Land brought into the Urban Growth Boundary and deemed "developable" will be zoned Urban Growth Zone (UGZ). This is the land to which the GAIC will apply.

Does UGZ zoning mean that your land is instantly developable?

The short answer is NO.

The following information appears in the Department of Planning and Community Development Practice Notes on the Urban Growth Zone:

"The application of the UGZ does not, by itself, allow urban use and development to proceed. A precinct structure plan must be prepared and applied to the land before this can occur."

"Before a precinct structure plan is in place, the UGZ applies provisions that are designed to safeguard the land from use or development that could prejudice its long term urban development potential. Land may be used and developed for farming and rural-related activities, however urban subdivision cannot occur."

More information about Urban Growth Zone.

Until land is included in a Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) it basically has the same planning constraints as farming zone. It allows farming and other rural activities to continue, and no subdivisions under 40 hectares are allowed without the approval of the GAA. Land is kept in this "holding zone" until a PSP is completed and development can begin.

So when will my land be included in a PSP?

The GAA currently has control of 40 structure plans within the existing 2005 UGB. Of these only 10 are completed. See map for details.

You can see from the maps that the completed PSPs cover a very small area within the proposed new UGB. Bearing in mind that there are already another 30 structure plans to be completed within the existing boundary (10 of these haven't even been started), and it gives you an idea of how long some of this new land will be waiting for a PSP. We are talking decades - not years!

For the Government to say that ALL of this land will enjoy an uplift in value significant enough to support a $95,000 per hectare tax simply by being included in the UGB is utter rubbish. The $250,000 to $400,000 per hectare sales figures for UGB land quoted by the Goverment are for land under PSPs. If your land is brought into the UGB this year you are likely to be waiting many years before it is included in a PSP and truly "zoned for development".

The only fair way to impose the GAIC is when the land is actually developed.