Community GuidelinesUse of Council Parks
Brisbane's public open spaces make our city one of Australia's best places to live and work. Our parks and
open spaces provide valued visual, ecological, recreational, heritage and cultural amenity to benefit the
people of Brisbane.
Brisbane City Council (Council) cares for and manages over 2000 parks for the use and enjoyment of
residents and visitors to share in a safe and friendly environment.
The Public Land and Council Assets Local Law 2014 (PLACA) addresses park use and provides
clear guidelines and simple processes to enable residents to enjoy these great assets.
While most everyday activities in parks will not need the consent of Council, some activities will
require a park use permit or are prohibited. Activities requiring a permit will only incur a fee for
activities requiring the exclusive use of a designated park site or for some commercial purposes. All
other permits will be free.
The following information relates to park use permits. The activity examples shown are not allinclusive and park users should contact Council if clarification is needed for activities not listed.
Activities permitted in parks
The following activities do not require
a Park Use Permit
The following activities can be done in certain
locations unless they involve large groups

Picnicking or barbecuing (including
BYO BBQs)

Abseiling, rock climbing, bouldering


Flying fox or ropes courses
Private gatherings and celebrations


Mountain biking
Playing (playgrounds, nature play
areas)

Horse trail riding

Swimming, wading, paddling where
signed as allowed

Slacklining

Ball skills and games (casual) e.g.
football, basketball, cricket, bocce

Unrestricted fireworks, such as
sparklers, bon bons, party poppers,
as defined in the Explosives
Regulation 2003

Orienteering, Rogaining, Geocaching

Busking (without amplifiers)

Fishing, net casting or bait catching
(in tidal areas and for recreational
purposes only), except where signed
as prohibited
Where a large group is involved in the above
activities a park use permit will be required.
A large group is defined as more than:
 20 people in a natural area reserve or
bushland; or
 50 people in all other parks.
For example: Parts of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs are
designated for rock climbing. Climbers in a group of 50
or less will not require a park use permit.
For example: Holding a children’s birthday
party or family gathering in a park will not
require a Park Use Permit.
NOTE: Where any activity meets one or more of the following ‘standard permit criteria’ a permit is
required – refer to section below.
Park use permits
Council has a responsibility to protect our parks, allow fair use and accessibility to all, and to provide
certainty to people wanting to use park space for a specific purpose.
While residents are generally free to use Council Parks some activities require a Park Use Permit or are
prohibited because of their potential to impact others or park facilities. A set of standard permit criteria set
out the circumstances where a permit is required regardless of the activity. These are listed in the left hand
column of the table below.
With the exception of permits that grant exclusive use, or involve a commercial activity, all permits are free.
All Council permits will be available online or through the Council Contact Centre on (07) 3403 8888.
Permits for Commercial activities can be arranged through Council’s Business Hotline on 133 BNE.
Examples of activities that require a permit or are prohibited are listed below. The examples shown
are not all-inclusive and park users should contact Council if clarification is needed for activities not
listed.
The following activities require the
consent of Council (a permit)
Where any activity meets one or more of the
following ‘standard permit criteria’:
The following activities are
prohibited in parks

Collecting driftwood or firewood

Picking flowers or taking cutting of plants,
unless otherwise signed

Commercial activity

Exclusive use (designated area)

Motor bike or trail bike riding

Erecting or placing any temporary
structure covering more than 15m², or
bringing in equipment such as
generators, portable toilets etc

Bungee jumping

Paintball

Lighting of fires, except in designated fire
pits or fire places, or as allowed by Council

Access to and use of Council power or
other utility

Sale of food and drinks

Sale of alcohol

Involving animals, other than domestic
pets

Affecting or involving native vegetation or
wildlife

Driving or parking a vehicle in a park,
other than on internal roads or car parks

Involving over 2000 participants

Distributing notices, literature or similar
promotional materials
For example: Paintball is a high impact activity that
is not suitable in a Council park as it has the
potential to harm others and damage park
infrastructure.
For example: The following will require a Park
Use Permit - Weddings, Markets, Fetes,
Festivals, Carnivals, Concerts
Note: A range of other community sport and recreation activities (such as soccer or scouts) are allowed and managed in
Council parks under lease or licence agreements.