About the PDA
The Townsville City Waterfront Priority Development Area (PDA) was declared at the request of Townsville City Council (Council) on 5 September 2014.
The PDA includes approximately 97.2 hectares of land located on both sides of Ross Creek directly adjacent to Townsville's Central Business District (CBD) and is envisaged to accommodate a portion of the additional 30,000 people planned to live and work in the wider CBD by 2030.
The PDA will provide for mixed use development in the CBD, pedestrian and cycle paths along the banks of Ross Creek, a variety of public open spaces and will protect the Port of Townsville's activities from incompatible uses.
Planning of the PDA has been managed by the Minister for Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) in partnership with Townsville City Council and Port of Townsville Limited.
Development assessment for land within the Townsville City Waterfront PDA, which is strategic port land, will be managed by the minister. For the remainder of land within the PDA, development assessment powers have been delegated to Townsville City Council.
To find out more about the Townsville City Waterfront PDA visit the Townsville City Council website.
Adoption of the Townsville City Waterfront PDA development scheme
On 23 October 2015, the Townsville City Waterfront PDA development scheme was approved by the Queensland Government.
Public notification of the proposed development scheme for the Townsville City Waterfront PDA was held from 7 July 2015 to 18 August 2015. During the submission period all interested parties —including the community, residents, and business operators—were invited to view the proposed development scheme and make a written submission for consideration by the minister.
The public were advised of the notification through advertisements in local newspapers, notices in Townsville City Council's resident newsletter, information on websites, a social media campaign and a ‘Discovery Box’ information kiosk in the city heart. The proposed development scheme was available for viewing at the Discovery Box, at community information sessions, and could be downloaded from the websites of Townsville City Council, Port of Townsville Limited and EDQ.
All submissions received during public notification were considered by the minister in consultation with council and the Port of Townsville Limited. The Townsville City Waterfront PDA Submissions Report has been prepared and summarises the submissions received and the merits of those submissions. In some cases, amendments were made to the proposed scheme as a consequence of issues raised in submissions.
On 25 September 2015, council submitted the development scheme and the submissions report for the Townsville City Waterfront PDA development scheme to the minister for consideration and approval.
People who made a submission during the submission period will be notified that the development scheme has been approved and is now in effect. A copy of the submissions report, approved by the minister, can be downloaded from the link below.
The Townsville City Waterfront PDA Development Scheme is the planning document that will assist in planning, carrying out, promoting, coordinating and controlling the development of land in the PDA. The development scheme supersedes the interim land use plan, which no longer has effect.
All development applications within the PDA will now be assessed against the development scheme.
Planning for the PDA
The Economic Development Act 2012 provides for a streamlined planning and development assessment framework for PDAs to facilitate economic development, and development for community purposes.
Once a site is declared under the Economic Development Act 2012, a development scheme for the PDA must be prepared.
A development scheme for the Townsville City Waterfront PDA has been prepared by the Minister for EDQ in partnership with Townsville City Council and Port of Townsville Limited.
- Download the Townsville City Waterfront PDA Development Scheme (
6.0 MB)
Vision for the Townsville City Waterfront PDA
The Townsville City Waterfront PDA is a place where the city and nature intersect as a world-class active and vibrant destination in Townsville's CBD. The Townsville City Waterfront PDA will achieve this vision through the following outcomes:
- be a vibrant mixed-use place where people live, work and play in a high-density environment that is active day and night
- support the wider CBD functions, which is the highest order centre in Townsville that services a regional catchment
- create an identifiably Townsville mixed-use destination that embeds diverse maritime, tourism, recreation, open space, natural, culture, community, education, entertainment, residential, commercial and business uses and events
- provide an active public realm and open space network that connects public access along and across the Ross Creek waterfront with the CBD
- be an internationally renowned cultural destination encompassing iconic sporting and cultural facilities set among supporting recreation, fitness, tourism, and food and beverage venues
- include a multi-purpose maritime gateway that provides ferry services and facilities to Magnetic and Palm Islands, and recreational boating facilities and marine services
- support ongoing operational requirements of essential maritime infrastructure and the Port of Townsville.
Townsville City Waterfront PDA ILUP
Until the development scheme was finalised, development within the PDA was regulated under the Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP). The ILUP has now been replaced by the Townsville City Waterfront PDA Development Scheme.
- Download the Townsville City Waterfront ILUP ( 1.5 MB)
Infrastructure planning and funding
The delivery of infrastructure is a key component of facilitating development within the Townsville City Waterfront PDA and ensuring adequate funding for this infrastructure is vital.
The Townsville City Waterfront PDA Development Scheme includes an infrastructure plan that identifies the infrastructure that is required to facilitate growth and development in the PDA.
Applicable infrastructure charges are set out in Townsville City Council's adopted infrastructure charges resolution. The requirement to pay infrastructure charges, or to deliver the infrastructure identified, will be a condition of a PDA development approval.
An Infrastructure Charging Offset Plan has been prepared to set out the infrastructure items that may be offset against applicable infrastructure charges.
- Download the Townsville City Waterfront PDA Infrastructure Charging Offset Plan ( 874 KB)
Townsville City Waterfront PDA regulatory map
- Download the Townsville City Waterfront PDA regulatory map ( 537 KB).
Townsville City Waterfront PDA FAQs
- Where is the Townsville City Waterfront PDA?
- Why was the Townsville City Waterfront site declared as a PDA?
- How will Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) support delivery of the Townsville City Waterfront PDA?
- Who is responsible for assessing development applications?
- What will happen when a development application is lodged with Townsville City Council or Minister for EDQ (in the case of strategic port land)?
- Where can I find the development assessment forms?
- How does the Economic Development Act 2012 development assessment process differ from the previous process?
- What happens to a development application that was lodged with Townsville City Council or the Port of Townsville Limited prior to declaration?
- What happens to building applications?
- What planning is being undertaken for the delivery of the Potential Integrated Sports and Entertainment Centre shown in the development scheme?
Where is the Townsville City Waterfront PDA?
The Townsville City Waterfront PDA covers land located on both sides of Ross Creek, including a portion of strategic port land surplus to port requirements, which is directly adjacent to Townsville's CBD. To the west, the area connects the railway station to the Breakwater. To the east, the area connects Reid Park to the new Quayside Townsville Terminal. Land holdings bounding the Ross Creek waterfront consist of a multitude of uses including water leases, vacant land, public utilities, existing buildings and lots currently under construction.
Why was the Townsville City Waterfront site declared as a PDA?
The Townsville City Waterfront PDA was declared as part of a strategy to revitalise the Ross Creek waterfront and enhance Townsville's CBD. The site is an important part of the Townsville's inner urban area and has the potential to accommodate and create jobs for a portion of the additional 30,000 people planned to live and work in the wider CBD area by 2030.
Declaration of the PDA provides a planning framework that enables future development by:
- resolving constraints and government interests through the plan making process (the development scheme)
- providing the streamlined development assessment framework that is available to land within a PDA under the Economic Development Act 2012.
How will Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) support delivery of the Townsville City Waterfront PDA?
EDQ has worked in partnership with Townsville City Council and the Port of Townsville Limited to prepare the development scheme.
EDQ, together with Townsville City Council and the Port of Townsville Limited, is also investigating the most appropriate way to effectively divest land and deliver development within the Townsville City Waterfront PDA. This may include facilitating the creation of an entity to bring land to market quickly and realise the vision for the Townsville City Waterfront PDA.
Who is responsible for assessing development applications?
For the land within the Townsville City Waterfront PDA, which is strategic port land, the Minister for EDQ is the assessment manager. For the remainder of land within the PDA, development assessment powers have been delegated to Townsville City Council (see Schedule 5 of the Townsville City Waterfront PDA Development Scheme ( 6.0 MB).
What will happen when a development application is lodged with Townsville City Council or Minister for EDQ (in the case of strategic port land)?
When lodging a development application to Townsville City Council, or the Minister for EDQ, the application will be assessed against the purposes of the Economic Development Act 2012 and the Townsville City Waterfront PDA Development Scheme ( 6.0 MB).
Where can I find the development assessment forms?
The forms and processes for lodgment of a PDA development application to Townsville City Council can be found on the Townsville City Council website.
The forms and processes for lodgment of a PDA development application to the Minister for EDQ can be found on the Economic Development Queensland website.
How does the Economic Development Act 2012 development assessment process differ from the previous process?
Development applications for land within Townsville City Waterfront PDA are lodged to and assessed by:
- the Minister for EDQ when the land is strategic port land
- Townsville City Council where the land is not strategic port land.
The decision process generally occurs within 40 business days. This timeframe does not include circumstances where there is a need for additional information or public notification of the development application.
What happens to a development application that was lodged with Townsville Council or the Port of Townsville Limited prior to declaration?
When a PDA is declared, development applications already lodged with Townsville City Council or the Port of Townsville Limited on land within the PDA continue to:
- be assessed against the regulatory instrument in effect at the time of the application; and
- decided by the entity that the application was lodged with.
What happens to building applications?
These applications will continue to be assessed under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, which provides for private building certification.
What planning is being undertaken for the delivery of the Potential Integrated Sports and Entertainment Centre shown in the development scheme?
The department is undertaking detailed master planning and preparing a business case for an integrated sports and entertainment centre.