Changes are proposed to the Business uses code to improve outcomes for development which involves the construction of new premises for business activities like shops, offices, and food and drink outlets.

It is important to note that establishing a business activity in an existing commercial building is generally accepted development and does not require an application or assessment against the planning scheme codes.

Key changes include:

• Revisions to the ‘Hierarchy of Centres’ to reflect a new approach which refers to the centre zones and place types.
• Introducing clearer landscaping requirements which encourage pedestrian shade and contribute to visual amenity of the site and the streetscape.
• Introducing awning design requirements to ensure awnings over road reserves are safe, functional and visually consistent.

Amendments are proposed to the Dwelling House Code to better reflect current housing standards and State reforms.

Key changes include:

• Reducing minimum front setbacks from 6m to 5m for lots larger than 450m², aligning with the State’s draft Queensland Housing Code.
• Increasing maximum shed heights to allow up to 5m (previously 4.5m) on lots 800m² or larger.
• Increased size of secondary dwellings (e.g. Granny flats) from 70m² to 100m².
• Allowing carports to be built up to the front boundary, consistent with the State’s draft Queensland Housing Code.
• Referencing the new Planning Scheme Policies for garages, carports and outbuildings to provide clearer guidance how to comply with the Dwelling house code.
• Including specific requirements suited to small lots (less than 450m²).

Council is proposing to replace the existing Dual Occupancy Code with a new Dual Occupancy and Triplex Code. This update responds to housing needs across the Fraser Coast by allowing for two (dual occupancy) or three (triplex) dwellings on a single lot in more areas, with clearer rules to ensure these developments:

• Fit within the local character and streetscape.
• Provide quality living environments.
• Protect the amenity, privacy, and safety of surrounding homes.
• Connect to services and infrastructure appropriately.

Key changes include:

• Triplexes (three homes on 1 lot) are now assessed under the same code as dual occupancies (two homes on 1 lot), with their own benchmarks.
• Removing requirement for a development application by making triplex development self-assessable in the following zones:
  • Low-medium density residential zone, Medium density residential zone, High density residential zone, Mixed use zone – Precinct MU1 (Urangan Harbour – SOHO Opportunity sub-precinct 2), Mixed use zone – Precinct MU7 (Hervey Bay Medical Precinct). Triplex development will be code assessable in the Township zone (Precinct T2 – Rural only).
• Changes to minimum lots size for Dual Occupancy:
  • 600m² in Low density residential zone and Township zone when connected to water and sewer.
  • 3,000m² if connected to water but no sewer;
  • 1ha if not connected water and sewer.
• Dual occupancy maximum site coverage will increase from 50% to 60%.
• Triplex maximum site coverage will be 60%.

Changes are proposed to the Multi-unit residential uses code. This code guides how apartments, townhouses, rooming houses, short-term accommodation and mixed-use residential buildings are designed, located and serviced.

Key change include:

• Updating the code to explicitly supports a broader mix of housing types to meet the needs of a growing and diverse community.
• Removal of the minimum lot size requirements to support diversity in the scale and design of multi-unit development.
• Revisions to the design and siting requirements.
• Adjusting requirements for private outdoor areas and communal spaces to enhance livability.
• Strengthening landscaping requirements to improve visual amenity, livability and character outcomes.
• Clarifying infrastructure servicing standards, especially sewerage, stormwater, and water supply.
• Clarifying the requirements for waste bin storage and collection.
• Adding an assessment requirement for rooming accommodation to avoid detriment impact on residential amenity.

Separate the existing code into two distinct codes – the Tourist Park Code and the Relocatable Home Park Code is proposed. This seeks to clearly distinguish between requirements for permanent relocatable home living and short-term tourist accommodation. While most of the requirements for each use remain unchanged, some further changes are proposed.

Other key changes for the Relocatable home park code include:

• A focus on resident wellbeing, privacy, shaded walkways, and connection to infrastructure (sewer, water, power).
• Strengthening design and landscaping requirements to improve amenity outcomes.
• Revisions to requirements for private outdoor areas and communal spaces to enhance livability and recreational opportunities.
• Improving connections with surrounding areas to avoid isolated or “gated community” outcomes.

Other key changes for the Tourist park code include:

• Minor changes to design and layout requirements.
• New landscaping requirements along streets and sensitive land uses.
• Retention and integration of existing vegetation into the landscaping wherever possible.
• Setbacks for noisy facilities
• Revisions to the requirements for sites for self-contained vehicles within an existing tourist park to reflect similar changes made to the Nature based tourism code.

Changes are proposed to ensure home based businesses operate in a way that is compatible with residential areas and minimises impacts on neighbours. A home based business is defined as the use of a dwelling or domestic outbuilding on premises for a business activity that is subordinate to the residential use of the premises.

Key changes include:

• Introduction of a definition for “home office” to support remote office working trends.
• Requiring the home-based business to be conducted such that buildings on the site retain a residential appearance and character.
• Clarifying the requirements for the scale of use and protection of residential amenity.
• Requiring equipment, materials and storage to be screened from public view.
• Strengthening requirements to manage traffic impacts, including:
  • No more than 10 vehicle trips to and from the site per day;
  • Commercial deliveries or collections limited to courier-sized vehicles, with no more than two deliveries per day;
  • Loading and unloading restricted to 8.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Saturday, with no activity on Sundays or public holidays; and
  • Use of existing driveway and crossover only.
• Requiring on-site sewerage facilities and on-site rainwater collection to adequately service the home-based business where reticulated infrastructure is not available.

Changes are proposed to support a greater diversity of nature-based tourism opportunities across the region and improve alignment with Council’s endorsed Camping Options Strategy. Nature-based Tourism is defined as, the use of premises for a tourism activity, including accommodation for tourists, for the appreciation, conservation or interpretation of:

• an area of environmental, cultural or heritage value; or
• a local ecosystem; or
• the natural environment.

Key changes include:

• Improving clarity and alignment with Council’s local laws.
• Clearly delineating requirements for site area and guest facilities for different types of accommodation (E.g. temporary camping sites, permanent cabins and self-contained recreational vehicles).
• Reinforcing nature-based tourism uses as being minimal in size, scale, intensity and subservient to its rural or natural setting.

Amendments are proposed to the Advertising devices code which sets the standards for how signs and advertising devices are designed, located, displayed and maintained.

Key changes include:

• Restructuring the code requirements for different types of signs to improve useability.
• Updating controls to manage the impacts of modern illuminated and moving signs.
• Reducing the locations where billboards are permitted supported.
• Introducing requirements for signs on a Local Heritage Place.

A new Water quality and management code is proposed to set clear, enforceable standards for how new development must manage stormwater, erosion, and wastewater to protect our rivers, creeks, wetlands, and coastal waters. The code applies to all assessable development, including subdivisions and new industrial and commercial buildings.

The new code takes many existing requirements which are spread throughout the planning scheme and consolidates them into a single code. The code also ensures that the planning scheme appropriately integrates the State Planning Policy interest relating to water quality be seeking the following outcomes when development occurs:

• stormwater run-off does not adversely impact on the quality of surface waters or ground waters.
• concentrations and loads of nutrients, sediment and other pollutants, litter and other solid wastes in runoff flowing to stormwater systems and receiving waters are minimised.
• natural hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics are maintained, and new drainage infrastructure adopts natural channel design to the greatest extent possible.
• opportunities for groundwater recharge are maximised.
• the stability and ecological functions of waterways and wetlands are protected, including by retaining riparian vegetation and by slowing floodwater and runoff.
• stormwater is managed to ensure the impacts of overland flow or flooding are not worsened for people or property.
• in expansion areas, stormwater management systems are coordinated on a whole-of-catchment basis that avoids disparate on-site systems to the greatest extent possible.
• stormwater, water quality and erosion control infrastructure are designed and located to be locally appropriate, climatically resilient and minimise whole-of-lifecycle costs.

Changes are proposed to update the Works, services and infrastructure code. This code sets out the requirements for:

• Earthworks – excavation, filling, and retaining walls.
• Essential services – water, sewer, stormwater, electricity, and telecommunications.
• Stormwater quality and drainage – protecting waterways and flood safety.
• Landscaping – buffers, planting, shade, and safety.
• Vegetation clearing and construction works – protecting trees, habitat, and neighbouring amenity.

Key changes include:

• Clearer landscaping standards to ensure development is safe, accessible, durable and easy to maintain.
• Stronger requirements to manage weeds and invasive species.
• Inclusion of vegetation clearing requirements which were previously located in the Vegetation management code.

Updates are proposed to the Transport and parking code to ensure our transport system is modern, safe and supports active travel, public transport, and sustainable development.

Key changes include:

• Landscaping and shade requirements for car parks in commercial and industrial development to reduce heat, glare and visual impacts.
• New requirements for noise attenuation devices, continuous fences, walls and similar screening devices along road corridors to improve visual amenity and clarify ownership and maintenance responsibilities.
• Updated parking requirements for some land uses.
• Introducing new outcomes for the road network, public transport and active travel to provide clearer direction on the vision for an integrated transport network on the Fraser Coast.
• New Strategic Transport Network and Strategic Active Travel Network (Pathways) mapping.

Updates are proposed to the Landscaping code to make our towns and neighbourhoods greener, cooler, safer, and more attractive.

The updated code strengthens the role of landscaping in creating quality places, reduces prescriptive rules, and instead focuses on performance outcomes that can be tailored to each site. The detail on how landscaping should be delivered (e.g. tree species, soil depths, irrigation, buffers) is now located in the Planning scheme policy for development works.

Key changes include:

• Strengthening requirements to retain and integrate existing vegetation and landform where practicable, supporting amenity, liveability, biodiversity and climate outcomes.
• Improving landscape design standards to support shade, comfort, safety, social interaction and sense of place.
• Strengthening requirements for landscaping to be durable, practical and cost-effective to maintain over time.
• Improving landscaping design to support passive surveillance, personal safety and CPTED principles, with clear definition of public and private spaces.
• New requirement for buildings over 8.5m to include podium gardens, roof gardens, green walls or planter boxes. This softens the bulk of taller buildings, provides greenery at height, and improves comfort for residents and neighbours.

Many parts of the Fraser Coast region do not have reticulated (piped) sewerage. In these areas, development relies on on-site sewage facilities (OSSF) such as septic tanks or aerated treatment systems. Poorly designed or located systems can:

• pollute creeks, wetlands and groundwater,
• create odour and amenity issues, and
• lead to high costs for the broader community if sewerage needs to be retrofitted later.

The new code and Planning scheme policy introduce clearer standards, stronger safeguards, and practical guidance. They ensure new and existing development using OSSFs is designed to protect public health, the environment, and the community’s long-term infrastructure needs.

Changes are proposed to the Reconfiguring a lot code, which sets the rules for how land can be subdivided, amalgamated, or reconfigured.

The update applies to all assessable development involving reconfiguring a lot (subdivision, boundary changes, amalgamations, easements, and volumetric subdivisions).

The updates aim to:

• Create walkable, safe, climate-resilient neighbourhoods.
• Support housing diversity by integrating small lots into neighbourhoods without dominating streetscape character.
• Deliver infrastructure efficiently.
• Respond to Fraser Coast’s environmental and servicing constraints.

While the Vegetation management code has been removed, the requirements of the code relating to the conservation of vegetation of significance and the management of vegetation clearing activities still apply. The removal of the Vegetation code removes duplication across several codes and allows to occur in conjunction with more affective development and overlay codes.