State fast-tracks Redland housing with 18-month PDA planning timeline

The state government has unveiled an 18-month planning framework to fast-track housing growth and streamline development approvals in a bayside priority development area.

Parliament officially tabled the Southern Thornlands PDA Interim Land Use Plan today, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

The state government has taken a major step to fast-track new housing and employment opportunities in Redland, officially tabling a new regulation in parliament on Tuesday, sparking concerns about the scale and speed of housing in southern Thornlands.

The regulation was made by the Governor-in-Council on April 4 but could not take effect until today when it officially established the Southern Thornlands Priority Development Area.

The regulation introduces an unusual 18-month Interim Land Use Plan, known as an ILUP, which will profoundly shape the bayside area’s future.

Unlike typical short-term planning frameworks, the Thornlands ILUP is for the next 18 months, which is a departure from the usual practice of 12-month interim plans.

The new regulation fits in with the state government’s SEQ Regional Plan despite the Redland Housing strategy 2024-2046.

The extended period, lasting until October 2026, allows development under temporary rules before a final scheme is approved, potentially locking in key decisions without Redland City Council or community input.

The state took control of planning in southern Thornlands, removing Redland council from its usual planning approval role, when it approved the Economic Development (Southern Thornlands PDA) Amendment Regulation 2025 on April 4.

The move marked a significant shift in power from the council to the state’s Economic Development Queensland agency, which will now oversee development in the area.

The priority development area was created to fast-track housing and jobs.

But the 18-month ILUP has raised concerns about long-term impacts on the 800 hectares of land without local input.

The previous state government reclassified parts of Southern Thornlands from rural to urban in the ShapingSEQ 2023 South East Queensland Regional Plan in December 2023, to address housing shortages.

The Interim Land Use Plan allows for higher-density housing, including smaller-lot homes, townhouses, and low-rise apartments that is much denser than the traditional suburban housing that currently characterises the area.

Areas inside the PDA have been set aside for different uses including the red for mixed industry business; blue for educational purposes; yellow for transport; purple for storage and light green for rural residential.

It also promotes affordable and social housing, with the potential for bulkier residential developments to be fast-tracked.

Developers will have access to streamlined approval processes managed directly by Economic Development Queensland, bypassing traditional Redland council assessment.

Parts of the Southern Thornlands PDA will also be set aside for small business and light industry, such as storage and workshops, with those projects eligible to be built without Redland council oversight.

The tabled regulation also includes safeguards such as provision for environmental management and koala habitat protection.

However, critics including the Queensland Conservation Council, have argued that the plan could damage the environment before stronger protections are put in place.

Another concern has been the amount of public consultation, as PDA rules allow reduced community input and restrict traditional submission and appeal rights.

Originally published as State fast-tracks Redland housing with 18-month PDA planning timeline