Statement: New milestone in Coomera planning

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2012/11/16/new-milestone-in-coomera-planning

Media Statements
Assistant Minister for Planning Reform
Mr Ian Walker
Friday, November 16, 2012

New milestone in Coomera planning

The Newman Government has approved an application which will allow the Gold Coast City Council to move forward with planning for the Coomera Town Centre.

Assistant Minister for Planning Reform Ian Walker said the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning led the State's assessment of the application.

"Under the Coomera Town Centre Structure Plan, the Department was responsible for coordinating and assessing responses from State agencies," Mr Walker said.

"This approval means the proponent's master plan application has appropriately addressed the State interests identified in the structure plan and the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.

"As part of this assessment, our Department worked with the Department of Transport and Main Roads, the applicant and council to resolve some complicated issues relating to the infrastructure needed to support the development.

"The Gold Coast City Council, as the assessment manager, can now move ahead and finalise its decision on the application."

It was determined the application addressed State interests for an area known as Unit 3B, under the Coomera Town Centre Structure Plan.

Unit 3B, located at the corner of Foxwell Road and Finnegan Way, is planned to be a residential estate with retail and commercial outlets, a service station, community uses and open space.

The Assistant Minister said the State Government has introduced a Bill into Parliament to remove the unnecessarily complicated master planning process from the Sustainable Planning Act.

"This process, introduced by the former government, slowed everything down to the point where nothing could happen," he said.

"The changes I am making to the Act provide for a much more sensible approach to planning, and will enable the development of places like Coomera Town Centre to go ahead."

The Coomera Town Centre covers around 680 hectares and when completed, will be home to some 50,000 people and provide regional shopping and business facilities.

[ENDS] 16 November 2012

[SurfRail]

This is going to be good - close access to rail, growing PT network, access to the M1, plenty of local employment to the north and south.

All the more reason to get the Coomera River duplication going...