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 Miriam Vale 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.*
Miriam Vale overview Miriam Vale has a population of approximately 420** people and is situated on the Bruce Highway to the south-east 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 facilities and sport and recreational facilities. The proposed Planning Scheme identifies the existing low density residential and commercial activities as Township zone. The extent of this zoning is very similar to that of the previous zoning and reflects the small scale nature of development. It is proposed that the land to southwest of the township remains zoned as Rural residential to reflect this type of living option. The industrial land to the north of the township is proposed to remain as Low impact industry zone to allow small scale industry options to serve the needs of the local area. The community uses such as the emergency services, school, sporting facilities and community infrastructure are proposed to remain with the similar purpose and zoning. The Rural zone then surrounds the township area to clearly mark the extent of the settlement. Some areas within the Miriam Vale locality may be affected by the Biodiversity, Bushfire hazard, Heritage, Flood hazard and Regional infrastructure (electricity infrastructure) overlays under the proposed Planning Scheme. 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.