Logan Halves Granny Flat Charge to $13,500 Over Mayor's Objection
The cut starts in November. The mayor, outvoted, warned it could repeat the overcrowded backyard units Logan is still living with.
Logan City Council has halved the infrastructure charge on one-bedroom granny flats, cutting it from $27,000 to $13,500, ABC News reported on 7 October. The new charge is expected to start in November 2026.
The vote was 8 in favour and 3 against, with one abstention. Mayor Jon Raven voted against, alongside councillors Mindy Russell and Paul Jackson. Councillor Teresa Lane abstained.
Why it matters
A $13,500 saving changes the arithmetic for homeowners and the small builders who deliver granny flats. Queensland rules since 2022 have allowed granny flats to be rented to people who are not family members, which turned them into an investment product as well as a family-housing option.
That is the root of the split on council. Supporters, including Councillor Nathan St Ledger, argued people will build regardless and the council should help those doing the right thing. The mayor pointed to Logan’s experience with auxiliary units, two-bedroom secondary dwellings that were allowed alongside three-bedroom homes.
“We got slums, and we can still see them in parts of the city today,” Cr Raven said.
The numbers
- Charge on a one-bedroom granny flat: $13,500, down from $27,000.
- Vote: 8 for, 3 against, 1 abstention.
- Start: expected November 2026.
- Unchanged: family-connected dwellings that already qualify for an infrastructure charge waiver.
The ABC report did not include figures on how many granny flat applications Logan receives or what they rent for.
What’s next
For builders working in Logan’s established suburbs, the cut is a sales tool from November. For investors, the open question is how council will use its other planning powers if the overcrowding the mayor describes reappears. Watch whether neighbouring councils in South East Queensland follow with their own cuts. More Brisbane and South East Queensland planning news.