The Queensland Government on Wednesday, 2 August released its draft Shaping SEQ- South East Queensland Regional Plan- 2023 Update for six weeks of public consultation.
An outcome of October’s Housing Summit, the draft Plan is a ‘fit-for-purpose’ review, fast-tracked and prepared primarily in response to Queensland’s housing challenges.
While it is acknowledged the draft Plan will do little to impact housing supply in the short term, it creates a framework for SEQ to deliver more housing than ever before over the medium to longer term.
With an unashamed focus on ‘well-located homes close to jobs’, the draft Plan would see the current 60/40 split of housing in consolidation versus expansion areas move further towards a 70/30 split.
3,250 hectares of land are proposed to move into the urban footprint (residential and industrial), including Southern Thornlands and Elimbah North, and a small number of new Potential Future Growth Areas have been proposed- Stapylton (industrial), Toowoomba (Highfields and Westbrook) and North Harbour.
For the first time, the Plan will set dwelling targets for each of the region’s 12 local governments based on housing diversity and density (e.g. high rise, medium-rise, detached). A region-wide ‘social and affordable housing’ target of 20 per cent is also to be introduced, however further detail on the split between social and affordable, definitions and locations for delivery, is yet to be determined.
‘Implementation assurance’ is also a key focus area, with a commitment to a dynamic measurement, monitoring and reporting framework to ensure the region remains on track to deliver on the Plan’s targets. Legislative and regulatory changes are anticipated.
Along with housing, the draft Plan reinforces the role of regional activity centres (including an elevation of North Lakes), and for the first time, provides protection for regional-scale industrial lands.
The draft Plan is also supported by the SEQ Infrastructure Supplement (SEQIS), which seeks to align infrastructure and land use planning. This precedes the delivery of the full SEQ Infrastructure Plan, due in 2025.
A large part of the draft Plan’s focus will be on working with local governments and industry throughout the consultation period to determine how local planning schemes can facilitate the delivery of new dwelling targets. Local governments will be required to create a ‘housing supply statement’ for two, five and ten year timeframes, detailing what will be required to meet the Plan’s objectives at a local level.
There are many welcome mentions in the draft Plan of the role the planning system can play in reducing housing supply costs, and a commitment to expediting scheme amendments and regulatory mechanisms that will improve supply, diversity and/or affordability.
The draft Plan is open for consultation for 30 business days (until 20 September). There will be a range of engagement activities undertaken by the Department during this period, including a region-wide multi-channel campaign encouraging the community to provide feedback.
Further member briefings will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Please see the Property Council’s media release here.
The Property Council team welcomes member feedback and insights into the draft Plan. If you would like to assist with the submission, please contact the Advocacy Team on [email protected] or (07) 3225 3005.