Principal centre zone
Part of: Centre zones
The largest centres — Brisbane CBD, Surfers Paradise, Cairns CBD, Townsville CBD. Mixed-use commercial / retail / residential at highest density. Often called 'CBD' or 'City Centre' zones in some council schemes.
Key Controls and Considerations
- •Maximum FSR / heights highest of any zone
- •All major commercial uses typically accepted or code-assessable
- •Residential apartments above retail standard
- •Stage 2 LMR catchments often centred on these zones
How QLD zones work in practice
Each zone has a Land Use Table in the council planning scheme that classifies uses as accepted development (no DA needed), code-assessable (assessed against benchmarks only), impact-assessable (broad merit assessment with public notification), or prohibited. The same use is treated differently in different zones.
Zone controls are only one layer. Your project must also comply with applicable development assessment pathways, overlays (heritage, flood, bushfire, koala), state-level controls (State Planning Policy + SARA referrals), and any title restrictions (covenants, easements, registered dealings).
What does this zone mean for your specific QLD property?
Find your council's online mapping tool with our free finder, or talk to a QLD planner for complex matters.