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Trunk infrastructure shortfall

  • September 13, 2017

The Property Council has lodged a submission on Moreton Bay Regional Council’s draft Infrastructure Charges Resolution, highlighting the reduction in identified trunk infrastructure.

There are worrying signs for the property industry, as councils look to shift the full cost of delivering infrastructure onto new development, while charging those same developments the maximum infrastructure charge. In the case of the Moreton Bay Regional Council, the draft schedules represent a significant reduction in the value of trunk works identified by Council.

This is likely to mean that the property industry will be required to deliver non-identified trunk infrastructure as conditions on development approvals, without the ability to offset the cost on the infrastructure charges payable.

Over a period of 12 months the Property Council worked closely with the Queensland Government and other local government and industry stakeholders to refine Queensland’s infrastructure charging framework to create a more workable and fair system for all users.

As a result, the Property Council is monitoring the implementation of the new framework by councils. Our submission to Moreton Bay Regional Council raises concerns that the draft Infrastructure Charges Resolution is inconsistent with the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and the Statutory Guideline 3/14 – Local government infrastructure plans.

Our submission also encourages Council to provide incentives for development, by reducing the maximum charges to stimulate investment, leading to job creation, and growth in the local economy. In addition, the submission outlines concerns that Council has not identified key emerging areas, inconsistencies of trunk infrastructure definitions, and the ability to convert infrastructure to trunk in emerging areas.

The submission is available at the PDF link below.