FAQ

The Queensland Government has undertaken a reform of the planning and development systems and requires all councils to deliver a Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) in accordance with State Government guidelines. The LGIP estimates the timing of when infrastructure charges are collected and when the infrastructure will be delivered. The LGIP will ensure Council meets community expectations by being transparent and accountable for its planned spending on trunk infrastructure.

The LGIP forecasts network demand based on the projected population, housing and employment growth of the Whitsundays for the next 15 years, and outlines existing and future plans for trunk infrastructure.

The LGIP sets the Desired Standards of Service (DSS) for trunk infrastructure to ensure that community expectations, safety and engineering standards are met.

The State’s guidelines provide direction on how Councils can define trunk and non-trunk infrastructure. Simply, trunk infrastructure is the primary infrastructure network, which services the broader community, for example:

• Water - reservoirs, water treatment plants, pump stations and large water mains;

• Sewer - sewer treatment plants, pump stations and large sewer mains;

• Stormwater - pipes and culverts with significant water volume or water flow rates;

• Transport - arterial, sub-arterial, collector and rural collector roads; and

• Parks and land for community facilities - district and regional sport/recreation parks and land set aside for community facilities, such as libraries, swimming pools and waste transfer stations.

Non-trunk infrastructure connects to the trunk infrastructure network to the end user, this includes small water, sewer and stormwater pipes, local roads and local parks to service a localised residential community or commercial development.

The LGIP will form part of the recently adopted Whitsunday Regional Council Planning Scheme as an amendment, under Part 4 and Schedule 3. The addition of the LGIP will not amend any other Part of the Planning Scheme.

The infrastructure proposed in the LGIP supports the growth indicated in the Planning Scheme. The growth assumptions in the LGIP could not be calculated until the new Planning Scheme commenced, on 3 July 2017.

Infrastructure charges are capped by Queensland Government legislation and Council invests the charges it collects into new trunk infrastructure. Current charges will not be raised as a result of the LGIP, however the Planning Act initiates an automatic increase in charges starting at the end of June 2018. Increases are in accordance with the Property Price Index (PPI), calculated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Any changes to infrastructure charges from mid 2018 will be outlined in a supporting document called the Adopted Infrastructure Charges Resolution, which will go to a Council meeting for adoption at that time.

Council currently charges the maximum infrastructure charges to ensure that the desired standards of service are maintained and to avoid passing on trunk infrastructure costs to the ratepayers.

The LGIP identifies the proposed future trunk infrastructure required to meet the desired standards of service over the next 15 years. You can view the LGIP network maps on the LGIP Project Page at http://yoursay.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au/ to see if any future infrastructure items will affect your property.

Future infrastructure identified in the LGIP may be delivered by Council or by a developer. If a development application is lodged for a property, then a condition may be imposed on the development to ensure the trunk infrastructure is provided to Council standards and satisfaction. The final location of infrastructure will be subject to a detailed investigation, design and Council approval process.

You can view the draft LGIP at our online consultation website Your Say Whitsunday here http://yoursay.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au/ or in person at the Bowen, Collinsville or Proserpine Customer Centres to let us know your feedback.

You can also mail submissions to PO Box 104 Proserpine, Queensland, 4800 or deliver your submission in person to a Customer Centre.

Properly made submissions must include your name, address, signature and be received in the Public Consultation period closing at 5pm, 6 March 2018.

For further information, contact Council by phone on (07) 4945 0263 or by email on submissions@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au.