In December 2019, Council adopted the Framework for Development Application and Related Activities which set out among other things, some core principles that Council must adhere to in the processing of development applications. As part of the framework, an Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) was introduced.

The panel, consisting of one or more independent expert members will be convened from time to time to review recommendations made by Council Planning Officers. Each panel will be made up of experts relevant to the development proposal to be decided. It will not be called upon for all applications but rather those which meet specific criteria, such as where Council lodges an application to itself, if a development is particularly sensitive for the community or draws a high number of submissions during the public notification phase (Sensitive Development Matters).  In certain circumstances a public hearing will be held.  The public hearing is open to the applicants of the development application and members of the community who made a submission during the public notification period – all who can address the panel directly with their views on the application and council's recommendations.

Upon completion, the panel’s recommendations will go to the next available committee or Council meeting for consideration alongside the Council Planning Officer’s recommendation to assist with the decision-making process.

A fact sheet with the IDRP Procedure and Terms of Reference are provided here

VIDEO: IDRP Explained

Committee and Council meeting, agenda and minutes are provided here.

Public hearings will be recorded and live-streamed where possible and will be available on Council’s YouTube channel so as to allow interested parties to view matters discussed both during and after the public hearing.

4670/2023/MCU - Townhouses - Astral Court, Flinders View

A development application for 140 townhouses in Flinders View was reviewed by the Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) following considerable community feedback.

Azure Project 36 PTY LTD sought Ipswich City Council approval to build 140 townhouses at 10 Astral Court, Flinders View. The development application was submitted to council in May 2023.

Council received more than 250 submissions objecting to the proposal, with a large number of these submissions received before the public notification period had started.

The development application was approved at the Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee on 9 November 2023.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS: See application documents.

PRESENTATION: Watch the recording

14 October 2021 - 5636/2021/MCU - Child Care Centre - Arthur Summervilles Road, Karalee

A development application for a new childcare centre in Karalee will be reviewed by an Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) to improve community participation and transparency in the decision-making process.

As part of the process, a public hearing will be held with residents able to voice their concerns directly to the panel before it makes its recommendations ahead of a final decision by Council in December.

Griffith Group One Pty Ltd is seeking Ipswich City Council approval to build a new childcare centre across the road from the Karalee State School.

The development application was determined by Council at the ordinary meeting dated 9 December 2021.  To view the agenda and minutes associated with this meeting click here.

A Planning and Environment Court Judgement was issued on 14 December 2022 approving the development.  The approval includes a number of amendments to the original proposal as summarised below:

• a reduction in the gross floor area (GFA) of the building from 720.4m2 to 682m2 resulting in increased building setbacks and wider landscaping buffers between the building and western and northern property boundaries;
• a reduction in car parking from 30 spaces to 27 spaces (including 16 spaces for staff and 11 spaces for visitors), to accommodate additional landscaping in the car parking area and along the southern property boundary;
• a reduction in the number of childcare places from 100 to 92;
• the inclusion of a 1.2m high acoustic barrier along part of the northern side of the outdoor play area adjacent Elaine Street;
• a reduction in the height of the noise barrier adjacent to the southern side of the car parking area to 1.8 metres;
• the inclusion of a return in the noise barrier between the 2.0m high acoustic barrier along part of the southern boundary connecting to the 1.8m barrier adjacent the car parking area; and
• the provision of a pump out and vapour return point associated with the sewerage system.

The cost of the IDRP process was approximately $12,000.  The cost of the appeal process was approximately $400,000.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS: See application and decision documents.

VIDEO: Watch the recording
PRESENTATION: View the presentation
ARTICLE: Read the article

19 August 2021 - 10674/2019/CA - Wanless Recycling Park

A development application for a new landfill and recycling centre in Ipswich will be referred to an Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) for public hearing, under an innovative process introduced by Ipswich City Council.

The development application was lodged by Wanless Recycling Park Pty Ltd and was the subject of a public hearing on 19 August at Council’s administration building, 1 Nicholas Street.

The development application was determined by Council at the ordinary meeting dated 16 September 2021.  To view the agenda and minutes associated with this meeting click here

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS: See application documents

VIDEO: Watch the recording
PRESENTATION: View the presentation
ARTICLE: Read the article

On 15 October 2021, Wanless Recycling Park Pty Ltd (care of Holding Redlich Solicitors), filed a notice of appeal in the Planning and Environment Court against Council's decision to refuse in part, Development Application No. 10674/2019/CA.

Before the appeal had progressed through the court, the Deputy Premier Steven Miles gave notice of a proposed call in notice for the application on 29 November 2021. On 9 December 2021, Council provided a response to the notice of proposed call-in, reaffirming the outcome of the assessment of the application. On 27 January 2022, the Deputy Premier Steven Miles gave notice that he had decided to call-in and reassess and redecide the application. As a result, several parties lodged applications to the Court for a Judicial Review of the Ministers decision to call-in the application. These were lodged by a group of local residents and joint applicants Austin BMI Pty Ltd, Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) Pty Ltd and JJ Richards Ti Tree Pty Ltd trading as Ti Tree Bioenergy. Council was one of the respondents in the case.

On 5 May 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed three separate applications opposing the Minister's call-in decision.

Following the outcome on the Judicial Review process on 19 June 2023, the Queensland Government refused part of the Ministerial Call In for the development application for the Wanless Recycling Park in Ipswich. Following advice from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Steven Miles has approved the resource recovery facility and waste transfer station and refused the landfill and void rehabilitation components of the development application. The decision by the Minister largely reflected the decision originally made by Council.

The cost of the IDRP process was approximately $12,000. The cost of the Judicial Review process was approximately $450,000.