Flood mapping to go before state

TOOWOOMBA Regional Council’s Planning and Development Committee has agreed to a number of changes to its flood risk planning scheme amendment, paving the way for a State Government review.

According to a council officer’s report, the council received 190 submissions on Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme amendment number 17 - which proposes to modify the planning scheme to identify land with a flood risk and apply controls to the development of land within flood risk areas.

The report said most of the objections received while the amendment was on public exhibition last year were from property owners seeking to have proposed flood risk designations removed from their land.

Among the changes adopted at the council’s committee meeting yesterday were the rezoning of several properties in Creek St, Davis St, Rutledge St, Kent St, Cherry St, and Connelly Ln in Oakey, as well as a number of streets in Yarraman.

Two other properties in Westbrook and Millmerran Downs had their proposed flood risk designations removed.

The council is also no longer considering caretaker’s accommodation, community use, non-resident workforce accommodation, rural workers’ accommodation and tourist parks in its list of “vulnerable uses” under the amendment’s Land Use Restricted Area zone code.

The report said the council had been working “since 2012 to improve its understanding of flood risks that exist across the region and to put in place measures through the planning scheme to ensure flood risk is appropriately addressed”.

The changes to the amendment will come before next week’s Ordinary Council Meeting, before the amendment is reviewed by the State Government. The amendment is expected to be adopted by the council and become operational in May or June.