October 25, 2023
South Burnett Regional Council will extend its Development Incentive Scheme for two years after seeing evidence it is stimulating development.
The scheme was introduced in December 2020 and had been due to expire at the end of this year.
It offers developers substantial discounts on Council infrastructure charges, including:
- A 50 per cent discount for any commercial use or industrial activity,
- A 50 per cent discount for long-term, employment-generating development,
- A 75 per cent discount for reconfiguring a lot for residential development,
- A 75 per cent discount for residential development (excluding the Rural Residential zone),
- A 100 per cent discount for residential development in the Rural Residential zone; or
- A 100 per cent discount for rural or tourist-related activities – such as short-term accommodation – in the Rural zone.
To receive the discount, developers must complete an application form available at Council’s offices and on its website.
At the SBRC’s October general meeting on Wednesday, Council officers recommended the scheme be extended a further two years.
They said this would provide a reasonable amount of time for developers to move the through the planning application process and progress to a stage where a development could be completed in time to take advantage of the reduced infrastructure charges.
Several councillors said they had seen evidence the scheme was promoting development, which was necessary to accommodate population growth and tackle the region’s homelessness problem.
The motion to extend the Development Incentive Scheme was carried unanimously.
