2015-01-12 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                12 January 2015


Council can however, having consideration to the rigour of the current planning scheme codes
and the level of risk that is acceptable, choose to nominate some developments that will require
merit assessment. However the Department has made it clear this should be the exception
rather than the rule.

The default position on commencement of the act will be that development currently subject to
impact assessment will be subject to merit assessment requiring public notification. While this is
ultimately intended just for development proposing some departure from the planning scheme
provisions, it is recognised that in the transition period it may be too big a change to remove
public involvement from the balance of development currently requiring public notification.

When preparing a P&D compliant new planning scheme however it would be expected that
Council involve the community in preparing the planning scheme and then entrust assessment of
compliant development to decision makers based on professional recommendations.

The State has been developing different Transition Options to assist councils in determining how
they transition their levels of assessment. They also offer model codes for adoption should
current codes be lacking. Further advice on these will be provided when they have been tested.

5.    Development Assessment
5.1   Development Assessment Forms

There are currently 33 different development assessment forms that may be applicable in making
a development application. This is to be reduced to 2 Development Assessment Queensland
(DAQ) forms including:-
•     DAQ Form 1 – Application details
•     DAQ Form 2 – Building work

The proposed DAQ Form 1 is to be completed for all development applications, except those
applications that propose only building work, with the proposed DAQ Form 2 covering building
work only. The proposed DAQ Forms will also be supported by four proposed DAQ templates
which capture specific proposals such as interfering with a water course; taking overland flow
water; waterway barrier works; interfering with artesian or sub artesian water.

5.2   Guidelines
The proposed Development Assessment Queensland (DAQ) forms and templates will be
supported by a number of DAQ Forms guides, intended to provide guidance on how to complete
the DAQ forms, prepare a planning report and the plans required to support a development
application.

5.3   Development Assessment Rules
The development assessment rules set out the statutory development assessment process
which must be followed for making, assessing, changing and determining a development
application. The draft Statutory Instrument indicates the DA rules are based on the following
principles:
•     Reinforcement of the role that applicants play in streamlining the development assessment
      process;
•     Emphasis on undertaking pre-lodgement discussions with the assessment manager and
      pre-referrals with referral agencies to create process efficiencies;
•     Enabling a holistic assessment to be undertaken;
•     Encouragement and facilitation of open dialogue between the assessment manager,
      referral agencies and the applicant


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