Advice Agency role under SPA/IDAS

• Referral triggers
• Land in or near a wetland
• Land in or near conservation estate
• Acid sulfate soils (ASS)
• Land adjacent to or including a Queensland heritage place
• Mapping requests
• Other information

Referral triggers

The department has an advice agency role under the Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) in relation to the following areas:

• in or near wetlands
• in or near conservation estate
• acid sulfate soils
• adjacent to or including places on the Queensland Heritage Register.

These triggers are those under Schedule 7 of the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 (Qld) (SP Reg) that makes the department an advice agency for specific assessable development. The IDAS assessment checklists should be used to determine the relevant referral agencies for a development application.

For a full list of referral triggers, please see Schedule 7 of the SP Reg.

Land in or near a wetland

Wetland definition
DERM’s advisory referral role for wetlands now applies to wetland management areas, which the SP Reg defines as a 'wetland management area' as shown on the 'map of referable wetlands', a document approved by the chief executive (environment).

Wetland management areas comprise of a wetland of ecological significance plus a 100-metre trigger area.

Advice agency triggers for wetlands as listed in Schedule 7 of the SP Reg include:

• Reconfiguring a lot if:
  • any part of the land is situated wholly or partly within a wetland management area; and
  • the reconfiguration results in more than six lots being created, or any lot resulting from the reconfiguring is less than 5 ha.
• Material change of use, other than for a domestic housing activity, if any part of the land is situated wholly or partly within a wetland management area.

New DERM concurrence role for Great Barrier Reef wetland protection areas

DERM has new concurrence powers for wetlands of high ecological significance within the Great Barrier Reef catchments. These areas have been identified as ‘wetland protection areas’ on the map of referable wetlands.

More information about DERM’s concurrence role for wetlands in Great Barrier Reef catchments is available on the wetlands page.

Land in or near conservation estate

Advice agency triggers for conservation estate as listed in Schedule 7 of the SP Reg include:

• Reconfiguring a lot if -
  • any part of the lot is situated in, or within 100m of, any of the following:
    • a protected area, forest reserve, critical habitat or area of major interest under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld)
    • a State forest or timber reserve under the Forestry Act 1959 (Qld)
    • a marine park under the Marine Parks Act 2004 (Qld)
    • a recreation area under the Recreation Area Management Act 2006 (Qld)
    • a world heritage area listed under the World Heritage Convention
    • Brisbane Forest Park under the Brisbane Forest Park Act 1977 (Qld); and
  • the reconfiguration results in more than 10 lots, or any lot will be less than 5 ha.
• Material change of use for urban purposes, if any part of the lot is situated in, or within 100 m of, any of the following:
  • a protected area, forest reserve, critical habitat or area of major interest under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld)
  • a State forest or timber reserve under the Forestry Act 1959 (Qld)
  • a marine park under the Marine Parks Act 2004 (Qld)
  • a recreation area under the Recreation Area Management Act 2006 (Qld)
  • a World Hheritage area listed under the World Heritage Convention
  • Brisbane Forest Park under the Brisbane Forest Park Act 1977 (Qld).

Note: There are currently no declared 'critical habitats' or 'areas of major interest' listed under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. No development applications should therefore be referred to the department under this trigger.

Acid sulfate soils (ASS)

Development is triggered for ASS as listed in Schedule 7 of the SP Reg if the development is:

• In the local government areas of Aurukun, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Burdekin, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Gympie, Hinchinbrook, Issac, Logan, Mackay, Moreton Bay, Mornington, Redland, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Torres, Townsville, and Whitsunday; and
  • Involves excavating more than 1000 m³ of soil or sediment (at or below 5 metres Australian Height Datum (AHD) where the natural ground level is less than 20 metres AHD); or
  • Involves using more than 1000 m³ of material as fill (with an average depth of 0.5 of a metre or greater, at or below 5 metres Australian Height Datum (AHD) where the natural ground level is equal to or less than 5 metres AHD).

Refer to the State Planning Policy 2/02 Planning and Managing Development Involving Acid Sulfate Soils and and the assocaited guideline on the DLGP website for details on assessment of ASS by local government. Further information about the environmental impact and management of ASS is provided on the Acid sulfate soils page of this website.

Land adjacent to or including a Queensland heritage place

Advice agency triggers for lots adjacent to or including a Queensland heritage place as listed in Schedule 7 of the SP Reg include reconfiguring a lot, or a material change of use for a lot, if the lot:

• shares a common boundary with a lot that comprises or contains a Queensland heritage place 
• shares a common boundary with a Queensland heritage place
• comprises or contains a Queensland heritage place

Queensland heritage place is defined in the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 (Qld)

Mapping requests

The department has set up a facility to enable the public to access the referable areas mapping identifying the location of conservation estate and heritage registered places in a selected area. For all wetland mapping requests please visit the map of referable wetlands page.

Other information

If you do not have access to this service, please fax a request to Permit and Licence Management on
07 3896 3342 or mail a request to: 
Permit and Licence Management
Implementation Support Unit
Department of Environment and Resource Management
GPO BOX 2454
Brisbane QLD 4001.

Please provide the following details with your request:

• name
• lot number
• plan number

and one of the following:

• email address
• postal address; or
• fax number.

Any requests will be responded to within five business days of receipt.

For further information, please contact Permit and Licence Management or email palm@derm.qld.gov.au.

Last updated 27 March 2012

Advice Agency role

• Referable Areas Mapping