Div9May15

City News

Draft City Plan 2015 - what it means to your area What the City Plan 2015 will mean for Division 9, covering Advancetown, Austinville, Bonogin, Gilston, Highland Park, Lower Beechmont, Mudgeeraba, Natural Bridge, Neranwood, Numinbah Valley, Springbrook, Tallai and Worongary. The new draft City Plan 2015 offers a fresh approach to managing our city’s long term growth, while maintaining our enviable lifestyle. Thousands of submissions from residents and interest groups have been taken into consideration, and after more than 20 months of preparation, the Council has now handed the plan to the State Government for approval. The City Plan will be the city’s biggest economic lever. It’s a plan for growth and a stronger, more diverse economy, giving confidence to business and certainty to residents about the future of the city. Key aims of the plan include facilitating new housing, providing catalysts for jobs and key infrastructure connections. Over the next 20 years, the Gold Coast’s population is expected to increase by up to 320,000 people, and the city will need around 130,000 new dwellings and 150,000 new jobs to support this increase. Under the plan, local centres will become vibrant, mixed use community hubs, homes to major concentrations of business and residents, and will support the majority of creative, lifestyle and cultural activities in the city. The plan will also encourage diverse housing options that are affordable, attractive and have convenient access to transport, employment, community, recreation and other services. Below are some of the specific changes within the City Plan envisaged for the future of Division 9: • The lifestyle and amenity aspirations of residents in bushland and semi-rural environments are reinforced outcomes in the draft plan. • In Rural zone areas at Austinville, Neranwood and Mudgeeraba, a range of small scale commercial, tourism and recreation activities are envisaged where they do not compromise the landscape character, rural amenity and the long-term rural production potential of the site or adjoining land. • In the plan, further efforts are made to protect the city’s iconic natural landscape, scenic amenity and biodiversity values through the introduction of a new Landscape and Environment precinct within the Rural and Rural residential zones. This will discourage unsuitable development and ensure lots are suitably sized. • Although Local Area Plans (LAPs) have been removed, a Mudgeeraba Village character overlay code continues the aim of ensuring Mudgeeraba’s historical urban form and character is maintained.

• A number of investigation areas have been nominated in the plan. Subject to detailed investigations, these areas will be investigated for land use opportunities and constraints. In Division 9 this includes some of the Rural residential areas in Mudgeeraba north of Mudgeeraba Village and a new area on Bonogin Road. • As a result of submissions to the draft plan public consultation, the proposed Mudgeeraba/Worongary/ Tallai investigation area has been removed from the plan. • In response to submissions to the draft plan, changes have been made to the Rural (landscape and environment) precinct to better align with on-site environment and landscape values. The City has committed to a further review of land in this precinct. • Rural residential minimum lot sizes, except those areas in the landscape and environment precinct , have been amended to reflect lot sizes in the 2003 Planning Scheme. Find out more at cityofgoldcoast.com.au/cityplan2015

For information, contact City of Gold Coast on 1300 GOLDCOAST (1300 465 326) or visit us online at cityofgoldcoast.com.au.

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