• Data centres: a 10-storey data centre proposed at Six Leaf Street, Swanbank, under council review, plus Arvica Cloud's planned Swanbank edge facility
• Corridor investment: Charter Hall's $300 million purchase of Garda's Brisbane industrial portfolio, with assets at Wacol, Richlands and Acacia Ridge
• Market context: Brisbane industrial vacancy 4.8 per cent, take-up the strongest since 2023, rents up 1.5 per cent in the quarter
• Interest rates: cash rate 4.60 per cent, a rise to 4.85 per cent widely expected on 3 November

Swanbank's heavy industrial zoning and its history as a power station precinct make it attractive to data centre developers. A proposed 10-storey data centre at Six Leaf Street has drawn a council request for more information, while Arvica Cloud plans a smaller edge facility in the area. Both point to the same thing: land with power infrastructure close to Brisbane is in demand.

For owners of industrial land in Swanbank, New Chum and Bundamba, data centre interest could change what sites are worth. It also brings new questions about power supply, water and community impact that councils are only starting to work through.

Ipswich sits at the western end of Brisbane's busiest industrial corridor. Wacol, Carole Park, Redbank, Bundamba and Swanbank offer larger sites, motorway access and a big local workforce. This month's $300 million Garda portfolio sale to Charter Hall, with assets in Wacol and Richlands, shows institutional investors are still buying in this part of the market.

Brisbane's industrial vacancy rose to 4.8 per cent in the September quarter as new estates finished, many of them in the south-west. That gives tenants a little more choice for now. But take-up was the strongest in three years and rents still rose, so well-located modern buildings are leasing.

Several Swanbank and Bundamba sites are on the market with development approvals for logistics buildings, letting buyers skip the planning stage. With construction and finance costs high, approved sites are worth more than raw land because they cut time and risk.

September's CPI of 4.3 per cent has economists expecting a rise to 4.85 per cent on 3 November. Developers carrying land and building speculatively feel this most. Owner-occupiers and funds with low gearing remain the most active buyers.

• Approved sites need clear presentation. Show buyers the approved building, access and timing so they can see the shortcut they are paying for.
• Power is worth stating. Industrial land near major substations or transmission lines should make that clear.
• Tenants have more choice for now. Occupiers needing space in 2027 can negotiate, but the best new buildings are still being pre-leased.

Watch the RBA decision on 3 November, the council's decision on the Six Leaf Street data centre and settlement of the Garda portfolio on 20 November.