The future growth, character and liveability of Redlands Coast is at the centre of Council’s response to the Queensland Government’s draft planning policy.
At Council’s October General Meeting, Council resolved to lodge a submission on the draft State Planning Policy (SPP) 2026, which is currently open for public consultation until Monday, 26 October 2026.
Acting Mayor Julie Talty said that the SPP, which sets the Queensland Government’s planning policies and guides how local governments plan for growth and assess development, has operated since 2017 without major structural revisions.
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“Council is keen to have an input on the draft policy as it directly affects our city’s lifestyle,” Cr Talty said.
“Council supports efforts to modernise the planning framework to better support housing delivery, facilitate economic growth and improve infrastructure coordination across Queensland.
“It is important that this balance continues to be reflected in the final SPP.”
While Council supported the preparation of an updated SPP, it also noted that key aspects of the reform package remained under development, including natural hazards and resilience, transitional arrangements, and implementation support.
Cr Talty said Council’s review of the draft SPP had identified a number of strategic, policy and implementation matters that warranted further consideration by the Queensland Government.
She said that while Council supports the Queensland Government’s focus on housing delivery and economic development, planning for growth must also consider infrastructure capacity.
“Growth should be directed to locations that can be efficiently serviced by existing, planned and, most importantly, funded public transport, walking and cycling networks,” Cr Talty said.
“The SPP should also clearly protect existing and future transport corridors from development that could restrict or compromise their long-term function.”
While the draft policy recognises the importance of industrial land, Council has identified the need for clearer direction on forecasting demand and locating future employment land to support long-term economic growth.
“Industrial land is critical to future jobs and investment, and councils need clearer guidance on planning for future demand,” Cr Talty said.
Council’s Planning and Regulation Portfolio Representative Councillor Rowanne McKenzie said that alongside the draft SPP, the Queensland Government had released a discussion paper for public consultation proposing a more consistent approach to natural hazard management and resilience planning.
“A key concern is that this state interest and its corresponding assessment benchmarks are still being developed,” Cr McKenzie said.
“The framework must provide clear direction outlining the appropriate balance between avoiding exposure and mitigating or managing risk and how to support a consistent approach across Queensland.”
To view the draft State Planning Policy 2026 and provide feedback, visit planning.qld.gov.au
