourages professionally managed rental housing at scale;
• provides long-term rental stability for tenants; and
• supports high-quality, well-maintained housing with shared facilities.

Common features include:

• rooftop gardens, lounges and co-working spaces;
• bike facilities and convenient access to public transport; and
• energy-efficient and environmentally friendly design.

Location suitability:

• typically located in areas with good access to public transport, employment, education and services.

Conclusion

The Planning Amendment Regulation 2025 is a significant step by the Queensland Government to:

• expand housing options through rooming, workforce and built-to-rent housing;
• ensure community residencies are safe, well-designed and integrated into neighbourhoods; and
• support State schools with timely development or temporary classrooms.

These changes provide greater certainty for developers, Local Governments and residents, while addressing housing supply challenges and supporting community infrastructure.

How We Can Help

At Muscat Tanzer, we work with private clients, developers and Local Governments to deliver planning, property and infrastructure outcomes that are strategic, compliant and practical.

Our support includes:

• providing strategic planning and development advice across all stages of a project lifecycle;
• advising on land use, zoning, approvals pathways and regulatory requirements;
• preparing, managing and negotiating development applications and accepted development pathways;
• assessing site constraints, hazards and design considerations early to reduce risk;
• coordinating with councils, State agencies and consultants to streamline approvals; and
• supporting education, housing and community infrastructure projects from concept through delivery.

Effective planning is not just about obtaining an approval. It is about making informed decisions early and at every stage of the process. At Muscat Tanzer, we help our clients navigate complexity, manage risk, deliver projects and address planning concerns with confidence and clarity.