Council pushes for ‘old school’ pub stays to boost Olympic accommodation

Suburban pubs in Brisbane are being encouraged to bring back old-school overnight accommodation.

The council initiative is part of a push to increase short-stay rooms ahead of the 2032 Olympics, but comes after the council revealed a separate plan to ban Airbnb and other short-stay holiday homes in some suburbs.

Planning regulations will be changed to make it easier for pub owners to build new hotel rooms and conference facilities.

“We’re going back to the future,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner told the council chamber on Tuesday afternoon.

“There was a time when every local pub was also a place to stay.

“These can be built much faster and much more affordably than the tall inner-city buildings … so we’ll be encouraging the industry to step up.”

Brisbane had about 21,000 hotel rooms in 2023, with thousands more built since then.

Redeveloping 20 suburban pubs could increase that number by about 1600, according to the lord mayor’s office.

Some councillors questioned the announcement, and independent Nicole Johnston said it could cause major challenges.

“I think the lord mayor may have been spending too long in the pub if he thinks allowing huge suburban pub developments adjoining quiet residential areas is a good idea,” she said.

“It’s already a challenge in the Valley.”

The Labor opposition said the plan had some merit, but would not make a significant difference.

“It’s good to see council finally try to give Brisbane’s pubs and motels a fair shot against Airbnb – a multinational behemoth operating largely unchecked for a decade,” leader Jared Cassidy said in a statement.

“This is just a little dot point Adrian Schrinner can point to without taking any truly meaningful action to address the housing and homelessness crisis.”

The announcement came hours after the Lord Mayor revealed the council was considering banning Airbnb in some areas.

About 500 homeowners in low and medium-density suburbs are expected to be told their properties can no longer be used as short-stay accommodation, with the council proposing to introduce the new rules in June next year.

Homeowners will have to apply for a council permit should they wish to continue leasing their property as an Airbnb in the selected suburbs.

High-density suburbs closer to the city will not be included in the ban.

Anyone found operating short-stay accommodation in low-density suburbs could be fined up to $140,000. The price of a permit has not been decided, but the council said it would be a cost-recovery measure.

Both initiatives were unveiled as the council embarks on an ambitious plan to transform four areas of Brisbane with medium and high-density development to make way for thousands of new homes.

Under its vast Suburban Renewal Precinct Plan, the council has proposed rezoning sizable areas in Alderley, Wynnum, Mt Gravatt and Stones Corner.

Apartment buildings up to 16 storeys would be allowed along some streets, with mixed-use developments and smaller towers permitted on others.

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