With the exception of Federal land, all land within the Rockhampton Regional Council area is regulated by a planning scheme.

The Rockhampton Regional Council Planning Scheme will provide a consistent approach to the management of land use and development in our Region. Rockhampton Regional Council is developing a new single planning scheme for our Region that will replace the four existing planning schemes. It will guide how land use and development occurs to achieve a balance between the environmental, economic and social needs of the community.

The Planning Scheme will state the desired future outcomes for land use and development in our Region, and identify preferred locations for future land uses. The Planning Scheme will also identify areas where development is to be limited to protect values, and will state the standards for new development.

Planning Scheme Studies

Council is in the process of preparing a single planning scheme that will ensure consistency in the way land is used across the entire Rockhampton Regional Council local government area.

To ensure the plan is based on the most up to date information and best planning practice Council commissioned eight planning studies to inform the plan development process. The studies were done by professionals who are experts in their related fields.

To see all studies please refer to the Related Documents link.

The planning study final reports now available here were commissioned by Council to assist and inform in the development of a new planning scheme for the Rockhampton Regional Council. It is important to understand that while the studies and their recommendations are key inputs they do not necessarily represent the final policy of Council. The information will be used to assist the drafting of elements of the new scheme. Extensive community engagement and other relevant inputs such as 'Towards 2050' outcomes will also be incorporated into a new planning scheme. Following an initial review by the State a statutory public consultation process will occur where formal submissions are considered by Council and the State Government before the planning scheme is finally adopted. There will be a number of other opportunities for people to provide input to the planning process.

Priority Infrastructure Plan and Planning Assumptions Report

An important and required part of all planning schemes is the Priority Infrastructure Plan, which identifies future trunk infrastructure required to optimally service planned future land use within a defined Priority Infrastructure Area. The Priority Infrastructure Plan will also determine where new Adopted Infrastructure Charges apply.

A Planning Assumptions Report, although not a statutory document, is critical to the development of the planning scheme, in particular the Priority Infrastructure Plan. The purpose is to provide a logical and consistent basis for detailed infrastructure planning. The report established assumptions about the type, scale, location and timing of future development and locality based population and employment growth, and demonstrates how the strategic outcomes of the Rockhampton Regional Council Planning Scheme will be implemented at the local level.

The Planning Assumptions Report has been drafted in accordance with the requirements of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, Statutory Guideline 01/09, Priority Infrastructure Plans and Infrastructure Charges Schedules. The Planning Assumptions Report applies to all land within the boundaries of the Rockhampton Regional Council.

The minimum planning horizon for the Planning Assumptions Report is 15 years, to 2026. It also projects planning assumptions to 2031 and beyond and recognises that efficient long term infrastructure planning requires a longer term planning horizon. The latest version of the Queensland Planning Provisions, which is yet to be adopted, will require a planning scheme to take a 25 year strategic view.

On 26 July 2011, Council endorsed the use of the Planning Assumptions Report for further development of infrastructure plans and a Priority Infrastructure Area. This is yet to be reviewed by the State Government. Links to the report and the appendices of maps are provided below: