City of Gold Coast Planning and Development Hub

The City of Gold Coast (City) is seeking feedback from developers and industry on the City’s plans for changes to large water meter installations (50mm and above).

Historically, all of the City’s large water meters have been installed below ground in plastic or cement meter pits outside of the property boundary. The proposed changes will see larger meters installed above ground and on lot. The changes are applicable for new water meter installations and reconfigurations only with existing meter installations being assessed on a case by case basis when replacement is required.

The changes will be implemented in approximately six months' time and will improve accessibility to the meters, extend their lifespan and reduce workplace health and safety issues associated with accessing underground meter pits. The changes will also align the City’s standards with other water service providers, including those in South East Queensland.

The plans and drawings detailing the changes are provided here for viewing.

Please provide your feedback on these planned changes to watermeters@goldcoast.qld.gov.au by 31 January 2018.

The Planning Regulation 2017 Schedule 18 changes the application process for approval of a plan of subdivision (plan sealing). Council has been reviewing the new application and decision requirements to bring our plan of subdivision assessment process (plan sealing) and documents in line with the new requirements

Schedule 18 of the Planning Regulation sets out application, assessment and decision requirements for approving plans of subdivision. Like other application processes, applicants will be required to front load their applications to ensure they meet all relevant approval requirements. New Council application forms will acknowledge the completion of all previous development permit obligations, prior to lodgement of the plan of subdivision with Council. This step is designed to help ensure that all material is lodged with Council at the necessary time.

A separate communication will be released on Monday 3 July detailing the changes and providing information on how the City will transition to the new requirements.

Council will be allowing a transition period where the current Council plan sealing application kit forms will be accepted for the first two weeks of July.

A workshop will also be arranged inviting applicants to provide feedback on the new process requirements following an initial ‘go live’ period.

New forms and associated documents will be available on the website from 3 July 2017. Feedback and/or queries regarding Council’s new process and documentation are encouraged via plansealing@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

On 17 May 2017, Council resolved to adopt Minor & Administrative Update 3 and the Planning Act Alignment update, as amendments to the City Plan.

What does this mean?

City Plan Version 4 will commence on 3 July 2017, incorporating the above updates, and supersedes City Plan Version 3.

What do you need to know?

City Plan Version 4 and the content of each update package will be accessible via the City Plan internet page on 3 July 2017.

To assist applicants with the preparation of applications City Plan Version 4 code templates are now available to download here.

The interactive mapping website will be updated to show Version 4 content on 3 July 2017 (if the latest version is not visible, you may need to ‘hard refresh’ by pressing Ctrl + F5). Versions 1, 2 and 3 will also be available.

Dekho will also be updated to include Version 4. Version 3 and 2003 Planning Scheme layers will remain. However, due to technical limitations, Version 2 mapping layers will be removed.

Notable changes

Minor & Administrative Update 3 has resulted in over 160 changes, 92 of which were made based on feedback received through ‘Improve our City Plan’.

Planning Act Alignment update aligns the City Plan terminology with the Planning Act 2016, and changes have been made to facilitate bounded assessment.

Our online calendar is now live, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of City events and training as well as key industry activities relevant to planning and development industry professionals. This calendar will be continually updated throughout the year and we welcome ideas and feedback on other relevant events.

View calendar

If you would like to provide event information for publishing on the calendar please email details to Martine Cousins mcousins@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

The City is now accepting applications for Pre-Assessment Standard Format Plan Sealing. The pre-assessment process aims to assist in reducing assessment timeframes for Standard Format Plan applications. The application kit is designed to guide applicants through the process for all plan sealing applications. The pre-assessment process will focus on providing the applicant with as much up front information as possible for lodging Standard Format Plan Sealing applications and gaining compliance with conditions.

If you submit an application with all information identified in the pre-assessment, the City commits to providing a decision within 10 business days.

For further details on the process, including downloading the application kit, high level end-to-end process flow and an example of a completed Compliance Report, please see cityofgoldcoast.com.au/plansealing

The City is conducting a review of the pavement design standards required under the City Plan Land Development Guidelines (City Plan LDG’s).

The review will consider a number of issues including the costs associated with pavement construction; whole of life costs to ensure the standards do not result in an unacceptable maintenance burden on Council; and whether the design standards are comparable with the requirements of other local governments in South East Queensland.

Until the current review of the pavement design requirements under the City Plan LDG’s is complete and any consequential amendments have commenced:

• The City will apply the most recent version of Planning Scheme Policy 11 – Land Development Guidelines pavement design requirements to permissible change requests where the existing development approval currently requires compliance with the City Plan LDG’s pavement design requirements.

• The City will condition future development approvals to require compliance with the most recent version of Planning Scheme Policy 11 – Land Development Guidelines pavement design requirements.

These interim requirements will take effect immediately. Applicants who have existing development approvals that require compliance with the pavement design requirements in the City Plan LDG’s may submit a permissible change request at their earliest convenience.

It is presently expected that Council will consider whether to adopt amendments to the existing City Plan LDG’s in response to the review in the second half of 2017. Any proposed amendments to the City Plan LDG’s will follow the process required under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 which includes public notification requirements.

It is envisaged that once the City Plan LDG pavement review is complete and any consequential amendments are adopted all future applications (including OPW applications) submitted after commencement will be conditioned to comply with the revised City Plan LDG requirements. Council will provide further details about the transitional arrangements closer to the date of commencement of any proposed changes.

City officers have received queries on determining the level of assessment for boundary realignments – that is, rearranging the boundaries of a lot that does not result in any additional lots being created. Accordingly, the following advice is provided:

Under City Plan section 5.6 Levels of assessment - Reconfiguring a lot, Table 5.6.1, the types of reconfiguring a lot that are code assessable includes:

Any reconfiguring a lot that…: (a) rearranges the boundaries of a lot and results in no additional lots…

In this table, any of the types of reconfiguring a lot that are listed under the code assessment heading qualify as being code assessable. This level of assessment is provided across all zones. The minimum lot size does not apply to boundary realignments.

The assessment criteria is also provided in this table. It is important to note that applicants will still need to demonstrate compliance with the applicable criteria. That is, the code assessable level of assessment does not negate the need to demonstrate compliance with the lot design requirements in the applicable zone code.

Council has also received queries in the relation to the level of assessment for the creation of lots in open space and conservation zones within a broader subdivision, where those lots are to be dedicated to Council or State. This can be a common occurrence for large subdivision proposals over sites that have more than one zoning.

The following note is included within section 5.6 Levels of assessment - Reconfiguring a lot, Table 5.6.1: The lot size referenced does not apply to land that is to be dedicated to Council or State for open space or infrastructure purposes.

Provided the lot is to be dedicated to Council or State for open space or infrastructure purposes (for example, for a recreational park, stormwater device, sewerage pump station, etc.) the development application can remain as code assessable, regardless of the proposed lot size. The area needed for open space or infrastructure will still need to meet the relevant City Plan requirements.

Where the lot is not to be dedicated to Council or State for open space or infrastructure purposes, it will be subject to the requirements included in Table 5.6.1. For example, a proposed residential allotment in the Open space zone will trigger impact assessment.

This aligns with how material change of use proposals are treated in these situations – refer to http://www.gchaveyoursay.com.au/industryhub/news_feed/sites-included-in-more-than-one-zone

Contractors and engineering consultants please be aware that operational faults or failures to the City’s live water supply and sewerage networks requiring an urgent response are to be reported to Gold Coast Water and Waste on 1300 000 928 to conduct the necessary urgent repairs. Operational faults or failures requiring an urgent response include the gushing of water and sewer spills. This applies to all live infrastructure, whether deemed on or off maintenance.

Operational repairs undertaken by Gold Coast Water and Waste as a result of damage from a contractor, or damage to infrastructure that is deemed ‘on-maintenance’, will be invoiced to the contractor.

Non-urgent defects that can be repaired by the contractor for assets that are ‘on-maintenance’ include damaged meter boxes or lids, lowering or raising of valves/manholes/hydrants/meters, damage to sewer lids, or slow leaking at meter box/stop tap/ fire hydrant/etc. Those non-urgent defects that require shutting down the network will require connection applications to be submitted to Gold Coast Water and Waste’s Asset Audit and Handover Section for approval. Note that only Gold Coast Water and Waste are permitted to operate and shut down their networks.

As we prepare for a busy 2017 and in order to help applicants progress through the DA process with ease, we would like to remind you that each application needs to be lodged with the mandatory supporting information.

It is important to ensure that the application is on the approved IDAS form/s, has owner’s consent, and the appropriate fee for administering the application is allocated. Correct IDAS forms and supporting information enables the pre-assessment process to be undertaken without delay, resulting in applications being deemed properly made and progressing to the next IDAS stage of the development assessment process.

However, if your application fails to satisfy any of the requirements under Section 260 of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA), and is lodged with any of the following, it will result in a 'Not Properly Made Notice' being issued to the applicant under Section 266.

1. additional applications forms not required for the proposed application,

2. relevant boxes not ticked or too many ticked on the application forms,

3. a cover page being copied from previous applications therefore misleading as the information pertains to a different application,

4. insufficient site information, inadequate information to pre-assess the application,

5. incorrect fees or no break-down of fees or no attempt to calculate our fees and charges, and

6. no owners consent or consent requirements as per SPA.

The 'Not Properly Made Notice' then stalls the pre-assessment process as the applicant must take the action as mentioned in the notice within 20 business days. If the required action is not undertaken within the prescribed period, the application will lapse in accordance with Section 266(3) of SPA.