The Gladstone Region is varied and diverse in its economic base, making the region one of the most resilient in Queensland, if not Australia.
The natural attributes of the Gladstone Harbour have driven the development of world-class industries in immediate proximity to Gladstone. Not stopping there, the region offers much more, from a thriving eco-tourism industry centred around the islands of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, the attractive holiday destinations of Agnes Water to the south and rural hinterland to the west, to thriving beef and macadamia nut industries.
The Growing the Gladstone Region: Report and Recommendations to Inform the Gladstone Region Economic Development Strategy 2021-2025, A Framework for Promoting Prosperity,(PDF, 3MB) informs Gladstone Regional Council’s five-year plan to support the vibrancy, diversity, resilience and sustainability of the communities of the Gladstone Region. An evidenced-based report, it informs and guides the Gladstone Region towards economic prosperity in the context of a dynamic and transforming broader economic landscape.
Gladstone Region Economic Development Strategy 2021-2025(PDF, 7MB)
Report and Recommendations(PDF, 3MB)
View with Japanese captions, Dutch captions, and Chinese captions.
Council’s role in influencing decision makers is crucial to future-proofing our region.
As the tier of government closest to the community, Council has a unique and trusted understanding of the challenges our region and residents face. We take our responsibility to drive meaningful advocacy seriously and we will always listen to, and champion for, the communities we serve.
Council is calling for support, engagement and investment in our priorities from all levels of Government, including the Opposition, key stakeholders, industry and investors.
The 2025/26 Priorities are:
- Wastewater
- Waste
- Defence
- Transport Corridor
- Low-Carbon Economy
- Harvey Road Sports and Events Precinct
- Boyne Tannum Aquatic Centre
- Harbour Arbour
- Health
- Housing
- Fair Funding
- Inland Rail
Council stands ready to partner and calls on urgent, coordinated action including increased leadership, funding and policy action from all stakeholders to ensure equity, access, and quality of life for the Gladstone Region.
There are three levels of government in Australia – local, state and federal.
The below image illustrates what each level takes care of.
For more information on the responsibilities of the three levels of government, the Parliamentary Education Office has some informative and interactive resources, suitable for all ages.
In addition to Council's 2025/26 Strategic Advocacies, Council regularly champions change that will improve the liveability of our communities. Undertaking advocacy is Council’s opportunity to influence State and Federal policies, legislations and programs to achieve the best outcomes for the Gladstone Region and the residents that call it home. Council is focused on:
A Local Housing Action Plan(PDF, 2MB) has also been developed through a joint initiative involving the Queensland Government, Gladstone Regional Council and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), to respond to a range of immediate, emerging and longer-term housing challenges in the Gladstone Region.
Council also attends and prepares annual motions for the:
Council submitted the below two motions to the 2025 National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA) as part of our commitment to passionately advocate on behalf of the communities we serve. All motions were passed by delegates and became resolutions of the 2025 NGA and have been forwarded onto relevant federal ministers seeking a response.
- The National General Assembly calls on the Australian Government to address the risks of battery disposal by:
- Implementing appropriate battery product stewardship legislation, that includes extended producer responsibilities.
- Moving to a mandatory national product stewardship scheme, to ensure all producers and importers of loose and embedded batteries are captured and contribute to the end-of-life risk mitigation and disposal and recovery costs.
- Support local government efforts through funding, to manage and mitigate battery related risks to waste services and infrastructure.
- The National General Assembly calls on the Australian Government to create dedicated funding programs (full funding or 80:20) to support local governments to upgrade critical electrical infrastructure to ensure compatibility with renewable energy and carbon neutral technologies so renewable energy and emission reduction targets can be achieved.
At the 2025 LGAQ Annual Conference in Brisbane, Council submitted the below three motions for debate and consideration. All motions were carried.
Motion: Partnership approach to address the water and wastewater infrastructure cliff
- That the LGAQ calls on the State Government to partner with local government to deliver safe, secure and affordable water for Queensland communities by taking a strategic programmatic approach to address the infrastructure cliff that includes:
- Providing funding support for councils to undertake strategic asset criticality assessments to clearly identify the infrastructure risks in their water and wastewater networks
- Co-designing a dedicated water and wastewater funding program with local government that is focussed on renewal and replacement of ageing assets identified as high risk; and
- Committing to providing ongoing non-competitive, dedicated funding for water and wastewater projects to address increasing risk of system failure in these critical services.
- That the LGAQ calls on the State Government to expedite the release of the results from the urban water risk assessment.
Motion: Review of Councillor Register of Interests requirements to improve privacy, safety and practicality
- That the LGAQ calls on the State Government to undertake a review of the current Councillor Register of Interests (ROI) requirements, with the aim of:
- Balancing transparency with the need to protect the personal privacy and safety of individuals and families who serve their communities
- Ensuring the ROI framework continues to serve the public interest without deterring community members from standing for council roles; and
- Supporting public confidence in local government through a system that is transparent, fair, and fit-for-purpose.
Motion: Community benefit framework implementation support
- That the LGAQ calls on the State Government to engage with local government and ensure councils are adequately supported to implement the Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.
The desired outcome is that the State Government acknowledges the new responsibilities placed on councils through the Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 and provides appropriate support to uphold strong planning outcomes for communities.
By supporting councils’ capacity to deliver these expanded functions, the State Government can help ensure that planning processes remain transparent, inclusive, and responsive to community needs, without compromising the financial and operational sustainability of local government.
To support the 10-Year Gladstone Region Economic Transition Roadmap, Council has a process in place to facilitate open and transparent communication between Council and major industry proponents looking to invest in our region.
The process applies to projects in the Gladstone Region where the Co-ordinator Generals Office is/will be the Assessment Manager of the development. It will enable the proponent to work though their project in various stages, to help identify what Council infrastructure is available, potential future conditions Council may impose on the development and where applicable, formalise an in-principle agreement with Council for project assurance.
New Project Guidelines(PDF, 27MB)
Industry Enquiries Process
Industry Early Enquiries
The Early Industry Enquiries stage is for project proponents considering investment in the Gladstone Region, interested in discussing their project and obtaining preliminary advice from Council.
Advice Provided includes:
- Future application requirements
- Availability of Infrastructure
- Water
- Sewer
- Stormwater
- Trade Waste
- Transport
- Land Ownership
- Community Engagement
Application(PDF, 178KB)
Industry Agreement Pre-lodgement Meeting
The Industry Agreement Pre-lodgement Meeting stage is designed to provide proponents with detailed advice on their project, prior to commencing an agreement.
Advice Provided includes:
- Agreement Type required
- Legal Term Sheet Template
- Types of Technical reports required, and essential details needed in reports
- Preliminary review of technical reports if available
Application(PDF, 177KB)
Note: This is not to be used if the Council is the Assessment Manager under the Planning Act 2016, please refer to the Development Applications Pre-lodgement Meeting.(PDF, 413KB)
Industry Agreement
The Industry Agreement stage is primarily to work through the technical information necessary to enter into an agreement and/ or formally enter into an agreement with Council.
Type of Agreements includes:
- In-principle
- Infrastructure
- Access
- Land
- Consent
Application(PDF, 184KB)
The Social Infrastructure Investment Priorities (SIIP) publication supports Council’s drive to ensure communities are well understood; with programs, resources, social infrastructure and services in place to strengthen the Gladstone Region during the major economic transition.
The publication has been developed to enable, inform and guide future planning and investment, supporting project proponents to make informed decisions and meaningfully invest in the region’s social needs.
Key focus areas have been identified to guide targeted investment ensuring it is channelled where it is needed most to meet the needs the community have now and the needs that are anticipated to arise in the future due to growth.
The key focus areas include:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Education, Employment and Training
- Early Childhood
- Safety and Security
- Ageing in Place
- Housing
- Community Facilities and Services
- Enabling Infrastructure.
Social Infrastructure Investment Priorities(PDF, 12MB)
In an Australian first, Gladstone Regional Council has launched its 10-year economic transition roadmap(PDF, 6MB) to support and guide the region to becoming a renewable energy superpower.
The roadmap will see this community in prime position to respond to once-in-a-generation changes in the energy sector.
Developed in partnership with regional economic development agency, The Next Economy, the detailed plan is a result of two years of research and extensive engagement involving 220 community, government and industry stakeholders.
One year on
One year on from the Economic Transition Roadmap launch on 15 November 2022, the detailed plan for the Gladstone Region has been well received locally, nationally and internationally. Council is now working through the actions to achieve a positive outcome for the community.
Council’s Renewable Energy Community Benefit Sharing Policy sets out the expectation and requirements for large-scale renewable energy developers to undertake a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and negotiate a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) with Council before lodging their development application (DA) with the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).
The policy along with Council’s Economic Development documents provide guidance to all renewable energy proponents on the Gladstone Region’s energy transition, social investment and community betterment objectives and opportunities.
This forms a practical and regionally consistent framework for industry partners to guide their investment and engagement strategies for the region. It also clearly details Council’s vision, priorities and expectations in relation to the sharing of benefits with the Gladstone Region.
More information on renewable energy can be found here.
All wind and solar projects of one megawatt (MW) or more and standalone Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) of 50 MW or more are required to undertake a Social Impact Assessment (SIA).
The SIA will inform the development and execution of a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) between a proponent and Council prior to the proponent lodging their development application (DA) with the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).
As part of the SIA process, a proponent should email their completed Request: Pre-Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Meeting form(PDF, 842KB) to info@gladstone.qld.gov.au
A Pre-SIA meeting is a service offered by Council for an applicant to issue a formal Notice of Intent to commence a SIA in the Gladstone Region.
View the Renewable Energy Map to see the location of all proposed and approved Solar/BESS projects currently within the Gladstone Region.
The Gladstone Region offers dynamic career opportunities across diverse industries, catering to a range of skills and ambitions. Whether you're advancing your career or seeking work-life balance, Gladstone's industrial strength, innovative energy projects, and bustling service sectors make it a fantastic place to work and live.
Meet Kristy who relocated from Southeast Queensland for work to follow her passion for renewable energy and its future in the Gladstone Region.
Considering a move to the Gladstone Region? Visit gladyoumadeit.com.au/
Engineering, commerce and industry groups
Government owned corporations
Tourism related organisations