Planning Maps for geotechnical engineers

Why it matters for geotech

Planning overlays can significantly affect scope and logistics for a geotechnical investigation. Flood risk overlays influence borehole setup and access, vegetation protection overlays restrict clearing for drilling, and environmental overlays (koala habitat, MSES) may require approval before works commence. Knowing these upfront avoids surprises on site.

Useful for

• Pre-investigation constraint screening for QLD and NSW sites
• Identifying vegetation and environmental clearance triggers before mobilising plant
• Flagging flood risk overlays that affect borehole placement or access
• Supporting desktop study sections of a geotechnical report with a documented overlay summary
• Checking bushfire hazard categories that affect site access in rural fringe areas

In a desktop study

Planning Maps reports include full data source references for every overlay group — suitable for attaching to a desktop study or preliminary assessment as a documented constraint review. The report notes the applicable planning scheme, overlay type, risk level, and implications for development assessment.

Important note

Planning overlay reports are a desktop screening tool based on government-published spatial datasets. They should be verified against the relevant council's official planning scheme mapping before making site investigation decisions. Overlay boundaries are subject to change through planning instrument amendments.