24-Jan-2011

SEQ Catchment’s Planning and Investment Advisory Committee recently debated the importance of the South East Queensland Rural Futures Strategy as a way of coordinating action to achieve a sustainable rural economy in SEQ. The RFS contains actions that support the achievement of the SEQ NRM Plan.

The latest review shows that 15 projects and programs in the action plan have been completed. These include the preparation of tourism destination plans and infrastructure and investment plans for SEQ tourism regions; an SEQ extractive industries strategy; the SEQ outdoor recreation strategy; reform of the Integrated Planning Act; and development of an environmental offsets policy.

In addition there are 40 ongoing programs and projects that are contributing to SEQ rural development, planning and resource management. PIAC noted that there was some concern that not enough priority being placed on some of the key actions in the RFS.

PIAC will be communicating these concerns to the Queensland Government’s Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Stirling Hinchliffe, and seeking clarification on the future of the RFS.