Queensland State Planning

The SPP is the document set to guide development in Queensland into the future through its influence on local planning schemes, regional plans and designation of community infrastructure. The release of the SPP demarcates a fundamental shift in State policy from ‘sustainability’ to ‘prosperity’. This article discusses how the changes will affect the assessment of biodiversity values.

SARA is part of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (DSDIP) and becomes the ‘one stop shop’ for development assessments involving one or multiple State departments. The Queensland Government is also proposing a single State Planning Policy (SPP) that will represent all the State’s interests in planning and development in Queensland. This article explores the development and implications of the ‘one-stop shop’.