A new State Government planning tool has been released to help churches and charities develop land for housing.
Queensland Deputy Premier and State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the new Model Code would support the supply of more community housing.
Deputy Premier Bleijie said the code included example planning provisions to enable, or locate, community housing in the Community facilities zone and could be adopted with or without local refinement.
“This will streamline development approvals and assessment pathways to boost social and affordable housing from not-for-profit and charitable organisations,” he said.
Deputy Premier Bleijie said the planning tool was supported by planning guidance and a streamlined amendment process to help councils integrate the changes efficiently and effectively.
“This planning tool has been designed with and for councils. It strikes the right balance between activating under-utilised land and preserving the important community services already offered on these sites.”
Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) chief executive officer Alison Smith said the Model Code represented the culmination of months of genuine collaboration between local and State government.
“This is the kind of partnership our members want to see – where local knowledge is embedded in policy planning from the start,” Ms Smith said.
“The Model Code isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s an opt-in tool that empowers councils to adopt the code, not adopt the code, or to adopt the code with local refinements to suit their local needs.”
LGAQ President and Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Matt Burnett said the council was eager to consider adopting the Model Code.
“Gladstone has long recognised the importance of planning for affordable, inclusive housing that fits within the fabric of our communities,” Mayor Burnett said.
“With the Model Code now finalised, it offers councils another tool to support local housing delivery on underutilised community land.”
Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Director of Government Relations Cathy Uechritz said this was a forward-looking step towards unlocking the potential of faith-owned land.
“It recognises that mission-aligned land can, and should, play a role in addressing Queensland’s housing challenge,” Ms Uechritz said.
“For many of our parishes, this change opens new pathways to use underutilised land for affordable and social housing. It is good news not just for the Church, but for those in our community who are searching for a place to call home.”
Learn more about the Model Code: Community housing in the Community facilities zone.
