Development assessment fees continued to trend higher in 2026, with many councils increasing charges across residential, subdivision and operational works applications, though the scale and direction of change varied considerably between councils and development categories. Brisbane recorded increases across most assessed categories (up 4.9%), while Sunshine Coast moved the other way, cutting its dwelling house fee by 29.7% to $980.
Infrastructure charges also moved higher on the whole, with the State cap rising 3.7% to $38,029. Several councils recorded large increases across specific charge categories, including Logan (residential charges up 18%) and Gladstone (most categories up around 14.8%).
The full research, covering every council and development category, is available exclusively to UDIA Queensland members.