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Department of Transport and Main Roads

Master planning for the priority Port of Gladstone

Image of Port of Gladstone
Photo courtesy Gladstone Ports Corporation.

The Queensland Government is leading master planning for the priority Port of Gladstone in accordance with the Sustainable Ports Development Act 2015 (Ports Act) and the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan (Reef 2050 Plan).

About the port

The priority Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port, handling more than 30 different products including the export of coal, alumina, cement, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), petroleum and grain. It also supports cruise shipping and the tourism industry.

Read more about the priority Port of Gladstone.

Master plan

The Master plan for the priority Port of Gladstone is a strategic document that has a long-term outlook for the sustainable development of the port through to 2050. Long-term master planning provides a strategic and coordinated approach to managing port-related development and considers issues including marine and land-based impacts, port and supply chain infrastructure optimisation.

The master plan looks beyond the port boundary to ensure port-related development is sustainably managed while protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

Read more in the master plan fact sheet.

Master planned area

The priority Port of Gladstone master plan includes a master planned area which encompasses a total area of about 73,000 hectares.

The master planned area includes land and marine areas considered important for the efficient development and operation of the port. The inclusion of land and marine areas supports the management of potential impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) and other environmental values that may occur as a result of port development and operations.

The master planned area includes strategic port land under the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 controlled by Gladstone Ports Corporation and:

  • 27,000 hectares of the Gladstone State Development Area
  • 7000 hectares of land within the Gladstone Regional Council area
  • Marine areas within port limits but outside State and Commonwealth marine parks.

Seven precincts within the master planned area outline the long-term intent for specific areas. The precinct approach supports cumulative impact management within the master planned area by identifying areas with environmental values where development should be limited, as well as separate areas that may be suitable for infrastructure and port-related development.

Priority Port of Gladstone map
Click for a larger version of the priority port of Gladstone map.

Port overlay

The Port overlay for the priority Port of Gladstone is the regulatory instrument that implements the master plan for the master planned area. It provides requirements for land use planning and development decisions in the master planned area.

The port overlay operates alongside existing planning instruments and only regulates development in the master planned area if additional requirements are necessary to implement the master plan. It has effect from 1 February 2021.

A fact sheet is available to assist the community in understanding the port overlay.

If you require a hard copy of the port overlay, please email [email protected] or telephone 13 23 80* (fees for hard copies may apply).

* Check with your service provider for call costs.

How the master plan and port overlay were developed

Master planning for the priority Port of Gladstone was a collaborative process undertaken with the Gladstone Ports Corporation, Gladstone Regional Council, state and federal agencies, and other key stakeholders in accordance with the Ports Act.

The Queensland Government released the Master plan for the priority Port of Gladstone on 5 November 2018. This followed the release of the Draft master plan for the priority Port of Gladstone for public consultation from 28 August 2017 to 9 October 2017.

On 27 August 2020 the Queensland Government released the Port overlay for the priority Port of Gladstone. Public consultation on the Draft port overlay for the priority Port of Gladstone was undertaken from 4 November 2019 to 16 December 2019.

Public consultation for the draft master plan and draft port overlay provided the community and industry with the opportunity to have their say on the sustainable growth of the port. Submissions received during the public consultation periods for the draft master plan and draft port overlay informed the final master plan and port overlay.

Reports about the public consultation processes for the draft master plan and draft port overlay and the matters raised in the submissions have been released:

Further information about the approach to preparing master plans and port overlays and how these operate can be found in the Priority ports master planning guideline.

Document register

Master plan for the priority Port of Gladstone

Port overlay for the priority Port of Gladstone

Supporting and archived documents

Most of the following documents were prepared at a point-in-time and are provided for information and historical reference:

If you require a higher resolution file of these documents, please email [email protected].

Further information

Email: [email protected]

Last updated
13 December 2024