3. FINAL-160721-BA4090-Town Planning Report

The State Assessment and Referral Agency (‘SARA’), introduced on 1 July 2013, seeks to deliver a
coordinated, whole-of-government approach to the state’s assessment of development applications. In short,
SARA provides:
    A single agency lodgement point for development applications, where the state has a jurisdiction;

    A single coordination and contact point; and

    A final decision maker to ensure that no ‘unreasonable’ requirements are imposed on applicants.

Unlike the previous arrangements where referral agencies were either advice agencies or concurrence
agencies and referrals were made to the relevant state agencies, the chief executive of SARA, being the
Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (‘DSDIP’), is now the
single referral agency for all development applications where the state has jurisdiction.
It should be noted that all relevant agencies are regarded as key stakeholders and will provide technical
advice where they had former jurisdiction in that particular matter, however for the purposes of SPA, these
agencies will not be formal advice agencies. Importantly, there is only one state agency decision notice
issued from the DSDIP.




The State Development Assessment Provisions (‘SDAP’) is an outcome of the SARA and a statutory
instrument made under the SPA which sets out matters of interest of the state for development assessment,
where the chief executive of administering the SPA is the assessment manager or a referral agency.
Importantly, the SDAP outlines the criteria for assessment by the chief executive and provides applicants
with:
1.      Clarity on when the state is to be involved in the assessment of development applications; and

2.      Increased transparency and clarity on how development can comply with matters of interest of the
        state through a set of State Codes.

An assessment of the proposed development against the State Assessment criteria for the relevant referral
agency role is included at Appendix E. This assessment reveals that the proposal does not require referral
to DSDIP.




The site is located within the bounds of the SEQ Region and is therefore subject to the South East
Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 (“SEQ Regional Plan”). The purpose of the SEQ Regional Plan is
“… to manage regional growth and change in the most sustainable way to protect and enhance quality of life
in the region”.
In order to achieve this purpose, the SEQ Regional Plan sets forth a land use pattern. The regional land use
pattern seeks to set out a blueprint for the development of the region through the identification of various
land use categories and earmarks areas of regional significance. The site is located within the Urban
Footprint.
The Urban Footprint identifies land predominantly allocated to accommodate for the region’s urban
development needs to 2031. When considering the nature of the proposal, the intended use of the site
accords with and promotes the objectives, principles and overall intent of the SEQ Regional Plan.
Significantly, the proposal will contribute to the delivery of infill development within an appropriate location as
intended by the SEQ Regional Plan.




URBIS
NOOSA ENERGY CENTRE                                          STATE AND REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND ASSESSMENT   19