Regional Planning Interests Act 2014

This Act may be cited as the Regional Planning Interests Act 2014.

This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

The purposes of this Act are to—

identify areas of Queensland that are of regional interest because they contribute, or are likely to contribute, to Queensland’s economic, social and environmental prosperity; and

give effect to the policies about matters of State interest stated in regional plans; and

manage, including in ways identified in regional plans—

the impact of resource activities and other regulated activities on areas of regional interest; and

the coexistence, in areas of regional interest, of resource activities and other regulated activities with other activities, including, for example, highly productive agricultural activities.

To achieve its purposes, this Act provides for a transparent and accountable process for the impact of proposed resource activities and regulated activities on areas of regional interest to be assessed and managed.

This Act binds all persons, including the State and, to the extent the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the Commonwealth and the other States.

However, the Commonwealth or a State can not be prosecuted for an offence against this Act.

This Act applies despite any resource Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Planning Act or the Water Act 2000 (each the other Act).

A restriction or requirement under this Act applies as well as any restriction or requirement under the other Act.

Note—

See also section 59 (Regional interests conditions paramount).

This Act applies to a resource activity or regulated activity in the Condamine Alluvium CSG area subject to section 59(3).

The Condamine Alluvium CSG area is an area that—

includes all or part of the aquifer known as the Condamine Alluvium; and

is shown as the Condamine Alluvium CSG area on a map approved by regulation and published on the department’s website.

The dictionary in schedule 1 defines particular words used in this Act.

Note—

For the meanings of some words in particular contexts, see also section 18.

Each of the following is an area of regional interest—

a priority agricultural area;

a priority living area;

the strategic cropping area;

a strategic environmental area.

A priority agricultural area is an area that—

includes 1 or more areas used for a priority agricultural land use, whether it also includes other areas or features, including, for example, a regionally significant water source; and

is either—

shown on a map in a regional plan as a priority agricultural area; or

prescribed under a regulation.

A priority agricultural land use is highly productive agriculture—

of a type identified in a regional plan for an area of regional interest; or

of a type prescribed under a regulation for an area of regional interest.

A regionally significant water source is a water source prescribed under a regulation.

A priority living area is an area—

shown on a map in a regional plan as a priority living area; and

that includes the existing settled area of a city, town or other community and other areas necessary or desirable—

for the future growth of the existing settled area; and

as a buffer between the existing or a future settled area and resource activities.

The strategic cropping area consists of the areas shown on the SCL trigger map as strategic cropping land.

In this section—

strategic cropping land means land that is, or is likely to be, highly suitable for cropping because of a combination of the land’s soil, climate and landscape features.

A strategic environmental area is an area that—

contains 1 or more environmental attributes for the area; and

is either—

shown on a map in a regional plan as a strategic environmental area; or

prescribed under a regulation.

Examples of areas that may be shown or prescribed as strategic environmental areas—

• the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve on Cape York Peninsula

• the channel country of western Queensland

In this section—

environmental attribute, for an area, means an attribute of the environment identified as an environmental attribute for the area under a regional plan or regulation.