State Government’s South-East Queensland Regional Plan Will Alter Our Way Of Life

The Queensland State Government has just issued its second revision of its regional plan for SEQ 2009-2031 for public comment.

The current version incorporates increased dwelling density by providing for 735,500 new dwellings to the year 2031, up by 28% on the initial plan released in October 2004.

It is proposed that this increased density will be achieved by requiring a minimum density on all new subdivisions of 15 dwellings per hectare. This is equivalent to one dwelling per 600sqm (after deducting parklands but before roads). As a comparison, there was never any minimum density until now, but maximum densities were stipulated for Residential A (10 dwellings per hectare) and Residential B (40 dwellings per hectare).

The reasoning behind increasing densities is given as ‘smart growth’ whereby infrastructure costs are minimised. New communities or subdivisions will be designed as ‘walkable’ communities in which families will not be ‘automobile dependent’.

Queenslanders should be deeply concerned about the way its government is headed on these issues. It could change the way of life of your children and grandchildren, more so than Greenhouse issues.

Queenslanders have long cherished the quarter-acre block in Residential A subdivisions. Whilst this has whittled down from 1,000sqm to 600-700sqm (on average) over the past ten years, there is no evidence that Queenslanders want to go any further down to increased density. The government’s target will see newly developed lot sizes reduce to 300-400sqm, with no backyard, no room for a pool and no room for external storage.

Proponents of increased density say that there will be ‘common’ facilities provided by the developer and a designated central park. The proportion of Queenslanders currently living in detached housing is 72%, a figure which hasn’t changed over the past three Census periods (15 years). Hence, there is no trend toward attached, denser housing as is being implied in the government’s plan. I urge all Queenslanders to view the website where the Draft Plan is located at www.dip.qld.gov.au and respond before the closing date for comments by 3 April 2009.