Big plan to cut red tape
THE Townsville City Plan is set to be amended to remove red tape and make it easier to develop in the region.
Townsville City Council is considering changes to the plan that Mayor Jenny Hill says will make development in the city easier.
The amendment to the city plan would reduce the level of assessment, if appropriate, to encourage development, streamline the process, reduce red tape and unnecessary assessment benchmarks, and en
sure the strategic framework is up-to-date and aligns with the direction of the council.
A report into the amendment said the city’s planning scheme needed to remain responsive to the changing and challenging environment the pandemic had presented.
Cr Hill, who has asked for a few changes to the amendment to make it clear where drainage routes in and out of the city are, also called for clarification in the plan around the ideal development for the South Townsville railway yards.
She said the city plan was last adjusted in 2016, and the rail yards had since been sold.
“What we should do, because it is a strategic planning document, is place in there how that site should be developed,” Cr Hill said.
“What that will do is give (the owner) an idea of what we’re looking for so he can work towards it.”
The property was bought by Chris Morris and Errol Stewart in 2021.
Cr Hill said suggestions could be brought back to the council, but she added that housing would probably be ideal for the location.
“Housing in the city is going to be really important, and accommodation,” she said.
Cr Hill said getting the documentation right for development in the city would make it easier to grow the region.
She said a clear, strategic overview of what was expected in certain areas would mean there was less red tape for developers.
Cr Hill said one example was the new hotel at The Ville, which took about seven days to be approved because the development application worked within the parameters the council had set out for that area.
She said priority development areas, like the area where the new hotel was, meant the council had done the lion’s share of the work, including consulting with the community. “That is how you get away from red tape,” she said.
The package is set to go to the Queensland government for a state interest check, and it will come back to a council workshop to ensure it is in line with the organisation’s wishes.
HOUSING IN THE CITY IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT, AND ACCOMMODATION JENNY HILL