Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC) Planning Scheme

Your neighborhood - Review of Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC) Planning Scheme

Within the General Residential Zone, there are sub-zones, called Precincts. Suburban is low density, Next Generation is 4-6 storeys (Redcliffe Peninsula) and Urban is high density. Each property is also subject to overlays that restrict development, eg.  flooding and bushfire hazard.
 

Pluses  - It provides a 20yr framework for development in the area, & land use zoning for the next 10 years. This allows Council to respond to needs of the community and provides certainty for homeowners and developers. 

Minuses - It's a 4471 page document! Because of it’s length & complexity, it can’t be easily understood by the local community. Fact sheets prepared by MBRC are easily misunderstood.

Weaved into the plan is a lot of “red tape”. The big developers have the resources to deal with that, but it will really crush opportunities for “mum & dad” developers.

Standard definitions were introduced by the current Government for Building height, site cover & outermost projection, but  as with the precincts, MBRC have decided to make up their own. In some cases, this will enable 100% of the site to be covered by roofed buildings, leaving no space for landscaping, and infiltration of stormwater. 

The circumstances under which Council will permit altering the natural ground level are unclear.  An increase of 1m has significant impacts to adjoining properties, particularly when the building is built to the boundary.

RED TAPE REDUCTION OPPORTUNITIES 

1. If MBRC adopt the definitions for site cover and outermost projection contained in the Queensland Planning Provisions, lower and less bulky buildings will result and we will be part of a consistent statewide approach. There is a need for these definitions to be included in legislation, so any changes can be debated.
   
2. Delete medium Bushfire overlay for existing suburban areas.

Moreton Bay Region - Strategic Framework

The strategic framework guiding the 20yr vision for MBRC has been significantly revised since last posting- see attached detail for Redcliffe.

Council will prepare a strategy to guide the future development of the Redcliffe-Kippa-Ring major regional activity centre. Until the Strategy is endorsed by Council, long term strategic sites including large land holdings (e.g. Redcliffe showgrounds, Redcliffe harness racing club) are maintained for their current purposes and do not compromise the centre strategy.

Some areas have been flagged for a higher density than the planning scheme zoning, because they have the capacity to change within the 20yr period. The future of publicly owned large land holdings, such as waterfront schools is unknown at this stage. 

The Home Owners Building Guide - Building certification

Congrats QBCC - A great series for renovators!

Building Certification review

In 2011, the state government responded to concerns expressed by Certifiers and others that the system wasn’t working as well as it could. They released a discussion paper to review private building certification. Progress stalled due to a change in Government. It seems we are back on track.

Have your say on the review of the Building Act and building certification Read the discussion paper & get involved!

 

Let’s hope the review achieves real changes and assists certifiers to ensure we can adequately perform our functions.

QLeave

Changes to QLeave requirements now mean work under 150K doesn't attract a levy, up from 80K.  This raises applies to work started after 1 July 2014. Good news for builders of small additions! The new changes won't reduce workers entitlements. QLeave

Pool Safety Certificate

Pool safety certificates are required when selling a property or when leasing property with a pool. Pool owners have until 30 November 2015 to comply with the new pool safety standards, or earlier if their property is sold or leased. Avoid the rush, contact Blue Tongue approvals for your pool safety certificate now!

Blue Tongue Approvals has staff with over 20yrs experience in approving pool fencing to suit State and Federal government requirements. In Queensland, Swimming Pool Safety Inspectors have been licensed since 2010. Before this, there was no requirement to have a Pool Safety Certificate. When the pool is installed, Building Certifiers check the fence to make sure it meets pool fencing requirements.

The advantage of swimming pool safety inspectors who are also Building Certifiers is that they have an excellent understanding of the history of swimming pool safety barrier regulations. On occasions, the legislation governing swimming pool safety certificates is unclear, or your circumstances don’t fit within the parameters of the legislation. Certifiers have excellent problem solving and judgement skills. This enables Blue Tongue Approvals to determine the best way for your pool safety barrier to comply so a Pool Safety Certificate can be issued.


  

Changes to approved plans

There have been a few cases recently where the plans approved by Blue Tongue Approvals don’t match what has been built.  This can cause major problems, the most dramatic of which is that Blue Tongue Approvals can’t finalise your application. If your approved plans don’t match what you want to build, you will need to amend them. Some amendments don’t need formal approval but it’s always a good idea to check with your building certifier before you do the work.

While the agreement to certify your project is with Blue Tongue Approvals, Council is the "record keeper" for your approval documents. If Council doesn't have a copy of the "as-constructed" work, it may cause a problem in the future or when you want to sell the property.