Bundaberg Regional Council has unveiled a multi-million-dollar suite of measures to support construction, jobs and economic development. Council is offering infrastructure charges incentives to encourage increased development activity and job creation to assist with the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To see if your development is eligible for infrastructure charges incentives, please refer to attachment A via this form.
For more information on the Building Bundaberg Region package and what it includes please see below.
Building Bundaberg Region extends the timeframe for completion of developments already
incentivised under the previous Open for Development scheme by two years to the end of June
2022. Other measures as part of the Building Bundaberg Region package includes:
- Waive fees for extension applications;
Moratorium on automatic increases to levied charges; - 100 per cent discount on infrastructure charges (to a maximum of $1 million) for material change-of-use developments in the Bundaberg CBD and town centres of Bargara, Childers, Gin Gin, Woodgate, Moore Park and Burnett Heads (areas to be mapped); also uses defined as a “rural activity” in the Planning Scheme, including intensive horticulture, rural industries,
aquaculture, winery and intensive animal industry uses;
- Permanent reductions to infrastructure charges for sectors including rural industries and
nature-based tourism;
- 50 per cent discount on infrastructure charges (to a maximum of $1 million) for material change-of-use development for all other uses.
Ongoing industry support measures include:
- 50-100 per cent discount on fees and charges for not-for-profit organisations;
- Free pre-lodgement meeting service;
- Fast-tracked assessment for low complexity applications;
- Timely assessment of all other development applications;
- Electronic lodgement of applications;
- Planning Scheme reduced levels of assessment and typically no application requirements for changes of use in existing commercial centres, dual occupancy development and industrial
uses;
- Reduced car parking rates for residential development in the Bundaberg CBD and business
activities in the Bundaberg CBD and Childers and Gin Gin town centres;
- Rates relief on undeveloped lots. Developers receive a 40 per cent reduction in their valuation, with no minimum general rate until the parcel is developed or ownership changes. Council calculates the general rate using the reduced valuation.
