No. The site is privately owned land and is not an identified reserve or state forest.

In the past, the land was a plantation forest and had undergone significant clearing. Much of the area has regrown since forestry activities stopped.

Since 1997 the Springfield Structure Plan has included the site as being within the Community Residential and Open Space designations and is intended for residential development. The site has never been formally identified as parkland and has no formal name attached, due to it being privately owned land.

Areas intended for conservation purposes are identified under the Springfield Structure Plan. To date, approximately 385 hectares of land has been dedicated to council for conservation purposes, protecting and expanding on the existing natural areas around the White Rock Spring Mountain Conservation Estate. That estate has now grown to a 2,633 hectare site providing habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna and building on important core habitat within the regional Flinders-Karawatha corridor.

As a local government, council has no power to declare a state forest. The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation is the governing authority managing State Forest declarations.

There is a long planning history identifying this site for development, similar to surrounding areas which have since been developed including areas of Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Brookwater and Augustine Heights.

The Springfield area has been earmarked for large-scale residential development since the State Government first published the Springfield Development Control Plan in 1997.

Development Control Plans are historic planning mechanisms implemented by the State Government that govern the intent for larger-scale development. There are three Development Control Plans in effect across Queensland, including the Springfield Structure Plan in Ipswich. While first published decades ago, these plans have remained in effect through a series of transitional provisions in successive Queensland planning legislation, including the Planning Act 2016 and Planning Regulation 2017.

The Planning Act 2016 establishes Queensland’s planning framework and is supported by other Acts and regulations, such as the Planning Regulation 2017. Most developments are generally bound by vegetation clearing regulations (under the Vegetation Management Act 1999) and regulatory koala habitat maps, however the Springfield Structure Plan is considered exempt under Part 10 Schedule 10 of the Planning Regulations 1997 and Part 6 Division 1 Section 74 of the Vegetation Management Act 1999.

The Springfield Structure Plan requires that a Precinct Plan and Area Development Plan be approved by council before any development occurs within the Springfield area. These development applications are not considered impact assessable under the Springfield Structure Plan.

At Springview Estate, there is precedent for Commonwealth Government approval to be required under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999). This assessment process is the highest level of ecological assessment of development that exists in Australia. The first of three villages at Springview Estate, Village 1, required this approval before it could proceed, and was granted approval with some conditions in 2016. Documentation including ecological surveys and reports for this approval process are available to view at the EPBC Act Public Portal, reference 2014/7306.

Council officers are almost at the point of recommending a decision on the application for Village 2.

Council has been assessing development applications for Village 2 and Village 3 since 2020. These applications cover the Precinct Plans and Area Development Plans required under the Springfield Structure Plan and can be viewed in Development.i under references 6243/2023/LAP,4272/2020/ADP and 5547/2020/ADP respectively.

The Precinct Plan and Area Development Plan for the first of three villages in the estate, Village 1, was approved by council in 2017.

Council began assessing Springview Estate Village 2 and 3 development applications in 2020.

Development applications are determined through a range of legislative provisions, delegations, policy and processes. Some applications are referred to the Mayor and Councillors and/or a committee, however many applications are determined by council officers.

Council’s Framework for Development Application and Related Activities clearly sets out the circumstances that trigger a review of development applications by full council or committee, and those that are made under delegation by council officers.

In line with this policy, the development application for Springview Estate Village 2 and 3 Precinct Plan and Area Development Plans are not required to be referred to the full council or committee for review, and accordingly are being determined by council officers.

The Mayor and Councillors are briefed on all development applications and their progress through assessment stages. For Springview Estate Village 2 and 3, this briefing occurred throughout February 2024.

Precinct Plan and Area Development Plan applications are not impact assessable under the Springfield Structure Plan. This means the applications do not trigger formal community consultation requirements. However, all development applications made to Ipswich City Council are publicly available on Development.i and residents are welcome to make submissions. Council reviews and considers all submissions during application assessment and council’s assessment report is published on Development.i for the public to view.

Code assessment is intended to deliver development that is expected within a zone. Code assessment is bounded assessment that is assessed against the relevant benchmarks (i.e. codes and policies) that are relevant to the proposal and does not include a formal public notification period. Where a development application meets the criteria it will be approved. Development, or an aspect of development, which does not meet the criteria in the benchmarks may be refused where it cannot be appropriately conditioned. The intent of bounded code assessment is to provide developers and the community with certainty about the intended development outcomes.

Alternatively, impact assessment applies to development that may impact on the amenity of adjoining land uses and may not be consistent with the expected outcomes of a zone. This type of assessment is assessed against the relevant benchmarks and may also be assessed against other relevant matters such as planning need. Impact assessable applications also are required to undertake public notification as part of the assessment process, inviting comment from the public; the public notification period is typically 15 business days in which an individual may lodge a properly made submission.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) is an Australian federal law that provides a framework for protecting the environment. It covers biodiversity, natural places, and cultural heritage.

Springview Estate’s second and third villages cover 150 hectares. Development applications by Stockland include the proposed retention of native wildlife corridors and koala habitat trees, with the total amount of open space proposed exceeding the requirements under the Springfield Structure Plan.

Stockland has further amended the Precinct Plans to remove some proposed dwellings on the western side of the site, and instead retain this area as additional open space adjacent to Opossum and Woogaroo creeks.

While most developments are generally bound by vegetation clearing regulations (under the Vegetation Management Act 1999) and regulatory koala habitat maps, the Springfield Structure Plan is considered exempt under Part 10 Schedule 10 of the Planning Regulations 1997 and Part 6 Division 1 Section 74 of Vegetation Management Act 1999.

For more information, please visit Development.i.

While first published decades ago, Development Control Plans (including the Springfield Structure Plan in Ipswich) have remained in effect through a series of transitional provisions in successive Queensland planning legislation, including the Planning Act 2016 and Planning Regulations 2017.

The Planning Act 2016 establishes Queensland’s planning framework and is supported by other Acts and regulations, such as the Planning Regulation 2017. Most developments are generally bound by vegetation clearing regulations (under the Vegetation Management Act 1999) and regulatory koala habitat maps, however the Springfield Structure Plan is considered exempt under Part 10 Schedule 10 of the Planning Regulations 1997 and Part 6 Division 1 Section 74 of Vegetation Management Act 1999. 

Council adopted the Framework for Development Application and Related Activities in December 2019 which set out core principles that council must adhere to in the processing of development applications. The Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) was introduced as part of this framework, with Ipswich City Council the first in Queensland to use this process in an effort to improve transparency of decision-making.

The panel, consisting of one or more independent expert members, is convened from time to time to review recommendations made by council planning officers on some development applications.

The IDRP is not convened for all applications, but only those which meet specific criteria. The Springview Estate Village 2 and 3 Precinct Plan was not referred to the IDRP as the application does not involve a waste-related activity, is not inconsistent with legislation, and was not impact assessable. The same provisions apply to the Area Development Plan applications for Villages 2 and 3.

Council has received more than 200 public submissions regarding Springview Estate Village 2 and 3 since applications were first submitted by the developer in 2020. While these applications do not include a mandatory public notification period, council takes note of all submissions received for development applications.

Primary concerns raised included impacts to endangered and vulnerable native wildlife such as koalas, platypus and powerful owls.

Concern around the future of koalas is particularly noted. While the entire proposal area is mapped for koala habitat, the whole of the Springfield Structure Plan area is considered exempted development under legislation relevant to koala habitat protection.

Visual amenity for residents of Brookwater and the loss of native green space were further concerns highlighted in submissions.

The proposal by Stockland has considered community feedback and will retain native wildlife corridors and koala habitat trees, with the total amount of open space proposed exceeding with requirements of the Springfield Structure Plan.

Stockland has further amended the Precinct Plans to remove some proposed dwellings on the western side of the site, and instead retain this area as additional open space adjacent to Opossum and Woogaroo creeks.

Development applications lodged by Stockland with council for assessment are generally consistent with the extensive development master plans that govern the broader Springfield area’s development. This has been the plan for this area for almost 30 years.

While council acknowledges community feedback and reviews submissions by the public received when assessing development applications, council is ultimately bound to act in accordance with the State Government’s planning legislation.

There are a limited range of developments that are prohibited by related state legislation. Councils do not have the power to prohibit development, nor can they choose to reject an application based simply on community sentiment.

Each development application council receives is strictly assessed according to the Queensland Government’s planning and environmental legislation as well as the Ipswich Planning Scheme 2006, soon to be replaced by a new planning scheme, Ipswich Plan 2024. In the instance of developments in Springfield, these planning instruments include the Springfield Structure Plan.

While council has certain duties when it comes to development approvals, any decisions made by council are superseded by State and Commonwealth government legislation and approvals. For example, if an application referred to the Commonwealth Government under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) is not approved, development cannot occur even if council has approved an application.

In the event council were to refuse an application the applicant has a right to appeal the decision, initially via Alternative Dispute Resolution process under the Springfield Structure Plan and following this the applicant may appeal to the Planning and Environment Court.

These appeal processes come at considerable cost to both the applicant and the community.

The procedure for appealing to the Court is set out in Chapter 6 of the Planning Act 2016. The principal role of the Court is to decide the appeal according to law, independent of any local political pressures, as contained in the Planning Scheme, Springfield Structure Plan and other relevant planning instruments.

In essence the Court hears anew the application and acts as the assessment manager for the appealed application. This highlights the importance of community involvement during the plan-making process as any decision, whether by council or the Court, will be bound to the outcomes sought by the various planning instruments.

Development cannot proceed until all approvals have been obtained.

From a council perspective, once the Area Development Plan approval is granted, the developer then needs to obtain an operational works approval.  The operational works application covers detailed engineering drawings such as for roads, earthworks, stormwater designs, streetscaping design, and a rehabilitation plan for disturbed areas. After an operational works approval is granted, the developer can then commence construction.

Separate to decisions made by council, it is anticipated the Commonwealth Government will assess the development pursuant to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC). This assessment process is the highest level of ecological assessment of development that exists in Australia. The first of three villages at Springview Estate, Village 1, required this approval before it could proceed. This application was lodged in 2014 and approval with conditions was granted in 2016. Documentation including ecological surveys and reports for this approval process are available to view at the EPBC Act Public Portal, reference 2014/7306.

In the event that the EPBC approval cannot be obtained, development cannot occur. In the event that EPBC approval requires changed to the site layout or development footprint, this change will need to be reflected in all relevant development approvals before development can occur, which may necessitate changes to any approvals that have been given by council.

Council’s full Framework for Development Application and Related Activities, adopted on 27 April 2023, is available here: https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_f...

More information about planning in Queensland can be found at: https://planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/plann...

FAQs about local planning in Ipswich can be found at: https://www.ipswichplanning.com.au/faqs

Information about different categories of assessment, including ‘code’ and ‘impact’ assessments can be found at: https://planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/__dat...