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 Benaraby & Wurdong Heights 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.*
Benaraby & Wurdong Heights overview The locality of Benaraby has a population of approximately 1260** people and includes the surrounding rural areas south to Lake Awoonga and southeast to Iveragh. This settlement is characterised by a mix of small residential lots and small scale commercial and community uses surrounded by rural residential lots and large lot rural areas. The locality of Wurdong Heights has a population of approximately 370** people. This settlement is characterised by primarily rural residential lots. The proposed planning scheme identifies the existing residential and commercial activities within Benaraby as Township zone. The extent of this zoning has been expanded north of the Bruce Highway. Areas that were previously zoned Rural residential continue to reflect this type of living option. Community facilities such as the school and Benaraby Landfill are proposed to be included in the Community facilities zone. The Rural zone then surrounds the locality to clearly mark the extent of the settlement. The locality of Wurdong Heights will continue to be identified primarily within the Rural residential zone with similar intent for the area. Some areas within the Benaraby and Wurdong Heights localities are affected by overlay codes such as the Biodiversity, Bushfire hazard, Flood hazard and Steep land overlays under the proposed Planning Scheme. If there was development proposed within these areas, it 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.