Ministerial Statement: Australian first as planning 'blueprints' ...

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Deputy Premier and Attorney-General, Minister for Local Government and Special Minister of State
The Honourable Paul Lucas
01/04/2011

Australian first as planning 'blueprints' for three new SEQ cities released

In an Australian first, the draft 'blueprints' for South East Queensland's three new master-planned communities have been released.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government Paul Lucas was today joined by Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale and local MPs Rachel Nolan and Wayne Wendt for the unprecedented simultaneous release of the proposed master plans for Yarrabilba, Ripley Valley and Greater Flagstone Urban Development Areas (UDAs).

"This is the first time a community building program of this size and scale has been undertaken in Australia and it coincides with the one year anniversary of our government's Growth Management Summit," Mr Lucas said.

"Today marks the start of delivering the necessary planning framework to progress development of these three key areas as model communities.

"Over the next three to four decades, Yarrabilba, Ripley Valley and Greater Flagstone will provide more than 130,000 homes for around 330,000 residents.

"These developments will deliver affordable and sustainable housing for first home buyers and key workers such as nurses, teachers and police.

"A percentage of homes in each UDA will be sold at or below the median house price for that region."

Member for Ipswich Rachel Nolan said employment was a major focus of the planning for the three new communities.

"This is about creating vibrant communities where people can live, work and play," Ms Nolan said.

"There are already substantial existing and planned employment generators for the western and southern growth corridors, including-Swanbank, Bremer, Ipswich Central, Logan Central, Yatala and the future enterprise precincts at Bromelton State Development Area and North Maclean.

"In total these employment areas and the employment generated within the UDAs are projected to create around 280,000 jobs in their lifetime.

"With so many new jobs coming online this is another great incentive for people to move to and live in a booming region like Ipswich.

"It will also ensure the sons and daughters of local residents have jobs for the future and can stay living in the area where they grew up close to their families."

Member for Ipswich West Wayne Wendt said the flow on effects of these three new communities would benefit the whole Ipswich region.

"Not only are these new communities about improving housing availability and affordability but they're also job generators," Mr Wendt said.

"So far six development applications in early release areas for 1,400 lots have been submitted for approval across the three UDAs.

"Approval has already been given to for up to 132 new homes in Flagstone as part of the MTAA's residential development, and construction is expected to start mid next month and pending approval, early civil works could be underway by the end of this year on most of these sites.

"This is great news for the local building and construction industry."

Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller invited the public to have their say on the draft 'blueprints' for SEQ's three new master-planned communities.

"The public has 30 business days to make a submission on the proposed development schemes and I would urge anyone interested to do so," Ms Miller said.

"It's very important that these model communities are developed with the needs and the input of the local community in mind and that's why this consultation period is happening.

"While development is necessary to manage the growth in SEQ, the government is also working to protect the environmental values in the area.

"The ULDA development schemes will ensure that development in the three areas will protect the ecological values and natural systems and maintain and enhance significant vegetation, including the retention of significant vegetation."

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale welcomed the new communities which combined represent almost 10 per cent of the project dwelling demand needed in SEQ by 2031.

"It is pleasing to see the extensive work that council and its key stakeholders had already done for the masterplanning of Ripley Valley have been incorporated in the ULDAs development scheme," Mr Pisasale said.

"The Ipswich region is a growth region and a destination of choice for many people moving from interstate or even within Queensland.

"The release of the proposed development schemes is an important step to meeting the future housing needs of the western corridor.

"An infrastructure funding framework has also been devised to ensure that these areas can be serviced by appropriate infrastructure as the communities grow and major access roads are already being built."

Logan Mayor Pam Parker said today's release was good news for Logan residents looking to buy their own home.

"I want the people of Logan to be able to be able to realise the dream of owning their own home while still living close to family and friends," Ms Parker said.

"Logan is a growing region and these new communities will take pressure off by increasing housing availability and affordability and ensuring our key workers can live close to where they work and play.

"These new communities themselves will be jobs generators as a result of all the homes that need to be built but they will also generate long term employment opportunities in their town centres and industrial areas."

The three areas were declared as UDAs on 8 October 2010 as an outcome of the Queensland Growth Management Summit in March 2010 and in response to the growth needs identified in the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009 - 2031.

Responsibility for planning and development within the UDAs lies with the Queensland Government's Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA).

The declarations of the UDAs in October provided for 'early release' precincts that allowed for immediate lodgement of development applications so that development could start prior to the finalising of the development schemes, getting houses to market quickly.

These early release areas were chosen on the basis that they were consistent with the local councils' previous consultation process or approved structure plans.

ULDA Chief Executive Officer Paul Eagles said a focussed consultation exercise had been undertaken in the run-up to the release of the draft development schemes.

"We have also held a number of meetings with state agencies and other stakeholders regarding these new master-planned communities," Mr Eagles said.

"Workshops have been held with town planners, social planners, parks and reserves officers and specialist engineers from Ipswich and Logan City Councils.

"However, now broader community consultation will take place following the release of these draft documents.

"This consultation program will include community information sessions at various venues in Yarrabilba, Ripley Valley and Flagstone, plus website updates, newsletter distributions and public advertising."

The draft schemes are available to download from the ULDA's website at: www.ulda.qld.gov.au

Ends.

Media Contact: Thea Phillips 0400 232 341

BACKGROUND NOTE FOR NEWSDESKS

    * The Yarrabilba UDA covers approximately 2,220 hectares, about 45 kilometres south of the Brisbane CBD. Most of the area is former pine plantation and the boundary generally aligns with a master plan submitted to the former Beaudesert Shire Council in 2004.
    * The Ripley Valley UDA covers an area of 4,688 hectares and is adjacent to existing urban development in the southern outskirts of the Ipswich area, about six kilometres from the Ipswich CBD.
    * The Flagstone UDA is a non-contiguous area of 7,163 hectares dominated by rural and rural-residential development and is about 40 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD. It is close to the Bromelton State Development Area which is expected to be a major employment generator as it is progressively developed.