The Queensland Government is undertaking a review of the State's regional planning framework.
REGIONAL PLAN REVIEW
Regional Plans identify the regional outcomes sought by the State, as well as the policies to achieve those outcomes.
The State government has indicated that "new generation" regional plans are intended to have a focus on economic development, and will be shaped by its planning reform agenda.
The final versions of the Central Queensland and the Darling Downs Regional Plans were released on 14 October 2013, and the Cape York and South East Queensland (SEQ) Regional Plans are currently under review. A draft of the Cape York Regional Plan is expected to be released for public comment later this month. In contrast, a 20 month timeframe has been allowed for the development of the new SEQ Regional Plan. A draft of the SEQ Regional Plan is expected to be released sometime between December 2013 and April 2014, and public consultation is likely to take place for 60 days from May to July 2014. The final version is intended to be released at the end of 2014.
NEW REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ACT
The Regional Planning and Development Act is also being developed by the government to work alongside the new regional plans. It is our understanding that this new piece of legislation is to be introduced into Parliament in the coming weeks.
If you would like to discuss the likely impacts of the Queensland Government's review of the regional planning framework, please contact Kelly Alcorn in our Brisbane Property and Projects team.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.