If you think that Tiny Houses could contribute to the mainstream housing supply and diversity in our communities…if you think that they could offer an affordable housing alternative…if you are in property development as a regulator, developer or professional…then here is some food for thought. Download it. Read it. Explore it. Share it. Get in touch.
Veteran Trees
Do you know that it takes between 150 and 200 years before a tree is old enough to create suitable hollows for galahs and rosellas? A couple of weeks ago, Rikki and I had the opportunity to attend the Veteran and Scar Trees workshop organised by the Wildlife Conservation Partnership Program (WCPP). Under the WCPP, private…
Autumn Newsletter 2017
Plans, plans and plans – the many changes to the planning and building environment in Queensland State planning legislation Last year the Queensland State government introduced the new Planning Act 2016 which will come in force on 3 July this year. As part of these changes, subordinate statutory documents are also being updated and some…
Brisbane City Council’s proposed changes to Biodiversity Areas Overlay
Brisbane City Council has been working on a package of amendments to the planning scheme (City Plan 2014). The amendments include proposed changes to the workings of the Biodiversity areas overlay as follows: Key Points Developments within a mapped Koala habitat area that cannot satisfy the Acceptable Outcomes will have a harder time to show…
Have your say on changes to Queensland’s planning system
Last year the Queensland State government introduced a new Planning Act which will come in force on 3 July this year. As part of these changes, subordinate statutory documents are also being updated and some are currently out for public consultation: The Planning Regulations which elaborate on the workings of some aspects of the Act…
Postcard from the Kimberleys
Towards the end of last year I put my hand up to facilitate art activities for the elderly Aboriginal residents at Guwardi Ngadu Frail Aged Hostel in Fitzroy Crossing, WA for a couple of weeks in January 2017. I’ve just completed the first week and it is truly an expansive experience on so many levels….
Update on Tiny House on Wheels Decision
The recent Tiny House on Wheels decision has sent a ripple through the planning community. Brisbane City Council is currently reviewing its approach to the phenomena of Tiny Homes, not just in terms of regulations but also in the broader context of alternative housing options for Brisbane. There is still work to be done. We advocate the development…
Buildings that breathe
At a recent industry forum, Brisbane City Council advised of a new prelodgement service called DesignSMART. The service is “a series of prelodgement meetings focused on a collaborative design process” with the development industry with the intent of ensuring that building designs embrace the key considerations which Brisbane City Council have identified and captured in a document…
More fun with Tiny Houses
If you enjoy tiny houses and their fascinating ideas and designs, you can vote for the 2016 Tiny House of the Year. This is an international competition and Australia has a few entries including one by the Tiny House Company with their beautiful subtropical designed tiny house (http://tinyhouseoftheyear.com/sub-tropical-australian-tiny-house/). So have fun browsing through the competition…
Landmark precedent for the Tiny House on Wheels
The decision This week the Queensland Building and Development Dispute Resolution Committee (the Committee) established to hear the appeal against the enforcement notice issued by the Brisbane City Council (BCC) to the owners of the Tiny House on Wheels (THOW) “formed the view that the THOW does not constitute building works as defined under the Building…
Changes to EPBC Cost Recovery Fees
On 1 October 2016, new changes to the EPBC Act cost recovery fees came into effect. Cost recovery fees were introduced two years ago in line with the Australia Government’s Cost Recovery Guidelines which establishes that those who create the need for regulation should incur the costs, rather than the costs being borne by the…
Flutter, flutter
Have you noticed the thousands of white butterflies fluttering around Brisbane these last few days. They are Caper White Butterflies (Belenois java), a species which migrates (although not annually) from western Queensland to the south-east. They migration tends to coincide with the first heatwave of the season. They are named after the host plant species…
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