Centres Strategy

Future Centres Strategy

Background

In September 2008 a Mackay Retail and Commercial Strategy was commissioned to:

• Review and analyse the current supply of commercial and retail development and analyse gaps in the current future supply.
• Create a vision for future development.
• Develop a preferred hierarchy and network of business centres that support a major regional city in response to current trends in the region.
• Analyse the Mackay City Planning Scheme and recommend amendments to achieve the Business Centres Visions.

The report recommended a number of matters for council to consider in relation to encouraging improvements in the City Centre, and providing enhanced direction for Sub-regional and Neighbourhood Centres.  The Strategy provides a framework for allocating retail floorspace and recommends that the retail hierarchy be supported and where appropriate new development be considered that supports the integrity and intent of the retail hierarchy.

At the council meeting on 18 February 2009 council received the Mackay Retail & Commercial Strategy (February 2009) and are useing the report as a guiding document to assist council with the assessment of development applications of a commercial and/or retail nature as the centres strategy is developed.

Report

New Centres Strategy

As part of the development of the future Mackay 200k+ Planning Scheme a regional Centres Strategy is being developed.

The overall aim of the Centres Strategy will be to encourage the delivery of a network of vibrant and sustainable centres – that is – diverse, viable and well designed centres serving walkable catchments.

The draft strategy will be identifying a number of proposed initiatives to achieve the overall aim. An important initiative is the identification of a new network of centres using centre types provided by the Queensland Planning Provision zones.

The draft strategy will canvass that Centres are not intended to be just shopping centres. Council envisions that the region’s centres will form diverse service, employment and social interaction hubs connected by public transport and providing a concentration of live, work and play opportunities.

Rather than dispersing potentially compatible activities and creating isolated single-use precincts, a key to achieving the vision for vibrant and sustainable centres will be to encourage the clustering of a range of “centre uses”. This approach brings several social, environmental and economic benefits, including:

• providing a strong basis for economic growth;
• creating opportunities for the more efficient and balanced concentration of goods and services;
• increasing the potential for the exchange of ideas and other synergies among businesses, and for new job creation;
• providing an important focus for communities by increasing opportunities for social interaction;
• making the most of the community’s investment in physical and social infrastructure; and 
• providing greater opportunities for integrating land use and transport, particularly public transport and walking.

Each of the existing, proposed and planned centres across the region will have a unique role and function, catchment and access characteristics. For the purpose of this strategy, the following broad centre types apply:

• Principal centre
• Major centre
• District centre
• Local centre
• Neighbourhood centre
• Specialised centre

These categories are consistent with the suite of centre zones provided by the Queensland Planning Provisions.

Public consultation on the draft Strategy will take place in 2012. The strategy will be refined based on consideration of issues raised in any submissions and further detailed investigations.

To register your interest in receiving updates on the development of the centres strategy or the Mackay 200k Planning Scheme, contact council on 1300MACKAY (1300 622 529) or strategic.planning@mackay.qld.gov.au.