IDAS

Development Approval Conditions

Development Approval Conditions

Conditions of development approval specify how a development is to be carried out, usually with the intent to protect or reduce impacts on the environment and amenity of the surrounding area and to ensure that the proposed development is adequately serviced by all necessary civic infrastructure. Conditions generally consist of an action to be carried out and the timing for that action to be undertaken. If neither reasonable nor relevant, conditions may be changed or removed.

This blog outlines the rules under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA) for setting conditions on development approvals, so read on if you wish to better understand the logic behind and the limits to development approval conditions.

How to Expedite DA Processing Time-frames

How to Expedite DA Processing Time-frames

Nobody likes delays. Time is money and that’s certainly true in property development. Holding costs are usually incurred on property prior to the development being complete (i.e. the property is vacant and does not generate an income or the costs of holding the property cannot be recovered by the income). The holding costs also includes ‘opportunity loss’ which is the lost income if the money was to be invested in a lower risk investment option such as a term deposit instead. Therefore, it is usually a priority for most persons involved in property development to get through the process as quickly as possible. In this blog, we highlight the most common delays to Council processing times for development applications (DA) so that you’ll know how to minimise this part of the process. 

Community Consultation in Planning: How the needs and desires of the community are represented in the planning system

Community Consultation in Planning: How the needs and desires of the community are represented in the planning system

Following on from our previous blog where we outlined the role of a town planner in the Queensland town planning system, this month’s blog looks at the (statutory) community consultation aspects of the system. We explain the stages and opportunities available for you to get involved and have your say on planning and development matters in the State of Queensland. Read on to discover how and when you can ensure that your say can have maximum effect.

Town Planning in a Nutshell – It’s Sort of Like the Game Sim City…

Town Planning in a Nutshell – It’s Sort of Like the Game Sim City…

"What is town planning and what does a town planner do?"

“Do you know the game Sim City?”

“Yes.”

“Well, town planning is a little bit like that.”

This is my usual response to the inevitable question after stating what my profession is when meeting someone new...

Most people know the game Sim City and although it is an oversimplification, it provides a nice representation of town planning (and makes it sound a bit fun?).

So if you have ever wondered: “what exactly does a town planner do?” Then continue reading this article. The purpose of this article is to provide a high-level overview of the roles and responsibilities of town planners in the various parts of the planning system in Queensland (our home State).

To begin, the town planning profession is known by several names, all of which aim to describe what we do collectively. These include: urban planning; urban and regional planning; land use planning; statutory planning, city planning and more. The names differ around the world but the roles are fundamentally the same.