Cairns Regional Council will write to the State Government detailing concerns about a proposed State Development Area (SDA) in the south of the city.
The Coordinator-General is undertaking public consultation on the Cairns South State Development Area (SDA) draft Development Scheme and its proposed expansion.
The SDA is approximately 840-hectares of primarily agricultural land located to the east of the Bruce Highway, between Edmonton and Wrights Creek.
The Coordinator-General is proposing a potential expansion of the Cairns South SDA that includes 332 hectares of land around the Mulgrave Mill at Gordonvale.
While Council supports the proposed expansion of the Cairns South SDA to facilitate MSF Sugar's development and diversification in the region over the next decade, there are concerns about the nature and scale of proposed SDA uses, which could directly compete with privately owned and zoned industrial land in the region.
Council's submission also outlines concerns about the lack of infrastructure planning and financial analysis to support the SDA, which could lead to a significant costs to Cairns ratepayers.
