Irvine Lodges Toombul Masterplan to Rebuild Flooded Nundah Centre
Four years after floodwater shut Toombul for good, the new owner wants retail back first, with 8 to 12-storey buildings to follow.
Irvine Property Group has lodged a masterplan to bring the former Toombul Shopping Centre site at 1015 Sandgate Road, Nundah, back to life as a flood-resilient town centre. Brisbane City Council’s Development.i record shows the application, A007124980, submitted on 6 October and still at the lodgement stage.
The 9.9-hectare site has sat empty since floodwater in February 2022 forced the centre’s permanent closure. Irvine exchanged contracts to buy it from Mirvac almost a year before lodging; no price has been disclosed.
Why it matters
The masterplan shows how the new owner intends to deal with the flood risk that closed the centre. It raises development platforms to RL 6.5 metres AHD, which the application says keeps them dry in a 1-in-2,000-year flood. Parklands to the south along Kedron Brook would provide about 7,000 cubic metres of extra flood storage, designed so neighbours’ flood risk does not rise.
Michael Irvine said: “Our focus is to bring retail back first and create the anchor for a new Toombul.”
The numbers
The application is code assessable and seeks a preliminary approval for a material change of use (the masterplan), plus an operational works permit for earthworks, drainage and stormwater. It has been referred to the State Assessment and Referral Agency.
- Site: 9.9 hectares at 1015 Sandgate Road, Nundah.
- Uses listed: shops, dining, a bar, hotel, market, apartments, retirement and care, rooming accommodation, showroom, garden centre and a service station.
- Built form: five main development footprints, 8 to 12 storeys, stepping down from 12 storeys along Sandgate Road, per The Urban Developer.
- Flood works: platforms at RL 6.5 metres AHD and about 7,000 cubic metres of added storage.
No dwelling count, retail floor area or project value has been set at this stage. Each phase needs its own approval.
What’s next
This is a proposal, not an approval. The Urban Developer reports a detailed application for the retail core is expected early in 2027. Watch the SARA referral response and any council information request on the flood modelling, which will set the template for other flood-affected sites. More Brisbane development news.
What we checked
What we checked ourselves, and where you can check it too.
- Public recordCouncil's Development.i record for A007124980 shows the application submitted on 6 October and still at lodgement stage.View the record on developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au