QLD

Queensland

Planning Act 2016 (Qld)

Planning instruments

Local Planning Scheme
Council-level instrument setting zones, overlays + assessment categories. Made under the Planning Act.
Queensland Development Code (QDC)
State-level building + plumbing standards. Mandatory parts apply to all building work.
State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP)
State-level matters for development assessment — referral triggers + state controls.
Regional Plans
South East Queensland Regional Plan ShapingSEQ; regional plans for other regions.

Assessment pathways

Accepted (exempt)

Development that can proceed without assessment.

Code Assessment (RAL)

Assessed against rules in the planning scheme — typically Material Change of Use (MCU).

Impact Assessment

Full public notification + merits assessment.

Material Change of Use (MCU)

Most non-trivial DAs in QLD.

Reconfiguring a Lot (ROL)

Subdivision pathway.

Lodgement portal

DA Online (per-Council) + State DA portal ↗

Mapping portal

Queensland Globe ↗

Notable LGAs

Brisbane City CouncilGold Coast City CouncilSunshine Coast Regional CouncilTownsville City CouncilCairns Regional CouncilLogan City CouncilMoreton Bay Regional Council

Fire safety authority

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES); bushfire planning per QFES guidelines

Surveyor body

Surveyors Board of Queensland (Cadastral surveyors)

Builder regulation

Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)

Owner-builder threshold

Permit required for work over A$11,000; QBCC owner-builder licence valid for 6 years; one-per-decade per property

Notes

Queensland engineering sign-off requires RPEQ registration. QDC governs many building details. SEQ Regional Plan caps urban footprint.

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