Local Government and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No.2) 2015

Overview

This bill makes several technical fixes to Queensland's local government and planning laws. It gives councils up to two more years to adopt infrastructure plans, lets developers skip offset and refund details to speed up approvals, and cleans up inconsistencies around how-to-vote cards and outdated mayoral voting rules.

Who it affects

Councils, property developers, water connection applicants, and local government election candidates are most affected. Ordinary residents may notice little direct change, but will benefit from smoother development approvals and clearer election rules.

Key changes

• Councils can make accepted how-to-vote cards available at their public office during the caretaker period before an election
• Obsolete reference to first-past-the-post mayoral voting is removed from the Local Government Electoral Act
• Councils can apply to the Planning Minister for up to a two-year extension (to 30 June 2018) to adopt a Local Government Infrastructure Plan
• Developers can tell councils or water distributor-retailers they don't need offset or refund details in an infrastructure charges notice, speeding up approvals
• Infrastructure charges resolutions made by councils between October 2014 and the bill's commencement are retrospectively validated