Suburb Profiles
Toombul (4012)
Owner-Occupier Appeal
Toombul is a small, transport-heavy pocket of Brisbane’s inner north - sitting between Clayfield, Nundah, and Northgate. It’s not a large suburb, and much of its identity has been shaped by the now-closed Toombul Shopping Centre, which remains fenced off awaiting redevelopment after flood damage in 2022. The surrounding residential streets offer a mix of older cottages, 1960s brick homes, and newer infill townhouses.
Owner-occupiers value Toombul’s location and convenience - it’s close to the airport, CBD, and Nundah Village - but the suburb feels transitional. Without a functioning retail heart, the area currently lacks amenity and vibrancy. The train station and nearby bus routes make commuting easy, but aircraft noise and flood-prone land near Kedron Brook are drawbacks.
Investor Appeal
For investors, Toombul is a mixed story. Its proximity to transport and employment hubs gives it strong fundamentals, but uncertainty around the future of the Toombul Shopping Centre site has clouded short-term prospects. When that site eventually redevelops - potentially into a major mixed-use precinct - the suburb’s profile should lift substantially.
Rental demand remains steady, particularly from professionals working in the city or airport precinct, but yields are average and capital growth has been modest since the floods. It’s a suburb with potential upside tied to redevelopment timing, but not one for impatient investors.
Key Suburb Features
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Demographics
Toombul’s demographic mirrors nearby Nundah - young professionals, renters, and smaller households dominate. The area is gradually modernising, but it still has a transient feel, with many tenants attracted by convenience rather than long-term community ties. Its appeal to owner-occupiers remains subdued until the suburb’s commercial and retail future is resolved.
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Distance to City
Toombul is roughly 8 km north of Brisbane’s CBD, making it one of the city’s better-located northern suburbs for commuters. Driving takes around 20 minutes off-peak and 30–40 minutes in peak-hour, depending on the route via Sandgate Road or the Airport Link tunnel. Toombul train station offers direct 15–20 minute services to Central Station, and multiple bus routes connect through the nearby interchange.
Access to the Gateway Motorway and Airport Link is excellent, giving residents fast connections north, south, and east. Despite strong transport links, aircraft noise and traffic congestion on Sandgate Road are recurring complaints.
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Suburb Projects & Growth Potential
The future of Toombul hinges on redevelopment of the Toombul Shopping Centre site. Several concepts have been floated - ranging from a mixed-use retail and residential precinct to potential large-format commercial redevelopment - but progress has been slow. When this eventually proceeds, it will redefine the suburb’s amenity and likely drive renewed demand.
Until then, Toombul remains a waiting game. It benefits from strong transport links, proximity to Nundah’s gentrified café strip, and good access to the airport, but flood risk and uncertainty keep a lid on values. Long-term, the fundamentals are there - but the next five years will depend on whether redevelopment finally moves forward.
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Flood Risk
Flooding is Toombul’s biggest issue. Large parts of the suburb sit within the Kedron Brook floodplain, and both residential areas and the former shopping centre site were heavily affected in 2011 and 2022. Properties on higher ground closer to Sandgate Road and near the Clayfield border fare much better, but flood mapping is essential here - risks vary block by block.
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Best Buy in the Suburb
House: Flood-free post-war or 1960s home on elevated land near the Clayfield or Nundah borders.
Townhouse/Unit: Modern low-rise complex west of the train line with low body corporate fees and strong rental demand.
Toombul feels a bit like a suburb in limbo. It has great transport, proximity, and bones - but right now, it’s waiting for its identity to be rebuilt after the floods and the closure of its namesake shopping centre. The potential upside is clear once redevelopment begins, but until then, it’s a suburb defined by what it could be rather than what it is.
For investors, it’s a calculated hold - strong location, moderate risk, and real long-term potential if the right projects land. For owner-occupiers, it’s convenient but patchy; the difference between a great street and a flood-prone one is night and day. In short: Toombul’s best days are probably ahead of it - they’re just taking their time to arrive.
