Land capability and land suitability classification schemes are used in Queensland as the basis for identifying good quality agricultural land (GQAL). Queensland's State Panning Policy 1/92 recognises GQAL as a finite and valuable resource that requires protection. Both State and Local government must enable appropriate protection of this GQAL as part of their planning activities. Private landholders must identify any GQAL and discuss the implications a proposed use will have on this land as part of development applications.
The Queensland Government implemented State Panning Policy 1/92 in recognition of GQAL being a finite and valuable resource that requires protection. Both State and Local government must enable appropriate protection of this GQAL as part of their planning activities. Private landholders must identify any GQAL and discuss any implications a proposed development will have on this land as part of development applications.
The Queensland Government has also issued a planning guideline for identifying GQAL. Numerous land resource maps are available for Queensland and a table is included in the guideline indicating which units on these available maps should be considered as GQAL.
However, almost all presently available land resource maps were compiled at a very broad scale for regional planning purposes. Many are not accurate enough for local authority planning and almost none are appropriate for individual properties. Moreover, the units on the land resource maps have only been tentatively allocated to GQAL by the Department of Natural Resources. This allocation needs to be checked using criteria specific to the local district.
Unfortunately, to identify the GQAL status accurately a specific investigation is required in nearly every circumstance, whether for a local authority, local area or individual property.