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 Calliope 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.*
Calliope overview Calliope (and its immediate surrounding area) has a population of approximately 4200** people and is situated on the Bruce Highway to the southwest of Gladstone. It is characterised by a mix of residential (including rural residential), small scale commercial, low impact industrial uses and surrounding rural uses, supported by a school, community, and sport and recreation facilities. The proposed Planning Scheme proposes a shift back to a more traditional set of zones for the township of Calliope with the existing low density residential activities being identified in the Low density residential zone. Existing commercial and industrial activities are identified within the Centre, Neighbourhood centre and Low impact industry zones respectively. Some new sites have been identified within the Lowmedium residential zone to allow for slightly higher densities in locations close to centre, commercial and/or community facilities and future development areas have been identified within the Emerging community zone. This will assist in the orderly planning for growth on these sites. The community uses such as emergency services, school, sporting facilities and community infrastructure are proposed to remain with a similar purpose and zoning. An area of land formerly identified for a future school site has been identified within the Low density residential zone to reflect current State interests. It is proposed that existing rural residential living areas remain zoned as Rural residential to reflect this type of living option. The Rural zone then surrounds the township area to clearly mark the extent of the settlement. Some areas within this locality are affected by a number of overlays under the proposed Planning Scheme, such as the Bushfire hazard, Flood hazard and Steep land (land over 15 per cent in slope) overlays. 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.