Council responds to SEQ Regional Plan review

Redland City Council has questioned the proposed expansion of the Urban Footprint to accommodate the ambitious population and dwelling targets used by the Queensland Government to inform the draft SEQ Regional Plan 2023 (ShapingSEQ).

Mayor Karen Williams said Redlands Coast already had significant dwelling capacity to accommodate population growth to 2046.

“There is no evidence to expand the urban footprint or provide new growth areas to accommodate the additional residential growth as this draft plan suggests,” Cr Williams said.

“The State Government should support Council in prioritising the delivery of the critical state infrastructure the Redland community is already crying out for, including major road upgrades, enhanced public transport, and improvements to emergency services, health care and schools.

“This approach will ensure our City can continue to grow with the majority of new dwellings being provided in proximity to existing jobs, services, public transport, and lifestyle opportunities.

“Continuing to identify new growth outside the existing urban footprint without any commitments to critical state infrastructure raises serious concerns in maintaining our region’s liveability.”

Council’s formal submission to the Queensland Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning on the draft Regional Plan, further outlines the key matters, concerns and policy positions that Council believes must be considered as part of the ShapingSEQ review.

Cr Williams said that once finalised, ShapingSEQ will be the statutory regional plan for the south-east Queensland region and a state planning instrument.

“As such, Council must ensure that its City Plan aligns with the final ShapingSEQ. It sets a framework for land supply, housing choices, employment opportunities, environmental and amenity factors and lifestyle choices,” she said.

“It is vital therefore that ShapingSEQ provides a responsible and balanced plan which commits to delivering the necessary infrastructure required to meet the needs of the current and future Redlands Coast residents.”

Cr Williams said ShapingSEQ should reflect Council’s preferred future land use intents for Southern Thornlands, as proposed as part of its planning scheme amendment for the area.

“This area is identified by the State in the current Shaping SEQ Regional Plan as an investigation area and has been identified by Council for future employment growth in the city, namely within the Mixed Industry Business Area and Transport Uses precincts, amongst other land uses,” she said.

“There is no evidence basis to justify the inclusion of Southern Thornlands in the Urban Footprint for residential purposes and Council’s longstanding policy intent is not to provide for suburban residential development in this locality.”

The State Government undertook public consultation on the draft ShapingSEQ 2023 Update from 3 August to 20 September 2023.

In its submission, Council questions the dwelling capacity figures used by the Queensland Government to inform the draft SEQ Regional Plan 2023 (ShapingSEQ). Council has requested access to the State Government’s Model for Urban Land Use and Transport Interaction (MULTI) modelling to validate the outputs it has generated.  To date this data has not been provided.

The new MULTI model replaces the Queensland Government Statistician Office (QGSO) population forecasts to 2046 that were publicly released on 12 June 2023, and generated its own set of population and dwelling forecasts, which are still subject to change.

QGSO population projections have previously been the single point of truth for population forecasts. The current ShapingSEQ uses QGSO medium series population and dwelling projections.

The draft Regional Plan anticipates almost six million people (5,948,000) will call south-east Queensland home by 2046, an increase of more than two million people (2,161,800) or a 57 percent increase on 2021 figures for the region.

The draft Regional Plan includes a forecast additional 50,549 residents (or an increase of 31.3 percent) in Redlands Coast by 2046. This represents a total population by 2046 of 212,279 – a significant jump from the current population of approximately 161,700 (latest figures 2021).

Under the QGSO (medium series) forecast released in June, the Redlands Coast was expected to reach a total population by 2046 of 183,649. However, the population forecasts generated by the State Government to inform the draft regional plan are significantly higher. They anticipate the Redlands Coast population will grow by approximately 50,000 people, with the population reaching approximately 212,000 people by 2046.

For more information about the SEQ Regional Plan, go to Shaping SEQ.