Brisbane gives a cinematographer subtropical light, a working river through the middle of the city and a hinterland of volcanic peaks and rainforest within an hour. The light is warm and generous, the winters are dry and clear, and the mix of new towers, heritage stone and open parkland covers most briefs without a long drive.
Whether you are producing a Brisbane shoot, scouting coverage, or a Brisbane cinematographer checking access before a recce, work through the location guide below, then check the permit notes. I travel to Brisbane and Queensland regularly and can plan around the heat, the light and the approvals.
The complete Brisbane filming location guide
Here is the full guide. Tap Map to open the spot in Google Maps, or Footage to see example videos. Locations marked with a ★ are the standout, camera-ready vantage points.
| Location | Best time | Filming tips | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
 ★ Story Bridge | Blue hour | The steel cantilever that defines the skyline; shoot from the Kangaroo Point side at blue hour, or from underneath for scale. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 ★ Kangaroo Point Cliffs | Sunset | The best elevated vantage of the CBD across the river; abseilers add motion if you want it. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 South Bank Parklands | Golden hour | Streets Beach, the rainforest walk and the Wheel of Brisbane, all in one precinct. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 City Botanic Gardens | Morning | Mature figs, bamboo and riverside lawn beside the CBD; soft, filtered light close to the towers. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 ★ Mt Coot-tha Lookout | Sunrise / dusk | The panoramic city-and-bay view, about fifteen minutes from town; the full sweep as the lights come up. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Brisbane River & the CityCat | Golden hour | The through-line of any Brisbane sequence; shoot from a CityCat for moving coverage of the reaches and bridges. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Fortitude Valley & West End | Night | Urban grit and street art for texture and night work — neon, laneways and a lived-in edge. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 ★ Glass House Mountains | Sunrise | About an hour north: dramatic volcanic plugs rising from the plain, with mist in the low ground on a still morning. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Wynnum & Moreton Bay | First light | Jetties, mangroves and open light east of the city, best at first light over the water. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 ★ Howard Smith Wharves | Blue hour | Directly under the Story Bridge with the cliffs behind. The bridge steel fills the frame from the boardwalk. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 New Farm Park & the Brisbane Powerhouse | Morning | Jacarandas through October and November, rose gardens, and a brick power station on the river for industrial texture. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 ★ Shorncliffe Pier | Sunrise | A long timber pier straight out over Moreton Bay. The lead line is the shot, and it is quiet at first light. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 North Stradbroke Island | Sunrise | Minjerribah, ninety minutes by road and ferry. The North Gorge headland walk gives turtles, mantas and whales in season. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Moreton Island & the Tangalooma Wrecks | Midday | Fifteen deliberately sunk wrecks in clear shallow water, best from overhead with the sun high. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 D’Aguilar National Park | Overcast morning | Rainforest and tall eucalypt an hour from the CBD, with mist in the gullies after rain. QPWS approval applies. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Teneriffe Woolstores | Afternoon | Brick woolstores with loading bays and painted signage, good for period and industrial looks on the river. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Redcliffe & Scarborough | Sunrise | Jetties, Suttons Beach and the bay opening east. Forty minutes north for open coastal light. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Queen Street Mall & the CBD | Early morning | Heritage facades against glass towers. Shoot before 8am for clean streets in the centre. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
 Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | Morning | The reliable option for close wildlife coverage, koalas and kangaroos, with keepers on hand. Venue permit required. | 📍 Map▶ Footage |
Planning your Brisbane shoot
Queensland splits filming approvals cleanly between council land and state parks, and a Brisbane schedule often touches both. Brisbane City Council covers the streets, parks and riverside precincts. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service covers the national parks, conservation parks, recreation areas and state forests, which is where the Glass House Mountains and D’Aguilar sit.
Brisbane City Council
The council charges a single permit fee of $904.30 including GST. It is a one-off charge per production rather than per day, and it covers approved public locations for the length of the shoot. A number of productions pay nothing at all: low-impact work with minimal crew, productions with a budget of $100,000 or less, not-for-profit screen industry organisations, registered religious and charitable organisations, and news or current affairs for a program with a definite on-air schedule.
You supply a site map for each location, a certificate of currency for public liability of at least $20 million valid across the filming period, a resident and business notification letter, and a safe work method statement. Assessment time scales with the impact of the job. Drone work needs your CASA paperwork, meaning the operator certificate and remote pilot licence, your ARN and any exemptions, plus a launch and landing map showing exclusion zones and a risk assessment. Apply through Brisbane City Council.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Two things to separate here. Everyone entering a QPWS area for filming must lodge an online notification at least 14 days ahead, whether or not a permit is needed, so rangers know you are there. On top of that, a Commercial Activity Permit is required once you have 11 or more people, or you bring prescribed structures. Those structures include towers, platforms, generators, vehicles, shelters and, importantly, drones. A crew of ten or fewer carrying no prescribed structures needs the notification but not the permit.
Permit fees run from 1 July 2026 as follows, and public liability of $20 million is the standard requirement.
| Situation | Application | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 11 or more people, no prescribed structures | $434.60 | $217.90 |
| With structures, 1 to 5 people | $217.90 | $217.90 |
| With structures, 6 to 25 people | $1,077.00 | $1,077.00 |
| With structures, 26 to 50 people | $2,171.00 | $2,171.00 |
| With structures, 51 or more people | $4,356.00 | $4,356.00 |
A free pre-lodgement meeting is available and worth taking on anything complex, since it also gives you a read on assessment timeframes. Check park alerts for closures before you commit to a date. Apply through Business Queensland.
Screen Queensland
Screen Queensland is the state agency and handles location advice and production support for larger jobs. Worth a call early if the schedule is complicated or you need introductions.
Fees and lead times change each year. Confirm current amounts with each authority before you lock a schedule. All figures above checked against the authorities’ own published schedules on 28 July 2026.
Common questions about filming in Brisbane
Do you need a permit to film in Brisbane?
For council land, yes. Brisbane City Council requires a filming and photography approval for commercial work on the streets, parks and riverside precincts it manages. In a national park, conservation park, recreation area or state forest, everyone must lodge an online notification with Queensland Parks at least 14 days before entering, and a Commercial Activity Permit is required once you have 11 or more people or bring prescribed structures.
How much does a filming permit cost in Brisbane?
Brisbane City Council charges a single permit fee of $904.30 including GST, a one-off charge per production rather than per day. It is waived for low-impact work with minimal crew, productions budgeted at $100,000 or less, not-for-profit screen industry organisations, registered charities and news with a scheduled on-air date. Queensland Parks permits run from $217.90 to $4,356 depending on crew size and whether you bring structures. Figures current from 1 July 2026.
How long does it take to get a filming permit in Brisbane?
Brisbane City Council assessment time scales with the impact of the job, so lodge as early as you can and expect longer for anything involving road use or large crews. Queensland Parks requires the online notification at least 14 days before you enter the area, whether or not a permit is also needed, and a free pre-lodgement meeting is available for complex shoots.
Can you fly a drone for filming in Brisbane?
Yes, with approval. A drone counts as a prescribed structure in Queensland parks, so any aerial work there triggers a Commercial Activity Permit even with a small crew. Brisbane City Council requires your CASA paperwork, meaning the operator certificate and remote pilot licence, your ARN and any exemption documents, plus a launch and landing map showing exclusion zones and a risk assessment.
Filming guides for other Australian cities
Planning a shoot elsewhere in Australia? See the filming location and permit guides for Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Hobart.