2017-04-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  11 APRIL 2017


Previous reports to Council have informed Councillors of legislative changes and requirements for
LGIPs as follows:
   19 August 2014, provided a summary of the major changes and subsequent actions required
     to be undertaken to satisfy the amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and
     corresponding new Statutory Guideline 03/14 that commenced on 4 July 2014;
   12 July 2016, provided further background information on legislative changes from 1997 to
     the present time and detailed the Statutory Guideline requirements for LGIPs; and
   9 August 2016, provided information on the ongoing issues and unnecessary further
     complications that are now irrelevant for the current infrastructure charges and planning
     framework under the current Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and the new Planning Act to
     commence in 2017.
The report provided the basis for Council’s motion presented and carried at the Local Government
Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference held in October 2016. The report
recommended a collective view and representation to the State Government for a common sense
review and amendment of the Statutory Guidelines for Local Government Infrastructure Plans to
remove the unnecessary cost, resource and time burdens placed on local governments. Full details
of the motion and the resulting outcome is provided in Attachment 1.
The LGAQ has been preparing a detailed response to support the 2016 LGAQ Annual Conference
Resolution 27 (Planning Powers - Local Government Infrastructure Plans - Amend, Simplify and
Remove Unnecessary and Irrelevant Statutory Requirements) (Attachment 1) and is currently
awaiting feedback from its local government Advisory Group set up to review such Planning issues.
They have also been in discussion with the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and
Planning in attempting to have the LGIP requirements simplified and reduced.
Chapter 5 and associated schedules of the proposed new Minister's Guidelines and Rules (MGR)
will replace the current Statutory Guidelines 03/14 and 04/14 applying to the preparation and
adoption of Local Government Infrastructure Plans (LGIPs). However, the issues remain
unchanged with no amendments proposed to simplify and remove the unnecessary and irrelevant
requirements previously reported to Council.
It is therefore considered appropriate that Council authorises the CEO to make a submission on
the new Minister's Guidelines and Rules to align with the 2016 LGAQ Annual Conference
Resolution 27 and also requesting the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and
Planning liaise directly with the LGAQ when undertaking such amendments.
The Planning & Environment and Strategic Land Use Planning branches have been consulted and
have no other issues or items for including in a submission.
Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting, 28 August 2014, Item 5, Page 9
That Council note the report by the Infrastructure Assessment Officer to the Planning &
Organisation Committee Meeting dated 19 August 2014 and:
A.   Resolve to undertake an amendment to the Priority Infrastructure Plan in accordance with
     the recent amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and corresponding new
     Statutory Guideline 03/14;
B.   Request staff to prepare an amendment to Council’s Infrastructure Charges to satisfy the
     Sustainable Planning Act 2009 for presentation to a future Council meeting; and
C.   Request the Chief Executive Officer to negotiate with Unitywater regarding a simplified
     infrastructure “charges breakup” agreement applying a weighted average demand
     approach for inclusion in the future amendment to Council’s Infrastructure Charges.




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