Queensland Coastal Plan
The Queensland Coastal Plan (PDF, 6.6M)* is in effect from 3 February 2012. It replaces the State Coastal Management Plan (2001) and associated regional coastal management plans.The Queensland Coastal Plan has been prepared under the Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995. It includes a state planning policy under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
The Queensland Coastal Plan has two parts: State Policy for Coastal Management and the State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection (SPP).
The State Policy for Coastal Management provides policy direction for natural resource management decision-makers about land on the coast, such as coastal reserves, beaches, esplanades and tidal areas.
The SPP provides policy direction and assessment criteria to direct land-use planning and development assessment decision making under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
- Complete document
- Document sections
- Guidelines
- Townsville Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy Pilot Project
- Mapping
- Information sheets
- Frequently asked questions
- What went before?
Complete document
The complete plan—Queensland Coastal Plan (PDF, 6.6M)*
- Low resolution version (PDF, 1.7M)*#
- Print friendly version (PDF, 721K)*—please note that the print friendly version does not contain images or maps.
# The low resolution version of the Queensland Coastal Plan is available to provide access to the content of the plan for users on limited internet connections and will not be suitable for printing due to the down sampling of the images to reduce the file size.
Document sections
Download sections of the plan—the Queensland Coastal Plan is made up of the following components:
- Foreword (PDF, 85K)*
- State Policy for Coastal Management (PDF, 734K)*—provides policy direction and guidance for maintaining, rehabilitating, and protecting coastal land, and managing activities undertaken on it, with particular emphasis on managing public coastal land.
- State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection (PDF, 6.1M)*—outlines policy and assessment criteria for land-use planning and development assessment to manage development in the coastal zone. Policies for managing the major coastal issues are detailed under the following topic headings:
- Land-use planning
- Coastal hazards
- Nature conservation
- Scenic amenity
- Public access
- Coastal-dependent development
- Canals and artificial waterways.
Guidelines
The following guidelines are available to help implement the Queensland Coastal Plan:
State Planning Policy Guideline 3/11: Coastal Protection
State Planning Policy Guideline 3/11: Coastal Protection (PDF, 3.2M)* (complete document)
- Guideline only, no annexes (PDF, 711K)*
- Annexes:
- Annex 1 – Part 1 Maps of the Queensland Coast (PDF, 955K)*
- Annex 1 – Part 2 Development Assessment Code (PDF, 271K)*
- Annex 1 – Part 3 Storm-tide inundation areas (PDF, 113K)*
- Annex 1 – Part 4 Planning requirements for specified areas (PDF, 110K)*
- Annex 1 – Part 5 Factors for determining overriding need in the public interest (PDF, 123K)*
- Annex 2 Performance criteria used to assess the policy (PDF, 110K)*
- Annex 3 Locality-specific requirements derived from previous coastal planning processes (PDF, 114K)*
- Annex 4 Determining scenic preference in the coastal zone (PDF, 258K)*
- Annex 5 Preparing a shoreline erosion management plan (PDF, 129K)*
- Annex 6 Coastal hazard risk assessment guidelines (PDF, 1.4M)*
- Annex 7 Turtle nesting areas (PDF, 106K)*
- Annex 8 GIS Multi Criteria Analysis Methodology (PDF, 145K)*
- Annex 9 Preparing a management plan for dredging activities (PDF, 122K)*
- Glossary (PDF, 156K)*
Coastal Hazards Guideline
The Coastal Hazards Guideline (PDF, 398K)* provides advice and information about the methodology used to determine coastal hazard areas under State Planning Policy 3/11: Coastal Protection.
Adaptation Strategy Guideline
The Adaptation Strategy Guideline (PDF, 564K)* provides assistance to councils to prepare and implement coastal hazard adaptation strategies. The guideline provides a consistent and structured approach to coastal hazard adaptation planning in urban localities taking into account the impacts of climate change.
Note: The following guidelines are currently being developed:
- DRAFT Maritime Development Areas in Queensland: a planning methodology for designating areas for maritime development provides a consistent planning framework for identifying new sites to be designated as Maritime Development Areas. Maritime development in these areas are subject to streamlined assessment under the Queensland Coastal Plan through the use of codes and best practice provisions.
- DRAFT Aquaculture Development Areas in Queensland: a planning methodology for designating areas for aquaculture development provides a consistent and transparent process for the selection of high-quality aquaculture areas that are appropriately located and suitable for designation under the Queensland Coastal Plan. The methodology provides high-level principles and a process for the selection of new sites.
Townsville Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy Pilot Project
The Queensland Government has begun working in partnership with the Local Government Association of Queensland and Townsville City Council on the Commonwealth-funded Townsville Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy Pilot Project.
This pilot project will help pave the way for coastal councils to develop policies and strategies to prepare coastal communities for projected sea-level rise, storm-tide inundation and coastal erosion, including the impacts of climate change up to 2100.
Read more about the Townsville Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy Pilot Project.
Mapping
Mapping products have been prepared to assist users with interpreting where and how the coastal plan will apply. These maps depict:
- the coastal zone
- the coastal management district (where DERM’s development assessment role applies)
- existing coastal building lines (where building works that would normally only be assessable against the Building Act 1975 become assessable development under the Sustainable Planning Regulations 2009)
- areas of ecological significance (refer to nature conservation policies)
- maritime and aquaculture development areas (refer to coastal-dependent use policies)
- statutory erosion prone area maps (refer to coastal hazard policies)
- coastal hazard area mapping (refer to coastal hazard policies).
Find out more about maps available and how to access them online.
Information sheets
The following fact sheets provide background information about the Queensland Coastal Plan:
- Queensland Coastal Plan—Overview (PDF, 118K)*
- Coastal Hazards (PDF, 74K)*
- Coastal Hazard Mapping (PDF, 76K)*
- Nature Conservation (PDF, 121K)*
- Coastal-dependent Development (PDF, 76K)*
- Ports (PDF, 87K)*
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers about the Queensland Coastal Plan will assist in providing further information.
What went before?
The commencement of the Queensland Coastal Plan represents the culmination of a three-year statutory review process of the previous State Coastal Management Plan (2001). For more information about the statutory review process, see the Report of the Review of the State Coastal Management Plan (PDF, 798K)*.
For more information please email <coastal.support@derm.qld.gov.au>.
* Requires Adobe Reader
Last updated 8 May 2012