Who Can Help Me With Infrastructure Charges on My Development? (QLD)

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Plain-English Summary

A town planner can help estimate and understand infrastructure charges on your development. These charges fund roads, water, and other essential services. Council issues them as an Infrastructure Charges Notice with your approval. A town planner can also identify if offsets or refunds might apply to your project.

Table of Contents

Who Can Help Me With Infrastructure Charges?

A town planner can help you understand what infrastructure charges are likely to apply to your development. They review your council’s Charges Resolution and adopted rates. They can factor this cost into your project’s feasibility early. This helps you budget accurately before committing to a design. An accountant or financial adviser may also help with the broader project costing.

What Are Infrastructure Charges, in Plain Terms?

Infrastructure charges are a cost councils apply to new development. They help fund infrastructure such as roads, water, sewerage, and parks. The idea is that new development should pay a fair share. This share reflects the extra demand it places on these networks. Under the Planning Act 2016, council levies these charges through an Infrastructure Charges Notice. This notice is issued as part of your development approval.

How Are Infrastructure Charges Calculated?

Each council adopts its own Charges Resolution, setting standard rates for different development types. This resolution is based on the council’s Local Government Infrastructure Plan. That plan sets out a long-term forecast for trunk infrastructure needs. State legislation caps the maximum amount any council can charge. Rates vary depending on your council area and the type of development you propose. This means you should always confirm current rates directly with your specific council.

Can Charges Be Reduced Through Offsets?

Sometimes, yes. If your development itself provides trunk infrastructure council needs, you may receive an offset or refund. This could apply, for example, to a new road or water main you build as part of your project. A town planner can help identify whether your project might qualify for this. This is a genuinely useful area to explore before assuming the full charge applies.

Common Mistakes Developers Make

Not budgeting for charges early in feasibility. These charges can be a significant cost and should be factored in from the start.

Assuming charges are the same across all councils. Adopted rates vary significantly between local government areas.

Not checking for possible offsets. Developers sometimes miss genuine opportunities to reduce charges through infrastructure they’re already providing.

Forgetting charges can be indexed over time. The amount payable can increase between when it’s levied and when it’s actually paid.

Illustrative Example

The following is an illustrative, fictional example intended to show how a situation like this might be resolved; it is not a real case.

A developer on the Gold Coast was planning a small townhouse project. They hadn’t initially budgeted for infrastructure charges in their feasibility study. Their town planner reviewed the council’s current Charges Resolution early in the process. This gave the developer an accurate estimate before they committed to the project. The planner also identified that a stormwater upgrade the project already required might qualify for a partial offset, which the developer explored further with council.

When to Get a Town Planner Involved

Involve a town planner early, ideally during initial feasibility planning. They can give you a realistic estimate of likely infrastructure charges. This helps avoid an unpleasant surprise later in the project. They can also flag potential offset opportunities worth investigating with council. For complex projects, a quantity surveyor may also help refine overall cost estimates.

Final Plain-English Takeaway

Infrastructure charges help fund roads, water, and other essential services. Councils set their own rates, within a state-imposed cap. A town planner can estimate your likely charges early. They can also check whether any offsets might apply to your project. Getting this right early avoids budget surprises later.

FAQs

When do I have to pay infrastructure charges?

Charges generally become payable at a stage set out in your Infrastructure Charges Notice, often before or at completion. The exact timing should be confirmed with your specific council and approval.

Do infrastructure charges apply to every development?

Not necessarily. Whether charges apply, and how much, depends on your development type and council’s adopted Charges Resolution. This should be confirmed for your specific proposal.

Can infrastructure charges change after they’re levied?

Yes, often. Charges can be indexed over time, meaning the amount payable may increase between when it’s levied and when it’s actually paid. This should be confirmed with your council.

Is there a limit to what council can charge?

Yes. State legislation sets a maximum adopted charge that a council cannot exceed. However, actual rates still vary between councils within that cap.

Can I get a refund for infrastructure I provide myself?

Potentially, yes. If your development provides infrastructure council needs, you may be eligible for an offset or refund. A town planner can help assess whether your project qualifies.

This website provides general planning information only and is not legal, planning or design advice; homeowners, builders, owner-builders and developers should seek qualified professional assistance for any decisions relating to their Development Application or building project.

Contact — DA Refusal Help QLD

For general information or referral to a qualified town planner, contact:

Aaron — Client Liaison, DA Refusal Help QLD
Phone: 0477 767 423
Email: aaronbox193@gmail.com

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