The Cairns South State Development Area (SDA) was established to facilitate economic growth and diversification of the Cairns economy as well as job creation to support the long-term needs of the Cairns region.
Declared in November 2018 and varied in February 2020, the 1159-hectare Cairns South SDA provides land for regionally significant industrial development over two separate areas.
The northern part of the Cairns South SDA is located east of the Bruce Highway between Edmonton and Gordonvale at Wrights Creek and will enable the development of industries that require large blocks of land, extended operating hours and separation from sensitive land uses. Being adjacent to the Bruce Highway and North Coast Line, this part of the SDA offers a key opportunity to support anticipated trends and growths in the rail freight sector, including increased volumes of freight and longer trains.
The southern part of the SDA is located adjacent to the Mulgrave Mill in Gordonvale and will support future diversification plans for the Mulgrave Mill, including industrial development opportunities that value-add to the sugar refining process.
The Cairns South SDA provides benefits to business and industry looking to invest in Queensland such as:
A significant portion of land in the SDA across both areas is intended for the ongoing cultivation of sugar cane and supply to the Mulgrave Mill, to act as a buffer for industry, protect the Mulgrave Mill from the pressures of urban encroachment, or for environmental management purposes.
The Cairns South SDA supports economic growth and employment opportunities in the Far North Queensland region in a way that considers environmental, cultural, and social issues as well as existing land uses and surrounding infrastructure.
The Cairns South SDA Development Scheme ( 536 KB) is a regulatory document that controls planning and development in the Cairns South SDA. It was approved by the Governor in Council in March 2020. The development scheme contains a development assessment framework for making, assessing and deciding applications and requests relating to development in the Cairns South SDA. The most common of these is an SDA application for a material change of use. The development scheme is supported by a public consultation policy ( 66 KB) that provides information on matters the Coordinator-General may consider when determining whether public consultation of an SDA application is required.
Other precincts in the Cairns South SDA provide for:
Most land within the Cairns South SDA is currently under freehold land ownership, with many parcels owned by individual landowners. At this stage, there are no plans for the Coordinator-General to acquire land in the Cairns South SDA. For more information on landholdings and future development potential contact the Office of the Coordinator-General on 1800 001 048 or via sdainfo@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au
For further information on the Cairns South SDA, contact the Office of the Coordinator-General on 1800 001 048 or via sdainfo@coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.au
For further information on SDAs, refer to our general fact sheets and guidelines.
Last updated: 26 May 2023
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