In keeping with the regional policy framework, the Premier’s ‘Green Wedges’ Ministerial Statement of 26 May 2010 identified the value of green wedges to ‘buffer urban sprawl’ and the need for more detailed land-use planning in green wedges.
As subsequently stated in the Government’s response to the Queensland Growth Management Summit, the green wedges project will deliver on the Summit theme of ‘protecting our environment and lifestyles’ by developing long term strategies to ‘transform key inter-urban breaks into major new outdoor recreation and greenspace opportunities’.
The two key elements of the green wedges project are:
1. To identify the options to protect, maintain and enhance the functions of SEQ’s green wedges (inter-urban breaks);
2. To develop long term strategies to activate major new greenspace and outdoor recreation opportunities in SEQ’s green wedges.
The green wedges project is divided into two stages.
1. Stage 1 is the production of a Scoping Report to test the proposed approach with stakeholders and to confirm key issues and options to be addressed in the Planning Framework.
2. Stage 2 is the development of the Planning Framework itself.
This paper updates the progress of the Green Wedges Planning Framework project (green wedges project) and seeks endorsement from RLOSAC of the proposed project approach and advice on a number of planning issues. The paper outlines the intent, content and issues to be addressed in Stage 1: Scoping Report.