Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said city planning "continues to evolve" and needed to be responsive to the community's needs. Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner in the council chambers on Tuesday. Credit:Tammy Law "We regularly see amendments to the plan come through and the plans are a living, breathing thing, so we will continue to see changes going forward based on the changing needs of the community, based on feedback, and also based on the need to provide more housing in Brisbane as our population grows," Cr Schrinner told the chamber. "It is my belief that low density should be low density, and that is exactly what we are putting forward." Opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the LNP's original 2014 City Plan had "wrought the damage" on the city's planning laws and the amendments were further proof of the administration's efforts to correct damage.

"[The lord mayor] has never shown leadership when it comes to these things and this administration only moved ... when they could see people out in those communities standing there with baseball bats waiting to punch them in the next election," Cr Cassidy said. Labor voted for the amendments. The townhouse ban will now go back to the state for the final tick of approval, more than a year after first being announced, and without any changes to the original proposal after community consultation was completed. The council noted that postcards objecting to the amendment were sent around to the public, with gift cards reportedly offered to university students who collected the most signed postcards. A "significant number" of objections were received by postcard. About 1400 submissions were made on the proposed ban, of which 1189 were made by residents within the Brisbane LGA.

More than 731 supported the townhouse ban from those Brisbane LGA submissions, 455 did not support it, and three were classified as other. Loading Issues around design and character, diversity, choice, and affordability were some of the concerns raised around the proposed amendment. A second major amendment to protect important local sites and key city vistas, such as Lamb House at Kangaroo Point and the area from Anzac Square across to Post Office Square, was also approved. That amendment also identified and protected more pre-1911 houses across the city, particularly within inner-city suburbs, and added 128 new sites to heritage mapping.

Cr Schrinner said the new sites were added through systematic mapping and nominations from residents. Growing suburban regions are also expected to be rezoned from emerging community to low-density residential land, including 54 parcels of land Eight Mile Plains, Belmont, Boondall, Carindale, Kenmore, Tingalpa, Wishart, Mansfield, Robertson, Runcorn and Sunnybank. The change will keep those areas of land re-zoned, more than 40 hectares, available only for single homes rather than apartments. Council will have to take that proposed amendment back to the state for approval to begin public consultation. Another major amendment approved will require new apartment developments to have a minimum of one car park per bedroom, and 2½ car parks for apartments for four or more bedroom apartments.