The city is split into 3 areas for development assessment purposes. Assessment teams are assigned to those areas. These teams are multi-disciplinary and include town planners, engineers, asset inspector and field officers. Assessment is managed by planning co-ordinators and engineering co-ordinators in each of the teams. Below is a map indicating the assessment areas.
Development proposals are assessed against relevant planning instruments, including council's planning schemes and state planning policies (SPPs).
What Is Material Change of Use?
How Do I Make An Application?
Proposal Plan
Supporting Documents
Under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA), a Material Change of Use (MCU) of premises means
- The start of a new use of the premises; or
- The re-establishment on the premises of a use that has been abandoned; or
- A material increase in the intensity or scale of the use of the premises.
In order to undertake an assessable MCU of premises, approval must be given by a Local Authority.
Application forms are available from Planning and Development, located on the Second Floor of the Administration Building at 103 Walker Street.
The application form must be completed fully and accompanied by the following:
- Three (3) copies of the Proposal Plan,
- The application fee of an amount in accordance with a scale of fees determined by council, and
- Any relevant and supporting documents
The application must be consented to in writing by the owner if the application is made by a person who is not the owner.
The application must be signed by the applicant/s or, in the case of a partnership, by one of the partners or, in the case of a body corporate, by an authorised officer.
The proposal plan shall:
- Be drawn in ink or reproduced by printed process on good quality drawing paper, be accurately plotted with the North point upwards and be drawn to metric scale (of 1:100, 1:200 or 1:500).
- Show the following information and particulars:
- Full property description;
- All site dimensions;
- All building dimensions;
- The boundaries of any existing or proposed roads within or adjoining the subject land, and the length of the boundaries;
- Dimension layouts of the off-street parking areas;
- Access driveways;
- Trees (in excess of 3 metres high or 0.5 metres wide);
- Elevation plans (at least one [1] front and one [1] side);
- Floor plan of each level;
- A reference number the plan may be identified by and referred to.
The application shall be accompanied by the supporting documentation as outlined in the Townsville Planning Scheme Policy 1 - Supporting Information.
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The Planning Assessment Unit contributes to the social, economic and environmental well-being of the community by incorporating those considerations into the planning, construction and administration of such works.
Property developers are provided with decisions on reconfiguration proposals within a timeframe allowing project schedules to be met and ensuring statutory requirements are met.
The unit also allows developers to conduct operational works with the certainty and confidence project schedules will be met, ensuring works comply with the required statutory requirements.
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What Is Reconfiguring a Lot?
How do I make an application?
Proposal plans
Supporting documents
Under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA), Reconfiguring a Lot is:
- Creating lots by subdividing another lot; or
- Amalgamating two (2) or more lots; or
- Rearranging the boundaries of a lot by registering a plan of subdivision; or
- Dividing land into parts by agreement rendering different parts of a lot immediately available for separate disposition or separate occupation, other than by an agreement that is:
- a lease for a term, including renewal options, not exceeding 10 years; or
- an agreement for the exclusive use of part of the common property for a community titles scheme under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997; or
- Creating an easement giving access to a lot from a constructed road.
In order to undertake an assessable Reconfiguration of a Lot, approval must be given by a Local Authority.
Application forms are available from Planning and Development, located on the Second Floor of the Administration Building at 103 Walker Street.
The application form must be completed fully and accompanied by the following:
- Three (3) copies of the Proposal Plan;
- The Application Fee of an amount in accordance with a scale of fees determined by council; and
- Any relevant and supporting documents
The application must be consented to in writing by the owner if the application is made by a person who is not the owner.
The application must be signed by the applicant/s or, in the case of a partnership, by one of the partners or, in the case of a body corporate, by an authorised officer.
The proposal plan shall:
- Be drawn in ink or reproduced by printed process on good quality drawing paper, be accurately plotted with the North point upwards and be drawn to metric scale
- Show the following information and particulars
- Full Property description;
- The boundaries of the subject land and proposed allotments to be subdivided;
- The number and dimensions of the proposed allotments;
- The location of any existing or proposed easements/reserves affecting the subject land;
- The boundaries of any existing or proposed roads within or adjoining the subject land, and the length of the boundaries;
- Areas of subject land subject to slip or erosion;
- Flood levels, drainage patterns and catchment areas;
- The location and size of any existing building or structure on the subject land;
- The purpose for which the proposed land is to be subdivided;
- The date the plan was prepared;
- A reference number the plan may be identified by and referred to.
The application shall be accompanied by:
- A Planning Study, Traffic Study, Environmental Impact Study where required by the Act, the Town Planning Scheme or a Statement of Planning Policy, or as otherwise requested in writing by the Director, Planning and Development.
- Any requests for variations to or relaxation of the By-law requirements. These requests must be accompanied by the grounds relied upon in support of such variation or relaxation.
- Such other information relative to the application as may be requested by the Director, Planning and Development.
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What Is Operational Works?
How do I make an application?
Engineering drawings
Supporting documents
Under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 (SPA), Operational Work is:
- Extracting gravel, rock, sand or soil from the place where it occurs naturally; or
- conducting a forest practice; or
- excavating or filling that materially affects premises or their use; or
- placing an advertising device on premises; or
- undertaking work in, on, over or under premises that materially affects premises or their use; or
- clearing vegetation, including vegetation to which the Vegetation Management Act applies; or
- undertaking operations of any kind and all things constructed or installed that allow taking or interfering with water, other than using a water truck to pump water, under the Water Act 2000; or
- undertaking
- tidal works; or
- work in a coastal management district; or
- constructing or raising waterway barrier works; or
- performing work in a declared first habitat area; or
- removing, destroying or damaging a marine plant; or
- undertaking road works on a local government road.
Operational work does not include:
- building work; or
- drainage work; or
- plumbing work; or
- clearing vegetation on:
- a forest reserve under the Nature Conservation Act 1992; or
- a protected area under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, section 28; or
- an area declared as a State forest or timber reserve under the Forestry Act 1959; or
- a forest entitlement area under the Land Act 1994.
Application forms are available from Planning and Development, located on the Second Floor of the Administration Building at 103 Walker Street.
The application form must be completed fully and accompanied by the following:
- Three (3) copies of the Engineering Drawings and one (1) copy of the Job Specification;
- The Application Fee of an amount in accordance with a scale of fees determined by council; and
- Any relevant and supporting documents
The application must be consented to in writing by the owner if the application is made by a person who is not the owner.
The application must be signed by the applicant/s or, in the case of a partnership, by one of the partners or, in the case of a body corporate, by an authorised officer.
The engineering drawing shall:
- Be certified by a Civil Engineer, qualified in accordance with council by-laws and shall be submitted for all road works and associated stormwater drainage, allotment improvement works, water supply and sewerage works.
- Show, in general, the following information and particulars
- Title block;
- Locality plan;
- Layout and stage plan;
- Road works/Earthworks plan;
- Stormwater Drainage plans, including catchment plan and drainage calculations;
- Sewerage Reticulation plans;
- Water Reticulation plans;
- Soil and Water Management plans;
- Approved Street Names on ALL Layout plans;
- The date the plan was prepared;
- A reference number the plan may be identified by and referred to.
The application shall be accompanied by:
- Specification of Works; Priced Schedules of Quantities; Subgrade Test Results and Pavement Design.
- Such other information relative to the application as may be requested by the Director, Planning and Development or the Director, Engineering Services.
- The development application may require CCTV assessment of new and/or existing infrastructure for both sewer and stormwater systems prior to acceptance on and off maintenance. If requested, the CCTV assessment must be completed by Certified Operators in accordance with council’s
CCTV Inspection Protocol.
- All works shall be in accordance with the appropriate Townsville City Council standard specification/drawings. Where no Townsville City Council standard specification/drawings exists for a particular type of work, consultants may use their own standard specification/drawings for work subject to the approval of the Director, Engineering Services.
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The Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) is the step-by-step process for lodging, assessing and deciding development applications. IDAS is set out in the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
Council officers follow this system when dealing with an application. There are five (5) main stages of IDAS:
The following is an indication of how council officers generally assess your application using the IDAS system:
Application lodged at front counter and entered into computer to create an application. Charges raised and money receipted at counter. The application will be assessed to ensure it is properly made in accordance with the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. If the application is not properly made the applicant will receive notice of this. If the application is properly made the application stage will end. An acknowledgement notice may be sent at this stage.
A planning officer (or building certifier) will commence the assessment of the application. This is when further information may be requested if there is insufficient information to allow a decision to be made. The application will be circulated to other internal departments for assessment.
The applicant must send a copy of the application to any referral agencies identified on the acknowledgement notice.
This stage is only for impact assessable applications. This is usually carried out by placing an advertisement in the Townsville Bulletin, by erecting a large sign on the street frontage of the development site, and by sending a letter to all adjoining neighbours advising them of the details of the proposed development.
When all information and comments have been received back from other departments, referral agencies and the applicant, the decision stage commences.
- The council officer refers to the relevant legislation, codes, Australian Standards and council policies to assess all aspects of the application and plans submitted.
- Applications may require the officer to prepare a report, which details the proposal and makes recommendation by the officer to approve or refuse the applications, as well as any conditions to be attached to the development (as part of the approval).
- The report is to be endorsed by the Executive Manager and the Director of Planning and Development. It may also require approval from the Planning and Economic Development Committee and go to a council meeting to be decided.
- A decision notice is posted to the applicant when a decision has been made.
The compliance stage applies to development that requires either a compliance permit and/or a compliance certificate. A compliance permit is required for development that requires compliance assessment. A compliance certificate is usually required for assessment of information required by condition of an approval.
Note: Not all stages, or all parts of a stage, apply to all applications.
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As mentioned above in the decision and compliance stage, the assessment manager must make a decision whether the application is recommended for refusal, or approval. If an application is approved, it is usually approved subject to conditions. The conditions which are attached to a development approval must be:
- Relevant to, but not an unreasonable imposition on the development or use of premises as a consequence of the development; or
- Be reasonably required in relation to the development or use of premises as a consequence of the development.
Conditions may be imposed that:
- Place a limit on how long a lawful use may continue or works may remain in place; or
- State that a development may not start until other development permits or compliance permits, for the development on the same premises, have been given or other development on the same premises, including development not covered by the development application, has been substantially started or completed; or
- Require compliance with an infrastructure agreement relating to the land; or
- Require a document or work to be subject to a compliance assessment; or
- Require development, or an aspect of development, to be completed within a particular time and require the payment of security.
Council has developed three (3) separate sets of standard conditions for the different types of development applications, all three sets of standard conditions are available below for your review:
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The Trunk Infrastructure Acquisition Procedure defines the process through which trunk infrastructure is acquired from a developer as a consequence of development or an infrastructure partnership. It applies to developments that:
- require or include trunk infrastructure;
- are located on land for which trunk infrastructure is planned;
- where safety or efficiencies can be achieved by co-delivering that infrastructure with the development.
It also applies to infrastructure partnerships whereby a developer may provide trunk infrastructure not necessary for the development.
The procedure outlines how council officers will assess the trunk infrastructure requirements of the development, how valuations of trunk infrastructure will be determined, and the whether the trunk infrastructure will be conditioned on the development permit or whether an Infrastructure Agreement is more appropriate.
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