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Developers unveil vision for flood-ravaged Toombul centre as mixed-use hub

Irvine Group lodges plans including bars, apartments and flood resilience measures

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time1 min
Sources3 outlets
Plans to revive the flood-ravaged Toombul Shopping Centre as a subtropical mixed-use destination have been released by the site’s new owner, Irvine Group. The vision, lodged with Brisbane City Council this week, includes bar and restaurant venues, a renewed retail core, public green spaces and apartments, with a strong emphasis on flood resilience.

Irvine Group, the developer behind the Rivermakers project in Morningside and the conversion of woolstore buildings in Teneriffe, purchased the Toombul site from Mirvac at the end of 2025. The planning application describes the proposal as “a thriving mixed-use” hub.

The concept includes a mix of bars, restaurants, a renewed retail core, public green spaces and apartments. The developer noted that the site is currently significantly affected by regional flooding during major rainfall events, and said it would explore opportunities to improve flood resilience and “achieve an appropriate level of development immunity”.

The revival of the flood-ravaged centre has been closely watched since the site was left largely vacant after severe inundation. Irvine Group has not yet provided a timeline for construction, which will depend on council approval.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The revival of Toombul Shopping Centre would restore a key community hub that has sat mostly empty since being flood-damaged, affecting local convenience and the character of the inner-north area.
  • The project will test how flood-prone sites can be redeveloped safely, with implications for other vulnerable locations across Brisbane as severe weather events become more frequent.
  • The addition of apartments and commercial space would contribute to housing supply and local employment while potentially changing the suburban feel of the area.

Background

Toombul Shopping Centre was a major suburban shopping centre until it was severely damaged by flooding in recent major rainfall events. The site has remained largely vacant. Irvine Group, a Brisbane-based developer with a record of riverfront and heritage projects, acquired the site from Mirvac at the end of 2025, signalling intent to redevelop. The area has been a focus of flood resilience planning in the city.

Key Perspectives

Irvine Group: Sees the site as an opportunity to deliver a modern mixed-use precinct with improved flood management, meeting demand for housing and lifestyle amenity while respecting flood risk. Brisbane City Council: Must weigh the development’s economic and planning benefits against its flood overlay code and state floodplain guidance; the application will be publicly assessed with opportunity for community comment. Critics and flood experts: May argue that building habitable space on a known flood plain, even with structural measures, still leaves people and property at residual risk and could place extra demand on emergency services during major events.

What to Watch

  • The detail of flood modelling and engineering reports submitted with the application.
  • The outcome of community consultation and any objections over density or flood safety.
  • Whether council sets new precedent for development immunity standards in Brisbane flood plains.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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