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Overlays identify areas of land with particular characteristics that need to be considered when development is planned in those areas. These characteristics may relate to a natural hazard such as bushfire, flooding or landslide, a value such as good quality agricultural land or heritage, or a constraint such as proximity to an airport, quarry or major pipeline.
Council designates overlays through the use of the Planning Scheme. The Planning Scheme outlines when a development has additional requirements to consider when it is proposed in an overlay area.
Council’s Planning Scheme maps will show where overlays are situated. Visit the Planning Scheme maps and follow these instructions:
Each overlay has a code, which outlines the purpose and overall outcomes sought by the overlay and the requirements for development assessable against the code. Overlay Codes are located in Part 8 of the Planning Scheme.
The Airport Environs overlay seeks to protect the existing and future operational requirements of the Toowoomba Airport and the Oakey Army Aviation Centre and can apply to properties up to 13km away from these facilities. It includes identifying land where airport noise may be intrusive, areas where aircraft may be susceptible to bird and bat strikes, and ensuring buildings and structures including cranes do not intrude into operational airspace.
It’s important to note that the Planning Scheme doesn’t currently include the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport in this overlay. However, the State Government has designated the Wellcamp airport as a “strategic airport” meaning that the State Planning Policy still has requirements for any development that could impact the safety and efficiency of future aircraft operations for the airport. Read more about the State Planning Policy for Strategic Airports and Aviation Facilities here.
The Bushfire Hazard overlay is designed to protect the safety of people and property in bushfire-prone areas by ensuring development located in bushfire risk areas does not increase the exposure of people and property to an unacceptable risk.
The Landslide Hazard overlay seeks to ensure that development on steep or potentially unstable land is located, designed and constructed to minimise risk to people and property.
The purpose of the Flood Hazard Overlay Code is to ensure development in identified flood hazard areas protects the safety of people and property and does not adversely affect flood plain functions.
The Heritage and Neighbourhood Character overlays identify places and areas with Heritage or character significance. These overlays contribute to protecting these places and areas to ensure Heritage values are maintained, compatible with heritage significance, sympathetic to character and demolition of buildings of Heritage or Character significance is avoided.
The Scenic Amenity overlay seeks to protect landscapes with high scenic amenity value.
The purpose of the Environmental Significance Overlay is to avoid or minimise the impacts of development on the biodiversity values of ecosystems, ecological processes, areas of ecological significance and biodiversity corridors; and the ecological, hydrological and water quality values of natural waterways and wetlands.
The purpose of the Water Resource Catchments Overlay is to maintain water resources catchment areas such that storage and water quality is maintained or improved, and recharge capacity is protected.
Agricultural land overlay protects the productive capacity of land and ensures that subdivision or boundary realignments do not further fragment rural land and cause conflicts between farming and residential uses.
The Extractive Resources overlay applies to land and transport routes surrounding significant extractive resources and ensures the resources are protected by preventing establishment of sensitive activities in proximity to the resource such as housing.
The Regional Infrastructure overlay protects existing significant infrastructure such as pipelines and substations by ensuring a buffer is provided between the infrastructure and sensitive uses.
For further information please phone Council’s Technical Advice Officers on 131 872 or visit your nearest Customer Service Centre.
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