Rockhampton Regional Council is taking a positive step towards making housing in the Region more affordable and accessible, with proposed changes to the Planning Scheme.
In an effort to create a wider variety of housing choices to increase the overall supply, the proposed changes include smaller lot sizes, more housing types and streamlining approvals.
Planning and Regulation Councillor Grant Mathers said Council is inviting residents to have their say on the proposal with consultation opening today.
"These proposed changes respond to the growing need for increased housing and are designed to deliver tangible outcomes for our community with more residential development opportunities," Cr Mathers said.
"The aim is to make it easier for developers to build more housing options on smaller parcels of land, thereby increasing the overall housing supply and providing more choices for residents.
"The proposed amendment includes reducing the minimum residential lot size for land subdivisions and reducing the minimum site area for dual occupancy and multiple dwellings.
"By reducing minimum lot sizes, we're opening up possibilities for more affordable housing options and greater flexibility for residents who might want to subdivide or consider building a granny flat or similar dwelling on their existing land.
"Residents, community groups, businesses and developers are all encouraged to participate in the consultation process and share their feedback over the next four weeks."
Alongside the focus on housing affordability in Package C of the Planning Scheme, additional amendments to Package B include updates to business zoning rules.
"By simplifying the development approval process and offering greater flexibility in zoning rules, we're aiming to unlock new opportunities for businesses to operate and expand, ultimately stimulating economic activity in our region.
"Particularly as we continue to expand in our northern corridor, we know that from previous studies that there is a need for more specialised shopping centres to accommodate this population growth.
"As a result, these amendments mean more jobs, more homes and more services for our Region.
"Feedback from the public is crucial during the Planning Scheme amendment process to ensure changes align with the needs of our community."
A summary of the major changes to the planning scheme include:
Package B – Commercial
- Change to the zoning of 78 East Street, Mount Morgan from Low Density Residential to Local Centre Zone;
- Changes to the allow a Shopping Centre and Shops within the Specialised Centre Zone to align with a recent Development Approval D/77-2022; and
- Administrative updates to align with the Planning Act.
Package C – Residential
In the low density residential zone:
- Reducing the minimum lot size for land subdivisions from 400m2 to 300m2 for a standard lot and from 600m2 to 300m2 for a rear lot (excluding access);
- Reducing the minimum site area for dual occupancy from 800m2 to 600m2 and multiple dwellings from 1,200m2 to 1,000m2;
- Increasing the density of dwellings for dual occupancy from 1 unit per 400m2 to 1 unit per 300m2 and multiple dwelling from 1 unit per 400m2 to 1 unit per 250m2; and
- Reducing the level of assessment requirements for multiple dwellings from impact assessable to code assessable where located on roads that generate more traffic such as High Street, North Street, Ranger Street, and within 200 metres of a centres zone, park or sport and recreation zone, hospital or university.
In the low-medium density residential zone:
- Reducing the minimum lot size for land subdivisions from 600m2 to 300m2; and
- Reducing the minimum lot size for dual occupancy from 600m2 to 400m2 and multiple dwellings from 1,000m2 to 800m2.
