Published Monday, 08 September, 2008 at 06:30 AM
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Paul Lucas
LUCAS STOPS INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT AT WIDE BAY - BURNETT
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Paul Lucas has stepped in to stop a developer building two proposed housing estates on rural land in the Wide Bay - Burnett Region.
"The former Isis and Burnett Shire Councils approved these developments in their last few meetings before the March elections, against the expert advice received from their own town planners," said Mr Lucas.
"It is important the community has confidence in its Council when such decisions are being made.
"Both developments are contrary to the planning schemes of the former Councils and if allowed to proceed would create large new communities in rural areas without appropriate infrastructure or services.
"Approving this application would have set an undesirable precedent by encouraging more inappropriate development, and would undermine the integrity of the State and local planning frameworks.
"The Council's planning scheme, as well as the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan, set out the way the community expects this part of Queensland to develop - and these two developments conflict with these plans.
"The scale and location of these proposed developments would have been completely at odds with the existing planning instruments.
"The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring growth and development are managed in a way that enhances regional environmental and social values, and delivers the key infrastructure to support robust economic development.
A development application for a master planned residential estate for 683 dwellings in Goodwood was approved by the former Isis Shire Council on 11 March in its final meeting before amalgamation, against the advice of the shire planners.
"The former council gave Brockfield Land Developments the go-ahead to build a residential development around an artificial lake and the nearby Gregory River in Goodwood," said Mr Lucas.
"This was despite concerns the development proposal was not properly serviced with infrastructure and was isolated from other urban developments."
A separate development application for a 129-lot residential subdivision on prime rural and agricultural land at Qunaba, also by Brockfield Land Developments, was approved by the former Burnett Shire Council in one of its final meetings on 11 February this year.
"Had this development been allowed to proceed, the local population would have generated almost half as many new residents again as currently residing at Hummock," said Mr Lucas.
"This would have placed existing services and infrastructure under severe pressure and led to the loss of good agricultural land."
"There is already a more than adequate supply of land in the Wide Bay Burnett region, and it makes no sense to allow inappropriate development in areas that lack the necessary infrastructure.
“It places a strain on Councils and ratepayers who will bear the cost into the future if inappropriate development is allowed to occur.
"It also makes no planning sense to allow urban development on land earmarked by the Council for rural uses."
Under the Integrated Planning Act the Planning Minister has the discretion to call in a development application on State interest grounds and decide the application in place of the relevant local government.
The applications were called in by the Minister on 21 April 2008 for reassessment and decision.
The new Bundaberg Regional Council amalgamated the former councils of Burnett, Isis and Kolan Shires and Bundaberg city.
"I have asked officers from the Department of Infrastructure and Planning to make training seminars available to the newly-elected councillors within Bundaberg Regional Council to build on the area's capacity to deliver good planning outcomes," said Mr Lucas.
Media contact: Matthew Klar – 0437 435223
"The former Isis and Burnett Shire Councils approved these developments in their last few meetings before the March elections, against the expert advice received from their own town planners," said Mr Lucas.
"It is important the community has confidence in its Council when such decisions are being made.
"Both developments are contrary to the planning schemes of the former Councils and if allowed to proceed would create large new communities in rural areas without appropriate infrastructure or services.
"Approving this application would have set an undesirable precedent by encouraging more inappropriate development, and would undermine the integrity of the State and local planning frameworks.
"The Council's planning scheme, as well as the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan, set out the way the community expects this part of Queensland to develop - and these two developments conflict with these plans.
"The scale and location of these proposed developments would have been completely at odds with the existing planning instruments.
"The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring growth and development are managed in a way that enhances regional environmental and social values, and delivers the key infrastructure to support robust economic development.
A development application for a master planned residential estate for 683 dwellings in Goodwood was approved by the former Isis Shire Council on 11 March in its final meeting before amalgamation, against the advice of the shire planners.
"The former council gave Brockfield Land Developments the go-ahead to build a residential development around an artificial lake and the nearby Gregory River in Goodwood," said Mr Lucas.
"This was despite concerns the development proposal was not properly serviced with infrastructure and was isolated from other urban developments."
A separate development application for a 129-lot residential subdivision on prime rural and agricultural land at Qunaba, also by Brockfield Land Developments, was approved by the former Burnett Shire Council in one of its final meetings on 11 February this year.
"Had this development been allowed to proceed, the local population would have generated almost half as many new residents again as currently residing at Hummock," said Mr Lucas.
"This would have placed existing services and infrastructure under severe pressure and led to the loss of good agricultural land."
"There is already a more than adequate supply of land in the Wide Bay Burnett region, and it makes no sense to allow inappropriate development in areas that lack the necessary infrastructure.
“It places a strain on Councils and ratepayers who will bear the cost into the future if inappropriate development is allowed to occur.
"It also makes no planning sense to allow urban development on land earmarked by the Council for rural uses."
Under the Integrated Planning Act the Planning Minister has the discretion to call in a development application on State interest grounds and decide the application in place of the relevant local government.
The applications were called in by the Minister on 21 April 2008 for reassessment and decision.
The new Bundaberg Regional Council amalgamated the former councils of Burnett, Isis and Kolan Shires and Bundaberg city.
"I have asked officers from the Department of Infrastructure and Planning to make training seminars available to the newly-elected councillors within Bundaberg Regional Council to build on the area's capacity to deliver good planning outcomes," said Mr Lucas.
Media contact: Matthew Klar – 0437 435223