planning and development in QLD

The Qld Government is reforming the current planning and development system in pursuit of perpetual growth. The changes mean that the chief executive administering the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (Qld) (SPA) has now taken over the assessment manager and concurrence agency roles which were previously administered by the various state agencies.  In effect, State decision making is being centralised to the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.

This reform has been driven from consultation with disaffected local governments and property developers.

This comprehensive reform aims to:

·       streamline assessment and approval processes

·       remove red tape

·       re-empower local governments to plan for their communities.

The new planning reform agenda reinforce changes already made through the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.

Key elements of planning reform are:

·       the Sustainable Planning and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2012 (SPOLA Act) and the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA)

·       a single State Planning Policy

·       changes to the local infrastructure contributions framework.

SARA will revolutionise the way developers dealt with development applications referred to or assessed by the state.

The Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning is now the single point for state assessment or referral of these development applications.

An ePlan Portal has been introduced to assist councils and state agencies handle planning documents.  It enables local governments to lodge documents, state agencies to access those documents and provide comments, and the department to coordinate the review process for planning schemes and temporary local planning instruments. For more information on the planning reforms visit the DSDIP website.

The Qld State Government has also released a discussion paper outlining options for the reform of the funding framework for local government infrastructure. The discussion paper presents a set of reform options developed from feedback received from key local government and development industry representatives who had participated in recent workshop sessions.

The Qld State Government is attempting to identify the reforms necessary to deliver a framework to support sustainable local governments and a prosperous property development and construction industry.

The public consultation runs from early July until 9 August.

My letter from the Office of the Hon Jeff Seeney MP

on the 26 October 2012, I wrote to the Deputy Premier, in response to his media release which stated:

Mr Seeney said the assessment showed that well-managed development could co-exist with a healthy environment. “It illustrates that we can have bulk export ports and they can operate with no threat to the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Seeney said. 

Mr Seeney seems to have completely missed the point.  The greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef are not from the port operations but from accumulative impacts of the continued combustion of fossil fuels.

On  26 November 2012, I received the following response from:

Office of the Hon Jeff Seeney MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning


Our ref: MC12/399

23 NOV 2012

Mr Rowan Barber
Street Address
Address QLD XXXX


Dear Mr Barber

Thank you for your email of 26 October 2012 to the Honourable Jeff Seeney MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, about the voluntary Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA).  The Deputy Premier has asked that I respond on his behalf.

As you are aware, the voluntary Abbot Point CIA has focus on 16 study areas, and is taking a holistic look at the cumulative effects of the future port related expansion proposals at the Port of Abbot Point.

The CIA scope is about port expansion itself.  Emissions associated with the transport of coal to the port are not within the scope of the CIA.  It was a voluntary cooperative exercise between the three proponents of the existing or proposed facilities at Abbot Point.  It was coordinated by the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation.

I suggest you provide comments to the Abbot Point Working Group through the formal consultation process on this matter.  The following link provides information on making a submission  http://www.abbotpointworkinggroup.com.au/comment.html.

Please ensure your comments are submitted prior to 5pm, Tuesday, 4 December 2012.

If you require any further information, please contact Mr Phillip Kohn, A/Director, State Development Areas, Office of the Coordinator General, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, on 3405 6674, who will be pleased to assist.

Yours sincerely


Dimity Elson
Acting Senior Policy Advisor

Office of the Hon Jeff Seeney MP
Deputy Premier

Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning

State Planning Policy: Coastal Protection

State Planning Policy: Coastal Protection

Last week’s blog post examined the Newman Government’s legislative amendments to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA).

The Qld Government has demonstrated commitment to “fast tracking” the processing of development applications.

State planning policies were planning instruments; under the previous Government that former Minister Stirling Hinchliffe (or any minister in conjunction with the planning minister) would make to protect things that are of interest to the State.

When local councils were developing their local planning scheme, they were required to ensure that the planning scheme reflects the elements outlined in a state planning policy. If there was a discrepancy between a local planning scheme and a state planning policy, then what was outlined in the state planning policy overrode the planning scheme.

The Newman Government is now establishing a new approach to state planning policies. The new approach means that one single state planning policy will be developed to replace the various current state planning policies in existence.

One of these policies being replaced is the State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection (the SPP), which was one of the last initiatives of the previous Bligh Government, prior to the State Election in March 2012.  It was the intention of the previous Government to establish a Qld Coastal Plan as part of the the state’s policies in relation to matters of state interest relating to coastal protection.

The Newman Government believes that the applications of the SPP policies are in conflict with the Qld Government’s agenda to fast track development (and to grow the four pillars of Queensland’s economy). 

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said that the World Wildlife Fund and the Wilderness Society were being deliberately alarmist in their claims about changes to the Qld Coastal Plan. 

A draft State Planning Regulatory Provision (SPRP) was introduced by the Newman Government in October 2012.

The Department of State Development and Infrastructure Planning is working with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and various stakeholders to review the Queensland Coastal Plan. Mr Seeney said the draft SPRP would be in effect for 12 months while a new Single State Planning Policy was prepared. 

“We gave a clear commitment in our Property and Construction Strategy during the election campaign that we would revisit the Bligh Government’s last minute changes to the coastal plan and that we would reform the entire planning regime in Queensland,” Mr Seeney said.  He went on to say that:  “Claims that the draft SPRP lowers environmental protections are nothing more than the usual baseless, sensational rantings of radical green groups which will do or say anything to further their aims.” 

The current situation for applications is as follows:

The State Planning Regulatory Provision (SPRP)  will apply to the assessment of development applications and master plan applications that are properly made when this Coastal Protection Draft State Planning Regulatory Provision (the Draft SPRP) commences.  The provisions set out in this draft SPRP are based on the state coastal management plan policies that were in place before the introduction of the State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection (the SPP),. This draft SPRP will apply while the full review of the Queensland Coastal Plan is undertaken.

The final State Planning Policy will set out policies about matters of state interest that are to be dealt with through the planning and development assessment system.

The Department of State Development and Infrastructure Planning are seeking feedback in respect of the document entitled 'Draft Proposed State Interests – Part 1 of the State Planning Policy' which is currently released for consultation during November 2012.

The consultation document is Part 1 in the development of the State Planning Policy.

During the current consultation phase one is invited to comment on the state interests presented in the document and repeated in the feedback form.

The draft State Planning Policy and associated supporting material needed to implement the state interests will then be available for formal public consultation starting in early 2013.

All feedback received will be reviewed and directly inform the drafting of the new State Planning Policy.

For written and email submissions, please use the contact details and form listed on the DSDIP website.
      

 Feedback form
Use this form to send your response to DSDIP in the post or via email.

·         Draft Proposed State Interests – Part 1 of the State Planning Policy

·          

EPBC

By agreement through COAG, the Australian Federal Government will hand back its powers to approve mining projects and developments that affect matters of national environmental significance to state and territory governments by March next year. These matters include threatened species and World Heritage.

The Federal Government's plans have created so much alarm that last week Sir David Attenborough and Dr Bob Brown joined 31 other prominent naturalists in urging the Prime Minister not to undermine environment protection in Australia and delegate  our responsibilities for the environment to the states.

Release of water from Coal Mines

Release of water from Coal Mines

Last week in Parliament, the question of excess floodwater in the coalmines in Central Qld, was raised.  In the last financial year, the Qld’s income from coal royalties was down considerably to what otherwise could have been expected.

Coal mining in Qld was severely affected by the 2010-2011 wet season and the flooding that occurred.

The Qld Government has been in negotiations with a whole range of stakeholders.  The Treasurer has announced the formation of the Resources Cabinet Committee to look at a whole range of issues that are affecting the resources industry in Qld including the release of contaminated water.

The Qld Premier stated that he has not been involved in discussions on the release of contaminated water from mines.  The Premier told Parliament that he had yet to receive a briefing; if there have indeed been detailed discussions with mining companies.

The Preimer assured Parliament that the Qld Government will not do anything to in any way degrade the feed water coming down the Fitzroy for their water supply.

The Premier went on to say that there is an important issue here that needs to be dealt with. For a long time there has been water in pits, and it is affecting jobs.  The floods of almost two years ago really have hampered production, because the large open-cut pits have filled with water.  The Qld Government is working with the mining industry and stakeholders to actually find those solutions.

My letter to the Deputy Premier

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

cc: The Premier, The Honourable Rob Cavallucci and the Honourable Andrew Powell

Dear Mr Seeney,

Thank you for welcoming the release of the Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment by North Queensland Bulk Ports.

You say that that proposed port expansion was unlikely to affect the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Have you taken into consideration the accumulative impacts of the combustion of fossil fuels?

The terms of reference of the report are limited to the cumulative impacts of Port operations. 

The Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment process is clearly wide ranging and involve 15 detailed studies in the following areas:

·       Shipping;

·       Marine Water Quality;

·       Dredge Plume Modelling

·       Operational Noise;

·       Groundwater;

·       Dust;

·       Underwater Noise;

·       Visual Amenity;

·       Lighting;

·       Coastal Hydrodynamics;

·       Species & Habitat Assessment;

·       Wetland Hydrology & Water Quality

·       Climate Change;

·       Fishing;

·       Joint Offsets Strategy

The report identifies mechanisms to reduce and offset greenhouse gas emissions from the port and ensure port design has accounted for possible climate change effects such as sea level rise. 

The report does not consider greenhouse gas and particulate emissions of transport of coal over vast distances using bunker C fuel oil or combustion of thermal coal.

regards,

Rowan Barber

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Report puts lie to green scare tactics

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney today welcomed the release of the Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment by North Queensland Bulk Ports, which draws a line through an environmental scare campaign run by Labor and the Greens. 

The assessment was a proactive study undertaken for the proponents of future port expansion and looked at the possible impacts of development across the marine and terrestrial environments involving 16 separate environmental studies. 

It found that proposed port expansion was unlikely to affect the integrity of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 

Mr Seeney said the assessment showed that well-managed development could co-exist with a healthy environment. 

“It illustrates that we can have bulk export ports and they can operate with no threat to the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Seeney said. 

“This assessment should put an end to the scare campaigns run by extremist groups whose real agenda is to shut the coal ports and the coal industry as a whole. 

“Too often they cry wolf, claiming that any proposed new development will wipe-out entire marine or terrestrial species and threaten the existence of the reef itself. 

“This report puts the lie to those claims. 

“In the case of Abbot Point it says that impacts on the marine environment are manageable, that significant impacts on the terrestrial environment are unlikely and that mitigation and management measures would substantially reduce any potential impacts. 

Mr Seeney said the assessment had been peer reviewed by leading scientists and experts, leaving no room for extremists to distort its findings. 

“It highlights that we can have both economic development while protecting the environment because we will insist on world’s best practices and world’s best standards,” he said. 

[ENDS] 24 October 2012

Media Contact: John Wiseman –             0409 791 281      

Eff Seeney vs Green Groups

Here is a press release from the Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney.  It is a great example of the current Queensland Government's contempt the Environment movement.

Media Statements

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Friday, October 12, 2012

Coastal Plan under review

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said today the World Wildlife Fund and the Wilderness Society were being deliberately alarmist in their claims about changes to the Queensland Coastal Plan. 

Mr Seeney said Queensland’s coastal planning regime today is the same as it was for more than a decade up to February this year. 

In February, on the eve of the state election, the discredited Bligh Labor Government rushed through changes to the Queensland Coastal Plan. 

A draft State Planning Regulatory Provision (SPRP) introduced by the Newman Government this week removes the hasty policy change which was made without consultation with local government or other property industry parties. 

Mr Seeney said the draft SPRP would be in effect for 12 months while a new Single State Planning Policy was prepared. 

“We gave a clear commitment in our Property and Construction Strategy during the election campaign that we would revisit the Bligh Government’s last minute changes to the coastal plan and that we would reform the entire planning regime in Queensland,” Mr Seeney said. 

“My department is working with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and various stakeholders to review the Queensland Coastal Plan. 

“What the government has done in the meantime is to return coastal planning policies back to the regime that existed prior to February this year and was in place under the Beattie and Bligh Governments. 

“By introducing a draft SPRP we are providing a sensible basis for consideration of proposals in the coastal zone while the coastal plan is reviewed. 

“This will allow the Queensland Coastal Plan and State Planning Policy to be debated and consulted upon in a way that should have happened last year. 

“The unravelling of the Bligh Government saw normal consultation processes dispensed with. Instead Labor did a last minute backroom deal to pander to their Greens allies and shore up their support for the looming election. 

“Local government faced chaos and confusion in attempting to interpret and implement the new planning laws. 

“We have removed that uncertainty and will now proceed in a measured and professional manner to reform planning regulation. 

“We have informed local government organisations, property, planning and development industry bodies, the Environmental Defenders Office and the Queensland Conservation Council of this course of action. 

“Claims that the draft SPRP lowers environmental protections are nothing more than the usual baseless, sensational rantings of radical green groups which will do or say anything to further their aims. 

one-stop environmental approval process

The following Media Statement scares the willies out of me........

Queensland Government supports one-stop environmental approval process

Queensland’s Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Jeff Seeney today welcomed the Federal Coalition’s commitment to enable states to implement a one-stop-shop environmental process.

Mr Seeney said the LNP Government would take up a future Federal Coalition Government’s offer to simplify and speed up the approvals process.

“Some development projects are strangled in a tangled web of green tape as they navigate their way through a myriad of federal, state and local rules and regulations.

“Currently 135 development proposals from Queensland are awaiting decisions at the federal level. It is a costly and time consuming process that can deter investment.

“Tony Abbott’s proposal to have a one-stop-shop with a single lodgement and documentation process handled by the states is an eminently sensible policy approach.

“This is exactly what Premier Campbell Newman proposed to the current Prime Minister at the last Council of Australian Governments meeting.”

Mr Seeney said having a one-stop process at the state level would provide an effective and efficient environmental assessment and approval process.

“Australia’s high environmental standards would be maintained, but the decision making process would be shorter with firm outcomes.”

Media Contact: John Wiseman – 0409 791 281