A Cairns-based digital toolkit to aid climate-friendly housing design is among more than 20 council-led planning projects that have secured backing through the second round of the State Government’s $4.5 million Innovation and Improvement Fund.
Acting Premier and Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick, said the Government was committed to supporting councils develop innovative ways to improve their planning systems and practices, for the benefit of their communities.
“Funding recipients include Cairns Regional Council, which will receive $105,000 to create a toolkit for assisting innovative housing design suited to Far North Queensland’s tropical climate,” Mr Dick said. (View full list of projects here)
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the Designing for Density in the Tropics toolkit would make it easier for proponents of residential developments to access pre-lodgement information and support, resulting in housing that was appropriately designed for the tropics.
“We are continually looking at how we can make people’s interaction with the council more efficient and more productive,” Cr Manning said.
“Through this toolkit, property developers will have improved access to information that will help them to design homes that are more sustainable, cooler, and are suited to our tropical climate.
“It will help anyone who is building a house gain a better understanding of tropical design and how to achieve a successful outcome.”
Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive, Greg Hallam, said state and local governments were working together to deliver better planning outcomes for Queensland through the fund.
“Round one funding has enabled councils to undertake a wide variety of innovative projects that have already delivered improvements to their planning schemes,” Mr Hallam said.
Round one funding recipient Hinchinbrook Shire Council was in 2018 awarded Planning Institute of Australia’s Best Planning Ideas Small Project Award for their interactive online mapping tool.
The web-application provides their community with a platform to review property details, flood hazards and planning scheme data.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s 77 councils are set to share in $58 million worth of local government grants and subsidies from the Government, with applications opening on Monday.
Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe is encouraging councils to get their applications in for the 2019-21 round of the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program.
“This fantastic initiative helps local governments deliver important infrastructure in communities throughout Queensland,” Mr Hinchcliffe said.
“The funding can be used for sewerage and water projects, security and community safety, and economic development and tourism.”
