SC6.5.1 Introduction

Gladstone is a focus for industrial development of State and national importance. Traditionally the construction phase of these developments has placed significant pressures on the local economy when a large non–resident workforce competes for scarce short term rental accommodation. The impacts to the local community include a general decline in the availability of accommodation, sharp increases in the cost of rental accommodation and an instability in the overall cost of housing.

Council is committed to alleviating these adverse impacts by encouraging the provision of purpose built non–resident workers accommodation that can respond to the peak demands of those construction phases. These facilities are not necessarily seen as an end use, rather a temporary support for short term accommodation provided in serviced apartments.

Workers accommodation needs to provide a high level of health, safety and comfort for their occupants commensurate with the needs of modern mobile workforce working day and night shifts.

Council is also committed to ensuring that, by applying appropriate development standards, new development is appropriately located and serviced, is able to be socially integrated into existing communities and compatible with existing land uses.

Relationship to the planning scheme

This planning scheme policy applies to Material change of use applications which require assessment against the Planning Scheme Policy for Non–resident workers accommodation.

Purpose

The purpose of the planning scheme policy is to provide guidance on the appropriate location, development standards, and built form of non–resident workers accommodation that will achieve high quality outcomes that support the needs of major industrial development.

SC6.5.2 Location

Council's preferred location for non–resident workers accommodation is in those locations where there is access to relevant infrastructure and services and where workers contribute to the cultural and social values of those communities.

The development should not adjoin incompatible land uses which have impacts that cannot be managed by the development. It should also have a site area sufficient to enable it to incorporate measures that will avoid adverse impacts to adjoining residential land uses including matters such as noise generated by early morning and late night shift traffic.

Strong links to workplaces, retail, entertainment and recreational services and facilities are important.

Where an urban or urban edge location is not practicable, developments need to be either capable of connecting to existing reticulated water and waste water systems or demonstrate that adequate services can be provided on–site in an ecologically sustainable manner. A higher level of on–site dining, social and recreational facilities would be expected to compensate for their more remote location.

Sites should avoid land constrained by overlay codes including natural hazard areas, steep land, areas with biodiversity or scenic values, areas of higher quality agricultural land, and should be separated from surrounding uses that may generate noise, light or dust emissions.

SC6.5.3 Site area

The site area needed to accommodate the development will be largely dependent on the size of the accommodation facility, style of development, the on–site facilities provided, the need to incorporate measures to mitigate impacts to/from adjoining premises, site characteristics and, in some cases, its landscape setting and the need to make provision for an on–site water supply and/or waste water disposal.

SC6.5.4 Infrastructure and services

In urban and urban fringe areas developments are to be connected to a reticulated water supply, reticulated sewerage, stormwater drainage systems, electricity and telecommunication facilities. In rural areas developments will need to provide all of that infrastructure.

SC6.5.5 Connectivity

Non–resident worker accommodation facilities can generate considerable traffic with defined peak periods. This can have a considerable impact on exiting road and intersection capacities and larger developments (>200 beds) need to identify and mitigate adverse impacts.

As shift changes often occur during noise sensitive times it is important that traffic does not impact on residential communities.  Desirably development will have direct access to collector roads rather than residential streets and avoid direct access to major roads where the capacity of the network could be compromised.

SC6.5.6 Built form

The typology and quality of non–resident workers accommodation varies considerably in part due to their location, whether they are for a specific project provided on–site, their size or the economic sector they serve. In the past poor quality accommodation in the nature of 'mining camps' often had negative impacts on the community generally, and particularly where there was a lack of integration into an established community or there was a failure to provide adequate on–site facilities.

There is also a large variety of workers' living facilities. Recent developments in Gladstone have been large (+ 1,400 beds), provide full dining facilities, laundry and recreational facilities including swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, gymnasiums, recreation centres, licensed taverns, games rooms and libraries.

While this policy is intended to apply to non–resident workers accommodation in its various forms it has particular relevance to larger scale developments.

Council encourages a building form and scale capable of integration with its existing environment. It does not support a contention that the temporary nature of such a use should offer a basis of reduced development standards given that the community will perceive these developments as part of their community.

SC6.5.7 Vehicle, pedestrian and cycle movement

Developments need to ensure that adequate on–site car parking is provided for occupants. It is recognized that demand will vary according to occupancy rates and that a proportion of the occupants will be fly–in, fly–out.

Internal access roads should be designed to allow for pick up and set down points, for bus access and goods delivery. In relevant cases thought needs to be given to the needs of possible reuse options for the site.

SC6.5.8 On–site amenity

The characteristics of the workers will be a primary driver in determining the level of on–site amenity. The nature of the workers rosters may require different daily patterns of vehicle movements, sleeping, eating and general activity. The type of accommodation provided needs to be responsive to their male/female ratio, whether or not they are single/couples/families and their likely length of occupation is days/weeks/months.

The level of integration with existing communities will also determine the need for non–residential on–site facilities including dining and recreational facilities, car parking and transport arrangements to work and community facilities. These are more important in rural locations.

The comfort and safety are primary considerations in the design of the accommodation facility.

SC6.5.9 Climate responsive design

Gladstone's sub–tropical climate means that most areas buildings will be air–conditioned to provide adequate comfort for occupants, many of whom will be sleeping during hotter daylight hours.  Developments should incorporate passive design principles and respect the micro–climate of the particular site.

This should include an appreciation that large car parking and hard–standing areas will generate reflective heat and should be located to ensure prevailing breezes assist in minimizing heat transfer to buildings.

SC6.5.10 Affordability

Not all temporary non–resident workers are highly skilled and highly paid but are still essential to the development phase. Scarce accommodation during construction phases can significantly disadvantage those that are on lower wages but still an essential part of the development process. For larger developments a contribution towards affordable accommodation will be required.

SC6.5.11 Landscaping

Large non–resident workers accommodation facilities can have a considerable visual impact, particularly in rural areas where they are out of character with expected.  Large building setbacks will provide the opportunity to provide landscaping in scale with the development.

On–site amenity will be greatly enhanced where high quality soft and hard landscaping is incorporated highly trafficked areas and in and around each building.

Landscaping should also be used to assist in the achievement of stormwater quality objectives.

SC6.5.12 Changing circumstances or decommissioning

Population growth in Gladstone over the past 50 years has occurred as a series of steps linked to major new industry and port developments and this pattern of growth is likely to continue within the foreseeable future. The demand for purpose built workers accommodation is directly related to the industrial growth and at present is an essential component of the housing stock.  Over time, however, the demand is likely to decline as it in turn competes in a much larger housing market including high density apartments in central locations.  As such it is therefore expected that decommissioning and removal of these facilities will occur and, in the case of developments in more remote locations, Council may impose a condition on planning consents requiring their removal within a particular time frame.

The removal of, or of, non–resident workers accommodation is an important consideration, particularly those developments in locations distant from the existing urban areas.

In well located areas adaption and reuse other uses such as affordable accommodation, aged care housing or tourist accommodation may be feasible.

Table SC6.5.12.1—Internal vehicle pedestrian and cycle standards