海角社区

SPECIAL OFFER: BOOK THE FULL SERIES BY THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2025 AND GET 10 FOR THE PRICE OF 8

Under the Planning Act 2016, a development application may trigger a requirement for an application to be referred to a referral agency. Referral agencies are generally Queensland Government departments and authorities.

These referrals may be triggered due to the following:

• the land uses proposed, such as a hazardous chemical facility or an environmentally relevant activity;
• the location where the development is proposed, such as in proximity to electricity infrastructure, within a regional plan area or within a wetland;
• the size of the development, such as the urban design triggers or the transport threshold;
• the impact that the development may have, such as clearing native vegetation; or
• an attribute of the building or land upon which a development is proposed, such as whether the site is heritage listed or is contaminated.

This seminar series aims to demystify the referral process and to assist the audience to better understand some of the trickier referrals that planners may come across in their day to day work.

The chairperson for the seminar series will be:

Renee Wall R海角社区 - Director, Wall Planning Group

Renee is founder of Wall Planning Group and is a planning professional with over 20 years experience in the planning sector, specialising in the delivery of major projects. Renee is fascinated by people and places and is a passionate advocate for town planning across Queensland.

In Queensland, we are fortunate to have State based referrals that are managed by the one entity (for the most part) being the State Assessment and Referral Agency. This system has been in place for a number of years and this series seeks to look at the referral system and what this means for the day to day practice of town planning and undertaking development assessment.

To start the series, we are pleased to have Leah Harris to speak about the overview of the referrals system, such as the:

• Why we have referrals in place?
• What is the head of power for the referrals?
• What is the role of SARA?
• How does SARA work with other agencies / Assessment Managers?
• What are the MyDAS2 system and the Development Assessment Mapping System (DAMS)?
• How can planners work with SARA for a smooth referral process?

Speakers:

Leah Harris M海角社区 - Principal Planner, Department of Housing Local Government Planning and Public Works

Leah is a seasoned town planner from Mackay, with 20 years of diversified experience in both government and private sectors. Known for her strategic and practical approach to urban development, she has made her mark with impactful presentations at planning conferences and an enriching stint in Canada. As a graduate of the LGMA Propeller Program and an inspiring mentor, Leah embodies dynamic, forward-thinking leadership amid the evolving landscape of the planning industry.

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ShapingSEQ 2023 (or the SEQRP) is the Queensland Government’s long-term vision for added growth in the changing South East Queensland region.

SEQRP has both a role in setting a vision for the region, as well as a statutory role for managing development, particularly in areas outside of the Urban Footprint and those within SEQ development areas and SEQ major enterprise and industrial areas.

This seminar will focus on the referrals that result from development within the SEQRP area and what this means for development assessment.

This seminar will seek to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the SEQRP and its referrals?
• What are the land use categories within the SEQRP?
• What development is acceptable, prohibited or requires assessment within the non-Urban Footprint land use categories?
• What are the assessment benchmarks for development that triggers referral due to the SEQRP?

Speakers:

(All speakers to be announced)

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Waterway barriers can:

• disrupt the natural lifecycle of native fish species, particularly spawning
• injure fish or affect their overall health
• damage fish habitats
• prevent fish movement within and between waterways.

Multiple waterway barriers accumulating in series within a waterway can amplify impacts on fish passage within that waterway and the other fish habitats it connects. In some cases, a series of barriers can become an insurmountable obstacle course for fish to pass.

It is therefore important that development considers the impacts to fisheries and waterways.

This seminar will seek to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• What is a waterway and what are waterway barrier works?
• What can be done without development approval?
• What does the State Code require in an application?
• What assessment is required and who is qualified to do the assessment?
• What tools are available to assist with assessment upon fisheries and waterway barrier works?

Speakers:

Ursula McInnes - Principal Consultant, SLR Consulting

Ursula McInnes, SLR Consulting’s Queensland Planning Team Lead, is an experienced senior leader who is adept at managing teams, resources and budget required to deliver complex land use planning and environmental approvals. She has provided strategic direction to multidisciplinary project teams for approximately eighteen years, and bring extensive technical and statutory interpretation skills, as they relate to planning and environmental legislative / regulatory frameworks in QLD and NSW. Ursula has delivered a broad range of land use, major infrastructure and environmental approvals and permits across all sectors (including road, rail, industrial, commercial, health, waste, energy and resource projects) and has experience in navigating waterway barrier works assessments under the State Development and Assessment Provisions (SDAP) to obtain practical and balanced outcomes.

Nikki Moore - Manager Impact Assessment and Management, Fisheries Queensland

Nikki Moore is the Manager of Impact Assessment and Management unit in Fisheries Queensland. In this role, she leads her team to navigate the challenges associated with the protection and management of fish habitats, marine plants and fish passage from development pressure. Previously, she held Queensland public sector roles responsible for coastal and biodiversity planning, licencing and compliance of environmentally relevant activities.

Active for almost 30 years in this field, she has deep experience in implementing planning and natural resource management legislation and policy and improving their application to better the management of coastal and aquatic systems. When taking a break, she can often be found bird watching.

Ben Cook - Technical Director-Freshwater Ecology and Queensland Team Leader Aquatic Environmental Services, SLR Consulting

Ben has an established reputation in Australia and internationally for innovative research on the biogeography, ecology and management of freshwater ecosystems and their biota. He has extensive expertise in the assessment of aquatic ecosystems for regulatory approval and compliance processes and in the assessment and provision of advice in relation waterway barrier works and fish passage, design and implementation of water quality and aquatic ecology monitoring programs, aquatic ecosystem constraints analysis, risk-based aquatic ecosystem impact assessment, environmental flows assessment, stygofauna assessment, aquatic Matters of National Environmental Significance, aquatic Matters of State Environmental Significance, and management of aquatic pest species.

His experience over 25 years includes technical leadership of multidisciplinary aquatic ecology research projects, and his expertise has been sought for Commonwealth, State and Local government funded projects, and many commercial projects.

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Development activities can have significant impacts on the processes and ecological values of coastal areas, which may include beaches, dunes and foreshores. Regulation of development in these areas can help protect and conserve the values of coastal resources.

This seminar will seek to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• What is a coastal management district and what development triggers referrals within these areas?
• What can be done without development approval?
• What are tidal works and prescribed tidal works?
• What is an erosion prone area?
• What does the State Code require in an application?
• What tools are available to assist with assessment upon fisheries and waterway barrier works?

Speakers:

Nicole Prentice R海角社区 - Director/Principal Planner, Urban Places, Regional Spaces

Nicole is a registered planner with 25 years’ experience across a range of fields including land use planning, urban policy, disaster resilience, reconstruction, and adaptation. Nicole works with local governments across Queensland and New South Wales to integrate natural hazard risk management and climate adaptation into their planning instruments (risk-based land use planning). She is involved in developing practical tools (assessment frameworks and policies) and measures for planning and development assessment at a local and state level to avoid or reduce risks from natural and climate hazards. Nicole is a leader in securing approvals for on-the-ground flood and coastal hazard adaptation and nature-based solutions for disaster and climate resilience, including living shorelines and blue green carbon projects.

Jeremy Visser - Associate Principal Environmental Consultant, BMT

Jeremy Visser is an Environmental Consultant with the Ecology and Environmental Management team of BMT WBM. Jeremy has a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and a Bachelor of Environmental Management (with Honours), has 7 years of experience in environmental planning, policy and management. During his time with BMT WBM, Jeremy has been heavily involved in coastal management and planning work, including numerous coastal and dredging approvals studies. He was the lead planning consultant for both SCC adaptive management approval projects, and has contributed significantly to developing planning and environmental management frameworks for similar approaches across southeast Queensland. Jeremy also co-authored an update to the Queensland Dune Management Guidelines.

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In Queensland, you need to apply for an environmental authority (EA) to perform an environmentally relevant activity (ERA).

ERAs are activities with the potential to release contaminants into the environment that will or may cause environmental harm.

This seminar will seek to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• How does the Planning Act 2016 interact with the Environmental Protection Act 1994 with respect to ERAs?
• What are the different types of ERAs and what does this mean for development applications?
• What is a ‘standard application’ for ERAs?
• Who administers EAs?
• Which ERAs are delegated to local government for assessment?
• What are the standard conditions for an ERA and how are these applied?
• What are the ongoing implications for EAs?
• What does the State Code require in an application?
• What tools are available to assist with assessment of an ERA?

Speakers:

Cliff Schmidt M海角社区 - Senior Planner, PSA Consulting

Cliff is a Senior Town Planner at PSA Consulting. Cliff has over twelve years of experience working as a planner in Queensland. Cliff has developed a broad set of skills having worked in DA and strategic planning roles across local government, the Queensland Government, and the private sector.

(Second speaker to be announced)

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Queensland heritage places are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register (QHR) and development on these places is regulated through the planning system.

Some places may be regulated through a local planning scheme (or similar) at a local level, however this seminar will focus on State heritage places.

This seminar seeks to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• How does a place become listed on the QHR and what does this mean?
• How does the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 interact with the Planning Act 2006?
• What is the role of the Queensland Heritage Council?
• What is an exemption certificate for works on a heritage place?
• What works can be undertaken on a heritage place without approval?
• What constitutes building work on a heritage place?
• What constitutes emergency works?
• Which parts of a heritage citation are important for development assessment?
• What does the State Code require in an application?

What tools are available to assist with assessment of development on a Queensland heritage place?

Speakers:

Darrian Borick - Heritage Program Coordinator, Development Assessment and Archaeology, Heritage, Environment and Heritage Policy and Programs

Darrian Borick is the Heritage Program Coordinator in the Development Assessment and Archaeology Team in the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Darrian is responsible for the delivery of statutory approvals under the Queensland Heritage Act 1992, Planning Act 2006, and other approvals systems for development involving State heritage places on the Queensland Heritage Register. She is also involved in the coordination of technical advice on the integration of the cultural heritage state interest into local government planning instruments made under the planning system. She has a Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning (UQ) and Master of Heritage Management (UQ) and has held roles with the Queensland Government since 2007 in the planning and now heritage space.

Luke Pendergast - Heritage Architect, Pendergast Architects

Luke is a Brisbane-based architect and heritage consultant specialising in the conservation of historic buildings and places. With experience in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Germany, and Ethiopia, he has built a strong reputation as an accomplished architect and conservation expert. A University of Queensland graduate, Luke became a registered architect during his internship at the Architectural Practice Academy and joined Riddel Architecture in 2009, later merging with Conrad Gargett. He moved to Addis Ababa to lead Conrad Gargett’s Ethiopia Studio, overseeing the conservation of Africa Hall and projects for the UN. In 2022, he founded Pendergast Architects to focus on conserving, modernising, and adapting culturally significant sites. Luke chairs the Queensland Chapter’s Heritage Committee of the Australian Institute of Architects and is registered as a Heritage Expert Witness for the Brisbane City Council. His hands-on approach, communication skills, and dedication to detailed planning make him a strong project leader.

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Clearing of native vegetation in Queensland is regulated by multiple Commonwealth, State and local levels. This seminar will focus on the Queensland legislative framework under the Vegetation Management Act 1999, the Planning Act 2016, the Nature Conservation Act 1994 and the Environmental Protection Act 1994 amongst other Acts, where relevant.

This seminar seeks to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• What is native vegetation in Queensland and what do the different categories mean?
• When is vegetation clearing assessable and when is it exempt from requiring assessment?
• What is a relevant purpose and why is this important?
• What does the State Code require in an application?

What tools are available to assist with assessment of applications to clear native vegetation?

Speakers:

(All speakers to be announced)

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In February 2022, the status of the koalas has recently been changed to endangered. In Queensland, koala habitat is sought to be identified and protected through koala habitat maps and other strategies and protections.

This seminar seeks to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• What are the various koala habitat mapping layers and what do the different categories mean?
• What are the exemptions for clearing mapped koala habitat?
• What offsets are available when there are unavoidable impacts on koala habitat and how are these implemented and monitored?
• What does the State Code require in an application?
• What tools are available to assist with assessment of applications to clear koala habitat?

The speakers will also address where the process could be improved, including best practice approaches in other jurisdictions.

Speakers:

Stephen Hayes - Director of Environment at Wolter Consulting Group

Stephen has been working in the South East Queensland region for over 19 years in the Environmental field. His project experience is widespread throughout NSW, NT and QLD.

His career has also had significant focus on the development industry as an environmental consultant and has over 15 years direct involvement in the development industry preparing and delivering assessments of varying types for clients and being responsible for obtaining a variety of development approvals and permits under local, state and commonwealth legislation. This experience has provided Stephen with thorough knowledge of the development application process from small to large scale projects.

Supporting his in-depth knowledge of ecological processes, Stephen is also a widely experienced Bushfire Analyst Consultant.

(Second speaker to be announced)

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Infrastructure (both linear and non-linear) can be impacted by various development types which triggers referral or third party advice from infrastructure providers. Two such providers (being SEQ Water and Energy Queensland).

Whilst electricity entities (including Powerlink, Energex and Ergon) have referral powers and mapping within the Queensland Development Assessment Mapping System (DAMS), other entities such as SEQ Water do not.

This seminar seeks to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• What are the implications for development either on or in close proximity to infrastructure?
• What are the types of development that may be of interest to infrastructure providers?
• How does an assessment manager or applicant know when a third party advice is required from an entity?
• What does the State Code require in an application?

What tools are available to assist with assessment of applications on or near infrastructure?

Speakers:

Medina Handley M海角社区 (Fellow) - Integrated Planning Coordinator, SEQ Water

Medina has 20 years of wide-ranging experience in local government, state government, consultancy and academia. She has worked in strategic planning, development assessment, policy development, environment, resources, infrastructure and major project roles.

(Second speaker to be announced)

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Development is referred to the State Government (Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR)) for assessment of the impacts of development on state transport interests under state transport referral triggers in the Planning Regulation 2017.

This includes development impacting on existing and future state transport corridors, state-controlled transport tunnels, state transport networks, strategic ports and maritime safety.

This includes development which is in proximity to a proposed or existing asset or development which may exceed the Schedule 20 threshold triggers.

This seminar seeks to demystify such matters as:

• What is the head of power for the referral?
• What are the matters that TMR needs to assess?
• What do the State Codes require to be provided in an application?
• What application guidance material is available to applicants to assist in the referral to SARA (TMR)?
• What tools are available to assist with assessment of applications on or near infrastructure?

Speakers:

Katherine Matthews M海角社区 - Principal Town Planner, Tract Consultants

Katherine is a Principal Planner with over 15 years’ experience in private consulting across Queensland. She has extensive experience across a broad range of urban and regional planning issues and processes, with project experience spanning the health, education, residential, commercial and industrial sectors.

Katherine specialises in statutory planning, development advisory services, and development facilitation. She has a proven track record of managing significant and valuable redevelopment projects; advising on project positioning, due diligence and site selection; formulating development approval strategies; and leading major developments from inception to approval.

(Second speaker to be announced)

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SPECIAL OFFER: BOOK THE FULL SERIES BY THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2025 AND GET 10 FOR THE PRICE OF 8

Note: For large group viewing of the seminar, please contact qld@planning.org.au