Redland City Council has resolved to commence the development of a new City Plan that will guide future land use, growth, and development across the city.
Mayor Jos Mitchell said there were several reasons Council had decided to take this step, including to better align City Plan with recently released Queensland Government planning documents and Council’s strategic priorities.
“The Queensland Government Planning Act 2016 requires Council to review its City Plan every 10 years to assess whether it is fit for purpose and meeting the needs of the community,” the Mayor said.
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“City Plan is one of Council’s most important strategic documents, providing the community, other levels of government and industry groups with a framework and clear guidelines for development and growth within the city.
“The key aims of City Plan include ensuring there is enough land and space available in the right locations to support housing, business needs, and services while also maximising livability across Redlands Coast.
“Several amendments have been made to City Plan since the current version was adopted in 2018, but there has been significant change to housing and other community needs since this time and Council has identified that a new plan is now required.
“The process of developing this plan will involve extensive consultation with the community, industry, and stakeholder groups to ensure the new blueprint is the right fit for our growing city.
“Implementing a new plan will also help us work closely with the Queensland Government and other stakeholders to address pressing housing and service needs across Redlands Coast.”
The resolution at yesterday’s General Meeting of Council to begin development of a new City Plan follows a statutory review process into the performance, operation, and effectiveness of the current plan.
This process started in late 2024 and included an in-depth review of the plan’s alignment to state and regional planning instruments, a technical audit of the City Plan document, and an assessment of its usability and accessibility.
Planning and Regulation Portfolio Councillor Rowanne McKenzie said the results of the review showed that now was the right time to commence work on a new plan.
“Taking this step to commence the development of a new City Plan is critical to ensuring our community and local businesses are supported and have a clear path forward as our city continues to evolve,” Cr McKenzie said.
“The statutory review results presented to Council showed that the current City Plan is out of alignment or only partially aligned with several recently released Queensland Government strategies, including Shaping SEQ and the Redlands Housing Strategy.
“Developing a new City Plan will help Council meet the requirements in these strategies, including the desired outcomes for housing supply and diversity, while also setting clear policy positions, improving the plan’s functionality, and allowing for robust development assessment.
“It will also provide an opportunity for Council to consider how key corporate strategies for wildlife, transport, open space and centre specific master plans can be better integrated, along with new flood and overland flow mapping which is currently being prepared.
“City Plan is effectively the city’s blueprint for the next 25 years, so we will be ensuring that the new plan reflects the needs and aspirations of both current and future residents, while also allowing for our enviable Redlands Coast lifestyle to be maintained into the future.”
