In Australia there are three tiers of government being federal, state and local. Although the overriding administrative authority of Australia is the federal government, each level has different powers and responsibilities which includes law making and policy implementation. Both the federal and state government is divided into three arms of government: legislature, executive and judiciary. Local Government which are known as Council’s represent the interests the community.
Federal Government’s Role in Urban Policy
Urban planning is not specifically referred to in the Constitution of Australia as a responsibility of the Federal Government. Nevertheless, the Federal Government has provided strategic guidance …show more content…
In Queensland, the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 is the overarching framework for the state’s planning and development system. The State Planning Policy (SPP) is a key component of the state’s land use planning system in which it provides a comprehensive set of principles which underline the state’s planning system to guide local and state government in land use planning (DLGIP WEBSITE). The most recent SPP commenced in April 2016 contains 16 specific state interests which are important to protect and enhance continued development and arranged under five broad themes (REFER to APPENDIx). Regional planning also plays an important role in delivering statutory plans for Queensland regions and strive to provide direction to achieve regional outcomes that support state interest in planning and development (DLIGP). The particular regional plan that will be referred to in this report is the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 (SEQRP) which is currently being reviewed in response to the regions changing population.
Local Government’s Role in Urban Policy
In Queensland's 77 local councils operate under the local government system (LGAQ). Local governments prepare planning schemes which are prepared in accordance with the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. Planning schemes also provide direction on community planning whilst ensuring it reflects state and regional policies. Planning schemes describe a council's