Medium Density Residential zone code review

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A package of City Plan amendments has been prepared to encourage well-designed multiple-dwelling housing (apartments and townhouses) across the city.

The proposed City Plan amendment and policy amendment package follows a thorough review of multiple dwelling outcomes delivered by the City Plan since its commencement in 2018.

The review examined the operation and coordination of existing built form and design provisions, the approach of other regional councils, and the effectiveness of the existing Redland City Multiple Dwelling Design Guide that currently supports the current City Plan. 'Built form' generally refers to the functions, shape and arrangement of buildings and their relationship to surrounding streets and spaces.

Ensuring the City Plan delivers a high-quality built form for multiple dwellings, consistent with Redland City's character, is essential to maintaining the quality of life and amenity of Redlands Coast.

A greater diversity of housing options, including multiple dwellings strategically located throughout the city close to centres and public transport, is essential to manage expected population growth while at the same time responding to the changing housing needs of the community.

It plays a key role in meeting the housing and lifestyle needs of the growing and changing community, providing greater housing choices in the city, including affordable housing options, while supporting improved public transport services and enhancing the economic vitality of centres.

The multiple dwelling review findings and recommendations were presented at Council's General Meeting on 13 May 2020. Among its findings, the review:

  • Identified several concerns with the built form and design elements being delivered under City Plan and opportunities to address these concerns and improve the design outcomes being delivered.
  • Opportunities to better integrate the design outcomes sought by the existing Multiple Dwelling Design Guide into the zone codes of the City Plan.
  • Recommended the Multiple Dwelling Design Guide becomes a planning scheme policy to assist development proponents in achieving high-quality design outcomes
  • Found the current location and extent of land zoned for medium-density development in City Plan 2018 was consistent with strategic development outcomes, and no change to zoning maps was needed.

The multiple dwelling review findings and recommendations were used to inform the preparation of an amendment package to the City Plan.

The proposed amendments to the City Plan have separately been supported and informed by independent planning and economic testing by independent consultants.

Following the preparation of the amendment package, the Queensland Government undertook a review to ensure all relevant state interests were addressed. The review found that the amendment package met all relevant state interests, and approval was provided by the Queensland Government to proceed to public consultation.

The amendment package was open for public consultation from 4 August to 16 September 2021.

Recently, the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning advised Council that this amendment has been placed on hold pending completion of the Queensland Government’s Housing Supply and Diversity for Redland City. Further information on the Housing Supply and Diversity Strategy is available here.

A package of City Plan amendments has been prepared to encourage well-designed multiple-dwelling housing (apartments and townhouses) across the city.

The proposed City Plan amendment and policy amendment package follows a thorough review of multiple dwelling outcomes delivered by the City Plan since its commencement in 2018.

The review examined the operation and coordination of existing built form and design provisions, the approach of other regional councils, and the effectiveness of the existing Redland City Multiple Dwelling Design Guide that currently supports the current City Plan. 'Built form' generally refers to the functions, shape and arrangement of buildings and their relationship to surrounding streets and spaces.

Ensuring the City Plan delivers a high-quality built form for multiple dwellings, consistent with Redland City's character, is essential to maintaining the quality of life and amenity of Redlands Coast.

A greater diversity of housing options, including multiple dwellings strategically located throughout the city close to centres and public transport, is essential to manage expected population growth while at the same time responding to the changing housing needs of the community.

It plays a key role in meeting the housing and lifestyle needs of the growing and changing community, providing greater housing choices in the city, including affordable housing options, while supporting improved public transport services and enhancing the economic vitality of centres.

The multiple dwelling review findings and recommendations were presented at Council's General Meeting on 13 May 2020. Among its findings, the review:

  • Identified several concerns with the built form and design elements being delivered under City Plan and opportunities to address these concerns and improve the design outcomes being delivered.
  • Opportunities to better integrate the design outcomes sought by the existing Multiple Dwelling Design Guide into the zone codes of the City Plan.
  • Recommended the Multiple Dwelling Design Guide becomes a planning scheme policy to assist development proponents in achieving high-quality design outcomes
  • Found the current location and extent of land zoned for medium-density development in City Plan 2018 was consistent with strategic development outcomes, and no change to zoning maps was needed.

The multiple dwelling review findings and recommendations were used to inform the preparation of an amendment package to the City Plan.

The proposed amendments to the City Plan have separately been supported and informed by independent planning and economic testing by independent consultants.

Following the preparation of the amendment package, the Queensland Government undertook a review to ensure all relevant state interests were addressed. The review found that the amendment package met all relevant state interests, and approval was provided by the Queensland Government to proceed to public consultation.

The amendment package was open for public consultation from 4 August to 16 September 2021.

Recently, the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning advised Council that this amendment has been placed on hold pending completion of the Queensland Government’s Housing Supply and Diversity for Redland City. Further information on the Housing Supply and Diversity Strategy is available here.

  • State places amendment on hold

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    The Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning is currently preparing the Redlands Housing Supply and Diversity Strategy.

    On 4 April 2023, the Department wrote to Council to advise that they are placing the medium-density residential amendment package on hold pending the finalisation of this strategy.

  • Update on final state interest review

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    Following submission of the medium density residential amendment package to the Planning Minister in January 2022, the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning (the department) has paused the final state interest review and requested further information.

    The department’s requests for further information can be viewed on their planning dashboard under reference MA-00049.

    Council has responded and addressed the department’s first request for further information and is currently working on addressing the second request for further information. To address the second request for information additional scenario and feasibility testing of the amendment package has been requested by the department which requires independent expert property economic expertise.

  • Council decides to proceed with the medium density amendment package

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    At the close of the public consultation period, 105 public submissions were received, with the majority of the submissions supporting the proposed medium density amendment package.

    After considering all public submissions, Council at its General Meeting on 19 January 2022 decided to proceed with the amendment package (with minor changes) and seek approval from the Planning Minister to adopt the amendment package into the City Plan.

    In line with the Minister’s Guidelines and Rules (MGR), all public submissions received have been carefully considered and documented in a public consultation report.

    Council, at the General Meeting on 19 January 2022 also adopted the public consultation report and will make it available for all community members to download, including those who took the time to respond. The public consultation report can be accessed here.

    The public consultation report documents all changes made to the amendment package in response to the submissions made. Council encourages the community to view the consultation report to understand the range of submissions received and how these submissions have informed the changes to the amendment package.

    In accordance with the MGR, the changes to the amendment package made in response to public submissions are not considered to significantly alter the amendment package and as a result, further public consultation is not required.

    Next Steps

    The amendment package (with minor changes) has been submitted to the Planning Minister for final state interest review to seek approval to adopt it into the City Plan.

    Should the Planning Minister approve the amendment package, Council will then need to decide whether to adopt it into the City Plan.


  • Community consultation on the Medium density residential zone code review closes

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    The public consultation period for the Medium density residential zone code review has now ended.

    Council received significant interest from the community on the amendment.

    The public submissions received are currently being reviewed. Following the review, a report will be prepared for Council to consider the public submissions made.

  • Draft medium density amendments to encourage housing diversity and quality for Redlands

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    August 2, 2021

    Redland City Council will consult the community on a Redland City Plan amendment package designed to deliver well-designed apartments and townhouses across the city.

    Mayor Karen Williams said the proposed City Plan amendment and policy amendment package followed a thorough review of multiple dwelling outcomes delivered by the City Plan since its commencement in 2018.

    The findings and recommendations of the review were presented to the council in May 2020.

    “Redlands Coast community has consistently expressed strong views about the quality and location of residential growth within the city with a preference for well-located and designed housing development,” Cr Williams said.

    “The review identified a number of concerns with the built form and design elements being delivered under the City Plan and opportunities to address these concerns and improve the design outcomes being delivered.

    “This included ways to better integrate the design outcomes sought by the existing Multiple Dwelling Design Guide into the zone codes of the City Plan.

    “The design guide was also recommended to become a planning scheme policy to assist in its use for guiding development proponents in achieving high quality design outcomes.”

    Cr Williams said the review included the operation and coordination of existing built form and design provisions, the approach of other regional councils, and the effectiveness of the existing Multiple Dwelling Design Guide that supports, but is not part, of the current City Plan.

    “A greater diversity of housing options, including multiple dwellings strategically located throughout the city close to centres and public transport is important to manage expected population growth while at the same time responding to the changing housing needs of the community,” she said.

    “It plays a key role in meeting housing and lifestyle needs of the growing and changing community; providing greater housing choice in the city, including affordable housing options, while supporting improved public transport services, and enhancing the economic vitality of centres.

    “Ensuring the City Plan delivers a high-quality multiple dwelling built form, consistent with Redland City’s character, is essential to maintaining the quality of life and amenity of the Redlands Coast.”

    Cr Williams said the proposed amendments to the City Plan were supported and informed by testing and review by independent planning and economic consultants.

    “The current location and extent of land zoned for medium density development in City Plan 2018 was also found to accord with current strategic development outcomes, and no change to zoning maps was needed,” she said.

    Council this week responded separately to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government and Planning noting that the State Government’s own reporting shows the City is meeting Shaping SEQ dwelling supply benchmarks and delivering housing diversity.

    “This includes seven years supply of uncompleted multiple dwellings.

    “Council considers the delivery of State transport and other infrastructure is a high priority for effectively addressing the ongoing housing supply and diversity needs of the City.”

    The proposed medium density amendments have been reviewed by the Queensland Government and agreed for community consultation.

    The major amendment and the planning scheme policy will be advertised for a 30 day public consultation and formal submission period beginning on 4 August.

Page last updated: 26 Jul 2023, 05:16 PM