Brisbane City Council's Labor opposition has accused the Quirk administration of lining the pockets of developers through its aged care incentives.
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Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced the incentives, which would include slashing infrastructure charges by a third and relaxing density restrictions, on Tuesday.
They aimed to encourage developers to build aged care facilities in Brisbane's inner suburbs, so the city's ever-ageing population would not have to leave their neighbourhoods when they needed fulltime care.
Opposition leader Peter Cumming said Labor was concerned the discounted infrastructure charges would see money "come out of the public purse and go straight into the pockets of developers".
"They don't tend to translate into more affordable property, despite the fact that developers often cite infrastructure charges as one of the reasons property prices are so high," he said.
"The Lord Mayor should be ensuring that at least some of that financial windfall given to developers by the ratepayers of Brisbane flows down to more affordable aged care."
Cr Quirk said the infrastructure charges for an average aged care unit would decrease from about $8000 to $5300 for the three-year duration of the scheme.
That would encourage more aged care facilities, Cr Quirk said, which would help keep prices down.
"It's because there is more regulation around aged care facilities and retirement villages and they simply can't compete with, say, a regular unit block or other types of land use," he said.
"So it's just a financial equation. They need to be able to have a boost through this policy arrangement to make them happen."
The Property Council of Australia was more enthusiastic, with Queensland executive director Chris Mountford saying the policy would position Brisbane as a national leader in dealing with the challenge of an ageing population.
"Council's proactive move to incentivise the delivery of age-appropriate housing will encourage investment and help make more developments a reality," he said.
Mr Mountford said Property Council research showed that, without "urgent change" to planning systems at both state and local levels, Australia would face a seniors' housing crisis.
"By 2025, the demand for retirement living accommodation for people aged over 65 years is expected to double, but at the current rate of development, there will simply not be enough supply of retirement communities to meet demand," he said.
"We don't want a city where our older people have to move out of their neighbourhoods and away from their families and friends to find accommodation that supports healthy ageing and independent living.
"Brisbane City Council has recognised this problem and is now blazing the trail for local governments around the country with an innovative policy solution to this impending challenge."
