City Plan amendments

Following extensive public consultation, the Our City Our Plan Major Update 2 & 3 amendment package has been sent to the Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning for his consideration to adopt.

This formal submission to the State Government is the culmination of many years of work by the City and extensive feedback from the community and industry to inform this major update to our City Plan.

Everyone who made a submission during the four rounds of public consultation has been sent a response detailing the consideration of points raised in their submission. A full consultation report for each round of public consultation can be viewed below.

More information

• Our City Our Plan - Round 1 Consultation Report(PDF, 8MB)
• Our City Our Plan - Round 1 Item 15 Addendum(PDF, 728KB)
• Our City Our Plan - Round 2 Consultation Report(PDF, 6MB)
• Our City Our Plan - Round 3 Consultation Report(PDF, 3MB)
• Our City Our Plan - Round 4 Consultation Report(PDF, 5MB)
• GC Have Your Say
• Our City Our Plan (Major Update 2 & 3) amendments
• Our City Our Plan (Major Update 2 & 3) documents
• Minister letter to Mayor Tom Tate – 7 August 2019(PDF, 319KB)

Major update to City Plan Policies underwent public consultation in conjunction with Our City Our Plan (Major update 2 & 3).

Everyone who made a submission during the public consultation periods has been sent a response detailing the consideration of points raised in their submission.

This amendment is anticipated to commence along with Our City Our Plan (Major update 2 & 3) in mid to late 2022.

We have reviewed and are proposing to amend our Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) in accordance with the Planning Act 2016 and the Minister’s Guidelines and Rules. The draft LGIP amendment has now been through public consultation and the City is currently reviewing submissions.

After we have considered all submissions and possible changes to the LGIP amendment, submitters will be notified of the outcome and a summary report will be available on this page.

For more information, visit 

The Heritage overlay provisions amendment was submitted for State interest review on 17 May 2022.

The amendment revises the Cultural Heritage Element in the Strategic Framework, the Heritage overlay table of assessment and the Heritage overlay. It also includes new Heritage related Administrative definitions in Schedule 1, the inclusion of nine new places and correction of mapping errors to the Heritage overlay mapping in Schedule 2 and a new City Plan Heritage policy. Public consultation is anticipated to be undertaken in September/October this year.

We are currently reviewing our landslide hazard exposure. The review will inform proposed updates to the landslide hazard overlay map in the City Plan to improve the city's resilience to natural hazards.

The draft mapping is currently being refined following community consultation conducted in 2020. The proposed City Plan update will be submitted to the State government for consideration and assessment, following hazard identification and drafting of the update.

More information

Landslide hazard mapping

We are currently reviewing our flood hazard maps based on updated flood modelling. The improved models use better technology to forecast rainfall, ocean boundaries and catchment characteristics.

Since completed, we have started preparing a Flood Risk Assessment and a Feasible Alternatives Assessment Report. The Flood Risk Assessment will consider flood behaviour, future urban areas, zoning and land use, mitigation and immunity, and climate change. The Feasible Alternatives Assessment Report will assess and anticipate risk as well as how the proposed planning changes will mitigate the risks of flood hazards.

This work will inform proposed updates to the flood overlay code in the City Plan to improve the city's resilience to natural hazards.

The flood hazard overlay code will protect residents and their property by helping to mitigate flood risks through appropriate design and development provisions.

The proposed City Plan update will be submitted to the State government for assessment in late 2022.

Related information

Flood maps

Consistent with the Ministerial Direction, The Spit Master Plan Implementation (Key Development Sites) amendment will ensure that:

• zoning of each key development site is compatible with the land uses shown in the Master Plan
• each land use shown in the Master Plan is prescribed a level of assessment that is either code assessable or accepted development
• appropriate benchmarks are prescribed for each of these key development sites to deliver the outcomes shown in the Master Plan.

More information

• GC Have Your Say
• Spit Consultation Report(PDF, 2MB)

The purpose and general effect of this draft update package was to amend City Plan maps relating to land at Eggersdorf Road, Ormeau. The update identified new land for urban development and provides for the identification and protection of the Wongawallan Hinterland to Coast Critical Corridor.

More information

GC Have Your Say

General administrative updates to correct or change City Plan format, presentation, spelling, grammar, redundant/outdated terms, inconsistent numbering, cross-referencing, and other administrative matters.

The Spit Master Plan implementation (key development sites) administrative amendment 1 relates to the interpretation of air services (helicopter operations) within the City Plan. In accordance with Council resolution (G20.0915.030), The Spit administration amendment seeks to amend wording in Part 3 Strategic Framework of City Plan.

General administrative updates to correct or change City Plan format, presentation, spelling, grammar, redundant/outdated terms, inconsistent numbering, cross-referencing, and other administrative matters.

More information

City Plan Minor and Administrative Update 6(PDF, 8MB)

The Stormwater quality network removes pollutants including oils, sediment, nutrients and pathogens from stormwater runoff, to reduce these reaching our waterways. This makes for a more liveable city, maintaining our vibrant healthy streams, rivers and beaches within natural water cycles. The City network has over 1100 water quality devices and this number increases each year as the city grows. These devices include:

• Gross pollutant traps used to trap hard rubbish items and leaf litter
• Wetlands to remove nutrient pollution from stormwater through plant uptake
• Bio-retention basins to remove nutrient pollution by filtering stormwater through sand media and plant uptake
• Sediment basins to capture and prevent sediments from entering waterways and also remove nutrients through plant uptake
• Vegetated swale drains to remove nutrient pollution by filtering stormwater through sand media and plant uptake.

More information

• Local Government Infrastructure Plan
• LGIP Stormwater quality draft amendment submission report(PDF, 627KB)

Major Update 1

• Small lot housing review
• party house land use controls
• flood overlay
• social, community, and public supporting uses
• Burleigh Heads Village character
• Tugun Village character
• High priority policy adjustments including:
  • transport definitions
  • Gold Coast Cultural Precinct
  • building over or near Council infrastructure
  • covered car parking setbacks in medium and high density residential zones.

Major Update 1B

• Remove reference to Wave Break Island for the Integrated Resort Development at the Broadwater
• hours of operation for exempt commercial uses in district centres
• levels of assessment for lease, access easement, community title and volumetric subdivisions
• Emerging community zone setback/site cover provisions
• level of assessment for utility installation affected by overlays
• Biggera Waters centre and surrounding land study
• alignment of residential density and lot size in the low density residential zone.

More information

• Major 1 and 1B Submissions Report(PDF, 8MB)
• Flood overlay mapping fact sheet(PDF, 376KB)
• Minister letter to Mayor Tom Tate – 12 June 2018(PDF, 1MB)

General administrative updates to correct or change City Plan format, presentation, spelling, grammar, redundant/outdated terms, inconsistent numbering, cross-referencing, and other administrative matters.

More information

City Plan Minor and Administrative Update 5(PDF, 477KB)

• State legislation required the City to prepare and adopt a Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) that clearly aligned with our long-term financial plan by 1 July 2018.
• The City has prepared an LGIP to identify our growing city's trunk infrastructure for the next 15 years in accordance with the Planning Act 2016.
• The LGIP outlines the City's vision for trunk infrastructure services including: water supply; sewerage; stormwater; public parks and land for community facilities; and transport networks, which will meet the needs of our growing community.
• The plan boosts our robust economy by providing transparent information to the public regarding our future infrastructure plans.
• It replaced the transitional LGIP and enables the City to continue to levy infrastructure charges and impose conditions for trunk infrastructure required for our growing communities.
• The LGIP will be reviewed regularly and amended with the City Plan.

More information

Draft Local Government Infrastructure Plan Submissions Report(PDF, 502KB)

Major Update to City Plan Policies

• Bushfire management plans
• Land development guidelines
• Landscape work
• Environmental management plans
• Geotechnical stability assessment guideline.

More information

• Bushfire management plans(PDF, 2MB)
• Landscape work(PDF, 987KB)
• Environmental management plans(PDF, 188KB)
• Geotechnical stability assessment guidelines(PDF, 139KB)
• Land development guidelines (part 1)(PDF, 5MB)
• Land development guidelines (part 2)(PDF, 19MB)
• Land development guidelines (part 3)(PDF, 16MB)
• Major Update to City Plan Policies (Schedule 6) Submissions Report(PDF, 558KB)

Major Update to City Plan Policies

General administrative updates to correct or change City Plan format, presentation, spelling, grammar, redundant/outdated terms, inconsistent numbering, cross-referencing, and other administrative matters.

More information

• City Plan Minor and Administrative Update 4 (part 1)(PDF, 4MB)
• City Plan Minor and Administrative Update 4 (part 2)(PDF, 5MB)

The Act introduced new terminology and new rules for development assessment. Provisions within codes have been clarified and strengthened for bounded assessment this includes duplicating Strategic Framework objectives within codes

More information

City Plan Planning Act 2016 Alignment Amendment(PDF, 892KB)

• General administrative updates to correct or change City Plan format, presentation, spelling, grammar, redundant/outdated terms and legislation, inconsistent numbering, cross-referencing, and other administrative matters.
• Updates to mapping to reflect new cadastre and current development.
• Inclusion of a new administrative definition for Landscape works.
• Clarification of provisions to assist with implementation.
• Updates to City Plan Policies to assist with interpretation.

More information

City Plan Minor and Administrative Update 3(PDF, 8MB)

• Changes as required by the commencement of Queensland Planning Provisions version 4.
• General administrative updates to correct or change City Plan format, presentation, spelling, grammar, redundant/outdated terms, inconsistent numbering, cross-referencing, and other administrative matters.
• Update City Plan to refer to the Queensland Development Code in most cases regarding setbacks of structures associated with a Dwelling.
• Update the relevant acceptable outcomes in the Low density residential zone code to refer to the Residential density overlay map.
• Ensure secondary dwellings with a gross floor area (GFA) of less than 80 square metres do not trigger impact assessment in the Low density residential zone (large lot precinct).
• Amend side setbacks in Neighbourhood centre and Mixed use zone codes to align with the Overall outcomes.
• Update the site cover in the Rural residential zone code (Rural residential landscape and environment precinct) to align with a previous Council resolution.
• Amend the Table of assessment for the 'Ferry Road high voltage corridor (Energex)' to list the Regional infrastructure overlay code as applicable assessment criteria.
• Amend the Secondary dwelling code to reflect the policy intent for secondary dwellings.
• Amend the definitions for a 'corner lot', a 'road' and 'vegetation'.
• Update the considerations for determining suitable vehicle clearance requirements for waste collection. Addition of specifications for two bin sizes not included previously.

• Explanatory notes on building height tests in the strategic framework.
• Changes to vehicular crossings which are now subject to self-assessment.
• Multiple additions to assessment criteria in tables of assessment which were omitted.
• Amendments to strategic framework maps to align transport routes with the State and major road network.
• Transitional Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP). Please note this forms part of the City Plan Version 2 and can be found in Part 4 and Schedule 3.
• Minor changes to how City Plan is referenced throughout the document.

The draft City Plan replaced the Our Living City Gold Coast Planning Scheme 2003 when it commenced on 2 February 2016. The plan applies to the entire Gold Coast area and was prepared in accordance with the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 as a framework for managing development.

State interest review of the draft City Plan was completed in April 2014 and, following changes in response to state requirements, the City endorsed the draft plan for public consultation in June 2014.

The official public consultation period was held from 17 June to 29 July 2014 with submissions accepted until 20 August 2014.

The City Plan 2015 Special Committee reviewed all submissions to the draft plan and a City response to each submission is provided in this report.

More information

• Draft City Plan 2015 Submissions Report(PDF, 12MB)
• Draft City Plan 2015 Response to Outstanding State Matters Report(PDF, 6MB)
• Deputy Premier letter to Councillor Tom Tate - 15 April, 2014(PDF, 290KB)
• Deputy Premier letter to Councillor Tom Tate - 25 June, 2014(PDF, 59KB)
• Deputy Premier letter to Councillor Tom Tate - 16 November, 2015(PDF, 830KB)
• Director-General letter to City of Gold Coast CEO, Dale Dickson - 16 April 2014(PDF, 2MB)
• Draft City Plan 2015 - Mayor Tom Tate Intra Regional Transport Corridor Letter(PDF, 413KB)