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.

New planning scheme for Redcliffe

Hi, I have had a few requests to provide more detail on the proposed changes to the planning scheme for the Redcliffe area.  

The current Redcliffe Planning Scheme is based on;

MBRL Project Change Report (50007372 V8), Transport and Main Roads, June 2011 - Figure 2 Existing Land Use Planning w/o Moreton Bay Rail Link, p 15

The proposed changes - MBRC Draft Strategic Framework

 
Red is high density –  at least 60 people and/or jobs per hectare (current density is 20 -25 per hectare)

Dark pink – medium density -at least 35 people and/or jobs per hectare. (current density is 15- 20 hectare)

Light pink areas (Suburban neighbourhood)  - (no change) average density of 11 dwellings per hectare

Purple – industrial (expansion of Clontarf industrial area)

Yellow – is special purpose.

Blue – high density commercial /mixed use zone- schools, TAFE, Hospital, residential on upper floors 

Comment:

There is likely to be 3x the number of people on Redcliffe Peninsula within 20yrs.


Draft Strategic Framework  (Pg  71)

(Yellow areas)

“Special places that contribute to the unique identity of the planning area includes Old Petrie Town, Redcliffe Aerodrome, Scarborough Boat Harbour, Shaftesbury Citizen Centre, Watson Park Convention Centre, Dakabin regional waste facility, Murrumba Downs and Redcliffe wastewater treatment plants. “

Comment:While the Redcliffe wastewater treatment plant is necessary, I do not think of it “as contributing to the unique identity of the area”.

 Draft Strategic Framework (Pg  127)

“The green infrastructure network is incorporated into the design of new development and rehabilitated in accordance with green infrastructure network detailed maps, where possible.”

Comment:
This sounds like developers adjacent to parkland may not need to provide open space within the new development complex. Possibly it is a proposal to sell parkland to developers and convert public open space to private open space .  

More detail will be provided by Council in the coming months.

Building without an approval?

Think again! It's not worth the extra money and the worry.

Here’s what will happen;

1.       You decide to sell the house – you may want to move to another area; upsize or downsize;  you may have experienced a traumatic event like a death in the family or divorce. You want to sell quickly, but a Council search shows unapproved building works, so the sale falls through. Council will follow up, as detailed below.
OR

2.       You might get a new neighbour. For whatever reason, the new neighbour complains to Council about something that interferes with their lifestyle - your dog; your cat; your kids playing the drums etc. Council will investigate the complaint. During the investigation, they discover that there has been an addition or alteration. This will need building and possibly planning approval. Since these are different sections of Council, a request will go to both of these sections to investigate a complaint. So now you have two more Council officers knocking on your door, possibly several months apart. If you tell them to go away, they will come back with a warrant to inspect the property.

In scenario 1 or 2, once Council inspects the property, they will issue a show cause notice asking you why you have built without an approval. If you do nothing, they will issue an enforcement notice requiring you to demolish the structure or obtain an approval. If you ignore it, they will either issue an on the spot fine, or take you to court. Either way, it costs you money. If at some point you decide to get an approval for the unauthorised work instead of demolishing it, you will have to pay for a building approval.  This is the role of Building Certifiers.  Building Certifiers want to approve, inspect and finalise new proposals, so if you happen to find a private building certifier willing to take on your job, treat them with respect. They are likely to ask for;

1.       Architectural plans – drawn by a QBCC registered building designer;

2.       Structural engineering plans – drawn by a RPEQ registered engineer;

3.       Land surveyors plan– showing the location of the addition and property boundaries;

4.       Since no inspections have been carried out during construction, engineering reports (Much more expensive to do retrospectively);

5.       Details of termite management systems (More expensive to install retrospectively);

6.       Details of wall & roof insulation (More expensive to install retrospectively);

7.       Sewer location and depth details;

8.       Details of any Council approvals obtained for the building, such as siting variations, build over sewer approvals and plumbing approvals.

Once you have obtained an approval for the work, there will be conditions attached to the approval which you must complete to obtain a satisfactory final inspection certificate. These often include rectification work and the provisions of certificates for wet area sealing of showers and window glazing. If you can’t provide the certificates within the prescribed time, your application will lapse, meaning your approval is invalid. This allows Council to re- start the process of pursuing you to obtain an approval for the building work. If the building needs rectification work, the occupants are living in a substandard building until the work is done. So isn’t it easier to get an approval before you start work?

 

Blue Tongue Approvals does not certify existing structures.

Merry Christmas!

Blue Tongue Approvals is closed from 24/12/13 until 6/01/14.

Have an enjoyable and safe Christmas and new year.

Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Draft Strategic framework

A brief overview of Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Draft Strategic framework – It is planned that most of the Region will remain as is, with further development of low lying areas around Bribie Island discouraged. High density development will be encouraged around transport corridors, like the Redcliffe Rail link, tripling the 2011 population in the areas marked red (see map below) over the next 20yrs. Narangba and Brendale will become the major industrial areas for the region, with several smaller service areas expanded. Activity centres (coloured blue on the map) are to have multi-storey buildings for shops, offices and educational facilities like schools on lower levels and residential living (units) above.

Early next year Moreton Bay Regional Council will give the community 30 days to view the proposed planning scheme and make submissions. Once the planning scheme is approved by the State Government, redevelopment of land as indicated on the draft strategic framework will be allowed.

 
Attached is a map obtained from the Strategic framework.

Christmas greetings!

Have a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. Blue Tongue Building Approvals will be closed for Christmas from midday Friday December 21, 2012 and will re-open at 8.30 am Monday January 7, 2013.  Thanks for your business during 2012, looking forward to continuing our services during 2013.  

Red tape reduction???

The State Government IDAS application Forms 1 & 2 for building applications were changed on 17/12/12. Instead of ten pages, you now have thirteen pages to complete. Obviously not Santa’s decision - I was good this year!

Here is the link,   IDAS forms 1 & 2

TIP- You can use smarteda for planning applications, but not for building applications.

Don’t stress - Blue Tongue Building Approvals will continue to assist clients who don’t like filling out forms.

Great news for home buyers and renovators!

The forecast for a while (other than being hot, with the possibility of an evening storm) is that interest rates will remain at an incredibly low rate. Thanks RBA - what a lovely Christmas present for everyone in the building and development industry, including building surveyors and town planners!

See Mal Maiden’s report - business report 6/12/12 SMH

Need to lay conduit under a concrete driveway?

This has to be the easiest and cleanest way to install pipes under hard surfaces. Great for owner builders! See more about the “bullet mole” here  http://www.pipeunder.com

Have your say!

There are just over 2 weeks left to put a submission in for the Draft Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme. Once adopted, it will replace the three existing planning schemes – the Caloundra City Plan 2004, the Maroochy Plan 2000 and The Noosa Plan 2006. Have a look at how this impacts you Sunshine Coast Council - draft planning scheme

Brisbane River flood levels

Yesterday, Local Government Minister David Crisafulli announced $1.6 million for Brisbane City Council for flood studies and additional gauges in the Brisbane River. We can only hope Council doesn’t ignore the results this time!

CMC report

Enviro friendly concrete

Looking for environmentally friendly building materials?

Quote from the manufacturer - “A new low emission concrete, developed by Wagners, is set to revolutionise the construction industry.

Branded Earth Friendly Concrete, or EFC, the concrete does not contain ordinary Portland cement which is responsible for the carbon emission intensity of normal concrete. EFC is developed from an eco-friendly alternative known as Geopolymer Binder, which is created from the chemical activation of two industrial waste by-products—blast furnace slag and fly ash.

This alternative binder produces a staggering 80-90 per cent less CO2 emissions than Portland cement and has the same, if not better, engineering and construction properties as normal concrete.”