The purpose of this page is to explain the Local Government Infrastructure Plan within the Townsville City Plan.
A planning scheme (referred to as Townsville City Plan) is a legal document that guides and regulates the development of land.
A Local government infrastructure plan (LGIP) is the part of the planning scheme which outlines a local government’s plan for the provision of trunk infrastructure to service urban development in a coordinated, efficient and orderly way. The LGIP is located in Part 4 and Schedule 3 of the Townsville City Plan.
The LGIP contains assumptions about the projected population, housing and employment growth of the city for the next 15 years.
It documents the desired standards of service (DSS) and demand for infrastructure.
A Priority Infrastructure Area (PIA) identifies the preferred urban footprint for such development.
Plans For Trunk Infrastructure (PFTI) identify the key water supply, sewerage, roads, footpaths and cycle ways, public open space and land for community facilities and infrastructure needed to service the existing and projected growth.
The LGIP details what trunk infrastructure is required, where it is required, when it is required and why it is required, allowing Council to be in a better position to make decisions about development and funding allocations.
The LGIP provides developers with an indication of what infrastructure they may need to contribute to as part of their development.
A LGIP also assists Council in managing its capital works program by identifying and planning for the delivery of trunk infrastructure over the next 15 years.
Trunk infrastructure is ‘higher order’ network development infrastructure. Development infrastructure is basically, land and/or works for water cycle management (including water supply, sewage and drainage), transport, parks and land for community facilities.
District parks, sub-arterial roads, sewerage pump stations and water supply reservoirs are all examples of trunk infrastructure.
The LGIP plays an important role in keeping the cost of living down by ensuring services are provided for new development in an efficient, coordinated and orderly way.
The LGIP also directs new development to areas where infrastructure is in place or is expected to have efficient utilisation. This allows council to best manage the costs of new or existing infrastructure upgrades and minimise ongoing maintenance and operational costs.
More specific information on the LGIP is included in Part 4 and Schedule 3 of the Townsville City Plan. The Strand is an example of regional open space trunk infrastructure.
The PIA sets the preferred urban area (intended area of growth) for a local government area over a 15-year horizon and is a main component of the LGIP.
The PIA is calculated having regard to growth trends (established from census information), growth projections (modelled on the take-up of urban zoned or approved land) and where Council can efficiently provide infrastructure whilst maintaining affordable cost of living to the community. Development within the PIA is planned to be serviced by Council’s infrastructure network, and as such has less impact on the cost of services.
The Townsville City Plan priority infrastructure area (PIA) has included land on the urban fringes that is needed by 2026 to support urban growth, or has minimal consequence of being included in the PIA. Rural and Rural residential zoned land is also planned to be serviced by infrastructure, but is excluded from the PIA in accordance with the requirements of the Queensland Government’s planning legislation.
The LGIP is used in the development assessment process to determine whether or not the development is consistent with the infrastructure planning, and whether or not trunk infrastructure is needed to support the development, or is affected by the development, or if additional trunk infrastructure costs might apply.
Infrastructure charge schedules are no longer required to be in the LGIP. Notwithstanding this, Council’s infrastructure charges have regard to the cost of the trunk infrastructure networks and their respective demand.
The Queensland Government is undertaking broader planning and development system reforms, which are targeted at ensuring sustainable development outcomes and support the state’s continued growth and prosperity. A new infrastructure charges framework commenced in July 2014.
This required local governments to amend infrastructure planning and charging frameworks in support of an efficient infrastructure charging methodology. In particular, it required the former Priority Infrastructure Plan (PIP) to be replaced by a Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP), in accordance with the state government guidelines.
Urban development outside of the PIA may have to provide their own trunk infrastructure where it is required over and above that planned by Council. Areas outside of the PIA are not intended to be serviced by Council’s infrastructure during the next 15 year period.
Council has undertaken investigations into the most appropriate land for potential urban area expansion. It is unlikely that this land will be needed in the life of the Townsville City Plan.
