Queensland Consolidated Acts

INTEGRATED PLANNING ACT 1997 - SECT 1.2.3

(1) Advancing this Act's purpose includes--

(a) ensuring decision-making processes--

(i) are accountable, coordinated and efficient; and

(ii) take account of short and long-term environmental effects of development at local, regional, State and wider levels; and

(iii) apply the precautionary principle; and

(iv) seek to provide for equity between present and future generations; and

(b) ensuring the sustainable use of renewable natural resources and the prudent use of non-renewable natural resources; and

(c) avoiding, if practicable, or otherwise lessening, adverse environmental effects of development; and

(d) supplying infrastructure in a coordinated, efficient and orderly way, including encouraging urban development in areas where adequate infrastructure exists or can be provided efficiently; and

(e) applying standards of amenity, conservation, energy, health and safety in the built environment that are cost effective and for the public benefit; and

(f) providing opportunities for community involvement in decision making.

(2) For subsection (1)(a)(iii), the precautionary principle is the principle that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing a measure to prevent degradation of the environment if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage.

(3) In subsection (1)(b)--

natural resources includes biological, energy, extractive, land and water resources that are important to economic development because of their contribution to employment generation and wealth creation.