Draft State Planning Policy 2026: What It Means for Bushfire and Ecology
The Queensland Government is currently consulting on the draft State Planning Policy 2026 (draft SPP), together with discussion papers on natural hazards and on state assessment benchmarks, and a draft update to the Minister’s Guidelines and Rules. Submissions close on Monday 26 October 2026. The draft would replace the State Planning Policy 2017. No commencement date has been stated.
The SPP guides how planning schemes are prepared and applied, so these changes will flow through to how projects are assessed. These are the changes I think matter most for projects with bushfire or ecological constraints.
Bushfire: from “avoid then mitigate” to managed risk
The draft SPP would require development to be avoided in natural hazard areas, including bushfire prone areas, only where the risk cannot be mitigated to an “acceptable or tolerable” level. Elsewhere, development must mitigate risk to that level, in proportion to the risk. Councils would also identify areas where risk is intolerable.
I support the shift. On many sites, bushfire risk can be managed through siting, building construction standards, separation and access, and the policy should recognise that. However, the draft does not define “acceptable”, “tolerable” or “intolerable”. The discussion paper leaves these terms to updated guidance, which has not been released. Without defined thresholds, councils could treat the same proposal differently. A key question here is whether bushfire attack level (BAL) construction standards of greater than 29 will be more frequently approved by Councils.
The discussion paper also seeks views on a separate policy for vulnerable uses, such as childcare centres and hospitals. That policy would require safe evacuation to be demonstrated. Again, I support this concept, however without technical detail/definitions around the requirements that would apply it is difficult to see how this would relate to the overarching objective of allowing for risk mitigation rather than requiring broad-brush avoidance.
Ecology: less duplication between state and council
As is the status quo, the draft requires that development avoid significant adverse impacts on matters of environmental significance, including cumulative impacts and fragmentation, and otherwise mitigates them. Residual impacts may require an offset. The policy also supports viable koala populations in South East Queensland, although “koala habitat” is not defined.
The draft SPP requires that planning schemes must not include assessment criteria for matters of state environmental significance that duplicate a state assessment process. Locally mapped values must not repeat state or national values. In my experience, duplicated overlay codes add cost and delay without adding protection, because the same values are assessed twice against different tests.
State benchmarks move to one place
The state’s natural hazard assessment benchmarks would move from the SPP into the Planning Regulation 2017, initially “like for like”. They would apply where a council is the assessment manager, to the extent of any inconsistency with the planning scheme, including schemes that already integrate the current SPP. I support one set of statewide minimum standards in one place. The benchmarks have not yet been updated to match the new risk approach; the State will review them after consultation.
Where bushfire and ecology meet
The papers do not say how bushfire mitigation that involves clearing or managing vegetation is weighed against avoiding impacts on environmental values. In my view, this is best resolved site by site, through ecological and bushfire assessments prepared together, rather than by a fixed state rule.
Making a submission
If your projects involve bushfire prone land or mapped environmental values, a submission is worthwhile. The discussion paper asks what should determine whether risk is acceptable or tolerable, and how people should be informed and involved when natural hazard mapping changes.
Submissions close on Monday 26 October 2026. They can be emailed to planningforqueensland@dsdip.qld.gov.au or posted to the Deputy Premier, care of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning (Planning Policy team), PO Box 15009, City East Qld 4002.
We are reviewing the material now. If you would like to discuss what the proposed changes could mean for your project, our team can help.
This article is general commentary on draft consultation material. It is not legal advice and is not advice on any particular site, application or approval.