Planning and development dilemmas in a minority government: Restoring community or held to ransom?

In January 2015, the Queensland Labor Party ousted the Newman government from power in a spectacular yet ultimately uncertain election result. The ALP won 44 seats, one short of forming a majority government but went on to form a minority government with the support of the independent member, Peter Wellington. In the electoral campaign the ALP had promised to form a "listening government" that would restore honesty, accountability and transparency to government. This article questions whether this "collaborative governance" policy agenda can realistically be met by a government whose hold on power is so weak. In order to answer this question, the article first summarises the legacy of the Newman government with respect to planning and environmental matters. It then reviews the policy and law-making style of the new government in three areas: major urban development projects; the 2015 planning Bills and proposed reform of land clearing laws. It examines the range of pressures, political and otherwise, that confront a well-intentioned and reformist government. It concludes that, while there has been some progress, the Palaszczuk government is "battling the odds" to reap reform and not just because of its numbers in Parliament. While a consultative approach is particularly valuable for a minority government, it is not in itself a sufficient solution to the dilemmas of planning and environmental governance.