eAlerts
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Number 179: 27 November 2023
Reminder assessment process for Rate 3 Streetlighting Applications within the Ripley PDA
Council, as the MEDQ delegate, would like to remind the development industry that effective 11 February 2022, rather than being assessed through an Operational Works Application or solely through the Pre-Construction Certification Process, Rate 3 Streetlighting for a development site within the Ripley PDA must be lodged and assessed through the Compliance Assessment process. Please refer to Schedule 1 of the 'Ripley Valley Urban Development Area — Development Scheme' which states that Rate 3 Streetlighting is considered Exempt Development from an Operational Works Application perspective when the works are consistent with an approved plan of development.
Please note that the application lodgment, construction and post construct stages of the delivery of Rate 3 Streetlighting must follow the processes outlined in the relevant development approval Compliance Assessment Condition and the Certification Procedures Manual (CPM), which includes, among other things, the completion of relevant application forms, certification deed polls, certification forms and other documentation that is required under the State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning and Economic Development Queensland framework. The CPM, deed polls and other forms that are required as part of the compliance assessment and that are listed in the CPM can be downloaded below.
MEDQ Compliance Assessment Form
Ipswich City Council Engineering Certification Form
Non-complex single staged residential subdivisions, a combined compliance assessment and pre-construction application submission can be made to council.
Council will be unable to accept any new applications that are located within the Ripley PDA that are accompanied by a DA Form 1 which is subject to the requirements of the Planning Act 2016. Outside the Ripley PDA and within the balance of the Ipswich City Council area, Operational Works Applications for Rate 3 Streetlighting can still be made and will be accepted. Current Operational Works Applications within the PDA that have been lodged with council will continue to be processed as per normal.
Please contact council’s Engineering Health and Environment Branch on 3810 6666 if there are any questions relating to this.
Number 178: 2 November 2023
Quarterly Activity Report
This is the latest Quarterly Activity Report which snapshots Development Applications Lodged and Determined, together with information on a variety of Regulatory functions which have occurred in the Ipswich City Council area.
The full snapshot can be viewed here.
Number 177: 8 September 2023
Planning and Regulatory Services Recruitment Update
The Planning and Regulatory Services Department are currently recruiting several positions including the Manager, City Design Role and the Manager, Development Planning Roles. These vacancies have been created owing the appointment of Brett Davey to the role of General Manager, Planning and Regulatory Services which has resulted in the vacancy and an adjustment of existing positions.
In addition, recruitment has commenced for a number of dedicated positions to focus on development activity in the Ripley PDA. These positions include one Principal Planner (Ripley PDA) and two Principal Engineers (Ripley PDA) which will form the backbone of a new dedicated Ripley Team. We anticipate that this team will be able to focus some much-needed attention on the PDA which will in turn benefit the rest of our planning and engineering staff by freeing them up to focus on the balance of the city.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please check out our careers webpage.
Number 176: 31 July 2023
Planning and Regulatory Services Update – General Manager
After an impressive 40 years of working in local government, Peter Tabulo retired on 1 July 2023. Peter was the General Manager (GM) of the Planning and Regulatory Services (PRS) Department at Ipswich City Council for three and a half years, closing off a long career in local government. We celebrated this achievement with Peter and wish him all the luck and happiness with his retirement!
Whilst we say goodbye to Peter, we also say a very big welcome to our new GM for PRS. After a comprehensive open merit recruitment and selection process, Brett Davey was successful in this process and appointed to the GM role, commencing on the 2 July 2023. As a familiar face, Brett has over 20+ years’ worth of planning experience and has taken on many roles during that time. Over the last five years, he has been the Development Planning Manager, Waste & Circular Economy Transformation Manager and more recently stepped into the role of Manager, City Design managing the implementation of the new LGIP and Ipswich Plan 2024.
Number 175: 25 July 2023
Annual Activity Report Card
This is the latest Annual Activity Report which snapshots Development Applications Lodged and Determined, together with information on a variety of Regulatory functions which have occurred in the Ipswich City Council area during the 2021-2022 financial year.
The report can be viewed here.
Number 174: 25 July 2023
Quarterly Activity Report
This is the latest Quarterly Activity Report which snapshots Development Applications Lodged and Determined, together with information on a variety of Regulatory functions which have occurred in the Ipswich City Council area.
The full snapshot can be viewed here.
Number 173: 5 July 2023
Don't forget to have your say
We are now in our last weeks of the community consultation on the draft Ipswich Plan 2024. You can still share your thoughts on how the new planning scheme relates to your property, suburb and city until 16 July 2023.
Visit the project page to:
- view the draft Ipswich Plan 2024
- do a property search and download a property report
- make a submission
The Ipswich Plan 2024 once adopted will shape planning and development for decades to come. Now is the perfect opportunity to provide your feedback on the draft new planning scheme.
Visit the webpage to find out more and make your submission.
Number 172: 3 July 2023
Adoption of the Ipswich Adopted Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No.1) 2023
Ipswich City Council has adopted the Ipswich Adopted Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No.1) 2023, effective on and from 3 July 2023.
The purpose of the Ipswich Adopted Charges Resolution (No.1) 2023 is to:
- replace the Ipswich Adopted Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No.1) 2022, including indexation to March 2023;
- state the adopted charges for providing the local government trunk infrastructure networks; and
- state the levied charges to be levied by the local government for development for the demand placed on the local government trunk infrastructure networks.
Minor administrative amendments have also been undertaken, including:
- removal of references to redundant forms and fees;
- improving the clarity of the reference to schedule 5, including amendment of the definition for deemed demand area;
- providing clarity that Council may request additional evidence for determining a demand credit for an existing lawful use or previous lawful use;
- removing reference to the 12-month period before applying the automatic increase to enable the application of indexation of charges consistent with the Act; and
- including reference to the Minister’s Guideline and Rules for setting the parameters for determining current market value.
The Ipswich Adopted Infrastructure Charges Resolution (No.1) 2023, as well as previous versions, are available on Council’s website at Ipswichplanning.com.au/planning-documents/planning-scheme.
For further information, please contact Ipswich City Council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Department, City Design Branch on (07) 3810 6251.
Number 171: 3 July 2023
Register of Fees and Charges
Council has adopted a new fee structure for the new financial year commencing from 1 July 2023, which includes changes to the fees applicable for development; operational works; building and plumbing applications and health and regulatory services fees.
This document can be located here.
Number 170: 12 June 2023
New Local Government Infrastructure Plan, LGIP 2024 - Public consultation period open
Community can now have their say on the draft LGIP 2024.
To view the draft LGIP 2024 and supporting material, or to obtain more information, fact sheets and to have your say by making a submission, go to Shapeyouripswich.com.au.
If you have any questions about the draft LGIP 2024 you can contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 or email planningscheme@ipswich.qld.gov.au or visit Council’s Concierge Reception Area at 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich.
Consultation will close on Tuesday 25 July 2023.
Have your say and be part of the conversation about future infrastructure to support our growing and changing city!
Number 169: 15 May 2023
New Planning Scheme, Ipswich Plan 2024 - Public consultation period open
Community can now have their say on the draft Ipswich Plan 2024.
For more information, fact sheets and to have your say by making a submission, go to Shapeyouripswich.com.au
You can also view the draft Ipswich Plan 2024 and download a property report for your property. The property report provides information on how the draft planning scheme affects your property.
If you have any questions about the draft Ipswich Plan 2024, information sessions and opportunities to talk to a planner are available during the consultation period. A list of sessions are also available on Shapeyouripswich.com.au
Consultation will close on Sunday 16 July 2023.
Have your say and be part of the conversation about the future of our city!
Number 168: 10 May 2023
Historical flood mapping now available for Ipswich residents
The extent of the February 2022 flood is now available to be viewed on Ipswich City Council’s website in a newly-updated historical flood mapping tool.
Flood information previously available to the public has for years been limited to historical property scale flood mapping reports – showing the 1974 and 2011 estimated flood extents and indicative levels – and the 2006 Planning Scheme flood overlay.
The new historical flood mapping tool is available here: https://maps.ipswich.qld.gov.au/weave/HistoricalFloodMap.html or by selecting Search Flood Maps on the red ribbon on Ipswich Planning.
For more information, please view the official council media release.
Number 167: 2 May 2023
Quarterly Activity Report
This is the latest Quarterly Activity Report which snapshots Development Applications Lodged and Determined, together with information on a variety of Regulatory functions which have occurred in the Ipswich City Council area.
The full snapshot can be viewed here.
Number 166: 30 March 2023
Draft Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP 2024)
Council has endorsed a new draft Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP 2024) on 23 March 2023 for the purpose of State review and public notification.
The draft LGIP 2024 is being prepared in parallel with the proposed new Ipswich Planning Scheme (Ipswich Plan 2024) to align land use planning with infrastructure planning and make sure that as our city grows, the necessary trunk infrastructure is delivered where and when it is needed.
Following State review, the next phase of the project will be formal public consultation, providing an important opportunity for the community to have their say.
To stay up to date on the draft LGIP 2024 project, including notification of future consultation, sign up for project updates on the Infrastructure Planning Shape Your Ipswich webpage.
Number 165: 23 February 2023
Planning Scheme Update
The proposed draft planning scheme is currently with the state for state interest review and will commence public notification once the review is completed. The public consultation phase is planned to occur within the first half of 2023.
Council has released a selection of draft planning scheme policies and development codes for the proposed new planning scheme, to provide you with as much time as possible to review the documents.
The existing planning scheme policies and development codes have been comprehensively reviewed and restructured, with additional codes including Landscaping, Transport and Parking codes now included to complement existing provisions and complete the proposed new planning scheme as a contemporary regulatory instrument.
These documents will help you understand some of the more technical components of the proposed scheme and assist you to collate your comments to submit in the public consultation phase. These documents will continue to evolve as the planning scheme progresses and are subject to change.
Please note that submissions received outside of the formal public notification phase will not constitute a properly made submission.
Additionally, council has released a number of informative videos about different aspects of planning.
To stay up to date on the project including future consultation, sign up for project updates on the New Ipswich Planning Scheme Shape Your Ipswich webpage.
Number 164: 30 January 2023
Quarterly Activity Report
This is the latest Quarterly Activity Report which snapshots Development Applications Lodged and Determined, together with information on a variety of Regulatory functions which have occurred in the Ipswich City Council area.
The full snapshot can be viewed here.
Number 163: 17 January 2023
New Planning Scheme Webpage
Council is in the process of preparing a new planning scheme for Ipswich, to help plan for the future of our growing city.
Progress on the new planning scheme project has continued with the draft currently under consideration by the Queensland government, as part of their state interest review.
The next phase of the new planning scheme is formal consultation planned in the first half of 2023, providing the opportunity for the community to have their say on the future of growth and development in Ipswich.
To keep up to date on the new planning scheme project, visit Council’s Shape Your Ipswich webpage where you can also sign up for project updates.
Planning in Ipswich
Council has also introduced a new webpage about planning within Ipswich and what that means to the community. The new webpage covers broad planning topics such as why planning matters, who is responsible, what a planning scheme is and how to get involved in planning in Ipswich.
To find out more, visit Council’s Planning in Ipswich webpage.
Number 162: 14 December 2022
Online Lodgement Service for Private Certifier Applications (Decision Notices)
Ipswich City Council is excited to announce a significant business improvement.
Private Certifier Applications (Decision Notices) can now be lodged online, via the ‘Online Services’ tab at ipswich.qld.gov.au
Moving this process online has enabled a simpler, more streamlined user experience for businesses, and has aligned Ipswich City Council with similar processes utilised at other Councils.
Popular benefits of this online lodgement system include,
- 24/7 lodging
- immediate processing of payment
- access to past application records
To utilise this upgrade, businesses will need to register for an online account. Registering for an account has a 2-business day turnaround time where users will receive a confirmation email once complete. Council recommends that the account be created by someone within the organisation who has the authority to provide accurate and complete business details.
Click here to register now for an online account
Once the registered account is complete, businesses will be able to lodge all future Private Certifier Applications (Decision Notices) with Council online.
If you have questions or concerns about any of the above, please contact Ipswich City Council’s Lodgements Team on (07) 3810 6666 or email plandev@ipswich.qld.gov.au
Number 161: 31 October 2022
Quarterly Activity Report
This is the latest Quarterly Activity Report which snapshots Development Applications Lodged and Determined, together with information on a variety of Regulatory functions which have occurred in the Ipswich City Council area.
The full snapshot can be viewed here.
Number 160: 18 October 2022
Changes to the Payment of Infrastructure Charges
Council has introduced a new infrastructure charges management program to administer infrastructure charges and contributions. As part of this new program Council now issues invoices for all infrastructure charges and contributions that are due for payment.
If you have not received an invoice to pay you must request an invoice before paying infrastructure charges or contributions by completing the Request an Infrastructure Charges Invoice webform. Please do not use your Infrastructure Charges Notice (ICN) to pay your charges. You can make a request for an infrastructure charges or contributions invoice if the infrastructure charges or contributions will become payable within 30 days of making the request. To avoid delays, check the payment due date on the invoice prior to attempting to pay the charges. If the date has passed, you will need to request a new invoice.
Council only accepts payment for infrastructure charges or contributions by way of Bank Cheque, Cash or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Personal and/or company cheques will not be accepted as payment for infrastructure charges or contributions. For more information regarding payment options and details of EFT payments, email iccpdbusinesssupport@ipswich.qld.gov.au
Number 159: 6 October 2022
Plan of Subdivision Applications
Council issued eAlert number 150 in November 2021 regarding Plan of Subdivision applications. Council announced new initiatives in an endeavour to improve the quality of submissions and turn around times for Plan of Subdivision applications.
Whilst there has generally been an improvement in the application packages submitted to Council, there has been a lack of take up of the Pre-lodgement meeting process for larger developments and there has also been several recent incidents of incomplete applications being submitted to Council.
The improvements made were a genuine response to address industry concerns and the content of Council’s eAlert number 150 is repeated below as a reminder of the purpose and associated benefits that the initiatives bring to the development industry:
Lodgement of preparation/checking of legal documents applications
Prior to submission of the Plan of Subdivision application to Council an application and fee can be submitted for the preparation or checking of legal documents associated with a plan of subdivision application. This process is similar to naming applications which are submitted prior to the Plan of Subdivision applications. This will remove the process of legal document checking or preparation from the Plan of Subdivision assessment and associated timeframes. In addition, whilst this service is carried out by Council’s legal providers, we have increased the number of providers to improve the turnaround times of this service.
The new Legal document preparation/review form can be accessed here.
Pre-lodgement meetings for Plan of Subdivision applications
Whilst not a new service, Council is encouraging this process be utilised for larger developments. The objective of this process is to ensure that lodgement of plan of subdivision applications include all of the relevant information to ensure applications submitted are ‘well made’ so as to reduce processing times and the likelihood of ‘outstanding issues’ requests. These meetings are free of charge and relevant Council representatives including Development Engineers, Planners and Development Compliance (Plan sealing) officers will attend these meetings.
Please note that Council’s preference is for these meetings to occur in person at Council Offices however attendance at these meetings can also occur via Microsoft Teams if all attendees are not able to attend in person.
Agendas and meeting notes are prepared for these meetings and matters such as application fees, infrastructure charges, bonding, conditions and construction are discussed.
Requests for a Pre-lodgement meeting can be made via https://www.ipswichplanning.com.au/book-a-meeting with details of the development, attendees and availability of attendees at least 5 business days prior to the meeting request date.
Plan of Subdivision Application form and checklist
Council has reviewed its Plan of Subdivision application forms and checklists to assist applicants with their submissions and ensure that application packages are complete upon lodgement to assist with faster timeframes.
A trial of these initiatives has revealed an improvement in the quality and completeness of application packages, has improved working relationships between Council Officers, Developers and their Consultants and more importantly improved application timeframes for applications where a pre-lodgement meeting has been held.
The new Plan of Subdivision application form and Checklist can accessed here.
Payment of Application Fees
Council have noticed a significant increase of applications being lodged with unpaid fees. With the introduction of the new application form and checklist it is expected that these fees are paid at time of lodgement.
Payment options can include:
- Credit card over the phone (07 3810 6888) or by requesting a Credit Card Authorisation Form from plandev@ipswich.qld.gov.au
- Cash or card at the customer service counter located at 1 Nicholas Street, Ipswich
- Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). For account details, please email iccpdbusinesssupport@ipswich.qld.gov.au
- By cheque (either in person or via mail – PO Box 191, IPSWICH QLD 4305)