A planning scheme is the main ‘rule-book’ for determining what new developments should occur in their local government area and how.

The planning scheme sets a future vision for the city and can directly influence the way our city grows and changes, while also helping to protect the things that matter most.

A planning scheme is complex. This fact sheet will help you understand how to use and interpret the draft planning scheme.

Anyone in the community can provide a written comment about the draft planning scheme.

Under legislation, submissions need to be made in a 'properly made way' to be considered.

All submissions were submitted by Sunday 16 July 2023.

The Biodiversity Overlay identifies areas of significant environmental value.

The Bushfire Prone Areas Overlay Code purpose is to ensure that the risk to safety, property and the environment as a result of bushfire is either avoided in the first instance, or where the risk cannot be avoided, is mitigated to an acceptable or tolerable level

It is important that we get the location and range of centres in our city right, from the cultural heart of the CBD to the neighbourhood stores throughout the suburbs.

As the oldest provincial town and one of Queensland’s oldest provincial cities, Ipswich has a rich history to protect.

The Difficult Topography and Landslide Overlay identifies the location of slopes of 15% to 25%, and slopes that are greater than 25% to help manage risk to safety, property and the environment,

‘Dwelling house’ and ‘Dual occupancy’ are the terms used in the draft planning scheme for the traditional low-density, suburban dwelling, more simply known as a house or a duplex.

Planning application considerations are likely only to be triggered where the proposal is outside of the residential zones, non-compliance with set standards, or a planning scheme overlay affects the house.

As Ipswich lies on a floodplain, some areas are prone to natural hazards such as flooding.

The planning scheme includes mapping an area that has been impacted by flooding but also needs to consider flood risk. This includes both the chance of an event taking place and its potential impact on existing and proposed land uses and people in the community.

The planning scheme uses overlay mapping to identify both flood risk and overland flow areas (where water typically runs across the land after rainfall.

Home based businesses are important for the city but it is also important to consider the expected residential standards are not compromised by the establishment of the business - for the existing dwelling, adjoining dwellings and surrounding area.

Industry activities are a key employment sector in the city and help provide a wide range of goods and services both locally and globally.

Industry thresholds and location need to be considered.

Planning for our future includes providing the infrastructure to support our community.

The Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) identifies the infrastructure necessary to support the intended urban development pattern of the Ipswich local government area.

The LGIP includes the infrastructure networks of roads, parks and land for community facilities.

A city needs to include housing for all people, lifestyles or budgets and we need to accommodate different housing choices for different people.

While Ipswich has many single dwellings on a single parcel of land, we also need higher density housing types like apartments and townhouses.

An ‘overlay’ is a specific type of map used in a planning scheme to show constraints, values or opportunities for development.

‘Reconfiguring a lot’ is the term given to making changes like moving lot boundaries, amalgamating lots, or creating new lots.

When a new or changed planning scheme is introduced, anyone can request that council apply a ‘superseded planning scheme’ to carrying out a development or assessing a development application.

That means the planning scheme, or part of a planning scheme that was in effect immediately before the latest version of the planning scheme.

‘Zones’ assist in regulating development for specific lots and areas in the planning scheme area.