Establishment of a priority infrastructure plan for the major road network in Laidley Shire

Abstract

Under recent changes to the Integrated Planning Act (IPA) aimed at providing infrastructure for areas experiencing significant growth, a Priority Infrastructure Plan (PIP) and associated Infrastructure Charges Schedule (ICS) are required to be implemented in Laidley Shire. This project establishes a Priority Infrastructure Plan for the major road network within Laidley Shire and develops a system of infrastructure charging for these roads. The processes followed to achieve this were: • Review existing literature from Australia and overseas, concerning the provision of government infrastructure, with particular regard to: o The use by governments of systems similar to Queensland’s Priority Infrastructure Plans; o Methods of ensuring private developers financially contribute in a fair and equitable manner to major contiguous infrastructure on which the functioning of their development relies; • Develop a Priority Infrastructure Plan for the major road network within Laidley Shire. • Develop an associated charges schedule for these major roads. • Trial the proposed planning and charging systems on a number of different major roads within Laidley Shire. • Evaluate the trials and suggest required changes to the proposed systems. Ensuring greater attention is given to infrastructure costs and efficiencies during the planning process can significantly assist in reducing infrastructure costs to the community as a whole. Consideration must be given to the implications that a proposed development will have on existing and future infrastructure during development assessment. The PIP ensures that such proposals are assessed inline with planning standards, and that charges are implemented in a fair and equitable manner.