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Biodiversity, waterways and wetlands overlay in Queensland — what it means if you want to build

An overlay is an extra layer of planning rules that sits on top of a property's zone.

What it is

Land with habitat, native species, wetlands or waterways the council or the state wants to protect — often shown as core habitat, corridors that link habitat patches, and buffers along creeks and wetlands.

What it means for you

Building, clearing or filling inside a mapped area can need a development application, an ecological report, a buffer between your works and the creek or wetland, and sometimes an offset for what is lost. A house on an existing lot is often still possible, but where it sits on the lot is assessed.

State and council maps. The free state lookup checks wetlands and strategic environmental areas for every Queensland address; councils add their own biodiversity and waterway mapping.

How councils treat it

From the planning scheme tables of assessment of 15 councils: what the overlay changes and which projects it touches. Each tag links to that council's page for the project.

  • Brisbane

    Brisbane City Plan 2014

  • Central Highlands

    Central Highlands Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016 (Amendment No. 7)

    • Biodiversity areas, waterways and wetlands overlay (Table 5.8.1 Overlays — Biodiversity areas, waterways and wetlands overlay)

      No change to category, but material change of use (other than in an existing building), reconfiguring a lot and operational work (other than advertising devices) on affected land must be assessed against the Biodiversity areas, waterways and wetlands overlay code.

  • Gold Coast

    Gold Coast City Plan (City Plan) — Part 5 Tables of assessment (v14, 2026-09-29)

    • Environmental significance – biodiversity areas overlay (Table 5.10.6 Environmental significance – biodiversity areas overlay)

      In a 'Biodiversity area', an otherwise accepted MCU (other than a dwelling house not involving a secondary dwelling), reconfiguration or operational work becomes accepted subject to requirements (Environmental significance overlay code). A dwelling house not involving a secondary dwelling is not changed.

    • Environmental significance – priority species overlay (Table 5.10.7 Environmental significance – priority species overlay)

      In a 'Priority species area', an otherwise accepted MCU (other than a dwelling house not involving a secondary dwelling), reconfiguration or operational work becomes accepted subject to requirements (Environmental significance overlay code).

    • Environmental significance – wetlands and waterways overlay (Table 5.10.9 Environmental significance – wetlands and waterways overlay)

      On a site in or within a buffer of a mapped wetland/waterway (other than canals and lakes), an otherwise accepted MCU (other than a dwelling house not involving a secondary dwelling), reconfiguration or operational work becomes accepted subject to requirements (Environmental significance overlay code).

  • Fraser Coast

    Fraser Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Version 11)

    • Biodiversity areas, waterways and wetlands overlay (Table 5.10.1 Biodiversity areas, waterways and wetlands overlay)

      Operational work that would be accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable; otherwise no change, but code assessable clearing and subdivision must also meet the Biodiversity areas, waterways and wetlands overlay code.

  • Gladstone

    Gladstone Regional Council Planning Scheme (Version 2.1)

    • Biodiversity overlay (Table 5.10.1 Biodiversity overlay code)

      A change of use that would be accepted (or accepted subject to requirements) becomes code assessable on land in a wetland or wetland protection area, protected area, wildlife habitat area, turtle nesting site or high ecological value waterway; all filling or excavation is code assessable.

  • Ipswich

    Ipswich City Plan 2025

    • Biodiversity Overlay (Matters of Environmental Significance) (Table 5.9.1)

      A dwelling house or dual occupancy in a residential zone on a lot under 1,000m² (or wholly within an approved development envelope, or exempt clearing) stays accepted; otherwise, where works damage or remove native vegetation/wildlife habitat in a Matter of Environmental Significance, the development becomes code assessable (needs a development application). Building work on an existing building stays accepted. All reconfiguring a lot is code assessable. Clearing native vegetation in a MES area is code assessable against the Biodiversity Overlay Code.

    • Waterway Corridors and Wetlands Overlay (Table 5.9.2)

      Development wholly within an approved development envelope (or a home-based business for MCU) stays accepted; otherwise building work and material change of use are accepted subject to requirements, becoming code assessable if the overlay code's required outcomes are not met. All reconfiguring a lot is code assessable. Clearing native vegetation in a waterway corridor/wetland is assessable against the overlay code.

  • Livingstone

    Livingstone Planning Scheme 2018

  • Logan

    Logan Planning Scheme 2015 (version 9.2, with TLPI No. 1/2024)

    • Biodiversity areas overlay (Table 5.10.2.1 Biodiversity areas overlay map OM-02.00)

      Clearing native vegetation is accepted subject to requirements only in limited cases (e.g. no more than 150 m² and no native trees in a Primary vegetation management area, or fewer than 10 native trees in a Secondary vegetation management area, and not in a mapped corridor or locally significant area); otherwise it is code assessable, unless an exemption in Tables 5.10.2.1.1–5.10.2.1.5 applies (approved envelopes, services/access, bushfire fuel reduction, garden maintenance, Cadaghi and Umbrella trees).

    • Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay (Table 5.10.14.1 Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay map OM-14.00)

      Vegetation clearing, filling or excavation and infrastructure work in a mapped waterway corridor or wetland area become code assessable (even if otherwise accepted) unless done by the council or under an approval that says no operational work approval is needed.

  • Mackay

    Mackay Region Planning Scheme 2017

    • Biodiversity overlay (Table 5.10.4)

      In environmentally significant vegetation, wildlife habitat, waterways, wetlands or their buffers, a material change of use (other than a dwelling house, home-based business and some rural and park uses) and any reconfiguring a lot become code assessable; earthworks over 200 mm deep and 50 m³ there are also code assessable.

  • Noosa

    Noosa Plan 2020

    • Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay (Table 5.9.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay)

      Clearing in a protected vegetation area, area of biodiversity significance or riparian buffer area is code assessable unless it is exempt clearing or within an approved building envelope.

    • Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay (Table 5.9.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay)

      A material change of use or building work becomes code assessable where it clears mapped biodiversity significance or riparian buffer vegetation or is on the riparian buffer part of the lot (not where inside an existing building, within an approved building envelope or exempt clearing).

    • Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay (Table 5.9.2 Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay)

      Reconfiguring a lot on land mapped as biodiversity significance or riparian buffer area is assessed against the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Code.

  • Redland

    Redland City Plan 2018

    • Environmental significance overlay (5.9.1 Environmental significance overlay)

      Operational work clearing native vegetation is code assessable (or accepted subject to requirements in the rural zone between 500m² and 2500m²) depending on the zone and area cleared; see the overlay for the full zone/threshold list.

    • Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay (5.9.1 Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay)

      Operational work clearing native vegetation in an area also within the Environmental significance overlay becomes code assessable; any clearing in this combined area is assessable.

  • Rockhampton

    Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 (Version 5, 2025-03-28)

    • Biodiversity overlay (Table 5.9.3)

      No change to category, but the Biodiversity overlay code applies to assessable reconfiguring and operational work.

  • Scenic Rim

    Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020

    • Environmental Significance Overlay - Biodiversity (OM-04-A) (5.10 Environmental Significance Overlay Map - Biodiversity OM-04-A)

      Material change of use and operational work (clearing) that is not exempt clearing in regulated vegetation or protected areas becomes code assessable against the Environmental Significance Overlay Code. Reconfiguring a lot in these areas is code assessable.

    • Environmental Significance Overlay - Local Biodiversity (OM-04-B) (5.10 Environmental Significance Overlay Map - Local Biodiversity OM-04-B)

      Non-exempt clearing / MCU in a core corridor, node corridor, stepping stone or critical linkage becomes code assessable. Reconfiguring a lot in these areas is code assessable.

    • Environmental Significance Overlay - Priority Species (OM-04-C) (5.10 Environmental Significance Overlay Map - Priority Species OM-04-C)

      Non-exempt clearing / MCU in State Significant Species areas becomes code assessable. Reconfiguring a lot is code assessable.

    • Environmental Significance Overlay - Wetlands and Waterways (OM-04-D) (5.10 Environmental Significance Overlay Map - Wetlands and Waterways OM-04-D)

      A dwelling house (and animal husbandry, cropping, home based business in an existing building) stays accepted; other MCU in Matters of State Environmental Significance waterways/wetlands becomes code assessable. Operational work above 10m³ or in high-value waters is code assessable. Reconfiguring a lot is code assessable.

    • Environmental Significance Overlay - Local Watercourses (OM-04-E) (5.10 Environmental Significance Overlay Map - Local Watercourses OM-04-E)

      A dwelling house (and animal husbandry, cropping, home based business in an existing building) stays accepted in watercourse buffer areas; other MCU and non-exempt operational work become code assessable. Reconfiguring a lot is code assessable.

  • Sunshine Coast

    Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Amendment 27)

    • Biodiversity, waterways and wetlands overlay (Table 5.10.1)

      A dual occupancy (other than in an existing building) on land subject to the overlay that would otherwise be accepted becomes code assessable; filling or excavation otherwise accepted also becomes code assessable.

  • Townsville

    Townsville City Plan

    • Natural assets overlay (very high importance area) (Table 5.9.1 Natural assets overlay)

      Clearing vegetation within an urban area in the very high importance area, not associated with an assessable change of use or subdivision, becomes code assessable against the Natural assets overlay code.

Is my property in it?

Search your address in Landbrief's free check: it shows the zone and which planning layers apply to the lot.

Common questions

What is the biodiversity, waterways and wetlands overlay?

Land with habitat, native species, wetlands or waterways the council or the state wants to protect — often shown as core habitat, corridors that link habitat patches, and buffers along creeks and wetlands.

What does the biodiversity, waterways and wetlands overlay mean if I want to build?

Building, clearing or filling inside a mapped area can need a development application, an ecological report, a buffer between your works and the creek or wetland, and sometimes an offset for what is lost. A house on an existing lot is often still possible, but where it sits on the lot is assessed. Of the councils whose tables of assessment we have read, 15 mention it, and each treats it differently — see the table on this page.

How do I find out if my property is in the biodiversity, waterways and wetlands overlay?

Search your address in Landbrief's free check, which shows the state layers that apply to the lot and, for councils whose overlays we read directly, the council layers too. For the council's own mapping, the planning scheme maps and the council's online property report are the official source. Confirm with the council or a town planner before you buy or build.

Other overlays

Bushfire hazardLandslide hazard and steep landAcid sulfate soilsFlood hazardCoastal hazard (storm tide and erosion)Vegetation managementHeritageNeighbourhood characterAirport environsExtractive resources and miningRegional infrastructure and corridorsWater resource catchmentsAgricultural landScenic amenity and landscape characterTransport noise and corridors

Read from each council's planning scheme tables of assessment. General information, not advice. The council's planning scheme and the Planning Act 2016 decide — confirm with the council or a town planner before you build.