Irvine lodges plan to revive flood-hit Toombul as a town centre

What's happening

The former Toombul Shopping Centre site on Brisbane's northside is a step closer to a second life. Irvine Property Group has lodged a masterplan with Brisbane City Council to redevelop the 9.9-hectare site at 1015 Sandgate Road, Nundah, as a retail-led, mixed-use town centre, Brisbane Development reports.

The centre opened in 1967 and closed after the February 2022 flood. It has since been demolished, with only the bus interchange still operating. Irvine bought the site in November 2025 from Mirvac and says it is building on Mirvac's earlier draft plan.

The key details

The application (A007124980) was received on 1 October 2026 and seeks a preliminary approval for the masterplan, plus a development permit for earthworks, drainage and stormwater. It is code assessable and has been referred to the State Assessment and Referral Agency.

• Site: 9.9 hectares in the Major centre zone, within the Toombul-Nundah neighbourhood plan
• Priority: a new shopping centre as the first stage
• Uses sought: shops, dining, a hotel, markets, multiple dwellings, retirement and residential care, a showroom and parkland
• Flood design: buildings, streets and parking on a platform at or above RL 6.5m AHD
• Flood storage: southern parklands along Kedron Brook to hold about 7,000 cubic metres in a 1-in-100-year event
• Transport: the Toombul bus interchange stays, with links to Toombul station and the Kedron Brook bikeway

The masterplan is by Buchan, with planning by Urbis and flood modelling by Water Technology. The plan does not set dwelling numbers, building heights or floor space, which will be decided through separate applications for each stage.

Timeline and next steps

Brisbane City Council will assess the masterplan and earthworks application, with input from the State referral agency. If approved, individual buildings will still need their own approvals, starting with the shopping centre. No construction start date has been announced.

What it means for Gold Coast property owners and developers

Toombul shows how flood-affected commercial land can be brought back through engineering rather than abandoned. Raising development platforms and using parkland as flood storage is an approach other South East Queensland landholders, including on low-lying Gold Coast sites, are likely to study closely.

A staged masterplan approval also gives the owner flexibility to respond to market conditions before committing to housing or hotel components. For nearby homeowners in Nundah and surrounding suburbs, the return of a major retail and transport hub would likely improve local amenity, although timing remains uncertain.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns the Toombul site?

Irvine Property Group, the family-owned group led by Michael Irvine, bought the former Toombul Shopping Centre site in November 2025.

Will the new Toombul be safe from flooding?

Flood modelling lodged with the application says the raised development platform would stay dry in a 1-in-2,000-year flood, without worsening flooding for neighbours.

Does the plan include housing?

Multiple dwellings and retirement living are among the uses sought, but dwelling numbers will be set in later applications.

Source: Brisbane Development, published 8 October 2026. This article is an independent summary and commentary by GC Prestige based on the original report — read the source for full details.