Premier Statement: ULDA transfers powers back to local councils

[ozbob]

Premier
The Honourable Campbell Newman

Thursday, May 31, 2012

ULDA transfers powers back to local councils

The Newman Government today announced it had starting transferring planning powers back to 17 local governments from the Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA).

Premier Campbell Newman said the Urban Land Development Authority, or ULDA Board, will delegate its development assessment functions to councils.

"The LNP Government believes it is important to shift power back to local government and where appropriate, give this tier of government the autonomy to make decisions for their communities," Mr Newman said

"This is about empowering local governments to make local planning decisions.

"It is important councils have stronger input in planning decisions because they know their local communities best and they will make more effective decisions with these powers."

Mr Newman said the delegation process will be progressively rolled out to all 17 Urban Development Areas (UDAs) in Queensland. The Brisbane UDAs of Fitzgibbon, Northshore Hamilton, Bowen Hills and Woolloongabba will be the first to transfer.

"While in the longer term, the transfer of powers may become broader and require legislative amendment, this is a good and quick first step, and key to the state government's agenda to create a more efficient planning and development assessment system," Mr Newman said.

"The Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning will work closely with the ULDA and local governments to ensure this transition is achieved smoothly and as quickly as possible".

Section 136 of the ULDA Act allows the ULDA to delegate its functions to the Chief Executive Officer or an appropriately qualified officer of a local government.

The delegations will apply to new development applications to avoid disruption to existing development applicants and land owners.

"I would like to assure property owners within existing UDAs that they will not be adversely affected by this decision; it is business as usual", Mr Newman said.

"Using the delegation clause in the Act means newly elected mayors and councils can get on with the job of planning their local communities – which is what they were just elected to do.

"However, councils will need to perform to the same standards and timeframes that ULDA has to ensure the delegations continue."

The State Government continues to deliver on its promise to empower local governments to better plan for their communities, which is part of the Government's 100 day plan.

[ENDS]

Not overly optimistic that this will do much at all in reality.  More planning failure no doubt ..

[SurfRail]

ULDA and South Bank Corporation are the only organisations outside councils with planning powers that know what they are doing and can actually get things done, and they are now being decommissioned.  Real good move.

At the same time, they are just as boisterous about threatening to "call in" projects as ever before, so all the stuff about local democracy in action is just bollocks.

[Jonno]

What a Catch 22.  UDLA had good urban design conepts/plans but their Transport Plans were woeful!!!!  No public transport till 200 residents, min public transport and the best was a 30 m in frequency.  FAIL FAIL FAIL!!!  Mind uou we now hand it back to Councils who have poor urban design conepts/plans AND woeful Transport Plans.  Hope we all like the smell of toxic pollutants in our air!!

[O_128]

It would be good if councils were able to enact ULDA powers on large sites i.e. over a certain amount of acres to allow visions to come to reality. The gabba, bowen hills should get this

[ozbob]

The ram shackle public transport network is a fine example of " local planning decisions " ....

Looking forward to the next great wave of planning failure ...

[BrizCommuter]

The ram shackle public transport network is a fine example of " local planning decisions " ....

Looking forward to the next great wave of planning failure ...

More Koala habitat flattening urban sprawl, maybe with a 2 hourly bus service if you are lucky.

[colinw]

The ram shackle public transport network is a fine example of " local planning decisions " ....

Looking forward to the next great wave of planning failure ...

More Koala habitat flattening urban sprawl, maybe with a 2 hourly bus service if you are lucky.

Sounds like Yarrabilba to me.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Sounds like Eatons Hill on the weekend

[WTN]

Or like Woop Woop with supermassive freeways crisscrossing all over the new suburbs. With so much land use devoted to roads, the population sprawl will spread even more, just so everyone can drive fast. Next, the CBD of Woop Woop (and the CBDs of its nearest neighbours) will be so decentralised that they can be demolished entirely to make way for an even bigger spaghetti bowl of anywhere to everywhere freeways. No one will live, work or play in the CBD any more.

Welcome to Woop Woop. It's everyone for themselves, by themselves.