South East Queensland Regional Plan

Background

The draft was released in October 2004 and was displayed for public comment until 25/02/2005. The final Plan was released mid 2005.The area of influence of the plan includes Brisbane and the coastal shires of Noosa, Maroochy, Caloundra, Caboolture, Redcliffe, Redland and Gold Coast, as well as the rural shires of Kilcoy, Pine Rivers , Esk, Toowoomba, Gatton, Laidley, Ipswich, Boonah, Logan and Beaudesert.

Future development, including infrastructure planning, will be required to have outcomes in line with the objectives of the final Plan. The Plan will form the basis of priorities for future government spending and a strategy to change well established community attitudes to lifestyle areas like car and water usage. The suburban environments of Brisbane and even small towns like Rathdowney, Kilcoy or Laidley face major change as the density increases in the existing developed areas due to the "frozen" footprint of the city and the towns and villages.

There has been extensive research into every aspect of the living environment across the SEQ area and the Plan is essentially the strategy for achieving the objectives of the "Desired Regional Outcomes" in the areas of:

1.    Natural environment, resources and rural production
2.    Urban form
3.    Strong communities
4.    A diverse economy
5.    Integrated transport
6.    Infrastructure and services
7.    Engaging aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Future development within the footprint has been planned for the area north of Brisbane along the rail line around the existing centres of Caboolture and North Lake . Intensive development is planned for the south of Brisbane around the existing centres of Ripley and Springfield . As yet, no announcement has been made that the southern centres will be serviced by rail, but future provision has been considered in recent developments in these areas.

The Impact of Change

Many of ideals expressed are highly desirable but the cost will increase house lot prices. The goal of a better lifestyle deserves community support, but in some areas the plan may result in property owners being unfairly disadvantaged and a loss of lifestyle options for others.

Already, many areas of government responsibility including law and order, health, education, water supply and roads are considered inadequate to deal with issues arising from the existing level of development. Therefore, there must be some reservations that the idyllic goals can in fact be delivered. Can the benefits outweigh the negatives of the increased density of Brisbane and the surrounding towns and villages?

There is no doubt that the Government can influence development and resultant lifestyle change. The Plan proposes to achieve this by economic priority to projects that support their objectives and the sanction of other projects by the force of regulation. It is likely that this plan will form the basis of development for many years to come. Whilst contemporary Australians have demonstrated willingness to firmly reject outcomes that force them to change lifestyle choices that they value strongly, many people will now be faced with important property decisions on the basis of this Plan.

Property Issues

A main strategy of the plan is to freeze the existing areas of development, to prevent urban sprawl. Increasing the density in existing areas will support the objective of forcing people to rely on public transport instead of private car usage. However, some of the changes that are likely to occur as a result of this strategy include:

•    A new suburban environment, as houses are replaced with units.
•    More congested suburban street parking as the "frozen" development footprint areas force density increases in both unit and single dwelling areas
•    More congested shopping facilities with parking forced to overflow to surrounding streets
•    A deterioration of lifestyle as the already increasing incidence of crime escalates further with the increased density
•    Slower travel times as the roads become even more choked by people who can no longer afford to live in the city
•    Higher living costs caused by business forced to increase prices
•    Residents forced to pay increased rates for the upgrading of roads and drainage infrastructure
•    Increased home prices forced up by redevelopment values
•    Increased cost of new units as a result of developers being forced to provide public housing
•    Property values in investigative areas are likely to fall in the face of almost inevitable consolidation and redevelopment
•    Water restrictions forced on to residents by the decision to sell off the only land suitable for a dam to service Brisbane and the Gold Coast that had already been acquired for that purpose
•    The loss of the option to buy a small rural block to enjoy a horse and some poultry as frozen footprints will apply to small towns like Rathdowney, Kilcoy or Laidley
•    Rural property owners who have been waiting for the "right time" to develop their land are likely to find that it has limited or no development potential

Questions or Answers

Clearly, the impact of these changes should be considered in relation to existing or new properties. There could be a risk of overcapitalisation to house properties in areas where the highest and best use will be for multi unit development, or where the houses are close to shopping or transport facilities. Will the existing larger residential lots achieve a premium value as availability diminishes? Will the medium sized rural land decline in relative value due to lost potential?

Residents who are dissatisfied with the lifestyle changes brought about by this Plan or are unable to cope with the economic impact are likely to consider relocation to areas beyond the influence of the plan. Identification of advantages and disadvantages to regional Queensland will be hard to predict but planners have already warned of problems with roads and water supply, relocation of the aged unable to afford living in SEQ and the loss of medical professionals.

Owners of existing property and purchasers of new property should carefully consider the long-term consequences of the Plan and try to identify possible threats or opportunities to their assets. In some cases property could be subject to both advantages and disadvantages and professional assistance may be required to become better informed for future planning and decision making.

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