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About the region
The Wide Bay Burnett region covers more than 48,488 square kilometres and is renowned for its diverse landscapes, from the Great Barrier Reef, Great Sandy Strait wetlands and Fraser Island, to the region’s green, fertile coastal plains, the Bunya Mountains, Cania Gorge and its rural hinterland.
Over the past 20 years, the region’s population growth rate has matched or exceeded state and national averages. This growth has put pressure on the region’s productive rural land, open spaces and environment - particularly along the coast.
The region comprises five regional councils and one Aboriginal council. The area covered by this plan includes the following local government areas and adjacent Queensland waters:
- Bundaberg Regional Council
- Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council
- Fraser Coast Regional Council
- Gympie Regional Council
- North Burnett Regional Council
- South Burnett Regional Council
More than 80% of the region's population is located in the five major centres of Bundaberg, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Gympie and Kingaroy. The region’s population was 287,425 in 2009, with over two thirds being in the regional council areas of Bundaberg and Fraser Coast. The region’s population is forecast to grow by almost 150,000 people to more than 430,000 by 2031.
Regional Plan and State Planning Regulatory Provisions
The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan and Wide Bay Burnett State Planning Regulatory Provisions 2011 have been finalised and were released on 29 September 2011. These replace the Draft Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan and the Draft Wide Bay Burnett State Planning Regulatory Provisions 2010. A series of fact sheets have been developed to provide an overview of how the regional plan specifically effects each of the regional councils in the Wide Bay Burnett.
The Wide Bay Burnett State Planning Regulatory Provisions 2011 include regulatory mapping.
Consultation report
The Draft Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan and Draft Wide Bay Burnett State Planning Regulatory Provisions 2010 were released for public consultation between 1 October 2010 and 24 December 2010. A total of 235 submissions were received by the department. Each submission was carefully considered and played an integral role in finalising the regional plan and state planning regulatory provisions. A consultation report has been prepared that outlines the key issues raised in the consultation period and how they were addressed in the final regional plan and state planning regulatory provisions.
Regional Planning in Queensland
The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan is part of the state government’s wider regional planning program, led by Growth Management Queensland. Queensland’s regional planning framework has been recognised as a world-class strategy for sustainable population growth.
