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Planning for our region

Council asked the community for feedback about a proposed vision for the Sunshine Coast and proposed regional planning directions for the new planning scheme.

On balance, feedback received indicates support for the proposed regional planning directions and settlement pattern, giving Council confidence to proceed with drafting the new planning scheme to align with the values confirmed during the preliminary consultation. In particular, community input will help inform the drafting of the strategic framework for the new planning scheme.

Feedback at a glance


Planning for our local areas

The Sunshine Coast is recognised as a ‘community of communities’ with distinct and separate towns, villages, suburbs and urban areas, surrounded by natural and rural landscapes. The diversity and uniqueness of our communities is one of the reasons our region is so special.

Proposed local planning directions

Proposed local planning directions

To ensure the new planning scheme is not one-size-fits-all, council proposed 18 new local plan areas to cover the whole of the Sunshine Coast. Council invited community input on proposed local planning directions for each of the 18 local plan areas.

Feedback indicates the proposed local planning directions generally offer good guiding principles for the local planning provisions in the new planning scheme.

Feedback at a glance

Proposed local plan area boundaries

Proposed local plan area boundaries

The proposed local planning approach was well supported and there was minimal feedback about the boundaries for most of the 18 proposed local plan areas. Having carefully considered the feedback received, the below minor changes to the proposed local plan area boundaries have been made. These boundaries may be subject to further refinement as detailed drafting for the new planning scheme progresses.

Previous proposed new Local Plan Areas: Previous Proposed New Local Plan Areas Amended proposed new Local Plan Areas: After preliminary consultation

Hot planning topics

Based on previous community feedback and the operation of the current planning scheme, council identified 10 'hot planning topics’ and invited community feedback and input on these topics.

  1. Affordable living and housing affordability
  2. Car parking
  3. Carports
  4. Climate change
  5. Design of multiple dwellings
  6. Dual occupancies and secondary dwellings
  7. Service stations
  8. Short-term accommodation
  9. Supply and use of industrial land
  10. Uses in rural areas.

Most feedback was supportive of what Council proposed to do in the new planning scheme to address these topics and many respondents offered further suggestions for Council to consider.

Feedback received will help inform the detailed drafting of the new planning scheme, including the strategic framework, local planning provisions and development codes.