Queensland Government Opens Review of State Planning Policy

The six aspirations are focused on building housing and strong communities, supporting connected and productive regions, delivering infrastructure, promoting efficient land use, supporting existing economic drivers and attracting emerging industries.

The government is also consulting separately on proposed changes to how natural hazards are managed and assessed through Queensland’s planning framework.

A key focus is flood mapping, with the government arguing that differing technical inputs and methodologies have resulted in inconsistent mapping between catchments.

Bleijie said the revised framework would provide greater certainty for development while ensuring growth was supported by infrastructure.

“Queensland is growing rapidly, and our planning framework needs to support the homes, infrastructure and economic opportunities,” he said.

The Local Government Association of Queensland welcomed the opportunity for councils to contribute to the review, while the Property Council Queensland said greater clarity and consistency would provide more certainty for the development industry.

Urban Development Institute of Australia Queensland chief executive Kirsty Chessher-Brown said the review was an opportunity to provide greater certainty for projects.

“Certainty and consistency are paramount when embarking on a new project,” she said.

Consultation on the draft State Planning Policy and the natural hazard discussion paper is open until October 26.

The State Planning Policy guides the preparation and application of local planning instruments across Queensland and sets out the state’s interests in land use planning and development.