Queensland CoastalState Planning Policy Code and Guideline

The Department of Environment and Resource Management is the lead agency for coastal protection and management under the Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995 (Coastal Act), which includes the preparation and implementation of the Queensland Coastal Plan.

A statutory review of the current State Coastal Management Plan (2001) was completed in February 2009. A new plan, the draft Queensland Coastal Plan (Coastal Plan) was prepared in response to the findings of the review and was placed on public exhibition between August 2009 and November 2009.

The Coastal Plan comprises two parts. The first part of the proposed plan includes policies to address natural resource management on the coast. The second part is a State Planning Policy (SPP) that will be used in making land use planning and development decision in the coastal zone. The SPP will also be made under the Sustainable Planning Act 1997 (SPA). ). The SPP contains policies related to:
o Assessment of coastal hazard risk areas (erosion prone, permanent inundation and storm tide inundation areas) taking account of the projected impacts of climate change
o Planning and development in coastal hazard risk areas
o Maintaining natural physical coastal processes
o Nature conservation
o Maritime infrastructure development
o Dredging, spoil disposal and reclamation
o Extractive industry
o Coastal dependant development (including aquaculture, recreation public access and tourism facilities)
o Settlement pattern
o Landscape protection and visual amenity

DERM requires the services of a qualified contractor to assist in the preparation of the SPP component of the plan.