Logan City Council will manage future growth by endorsing higher density housing, aligning with the state government’s housing plan.
Council’s new draft plan endorses terrace, or townhouse, dwellings to manage housing affordability.
“Terrace housing offers greater density and the convenience of community living without overheads such as body corporate fees which apply to most townhouses and unit blocks,” a council statement read.
The plan encourages more units and apartments in high-activity centres and transport hubs, but also notes the importance of aesthetics, with plans to improve “quality and design” through landscaping, privacy, access/entry, parking, servicing, open spaces and facilities, use of natural light, shade, ventilation.
There will be restrictions on the development of shops and cafes in residential zones, instead allowing them at shopping centres in a larger scale.
And there will also be plans to reduce the impacts of service stations on local areas, and to boost Logan’s night-time economy by offering more entertainment options after 6pm.
Mayor Darren Power said this plan was essential to Logan’s future, where its population is projected to reach over 600,000 by 2046.
“New residents are coming in droves to live in our great city, and we need to have a robust, well-balanced planning scheme to best manage the serious growth we have ahead of us,” Cr Power said.
“We want to ensure we have quality, well-designed development in the right areas, and in a way which reflects the values of our community,” Cr Power said.
Other changes will be to Logan’s heritage cites, which will be protected through “criteria relating to the preservation and use of places of historical and cultural significance”.
Council will introduce a new tourism code to provide confidence for potential investors, operators and residents to enable appropriate and economy-boosting experiences in the city.
The proposal calls for “employment land”, on which new industries and business can be established and existing ones can grow.
Council these policy changes were intended to “enhance the liveability, amenity and function” of Logan.
Planning chair Cr Jon Raven said the draft introduced improvements to the previous planning scheme that would better serve the community and local lifestyles.
“We already live in a fantastic city, but we want to make it even better,” Cr Raven said.
“We need to plan for the future so that our residents can benefit from the growth we’re experiencing over the next decade.”
The state government will now review the plan and a community consultation period will follow sometime next year.
Then, in 2025, the plan can be adopted.
