Planning scheme changes in play

Planning Scheme update for a better city

Logan City Council has listened to community feedback in an update to the City of Logan Planning Scheme, which takes effect today (Monday, February 6).

The changes include four major amendments which cover health care services, housing lot sizes, development in mixed use zones and liveability in the city’s growing suburbs.

In addition to health care services, new rules now apply for the proposed development of childcare centres.

Planning Chair, Councillor Jon Raven, said the latest changes reflect feedback from community engagement last year and information gathered from Council’s Logan Housing Study in 2020.

“We have listened to what residents and business owners want and tightened rules for development to close loopholes,” Cr Raven said.

“Our city is growing rapidly which is why it’s important that Logan’s Planning Scheme encourages good development in the right places to best serve our community.”

The Housing Study found that affordable choices for housing and high availability have made the City of Logan a magnet for families, including many from other Queensland regions and interstate.

To help manage this growth, changes to the Planning Scheme in this update include:

• Health care, childcare centres: New development rules for health care services and childcare centres to guide their location, design and operation.
• Housing and lot diversity: New requirements to ensure minimum lot sizes are achieved, and larger subdivisions offer more variety in lot frontage widths and housing choice.
• Mixed use zones: New industry, retail, enterprise and abbatoir precincts in these zones to help make intended land use clearer, protect existing businesses and attract similar uses in the same areas to boost business confidence.
• Construction: Improved guidance for the storage, and collection, of waste and management of erosion.
• Gaming machines: Stronger rules for new developments which serve alcohol or provide gaming machines.

More than 1100 development applications were lodged per year in the last five years, and 2162 residential building approvals in the 2021/2022 financial year.

More than 3000 new lots have been created in Logan each year since 2018, with almost 4000 in 2022 – well ahead of many neighbouring local government areas.

According to 2021 Census data, City of Logan is home to 345,098 people, growing by 41,712 (13.7 per cent) since the 2016 Census. The city’s population is projected to exceed 500,000 within the next 18 years.

For more information about the Planning Scheme, email StrategicPlanning@logan.qld.gov.au or phone Council on 3412 3412.