Brisbane Council Prepares Decisions on Housing Delivery and Governance Changes

Brisbane City Council, led by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, is partnering with Housing4Change to deliver new social housing in Zillmere on surplus Council land on the northside.

Partnership for Social Housing

The project uses Council land in Zillmere to provide additional social housing. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner (LNP) leads the Council in this initiative. Housing4Change is the partner organisation named for delivery of the units.

Changes to Councillor Powers

New Queensland laws passed in 2026 restrict Brisbane councillors' access to Council documents. Access is now limited to material deemed directly relevant to each councillor's specific ward. The Lord Mayor remains exempt from this restriction. The same rules limit each councillor to only three questions on notice that are not about their own ward. Critics have described the changes as an attack on democracy.

Weekly Strategic Meetings

The Civic Cabinet, formally the Council's Establishment and Coordination Committee, meets weekly. It sets strategic direction for major projects, finance, urban planning, transport, environment and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Brisbane City Council operates under the City of Brisbane Act 2010, which gives it distinct powers and responsibilities compared with other Queensland local governments because of its role as state capital and largest service provider.

Key Decisions Ahead

The Civic Cabinet's weekly meetings will now incorporate the new housing project in Zillmere into discussions on urban planning and major projects. Councillors will operate under the 2026 document-access and question limits when reviewing or querying these plans. The Council will continue to apply the City of Brisbane Act 2010 framework to all decisions on finance, transport and environment matters tied to the partnership and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.