Regional plan (statutory planning)
A statutory regional plan sits between state planning policy and local council schemes; it is binding on scheme amendments. QLD has 13, SA has 8.
Ask Chalkline about this →A statutory regional plan is a government-issued land-use instrument that sits between state planning policy and the local council scheme in the planning hierarchy. It translates broad state policy objectives into binding regional targets: housing growth, infrastructure corridors, employment land, biodiversity areas, and infill or greenfield supply thresholds. Council schemes must be consistent with the applicable regional plan. A scheme amendment that conflicts with the regional plan cannot be approved.
Where regional plans fit
The layer order in states that use regional plans is:
- Governing Act (e.g. Planning Act 2016 in QLD, PDI Act 2016 in SA)
- State planning policy (statewide interests)
- Statutory regional plan (regional land-use framework, binding)
- Local council scheme or state-wide code (site-level controls)
Regional plans are prepared by the state government, not by councils, and councils cannot vary them unilaterally. See Australian planning instrument hierarchy for the full cross-state picture.
Queensland
Under the Planning Act 2016 (Qld), 13 statutory regional plans cover the state. The largest is ShapingSEQ (South East Queensland, 2023 edition), covering Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Logan, and Redlands. ShapingSEQ sets dwelling supply targets and infill ratios that determine what councils can approve via scheme amendments. See QLD planning scheme structure for how the 13 plans fit the full QLD hierarchy.
South Australia
Under the PDI Act 2016, SA has 8 regional plans prepared by the State Planning Commission. SA’s local instrument is the state-wide Planning and Design Code rather than council schemes, so regional plans here bind code variations and rezonings rather than individual council documents.
Other states
Victoria, WA, and NSW use analogous instruments under different names: VIC has regional growth plans under the VPP, WA has regional structure plans. The binding effect on local scheme amendments is the common thread.
Why it matters to builders
Regional plans drive where land is released, what densities are permissible, and where infrastructure funding is targeted. Growth-area projects and high-density infill both trace their feasibility back to what the applicable regional plan authorises.
Also known as: Regional land-use plan, regional growth plan.
Category: Planning / hierarchy.
Related
- QLD planning scheme structure
- QLD planning scheme amendments
- SPP 7.3 R-Codes (WA)
- SA Planning and Design Code
See also
References
- Planning Act 2016 (Qld), regional plans list, via planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au (verified 2026-06-11).
- ShapingSEQ 2023, via shapingseq.dsdmip.qld.gov.au (verified 2026-06-11).
- SA Regional Plans, via plan.sa.gov.au (verified 2026-06-11).
Last updated: 2026-06-11. Verified: 2026-06-11. Quarterly review for currency. QLD regional plan count (13), ShapingSEQ 2023 currency, SA regional plan count (8) and PDI Act authority verified against primary planning portals on 2026-06-11.