At first glance, the Draft FNQ 2025 Regional Plan looks like it could be a big step forward for the environment of Far North Queensland. For the time being, Myola, Koah-Clohesy is safe from intensive urban development and the Kuranda Range Road is off the agenda for the time being. New development is being steered away from the coast and hill slopes. Mission Beach and the Daintree are recognised for their high biodiversity, and Transit Oriented Development is planned for major centres in Cairns, which necessitates further development of public transport.

While it looks like we have cause to be cautiously optimistic, don’t forget that this is a draft document and could change considerably in regards to public submissions. Also remember that the value of the plan will be in its ability to implement its commitments. It is the mechanisms for implementation, mostly embedded within the Plan’s statutory provisions which we will be carefully evaluating in conjunction with the Environmental Defenders Office of Far North Queensland to see that they measure up. As always, the devil is in the detail!

We encourage everyone to take a look at the Draft FNQ 2025 Plan and see for yourself if it measures up to your expectations and aspirations for the region over the next 20 years.

The plan in available online at: http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/regional-planning/far-north-queensland.html and public submissions close on the 8th August 2008.

CAFNEC’s full evaluation of the Draft Plan will be available on our website at www.cafnec.org.au by mid June, as well as pro former submissions to aid in making your submission. We will also publish our evaluation as part of the June e-newsletter. Below is a summary of the key components of the Draft Plan for your information.

Please lodge a submission on the Draft FNQ 2025, and remember, include some comments about what you like in there as well as improvements and amendments which you feel should be made.

Summary of the main components of the Draft Plan

Land designations

Under the Regional Plan, the entire region will be divided into three land categories:

1.Urban Footprint
2.Rural Residential
3.Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area (RLPPA)

All new urban growth will be focused within the urban footprint. The Department of Infrastructure (DIP) has estimated that there is 15 years growth available within existing urban areas, and a further 5 years expansion area will be needed to cater for projected population growth within the plan’s 20 year timeframe. Most of this extra urban land supply will be catered for within the Southern corridor of Cairns.

There will be no more land released in FNQ for rural residential subdivision. With 7 million ha used for this already, it is considered that there is enough rural residential land to cater for demand until the year 2025.

The minimum lot size in the RPRLA will be 60 ha. This zone (which makes up by far the largest area in the region) will be managed to protect its natural and agricultural values.

Two year window for new applications
Whilst the Draft Regional Plan has some good directions, in unfortunately has provided a big loop hole, in allowing a two year time frame for applications for those with existing development rights to lodge a development application under the old planning scheme zonings. These applications will be managed by local government and may lead to an acceleration of unsustainable development which goes against the strategic direction of FNQ 2025.

Preferred Settlement Pattern
The draft preferred settlement pattern for FNQ focuses most new urban development on Cairns itself. Some of this will be catered for within the existing city limits, or so called “in fill” areas and some will be provided for in new areas, mostly in the Southern corridor. It is expected that Cairns will absorb 70% of new residents to the region which is estimated to be around 70,000 new residents to the city in the next 20 years.

The remaining 30% are expected to be taken up in other regional centres, namely Atherton, Cardwell, Innisfail, Mossman, Tully and Mareeba. All of these centres have growth provided for within their footprints.

Kuranda Range Road
For the time being, the Kuranda Range Road is OFF the agenda. The language used is that there is no short to medium term commitment by the State government to fund the Kuranda Range Road- and if there is in the longer term it will still take 15 years to build. Therefore, the Kuranda Range Road will not be operational during the term of the Plan (ie within the next 20 years) and therefore does not feature in their planning projections.

Myola
A major new urban node is also off the agenda. For the time being, the unique ecological values of the Myola Valley are safe from the scale of development which was proposed under the FNQ 2010 Plan. The reasons cited for this is that this additional land is not required for residential land supply and there will be no Kuranda Range Rd to service a huge increase in population here anyway.

Clohesy- Koah
For the same reasons as Myola, urban expansion into the Koah and Clohesy areas is not included in the draft plan. These areas will remain predominantly in the RLRPA.

Mission Beach
Whilst the horse has already bolted on inappropriate development in Mission Beach, with around ten major subdivisions already grated approval under the Cardwell and Johnstone Shire councils, any new development of this sort will be precluded. The draft Urban footprint in Mission Beach wraps around existing approved areas and no more. Mission Beach is sited as “high level biodiversity” area. The Urban footprint wraps the towns of Bingil Bay, Wongaling, North and South Mission beach individually, allowing for the areas in between to be protected for conservation and wildlife migration.

Daintree
The Daintree is also listed as an area of high biodiversity value. Further development of the Daintree will be very limited.

Mt Peter
The Mt Peter valley will be a major new, master planned urban node in Far North Queensland. It is considered to be one of the last undeveloped areas around Cairns with few natural constraints. It will include new commercial, business and light industrial areas, and mixed density residential areas. It is planned to take up a large proportion of new residents in the Cairns area.

Hill slopes
Development on hill slopes will also be more limited under the draft Plan than it was previously, with no development on a slope of 1:4 or more permitted with the “scenic rim” of the urban footprint. In the RLRPA area, development on a slope of 1:6 will not be permitted.

Coastal Development
Under the draft plan, new development has been steered away from the coast, for various reasons. These include conservation, storm surge, exposure to cyclones and sea level rise. Undeveloped coastal areas are not included in the draft urban footprint. Development at East Trinity is also off the agenda.

Integrated Resort Development
Tourist Resort development with a residential component will no longer be permitted under this Plan, outside of the urban footprint. This is to prevent residential subdivisions occurring far from town services and necessary infrastructure under the guise of a “resort”. This rule would have prevented approvals at False Cape and Ella Bay, had it been brought in earlier. Whilst False Cape has already been granted approval, Ella Bay is still pending, and this rule may help to prevent it.

Transit Oriented Development (TODs)
TODs are cited as the preferred pattern of urban settlements, particularly within Cairns. Transit oriented means that centres are integrated with public transport. This is highly desirable from an environmental perspective, however we will have to wait for infrastructure budgets to see how great the commitment to developing TODs in Cairns are, and whether public transport provision will be supply or demand led.

Wildlife Corridors
Whilst the plan claims to have taken account of EPA mapping of regional wildlife corridors, these do not appear to be given greater status under the draft plan, other than excluding them where possible from the urban footprint. As a region wide network of habitat corridors are essential for the ecological function of our wildlife communities, CAFNEC will be lobbying for these corridors to be given some form of higher status under the plan’s statutory provisions.

Sustainability Indicators
The draft plan makes reference to “performance indicators” to which desired outcomes will be aligned; there is little detail of what these indicators will be. Nor is there any mention of more general Sustainability Indicators being integrated into the plan.

Implementation and Review
The draft Plan must be reviewed at a minimum of every 10 years.

The contents of a separate document “State Planning Regulatory Provisions” will largely determine how the Regional Plan will be implemented. It is to this document which CAFNEC will turn its attention to in the coming months, to try and identify any discrepancies or possible loop holes. Our finding will be published on our website for all to view.

To contact us about your concerns and ideas on FNQ 2025, on (07) 4032 1746 or email project@cafnec.org.au

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