Our City Our Plan

The Special purpose zone is one of 23 zones the City uses to regulate land uses in City Plan.

The purpose of the Special Purpose zone is:

to provide for public uses that are owned or operated by a government, statutory authority, government owned corporation, local government or private organisation in the course of a public utility undertaking, such as a defence establishment, airport, sea port, rail line, railway station, or the provision of water supply, sewerage, electricity, gas, telecommunications, transport, drainage or other like services.

Most land contained within the Special purpose zone is regulated by other legislation or is not subject to planning and development control under the City Plan. Examples includes:

• Gold Coast Airport which is primarily regulated by the Airports Act 1996 and its own master plan created under that Act
• State road corridors which are primarily regulated by the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994;
• Numinbah Correctional Centre which has been declared a prison under the Corrective Services Act 2006 and the Correctional Services Regulation 2006 (also designated as Community Infrastructure); and
• Defence training land in Clagiraba and Lower Beechmont which are Defence Practice Areas regulated under the Defence Act 1903.

In addition, many public utility sites are listed as Land Designated as Community Infrastructure in Schedule 5 of City Plan and are therefore exempt development. Examples include water cycle management (water and waste water) and waste management infrastructure, the light rail corridor and heavy rail extension corridors, and ‘operating works’ under the Electricity Act 1994 for specified Transmission Lines.

 The special purpose zoned areas on Map 18 include the:

• Gold Coast-Brisbane Rail Corridor; and
• Coombabah Treatment Plant.

If you want to know more about the zone please refer to our Council website for more information https://cityplan.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/eplan/

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning
City Planning
City of Gold Coast

PDF maps of the proposed changes can be found on our website at: 

Building height - https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/Building-height-overlay.pdf (Map 26 shows Biggera Waters)

Residential density - https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/Residential-density.pdf (Map 9 shows Biggera Waters)

Zoning - https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/Zone-round-4.pdf (Map 20 shows Biggera Waters)

I can also inform you that the zoning, height and density designations for the residential properties in Vaggelas Crescent, Annoula Avenue and Margaroola Avenue, Biggera Waters are as follows:

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team

The Environmental significance overlay code has been designed to prioritise the protection of matters of environmental significance based on whether they are located inside or outside of a Biodiversity area (as mapped on Environmental significance - Biodiversity areas overlay map). Biodiversity areas have been mapped based on their ecosystem value. All mapped vegetation, priority species habitat (including koala habitat), and wetland and waterways, identified within a mapped Biodiversity area are afforded a higher level of protection (protected in situ).

To provide a balanced approach to manage growth and protection of the environment, environmental values outside of mapped Biodiversity areas are to be protected where possible, and any unavoidable impacts are to be minimised or offset.

The Our City Our Plan amendment package does not propose any changes to this approach.

Kind regards

Environment Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast 

You can access the amended City Plan documents from all four rounds of consultation via https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/our-city-our-plan-amendments-51801.html

Our consultation page https://gchaveyoursay.com.au/ourcityourplan has links to view the amended documents as well as other supporting information.

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast 

Changes to development applications/approvals are provided for under State legislation. The City Plan’s Transport code provides the relevant assessment benchmarks for assessing proposed developments, including the provision of off-street car parking.  The assessment benchmarks apply to both new development applications and change applications to existing development approvals.

The assessment of proposed number of car parking spaces is required to demonstrate how supply meets the needs of the development.  The off-street car parking rates in the Transport code will apply differently in certain areas based on proximity to centres and public transport.  This provides an appropriate balance between the supply of off-street car parking and the reduced need to travel by car in these locations.

The Gold Coast Oceanway includes current and planned projects towards the 36-kilometre network of shared cycle and pedestrian pathway.  

The current oceanway improvement projects include Palm Beach North, Surfers South and Tugun to Bilinga.  Oceanway projects planned within the network include Currumbin, Main Beach, Mermaid Beach, Palm Beach South and Tugun.

The Mermaid Beach oceanway project (between Peerless Avenue and Chairlift Avenue) is planned to be delivered by the Queensland Government as part of the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3.

Additional information on the Gold Coast Oceanway is available on Council’s website: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/gold-coast-oceanway-47660.html

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast 

The Our City Our Plan amendment for the fourth round of consultation does not change the proposed the Light rail urban renewal overlay area for Main Beach advertised during the second round of consultation.

The City has undertaken a built form review within the existing Light rail urban renewal overlay area in response to stakeholder feedback. The review revealed the City needs to focus on improving the design of the ground floor of buildings in the light rail urban renewal corridor overlay area. A number of key improvements to the Strategic framework and the Light rail urban renewal overlay code are proposed in Our City Our Plan amendment  to ensure any future development in the Light rail urban renewal corridor overlay area creates a high-quality public realm and positively contributes to the City’s lifestyle. 

The following key amendments apply to Main Beach for the Light rail urban renewal corridor overlay area:

• Introducing the new ‘Transition areas’ precinct on the Overlay map (eastern side of Main Beach Parade only).
• Introducing new assessable development benchmarks for the Light rail urban renewal corridor overlay area.
• Introducing additional assessable development benchmarks which specifically apply to the Frame areas and Transition areas.
• Introducing new specific outcomes for the light urban renewal area in the Strategic framework (3.4.2 Element – Architecture and urban design).
  
  

The ‘Frame areas’ precinct in Main Beach includes new setbacks and site cover provisions within the Light rail urban renewal area overlay code. This precinct seeks to support a building base up to 8 metres in height, with specific Setbacks and site cover provisions as height increases for the building above.  Building separation distances have increased compared to the Primary and Secondary precincts to achieve a deliberate sense of spaciousness in this urban environment.

The ‘Transition areas’ precinct in Main Beach also includes new Setbacks and site cover provisions within the Light rail urban renewal area overlay code.  This precinct seeks to support a building base up to 5 metres in height, with specific setbacks and site cover as height increases for the building above.  Building separation distance are deliberately higher compared to all other precincts to further support the sense of spaciousness in this part of Main Beach.

The current round of public consultation does include some changes to the Light rail urban renewal area overlay code – relating to terminology, landscape areas and consideration of the future development potential of adjoining sites. In addition, the overlay map has been updated for areas in Southport and Mermaid Beach. 

The proposed Light rail urban renewal corridor overlay area overlap map can be found at: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/Light-rail-urban-renewal-area-overlay.pdf

The proposed Light rail urban renewal corridor overlay area overlap code can be found at: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/MAJOR_UPDATE_2_AND_3_PART_8_._2_._12_LIGHT_RAIL_URBAN_RENEWAL_AREA_OVERLAY.pdf 

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast 

Thank you for your feedback and support of the proposed changes to Item 22 and 23 of the Our City Our Plan amendment package. 

Should you wish to make a formal submission, video instructions and a link to the submission portal can be found on the GC Have Your Say website at https://gchaveyoursay.com.au/ourcityourplan.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further information on making a submission.

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast

The Our City Our Plan amendment package includes changes to zoning and building height on Sovereign Island.  This includes a new Sovereign Island precinct.

The changes are proposed to reinforce the area’s large house character and ensure building height are in line with the City Plan’s intent for the area.  

The land uses intended within the Sovereign Island precinct consist of Dwelling houses or Home based business.  Any building heights exceeding the Building height overlay map are not anticipated. Multiple dwelling land uses are also not anticipated.

Existing development approvals for Multiple dwellings are valid, providing it has not lapsed and any appeal action has been resolved. Please note, the Our City Our Plan amendments do not affect or further regulate existing development approvals.

For further information on the proposed changes, please refer to the Our City Our Plan Sovereign Island factsheet available on Council’s website.

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast

The City Plan includes a Solid waste management policy which provides guidelines for the storage and collection of solid waste and recyclable material for new development. 

The Solid waste management code regulates development to provide for the storage and collection of solid waste.  

The development assessment process requires applicants to demonstrate how proposed developments comply with this code including (but not limited to) the size of waste bins, size of storage points, and waste servicing locations.  These requirements may form part of the conditions of approval to provide certainty on the waste management procedures.  

All developments (existing and approved) are also subject to Local Law No. 8 (Public Health, Safety and Amenity) 2008 to define nuisances caused by domestic and commercial waste bins. 

Information on the City’s commitment to maintaining the health of our environment and quality of life are available on Council’s website: 

https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/community/council-environment-health-services-3594.html.  This includes links to report any nuisances caused by waste bins left on street in your neighbourhood.

Council has also developed a Litter and Illegal Dumping Reduction Plan, which aims to slow this growth and change littering and illegal dumping behaviours across the city. Information on this Plan is available at: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/litter-illegal-dumping-reduction-plan-6038.html. You can also report litter and illegal dumping at this website.

Council’s Solid Waste Strategy 2024 has been developed to address waste management challenges, including consideration of population growth, tourists and growth in commerce and industry. Information on the Strategy is available at: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/solid-waste-strategy-23703.html. Council’s website includes information about other programs related to waste management, such as the High Rise Recycling Project, at: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/environment/recycling-reducing-waste-24075.html

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast

The City monitors and manages its demand of trunk infrastructure (including water supply, sewerage, transport, stormwater quality and public parks and land for community facilities networks) and services through its growth monitoring program and infrastructure demand modelling. These programs of work are reviewed regularly to ensure that the city’s levels and quality of infrastructure and services meet the endorsed standards that are outlined in the Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) within Part 4 of the City Plan. 

The City is also required to update its LGIP every five (5) years to ensure that trunk infrastructure is planned and provided in a cost effective, efficient and orderly manner. 

The City implemented a new LGIP on 27 June 2018 and City officers have commenced the preparation of the next revision of the LGIP to identify the infrastructure necessary to support the intended urban development pattern in the City Plan.

Kind regards

Strategic Urban and Regional Planning Team
City Planning
City of Gold Coast