How Queensland’s planning scheme will be changed to boost walking
Major changes will be introduced to Queensland’s planning scheme to force developers to listen to community concerns, make new neighbourhoods friendlier to walkers and bring green spaces closer to home. FIND OUT WHAT’S CHANGED.
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STREET trees would be planted every 15 metres and footpaths installed on all local roads under a new planning criteria for residential developments to encourage walking across the state.
The revamped State planning regime will kick off from September 28 and will require councils to assess all new residential developments against five design elements to make neighbourhoods more walkable.
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They including limiting blocks lengths to a maximum of 250 metres and ensuring each block is within 400 metres of a park or open space – subject to physical constraints.
Ensuring footpaths are provided on at least one side of local streets and both sides of all main streets is also included in the new criteria, as well as a minimum of one street tree every 15 metres on both sides of all roads.
While it will be mandatory for new residential developments to be assessed against the new designs, planners will also need to have regard for community concerns and implement the design where practical.
Treasurer and Planning Minister Cameron Dick said the reforms would mean local neighbourhoods would have the fundamentals, including footpaths, street trees and nearby parks and open space.
“Prior to the pandemic, we undertook extensive community consultation about how effective neighbourhood design could support community health and wellbeing,” he said.
“The COVID-19 restrictions were put in place early to protect Queenslanders and the economy and we have all experienced how our neighbourhood design supports walkability and access to local parks and open spaces.”
The explanatory notes for the new planning regulations say the changes are about encouraging walking for “transport, leisure, recreation and exercise”.
“Physical barriers that stop Queenslanders from walking more include distances to destinations, lack of shade and shelter along routes, and lack of suitable paths to destinations,” it said.
“The Amendment Regulation addresses these barriers by ensuring residential neighbourhoods are planned for walking.”
Mr Dick said that many established neighbourhoods were not conducive to walking and that any retrofitting would require investments from councils.
“To help councils we have developed the Walkability Improvement Tool which gives them a step-by-step guide to effectively and efficiently identify and prioritise walkability improvements based on the greatest return on investment,” he said.
President of Queensland Walks, Michelle Wade, said they supported initiatives and investments to design more “walk-friendly communities and neighbourhoods”.