SPECIAL: Queensland Planning Legislation Update

PLACE Design Group (PDG) provides this planning legislation update to the Urban Developer readers to provide information about the key changes being proposed by the Bill, the intention and objective of the changes and the potential opportunities for the industry as a result of those changes.

As many developers and consultants, who are involved in the Queensland development industry would attest, the current system facilitated by the 2009 incarnation of the Sustainable Planning Act (SPA 2009) is overly complex and creates an over regulation of the planning and approval system. This is despite the key objective of the Act, being the “achievement of a more timely and streamlined land use planning and development framework.” It was heralded as “not being revolutionary, but rather being evolutionary”, by the then Planning Minister, unfortunately, it has not resulted in any of the sought after improvements. After promising a streamlined process and improved assessment times, it can be said it has resulted in ‘devolution’ not an evolution of the planning system. Fortunately, the new Queensland Government, with their focus on property and construction as one of four pillars of the Queensland economy, have delivered on their election commitment of stimulating the construction sector by proposing changes to the SPA 2009.

 

The Sustainable Planning and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 (SPOLAB 2012) was introduced into the Queensland Parliament on 12 September 2012, and is expected to be the first of a number of much needed reforms to the planning system.

 

It is hoped that the changes proposed in the Bill will be adopted for enactment in late 2012. SPA 2009 is a complex piece of legislation at over 700 pages in its current form. As with any changes to legislation, the changes proposed need to be carefully reviewed by the industry to identify and consider the impacts, implications and opportunities.

 

As further aspects of the new governments planning reform agenda are announced and documented, the PDG and Urban Developer Team will provide further updates. It is expected that future amendments and reforms will include and affect:

• Queensland Coastal Plan Draft Coastal Protection SPP

• The finalisation of the Planning for Prosperity State Planning Policy

• Reforms to  the Urban Land Development Authority Act 2007

• Reforms related to infrastructure charging system

 

The SPOLAB 2012 Breakdown

The most important changes proposed by the Bill are:

 

PLACE Design Group is a leading international planning, design and environment consultancy with offices in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. 

Established in 2001 by a small team of professionals, it has since grown to a team of 150 and have remained an employee-owned firm. 

As a multidisciplinary firm, they are able to offer their clients a choice of single or multiple services allowing them to achieve the highest level of project integration. Their diversity makes them sought after to collaborate with some of the world’s best known engineering and architectural firms.