2017-01-16 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                  16 JANUARY 2017


 State Interest               Policy Change
 Coastal Planning             Various structural changes are proposed. The most interesting is the
                              specific reference now to ‘reinstating world class planning laws for the
                              Great Barrier Reef’. This is primarily addressed by reduced risks around
                              the quality of water discharging from development sites.
 Renewable Energy             Changes are towards state and local planning policy being supportive of
                              renewable energy development in appropriate locations. Reduction of
                              emissions and employment opportunities are the consequent benefits.

The above policy initiatives seem appropriate at a general level. The finer details will emerge with
the guidelines and with the development of the New Noosa Plan. Consequently, the staff
recommendation is for Council to offer its general support to the changes.

The second aspect of the staff recommendation refers to certain wording of the State Interest
Development and Construction. The wording (see below) is found in the introduction to the State
Interest and therefore is not necessarily a formal part of the policy. However, it is of concern and
ought to be re-written.

    Planning schemes should encourage the diversification or expansion of a local economy by
    not placing barriers or limits on the number, size and mix of businesses. This will support the
    responsiveness of suppliers to the needs of consumers.

    For example, the provisions of a planning scheme should not restrict the number of a particular
    type of retail store in any particular local area. Likewise, it is not appropriate to include
    provisions that seek to consider the potential impact of a proposed business on the viability of
    established businesses or place proximity restrictions on particular types of retail stores. To
    support economic activity in the development and construction sectors, business zones should
    be as broad as possible in their intent and the range of activities they can provide.

Firstly, planning policy should be written in the positive – stating the desired outcomes rather than
defining outcomes by using negative expressions about what is undesirable. Secondly the wording
seems to oppose the principle of providing a hierarchical structure of centres. With a group of
centres serving a community there should be varying levels of retail offerings. Neighbourhood
centres are small groupings of shops providing local services while higher order centres will
comprise larger premises to cater for a broader range of goods, because it serves a wider
community. For example discount department stores should only be found at sub-regional (district)
centres and above. This is fundamental planning and requires that there is a general system of
controls to deliver the preferred outcomes of the size of certain retail business and the type. Within
that system there is still scope for variety in the outlets arising from demand or through enterprise.

The wording in the State Planning Policy seems to go too far in its support to business enterprise
being the dominant consideration to how the planning for retail development is undertaken. The
draft South East Queensland regional plan ShapingSEQ and the current regional plan support a
hierarchy of regional business centres. ShapingSEQ has strategies that include -
 accommodate major employment generating activities in regional activity centres to support
   their role and function in the broader centres network and leverage existing economic assets
   and infrastructure, and
 ensure development in individual centres is consistent with the regional centres network

While regional plans do not address lower order centres, the principle of protecting a hierarchy of
centres is relevant to both regional and local levels.




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