Townsville State Development Area

The Townsville State Development Area (TSDA) was declared in 2003. The TSDA covers about 4,900 hectares and includes the Stuart Industrial Area and Townsville Port Access Road.

The TSDA lends itself to industrial development because of:

  • close proximity to the Port of Townsville
  • close proximity to key infrastructure corridors
  • the potential for synergies between potential new industries and established industries such as the Xstrata copper refinery and the Sun Metals zinc refinery.

When completed (due 2012), the Townsville Port Access Road will provide materials transportation and services access between the industrial projects in the TSDA and the Port of Townsville.

On 28 October 2010, minor amendments to the TSDA and its development scheme were approved by the Governor in Council, including a small change to the Materials Transportation and Services Corridor Precinct to facilitate the construction of the Townsville Port Access Road, which will run through the TSDA.

Townsville State Development Area map (PDF, 961 KB).

Strategic direction

The department has released a strategic direction paper (PDF, 238 KB) for the TSDA to ensure it caters for a range of land uses for industry in the region for years to come.

The TSDA is recognised by key regional stakeholders as vital to the future economic development and growth of Townsville. Due to the TSDA’s close proximity to the port of Townsville and freight routes, transport and logistics and distribution type land uses have been identified as the highest and best use of the land adjacent to the Townsville Port Access Road, currently under construction and which will run through the TSDA.

Target industries for the TSDA include:

  • transport and logistics
  • port-related industry, such as stock piling and minerals processing
  • medium and light industry directly linked to transport and port industries.

These industries would complement the existing large-scale industry and mineral processing land uses in the TSDA and would support Townsville’s economic needs in the longer term.

Development within the TSDA is intended to:

  • support the growth of the Port of Townsville
  • manage environmental outcomes within the TSDA
  • provide necessary infrastructure to support development.

Development scheme

Under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 the Coordinator-General is required to prepare a development scheme for a state development area. The Coordinator-General then submits it to the responsible Minister for approval, who in turn submits it to the Governor in Council for approval.

The development scheme for the TSDA has been approved by the Governor in Council.

The development scheme for the TSDA, which is supported by a number of policies formulated by the Coordinator-General, is essentially a land-use control instrument administered by the Coordinator-General to guide future development in the TSDA.

Download the policies and development scheme:

Precinct map

The TSDA is divided into a number of land-use precincts.

The precinct map (PDF, 1 MB) identifies those parts of the TSDA considered broadly suitable for various types of industrial development (e.g. heavy, medium and light industry).

The map also identifies a Buffer/Restricted Development Precinct. The main purpose of this precinct is to ensure the maintenance of appropriate separation distances between existing and future industrial development in the TSDA and environmentally sensitive areas and other incompatible land uses outside the TSDA.

Material change of use applications

The Coordinator-General assesses and determines all applications for land use development (material change of use) within the TSDA.

Application fees

Material change of use applications are subject to fees. For more information, read the Guideline for material change of use application fees (PDF,141 KB).