State development areas

State development areas (SDAs) are clearly defined areas of land established by the Coordinator-General to promote economic development in Queensland.

They typically take the form of one of the following:

industrial hubs for development requiring larger footprints strategically located close to ports or major rail and road networks, e.g. LNG and mining industry in Gladstone, and freight and logistics in Bromelton, Cairns South and Townsville
infrastructure corridors for the co-location of infrastructure, e.g. rail lines, water and gas pipelines, and electricity transmission lines
major development sites and public works.

Current SDAs

Benefits of SDAs

The benefits of SDAs include:

proximity to railways, ports and major road networks
greater planning and development certainty for project proponents
efficient processing of applications and requests
best practice land-use planning and management - ensuring land and infrastructure assets in SDAs are, and remain, attractive to existing occupants and potential investors
more efficient use of land, most notably through the creation of multi-user infrastructure corridors
process for compulsorily acquiring land within an SDA if necessary, including on behalf of proponents
concentration of industrial development in selected areas, thereby minimising or avoiding:
- environmental impacts
- loss of amenity
- infrastructure duplications
- transport conflicts.

Coordinator-General's role

The Coordinator-General is responsible for the planning, establishment and ongoing management of SDAs throughout Queensland.

In an SDA, the Coordinator-General:

controls land-use, infrastructure, economic and environmental planning
implements a development scheme for each SDA
assesses and decides all SDA applications and requests that can be made under the development scheme
has compulsory land acquisition powers.

Development schemes, applications and requests

Each SDA is subject to a development scheme, a regulatory document that controls planning and development in an SDA.

The development scheme contains a development assessment framework for making, assessing and deciding SDA applications and requests. The most common of these is an SDA application for a material change of use.

View information on how to make an SDA application or request , including pre-lodgement consideration, relevant fees and an online application form.

Depending on the nature of the development, the SDA application may be required to undergo public consultation.

Once the relevant assessment processes are complete, the Coordinator-General must hold for inspection a copy of all decision notices given under each development scheme.

Land acquisition

The declaration of an SDA does not change the ownership of the land within the area. However, the Coordinator-General may compulsorily acquire land or easements within an SDA.

If land is compulsorily acquired, the owner of the land is compensated in accordance with the process in the Acquisition of Land Act 1967.

Further details about the compulsory land acquisition process in SDAs are described in the State development areas: Responses to landholders frequently asked questions factsheet ( 158 KB).

Legislation

State development areas are created under section 77 of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971.

The SDAs are listed in the State Development and Public Works Organisation (State Development Areas) Regulation 2019, which identifies the regulatory maps for each SDA.

Resources

Fact sheets and guidelines relating to SDAs including advice on how to make an application or request relating to development within an SDA, the Guideline to SDA fees and landholder resources.

Former SDAs

Further information

For further information, contact the Office of the Coordinator-General on 1800 001 048 or via sdainfo@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au

Last updated: 10 Jun 2024