Reacting to the pressure from the Brisbane march and 31,000 submissions from Noosa, Beattie offered to protect Noosa with ‘Iconic Places Legislation’. In the Noosa Journal of 17 August, Beattie was quoted as saying that “Queensland is sacred and he was determined to ensure that its unique features were protected”.
Responsibility for Planning was transferred from the Local Government Portfolio (Warren Pitt) to the Deputy Premier (Paul Lucas) when Anna Bligh became Premier. Mr Lucas made the following statement to Parliament on 30 October:
| Iconic Queensland Communities Bill
Hon. PT LUCAS (Lytton--ALP) (Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning) (9.49 am): Every 5 minutes we welcome a new Queenslander. That is about 1,800 new Queenslanders every single week. They are not only coming here because of our outstanding economic performance or our low unemployment rate; they are also coming because of our wonderful climate and because they can live within easy reach of some of the country’s most beautiful natural features and iconic areas. Through initiatives such as the South East Queensland Regional Plan and the Far North Queensland Regional Plan, the government is already working to direct and manage that growth. The planned Iconic Queensland Communities Bill 2007 is another initiative this government is taking to help make sure that Queensland continues to grow sustainably. The Iconic Queensland Communities Bill will apply to iconic areas located in areas that are to be subsumed by new regional councils. It will be designed to ensure that existing planning schemes which have protected these areas from overdevelopment in the past are maintained to protect these areas well into the future. This legislation will not be about making the rules more complex; it is about making sure that we protect some of Queensland’s most significant iconic areas. Wherever possible the legislation will be consistent with the state’s existing planning and development assessment system under the Integrated Planning Act. The state government will nominate two regions from the outset--Noosa and Port Douglas--as having iconic status. However, other areas to be subsumed in newly amalgamated councils are also eligible for nomination. This legislation will not be a barrier to appropriate development. However, it will make sure that areas with iconic status continue to have strong local planning regimes in place. There has been a good deal of interest in the proposed legislation, including from a number of local governments, some of which I have met with. I want to make sure we get this legislation right and I will be undertaking consultation with key stakeholders over the coming months to ensure all views are heard. The new laws to protect our built and natural icons will be in place ahead of council amalgamations in March. But before then I will be travelling to key areas of the state seeking feedback. I want to consult as widely as possible to get the right outcome for the people of Queensland. This legislation will ensure our iconic treasures are protected for the enjoyment of Queenslanders today and well into the future. It is about preserving what makes this state the envy of every other in Australia. |
This statement does extend the previous ridiculous deadline of legislation by Christmas to simply “in place ahead of Council amalgamations in March” and promises “consultation with key stakeholders” – we will have to see what that means.
However, immediate responsibility for the Iconic Legislation rests with the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Stirling Hinchcliffe. Before entering politics in September 2006, Mr Hinchcliffe was employed by the Property Council of Australia, a pro-development lobby group. We understand that the politicians and bureaucrats in Brisbane see Iconic Legislation as essentially a matter for planning rules, whereas the Noosa Council also proposed an elected community-based body to oversee planning policy.
Our concern remains that big developers will be able to drive a bulldozer through the Iconic Legislation.
Also, like any Act of Parliament, it can be revised or reversed at any time by later legislation, just like the Local Government Act was radically changed to enable the forced amalgamations.