July rezoning deadline looms for Logan’s flood-prone land parcels

Logan City Council is urgently rezoning 32 flood-affected properties acquired through the Voluntary Home Buy Back program to meet a state deadline for full cost recovery.

Logan City Council plans to rezone 32 lots of flood-prone land across the city before July. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Logan City Council has moved to urgently rezone 32 flood-affected properties it acquired under the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s Voluntary Home Buy Back program, with the changes set to take effect in less than a month.

“The decision, expected to be endorsed this month and to come into effect on July 1, follows the devastating floods of early 2022 that led to the establishment of the Resilient Homes Fund in May 2022.

Under the program, homes deemed at highest flood risk were eligible for government-funded buybacks.

Council documents indicate that the rezoning process was being expedited to ensure compliance with the state program requirements, enabling the council to secure full reimbursement from the reconstruction authority.

The costs include property purchases, demolitions, and land rehabilitation.

If the zoning changes are not finalised by June 30, 2026, Logan may risk ineligibility for full cost recovery under the Resilient Homes Fund guidelines.

The 32 lots that the council officers have recommended the council rezone at next week’s meeting.

“Rezoning is the final step in the Voluntary Home Buy Back program,” a council report said.

“All other actions, including demolition and rehabilitation, have been completed.”

To meet the deadline, Logan will bypass public consultation, permitted but not obligatory under state planning laws for minor amendments, and adopt the rezoning in a two-step process.

32 blocks will be rezoned so Logan City Council can meet compensation deadlines. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The rezoned blocks, scattered across flood-prone suburbs including Loganholme, Logan Reserve and Waterford, must be gazetted by June 27, allowing for commencement to start on July 1.

Once gazetted, the 32 blocks will be integrated into the Logan Planning Scheme 2015 and will no longer be eligible for residential development.

Instead, they will be incorporated into either the Recreation and Open Space Zone or the Environmental Management and Conservation Zone.

“These zones support non-habitable land uses such as parks, ecological corridors, and conservation areas,” the City Planning report said.

Reclassifying the lots ensures they are preserved as flood buffers or public green spaces, reducing the risk of repeat damage in future weather events.

A map of Loganholme with the light-blue showing a maximum of two storeys; green showing a maximum of three storeys or 12m; and dark blue showing building heights of 15m.

Key blocks to be reclassified include 58–60 Bayes Rd, Logan Reserve. The land is currently zoned rural but will be shifted into the Environmental Management and Conservation category.

Multiple properties in Loganholme will be amended to reflect non-residential status, with updates to maps showing new building heights and streetscapes around a small set of shops at Bryants Rd and near the Coomera Connector.

Properties in Waterford, zoned low-density residential, will be moved into Recreation and Open Space, consistent with surrounding flood plain areas.

In all cases, any previous dwellings or improvements have already been demolished, and the land rehabilitated.

The council documents said the urgency behind the amendments was financial and if the zoning changes are not finalised within the set time frame, Logan risks being left out of the QRA’s reimbursement arrangements, potentially losing millions in state and federal support.

“Should council not rezone the properties … by 30 June 2026, council risks the expenditure incurred to date being ineligible for reimbursement,” the report warned.

The amendment is considered “minor” under the Planning Act 2016 and the Minister’s Guidelines and Rules, meaning it can proceed without community consultation or councillor votes at each stage.

Internal consultation has been conducted with the council’s Parks branch, Corporate Property program, and Health, Climate and Conservation branch.

With this final step, the council will conclude its participation in the Voluntary Home Buy Back, a significant recovery initiative that has reshaped how flood-prone land is managed across southeast Queensland.

Originally published as July rezoning deadline looms for Logan’s flood-prone land parcels