TheWithcott Times

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• Editor

Councils Planning Building and Environment Department provide a range of services to the community of Lockyer Valley Regional Council.
The plumbing staff are responsible for the approval and inspection of all plumbing work in the region and also provide advice on plumbing, sanitary drainage and on site sewerage services. A design service is available for on site sewerage and septic facilities provided by qualified staff. Major projects have included the University of Queensland Veterinary Science facility and the Spring Creek Correctional facility.
The building staff provide advice on building related matters such as the siting of dwellings, garages, retaining walls, swimming pools and pool fences as well as the more complex industrial and commercial buildings. Councils building certifiers provide a competitive building approval service and have a set fee schedule for building approvals in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area. They will also provide quotes for building approvals for local builders or residents who do building work in adjacent Council areas. Recent major projects include the Gatton Cultural Centre.
The environment staff offer advice on the Land for Wildlife program where information is available for the owners of land wishing to preserve the environmental value of their property. The “Helping Hand” program offers the use of spray equipment for land owners who have weed control issues and do not have appropriate equipment available. Council also offers a herbicide subsidy program which is advertised at a certain time of the year dependant upon the weed being targeted.
The planning staff provide advice on the subdivision of land and development involving land use changes including extractive industry, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, units, town houses and accommodation buildings. In some cases planning applications are also required for new dwellings where they are located in an area of high bushfire hazard, on steep land or high value vegetation. Significant applications currently lodged with Council include a large residential subdivision of Princes Road south of Gatton, a proposed off peak gas power station to the north of Gatton and the Warrego Highway, a Mcdonalds fast food facility in the centre of Gatton town area and rural residential subdivisions in the Hatton Vale –Regency Downs area.
Progress is also occurring in the preparation of a new planning scheme for the Lockyer Valley area which will combine the former Laidley and Gatton Planning scheme to provide one set of planning guidelines that is consistent and uniform across the whole Council area. This project is ongoing over the next 12 months and the public will have further opportunity to comment during this period .