The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan ( 8.5 MB) was launched and formally notified by the Acting Attorney-General , Minister for Local Government and Special Minister of State, The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk, in Hervey Bay on 29 September 2011.

Document section

• Foreword, contents, part A: introduction  ( 451 KB)
• Part B: Regional framework ( 3.9 MB)
• Part C, section 1: Sustainability, climate change and natural hazards ( 427 KB)
• Part C, section 2: Environment ( 448 MB)
• Part C, section 3: Natural resource management ( 858 KB)
• Part C, section 4: Rural futures ( 67 KB)
• Part C, section 5: Strong communities ( 84 KB)
• Part C, section 6: Engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ( 344 KB)
• Part C, section 7: Managing growth ( 191 KB)
• Part C, section 8: Urban form ( 475 KB)
• Part C, section 9: Strong economy ( 689 KB)
• Part C, section 10: Infrastructure ( 502 KB)
• Part D: Preparation and implementation ( 451 KB)
• Part E: Wide Bay Burnett State Planning Regulatory Provisions 2011 ( 582 KB)

The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan will guide land use and development in the region over the next two decades. It provides a planning framework to help sustain the region's communities, strengthen its economy, inform the delivery of social services and infrastructure, and protect its environment. The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan outlines ten desired regional outcomes which are supported by a range of policies and programs:

• Sustainability, climate change and natural hazards
• Environment
• Natural resource management
• Rural futures
• Strong communities
• Engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Managing growth
• Urban form
• Strong economy
• Infrastructure and servicing.

Land use categories

The Wide Bay Burnett State Planning Regulatory Provisions establish three land use categories to classify parts of the region – Urban Footprint, a Rural Living Area and a Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area.

The Urban Footprint will be the focus for urban growth in the region to at least 2031. The nature and the extent of the land uses in the Urban Footprint will be determined through local government planning schemes. A broadhectare study was completed in 2009 which established the amount of land available for residential use in the region. This study assisted in determining the amount of additional land that needed to be included in the Urban Footprint.

The Rural Living Area identifies land suitable for future rural residential development. Limiting rural residential development to land within the Rural Living Area will help ensure effective access to services and facilities and protect agricultural lands.

Land included in the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area will be protected from inappropriate development, particularly urban and rural residential development. However, some diversification may be supported, for example appropriate small-scale tourist, recreation, business or industrial development.

A series of fact sheets have been developed to provide an overview of how the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan specifically affects each of the regional councils in the Wide Bay Burnett region. You can also download the Regulatory Maps that show the boundaries of the Urban Footprint, Rural Living Area and the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area for the region or use the interactive Regional Land Use Maps application.