Planning for Water Security

An amendment to Mareeba Shire Council’s planning scheme will be made to protect the Nullinga Dam development area.

Mareeba Shire Council tabled the amendment at the July Council meeting after the issue was identified by the Queensland Minister for Infrastructure and Planning.

Under section 26 of the Planning Act 2016 Council was directed to amend the Mareeba Shire Council Planning Scheme 2016 to protect the proposed site of Nullinga Dam by the Minister.

The State Government endorsed a detailed business case for the proposed Nullinga Dam in August 2019. While the Queensland Government decided not to proceed with construction at present, Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin welcomed the Government’s decision to take immediate steps to protect the proposed Nullinga Dam area. “The development area will be preserved in a way, as a strategic precautionary measure, including investigation and potential declaration of a State Development Area,” she said.

The new overlay would make all development, except for a dwelling house and associated outbuilding/s, impact assessable development within the Nullinga Dam development area.

“A key requirement of the planning scheme amendment would be to ensure any new development within the Nullinga Dam development area is limited in size and designed to be relocatable,” Cr Toppin said.

Subdivision to create any new lots within the Nullinga Dam development area would also not be supported by the planning scheme amendment.

Public consultation will be part of the amendment process.