Gladstone Regional Council
Planning Scheme
Our Place Our Plan About the proposed Planning Scheme A planning scheme is a legal document that guides how land is developed. The new Planning Scheme will replace the schemes from the former Gladstone City, Calliope Shire and Miriam Vale Shire councils. It will provide one document of consistent land use planning rules and regulations across Council’s jurisdiction and has been prepared in accordance with the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
LOCALITY OF Agnes Water & Seventeen Seventy Regional growth The Gladstone Region has experienced significant population growth in recent years and population forecasts predict that this is likely to continue. On average, the resident population of the region has increased by about three per cent per year since 2010, making it one of the fastest growing local government areas in Queensland. It is expected that the population is likely to almost double from the current figure of approximately 60,000 to almost 112,000 people by 2031.*
Agnes Water & Seventeen Seventy overview The localities of Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy have a combined population of approximately 1890** people and are situated on the coast in the southern portion of the region. The towns are characterised by a mix of residential (including rural residential), small scale tourism and commercial uses supported by a school and community facilities. The proposed Planning Scheme proposes a number of changes to the extent of zones for the township of Agnes Water. This includes a reduction in the extent of land identified in the Medium density residential zone to more accurately reflect the take-up of some areas for low density residential development. A clearly defined urban footprint has been identified in the Emerging community zone in Agnes Water which can adequately accommodate future population growth in new neighbourhoods for the duration of the planning scheme and beyond. A precinct has been identified at Jeffery Court within the Mixed use zone to support coastal based tourism opportunities with a focus on short term accommodation and small scale food and drink outlets, bars, retail and community uses. A reduction in the extent of land identified for business and commercial uses has also been made. Some areas within these localities are affected by a number of overlay codes under the proposed Planning Scheme, such as the Bushfire hazard overlay code, Flood hazard overlay code, Acid sulfate soils overlay code and Steep land overlay code. Proposed developments within these areas would need to address the relevant provisions. *Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, 2012. **Commonwealth of Australia (ABS), 2011.
Has my zone changed? It is likely that the name of your zone has changed. New planning schemes in Queensland must follow State Government requirements for drafting which includes a standard set of zones. All properties throughout the region have been categorised into zones which reflect intended or previous uses for the site. In many cases, the provisions for development may not have changed substantially.