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Bundaberg State Development Area

The Bundaberg State Development Area (SDA) was established in response to a growing demand for land for port-related and industrial activities around the Port of Bundaberg.

Declared in February 2017 and totalling 6076 hectares, the Bundaberg SDA is a defined area of land located approximately 17 kilometres north of Bundaberg city.

The SDA is divided into five precincts to ensure port-related industries, support industries and key infrastructure are appropriately located, and environmentally sensitive areas are recognised and protected.

The Bundaberg SDA is open for business

The Bundaberg SDA is open for business

The Bundaberg SDA offers the ideal location for industrial and port-related development that requires a large footprint, proximity to a port and separation from sensitive receptors.

The Port of Bundaberg, adjacent to the Bundaberg SDA, is one of Queensland’s strategic ports providing shipping facilities for imports and exports of the Wide Bay Burnett Region. The Port of Bundaberg comprises two wharves, a terminal and moorings.

Development considered suitable for the Bundaberg SDA includes:

  • manufacturing industrial development
  • extractive industry
  • large-scale industrial development
  • port related activities
  • industries to support major industrial development
  • materials transportation and utility and service infrastructure.

Benefits of the Bundaberg SDA

The Bundaberg SDA provides benefits to business and industry looking to invest in Queensland such as:

  • locational advantages including:
    • proximity to the Port of Bundaberg
    • proximity to the key domestic consumer market of South East Queensland
    • outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  • efficient use of land, including:
    • opportunity for large-scale high-impact industry to co-locate with other industries near the port
  • a large workforce within the city of Bundaberg
  • efficient processing of land use applications
  • best practice land-use planning and management – ensuring land and infrastructure are attractive to investors.

The Bundaberg SDA supports economic growth and employment opportunities in the Bundaberg and Wide Bay Burnett regions in a way that considers environmental, cultural, and social issues as well as existing industry and surrounding infrastructure.

  • The Bundaberg State Development Area Development Scheme (PDF icon 806 KB) is a regulatory document that controls planning and development within the Bundaberg SDA. It was approved by the Governor in Council in December 2017.

    The development scheme contains a development assessment framework for making, assessing and deciding applications and requests relating to development within the Bundaberg SDA. The most common is an SDA application for a material change of use (MCU). SDA applications for an MCU in the Bundaberg SDA are subject to assessable development or self-assessable development, where the development can meet the self-assessable criteria.

    Where development is not regulated by a development scheme, such as reconfiguring a lot and operational works, the relevant assessing authority regulates the development. Generally, this will be either Bundaberg Regional Council or Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited.

    The development scheme for the Bundaberg SDA is supported by a public consultation policy that provides information on matters the Coordinator-General may consider when determining whether public consultation of an SDA application is required.

  • The Bundaberg SDA regulation map (PDF icon 656 KB) defines the boundary of the declared Bundaberg SDA.

    The Bundaberg SDA development precinct map (PDF icon 563 KB) forms part of the development scheme and identifies the precincts within the Bundaberg SDA.

    Industry precincts within the Bundaberg SDA include land designated for:

    • port related industry
    • infrastructure corridors and support industry
    • industry investigation.

    Examples of suitable development include:

    • industries which would benefit from proximity to the port
    • infrastructure which will support development within the SDA and the Port
    • industries which are port-related
    • service industries which support other industrial development within the SDA
    • high impact industries.

    Other precincts within the Bundaberg SDA provide for:

    • ongoing operation of productive agricultural uses and other rural activities
    • opportunities for the location of environmental offsets.

    The preferred development intent for each precinct is outlined in the development scheme. Each precinct description is followed by a table which identifies regulated development in the relevant precinct.

  • Most of the land within the Bundaberg SDA is currently under freehold land ownership, with many parcels owned by individual landowners.

    A significant portion of land on the eastern side of the SDA, near the Port of Bundaberg is Strategic Port Land and is owned by the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

Further information

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

Last updated: 05 Nov 2021