Have your say on QLD State Planning Policy reforms

QLD’s planning framework is set for a significant update, with the QLD Government releasing a draft State Planning Policy (SPP) 2026 for consultation.

The SPP is a key part of QLD’s planning system. It identifies the state’s interests in land use planning and development and influences regional planning, local planning schemes and development assessment.

The current SPP dates from 2017. The proposed replacement reflects some of the significant changes QLD has experienced since then, including population growth, increasing infrastructure investment, growth in renewable energy and emerging industries, and greater pressure on housing, services and the environment.

For proponents of resources, renewable energy, infrastructure and other major projects, there are several proposed changes worth watching.

A stronger focus on energy

Energy is proposed to become a standalone state interest under the new SPP.

The draft supports the development of generation, storage, transmission and distribution infrastructure to meet QLD’s current and future energy needs.

It also seeks to protect existing and planned energy infrastructure and corridors from incompatible development, while minimising impacts on communities, surrounding land uses and the natural and built environment.

This reflects an increasingly complex planning environment for energy projects. New generation and storage infrastructure does not exist in isolation. Projects need access to transmission, transport and other infrastructure and must increasingly coexist with agriculture, resources, housing, environmental values and established communities.

Protecting resources while managing competing land uses

The draft SPP proposes stronger support for the long-term availability of important resource areas, including protection from incompatible development and consideration of future access to resources.

It continues the identification and protection of Key Resource Areas, including associated processing areas, transport routes and separation areas.

This is particularly relevant as QLD seeks to grow its critical minerals and emerging industries sectors while managing competing demands for land.

Infrastructure and growth are increasingly interconnected

Another notable feature of the draft SPP is its emphasis on coordinating development with infrastructure.

Transport, energy, water, digital and community infrastructure are recognised as fundamental to accommodating growth and supporting productive regions.

The draft also explicitly addresses social and community infrastructure, including the need to plan for facilities and services that respond to current and future demand.

For major projects in regional Queensland, this is particularly significant.

New resources, energy and infrastructure development can generate demand for housing, roads, water, health services, emergency services and other community infrastructure. Considering these pressures early can help identify cumulative impacts and opportunities before they become project constraints.

Environment, heritage and growth brought together

The draft introduces a new Environment, Heritage and Efficient Growth State interest bringing together aspects of biodiversity, coastal environment, cultural heritage and other environmental considerations within a revised framework.

Natural hazard planning is also proposed to become more explicitly risk-based, with greater emphasis on considering hazard exposure when determining where growth and infrastructure should occur.

Assessment benchmarks could move

One of the more structural changes proposed is the removal of state assessment benchmarks from the SPP. Instead, these would be consolidated within the Planning Regulation 2017.

The intention is to create a clearer distinction between the strategic role of the SPP in guiding regional and local planning and the requirements applied directly during development assessment.

For proponents and practitioners, this is an important detail to watch as the new framework progresses, particularly alongside transitional arrangements and implementation guidance still being developed.

What does this mean for project proponents?

The draft SPP does not simply change the structure of a planning document. It provides an indication of where QLD’s planning priorities are heading and how the state intends to balance some increasingly competing demands: housing and population growth, infrastructure delivery, resources development, new energy infrastructure, emerging industries, environmental protection and community needs.

For major project proponents, understanding those directions early can help inform site selection, constraints analysis, project design, approvals strategy and engagement.

Have your say

Consultation on the draft State Planning Policy 2026, proposed changes to assessment benchmarks, the natural hazards planning policy discussion paper and proposed changes to the Minister’s Guidelines and Rules closes on 26 October 2026.

For proponents with current or planned projects in QLD, now is a good time to understand the proposed framework and consider how the changes may affect future planning and development.