The Holmes Dyer Queensland Study Tour 2025 was a three‑day professional study tour designed to provide senior local government, State government and institutional practitioners with direct exposure to best‑practice planning, development and governance outcomes across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Framed around the theme Building Better Communities, the tour focused on how major growth centres are responding to population growth, housing demand, infrastructure delivery and sustainability, particularly in the context of Brisbane’s lead‑up to the 2032 Olympic Games.
The tour explored Brisbane’s rapid urban transformation and its unique governance model under the City of Brisbane Act, examining how large‑scale infrastructure, infill development, urban renewal and transport‑oriented projects are being delivered within a single metropolitan local government area. Key inner‑city and renewal precincts visited included West Village, Fish Lane Town Square, South Bank, Waterfront Newstead, Gasworks Plaza and the Brisbane Showgrounds, showcasing mixed‑use regeneration, build‑to‑rent, retirement living, heritage integration and high‑density residential delivery.
The Sunshine Coast component of the tour examined the region’s transition from a traditional holiday destination to a diversified economic and employment hub. Participants visited the Maroochydore City Centre – Australia’s only greenfield CBD – the Sunshine Coast Health Precinct anchored by the University Hospital, and major master‑planned communities including Bokarina Beach and Aura at Caloundra South. These projects demonstrated contemporary approaches to growth management, public–private partnerships, infrastructure coordination, health and knowledge precincts, housing diversity and large‑scale greenfield development.
Throughout the tour, representatives from councils, State Government, developers and project stakeholders provided on‑site briefings, offering candid insights into governance models, delivery mechanisms, funding approaches, planning controls and the resolution of complex technical and community issues. The study tour was curated to encourage discussion, peer learning and the translation of lessons into local contexts across metropolitan, suburban, growth area and regional settings.
The Holmes Dyer Queensland Study Tour 2025 reinforced the value of direct, place‑based learning in building institutional capability. It supported professional development, interstate knowledge‑sharing and relationship‑building, equipping participants with practical insights into how contemporary communities can be planned, delivered and governed to achieve long‑term social, economic and environmental outcomes.
