Logan ePlan

Help (User Guide)

Table of Contents

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 2
Purpose & Scope ................................................................................................................ 2
General Use & Navigation .................................................................................................. 3
Logan Planning Scheme (interactive viewer).................................................................... 6
Logan Planning Scheme Mapping ................................................................................... 15
Online Submissions Portal............................................................................................... 20
Release (Version) History ................................................................................................. 27

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Introduction

The Logan ePlan is an online planning scheme management platform, available on any internet-
connected device via a web browser. The ePlan platform provides:
• An interactive viewer - to view the Logan Planning scheme (LPS) content (text, tables,
figures, maps) and facilitate easy navigation, searching, book marking etc.

• Downloadable reports of parts or the entire scheme, as well as code compliance tables (in
MS Word format) for the relevant parts (6, 7, 8 and 9).
• A mapping interface that allows you to view filtered scheme content relevant to a selected
property.
• An online portal, where you can lodge feedback and make suggestions for improvement to
the current version of the scheme (and/or specific provisions), to be considered for future
amendments.
• An interactive viewing and comparison feature (to easily identify changes) for different
versions of the scheme, and proposed amendments on public consultation, with an online
portal to lodge submissions.
The Logan ePlan complements the Logan PD Hub and Development Enquiry Tool, with the ePlan
providing a focus on the LPS content and an alternative interactive mapping option. A PDF copy of
the entire Logan Planning Scheme remains accessible via Council's website.

Purpose & Scope

The Logan ePlan provides online access to the Logan Planning Scheme and proposed amendments
on consultation. It is designed to be used in conjunction with:
• the Logan PD Hub, which is Council’s online hub to support planning and development in the
City of Logan, providing interactive mapping, tools, estimators and information reports (e.g.
property, flooding, planning, zones);
• the Development Enquiry Tool, which provides access to information about development,
building and plumbing applications lodged with Logan City Council, including associated
forms, plans etc.; and

• further information available on Council’s website for related topics such as:
o development applications and assessment processes (click here), and/or
o the management of vegetation and our environment (click here).
The Logan ePlan covers the Logan City Council Local Government area, excluding the two Priority
Development Areas (PDAs) which are managed by the Queensland Government:
• Yarrabilba

• Flagstone
For areas outside of the City of Logan, please refer to the websites of the relevant local government,
e.g. for areas surrounding Logan it may be Scenic Rim, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane, or Redlands.

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General Use & Navigation

Terms of Use for the Logan ePlan are accessible via a link in the ePlan menu. In using the tool, you
are accepting the Terms of Use. Please read them carefully upon your first use of the service, and
contact Council if you have any questions.

If you believe there is an inconsistency, discrepancy or error in the information displayed, please
contact Council (via the link on the ePlan menu) with specific details of the relevant part/section or
map of the planning scheme (including locational context if applicable (e.g. property address)).

The Logan ePlan is designed for use within a web browser (Google Chrome is recommended). The
ePlan features a responsive design which will adjust to different device screen sizes, including smart
phones.

The ePlan's landing page includes the features outlined in the table below.

Feature What it does

Logan City Council logo (top right) Provides a link to Council’s website (home page): Logan
City Council.

Logan Planning Scheme 2015 (top left) Returns you to the ePlan landing/home page, from which
you can access any of the features / links.

News and Updates (box on left) Displays any current news or updates relating to the Logan
Planning Scheme. Clicking on the title of the item will take
you to the full list of items, shown in chronological order
with the most recent item listed at the top.
If there are no current news items, a link to historic items
will be available.
Search bar (top centre) Allows you to search for a property using street address or
lot and plan (e.g. “Lot 11 SP 210666“). The drop down
arrow/menu on the right hand side of the search bar
allows you to change the search context to be a particular
section of the planning scheme, or a specific word. For
example:

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 Feature What it does
If you are using the Word search, type the word and then
press enter – the search results will be displayed in the
viewer, for example:

View Planning Scheme (first button on Displays the interactive planning scheme viewer which
the left) displays the entire Logan Planning Scheme content, with a
navigation panel down the left-hand side. The latest
version of the scheme is loaded by default, and there is a
‘Change’ link available to select other versions.
See Logan Planning Scheme.
View Map (button in the centre) Displays the interactive mapping viewer which allows you
to review maps (e.g. zones, overlays) from the Logan
Planning Scheme, along with key base maps such as
cadastre (property and road boundaries) and aerial
imagery. The map viewer also includes a property search
feature with filtering of the planning scheme content.
See Logan Planning Scheme Mapping.
View Submissions Portal (last button on An online ePlan Submissions portal to provide feedback
the right) about the current scheme or make a submission on any
proposed amendments that are currently on public
notification.

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Menu: The ePlan's menu ( ) includes the
links outlined in the table below.

Clicking on …. Takes you to ….

Home ePlan landing/home page, from which you can access any of the
features / links. You can also return ‘Home’ at any time by
clicking on “Logan Planning Scheme 2015” in the title bar.
View the Planning Scheme The interactive planning scheme viewer which displays the entire
Logan Planning Scheme content. See Logan Planning Scheme.
View Maps (with property search) The map viewer which has an interactive map which allows you
to review information from the Logan Planning Scheme and
search for a property. See Logan Planning Scheme Mapping.
About the Planning Scheme Council’s website, where there is further information about the
Logan Planning Scheme, amendments and related topics.
[Link]
planning-scheme
Historic Planning Schemes (2017 Council’s website, where there is further information about
and earlier) superseded and historic planning schemes for the City of Logan,
including the former Beaudesert and Gold Coast schemes which
were in effect until 2015 following local government
amalgamations in 2008.
[Link]
development/previous-planning-schemes
Terms of Use The Terms of Use Statement for the ePlan.
Help The tool’s Help guide (loads this document).
Logan PD Hub The Logan PD Hub, which is Council’s online hub to support
planning and development enquiries and services in the City of
Logan. It provides a range of free tools including interactive
mapping, estimators and information reports.
Infrastructure Charges Council’s Infrastructure Planning & Charges webpage, with access
to the Logan Charges Resolution and infrastructure charges
estimate tools.
Contact a Planner The Contact our team webpage, which provides contact
information for Council’s planning and development services (e.g.
phone number, address, email).

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Logan Planning Scheme (interactive viewer)

This section will help you interact with the planning scheme content in the online viewer. Here you
will find information about:
• Navigating different sections and versions of the scheme
• Viewing proposed changes to the scheme (amendments on consultation)
• Searching for text in the scheme
• Downloading (the page you’re on, the whole scheme, or a code compliance/response table)
• Comparing versions of the scheme (to see what’s changed)
• Bookmarking pages (so that you can easily come back to where you are, or share the link
with others)
• Viewing definitions (to help you understand what terms mean).

Navigating the scheme

The ePlan by default will always display the current version of the planning scheme. To check which
version of the scheme you are viewing, its status and/or the date it commenced, check the top of
the navigation panel on the left.

To change the version you are viewing, select the ‘Change’ option under the version details and then
select the version you need from the list. Note that content from (and including) Version 5.1
onwards is available in the ePlan; earlier versions can be accessed from Council’s website via the
option on the ePlan menu.

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To navigate around different parts of the planning scheme you can either:
1. Use the panel on the left hand side to select the relevant part, expanding and collapsing
parts as you need to:

2. OR, jump between sections using the embedded links (blue text). Use the ‘back’ button in
your browser to return to the previous section you were viewing:

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Viewing a proposed amendment
When one or more proposed amendments to the planning scheme are open
for public consultation/comment, you can view an amendment of interest
using the panel on the left hand side (click 'Select'). A pop-up box will list any
proposed amendments currently available; select (click on) the amendment
you would like to view.

Once you have selected an amendment the navigation pane on the left will
show:
• The amendment title and description, with a link to ‘close’ the
amendment and return to the planning scheme (‘Back to
Plan’)
• the sections of the planning scheme that are affected by the
proposed amendment (i.e. have changes in them), with blue
dashed outlines.

When you select one of the sections containing changes for the amendment, a
message will appear at the top of the page, and the changed rows will have
blue dashed outlines around them:

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Use the “Show Amendment Changes’ link at the top of the page to see the changes highlighted.

An instructional message will appear at the top of the page, and:

• Text which is shaded green and underlined has been inserted.
• Text which is shaded red and uses strikethrough formatting has been deleted.

Use the ‘Hide Amendment Changes’ link at the top of the page to ‘close’ the comparison view (i.e.
remove the shading). The proposed changes will still be included, with blue dashed outlines around
the affected sections, until you use the ‘Back to Plan’ link to close the amendment.

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Searching for text
The ePlan allows you to search for a word/provision within the Logan Planning Scheme document.
In the search box on the top right corner of the page, type in a word(s) or provision and press enter.
You can also use the ‘question mark’ icon on the right hand side of the search bar to access further
instructions to help you find what you’re looking for (e.g. to find a multi-word phrase, use quotation
marks: “building height”).

Search results will be displayed in the navigation pane on the left hand side. Each part of the
planning scheme which contains a search match will be listed. Click on a part to ‘open’ it and view
the sections within those parts where the text was found. Clicking on those sections will display
their content, with the search term highlighted. Use the ‘Close’ link at the top of the Search Results
pane to close the search and return to the planning scheme viewer.

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Downloading documents
The ePlan allows for
printing of either the
chapter or the code
compliance/response
tables by clicking on
‘Download’ at the top
of the page where the
scheme content is
displayed. Content
will be delivered in
PDF (portable document format). Code compliance/response tables, (applicable only for Parts 6
(Zone codes), 7 (Local plan codes), 8 (Overlay codes) and 9 (Development codes) of the scheme), are
available as MS Word documents.
System print functionality will depend upon the computing device and browser you are using,
however in most cases you can select a printing device or save the document as a PDF.

The entire planning scheme will also be accessible on Council's website at:
[Link]

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Bookmarking or Sharing Links
The ePlan also allows you to bookmark sections that you frequently use to make it easier and
quicker to access them again in the future, using the save device and browser. The Bookmark menu
also allows you to ‘Share link’ for the current page (e.g. to email it to someone else).

To create a bookmark, go to the part of the scheme that you wish to bookmark and press CTRL + D
to bookmark the page. A pop-up box will appear. Type a name for your bookmark and click 'Done' to
finish (Note: these instructions may vary slightly depending on your web browser).

View and manage bookmarks using the existing functionality in your web browser (i.e. in the same
way as you would for the bookmarks in any other website).

If you are using Google Chrome, click on the ellipses (…) at the top right corner of the browser, click
'Bookmarks', click 'Show bookmarks bar'. A bar will appear at the top of the browser showing all the
bookmarks that you have created. If you click on one of the bookmarks, it will take you straight to
that particular section. Edit or delete a bookmark by right-clicking on it in the Bookmarks bar, or
using the Bookmark Manager in your web browser.

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Comparing versions
You can compare different versions of the planning scheme by clicking on 'Compare' at the top of
the page. A box will appear to prompt you to choose which version of the scheme you would like to
compare the current version against.

Explanatory text will appear in a box at the top of the page, and the page will be updated with
highlighting to show the difference between the two versions you are comparing. Use the ‘Close
Compare’ link at the top of the page at any time to return to the regular planning scheme view.

Text that has been inserted is shaded green and underlined. Text that has been removed/deleted is
shaded red and uses strikethrough formatting.

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Viewing definitions
Definitions (use definitions,
defined activity groups, industry
thresholds and administrative
definitions) contained in
Schedule 1 of the Logan Planning
Scheme can be viewed in the
context of their use in the
planning scheme document.
Defined terms will appear in blue
text with a dotted underline.

Click on a defined term to view a pop-up display of its definition.

Terms which appear in the planning scheme text as bold, blue and dotted underline are external
links (e.g. to the Planning Act as illustrated below). The external content will be displayed in a new
tab/window in your browser.

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Logan Planning Scheme Mapping

This section of the guide will help you use the interactive mapping and property filtered views. Here
you will find information about:

• Searching for a property

• Using map tools to turn on other information (like planning scheme zones, or the flood
hazard overlay), or use the measuring, drawing, or text tools
• Viewing the map filtered for a selected property (so that you can easily see what is
applicable to that property, both on the map and in the scheme viewer).

Searching for a property

You can search for a property by typing the street
address or the lot and plan in the search bar located
at the top left corner of the map page. Clicking on
the little ‘i” (information) button in the search bar will
provide some helpful examples.

Please note:
• Commas are not used in the street address (e.g.
before suburb), however spaces, hyphens and slashes are used as appropriate (see examples in
the screen shot).
• The text matching takes a second or two to catch up with your typing (depending on how fast
you type), so start typing and then pause and wait for the system to display the list of potential
matches, as illustrated below. Either select from the list of matches or type further characters to
narrow the search further.

or
• Search results may take some time to appear on the map for the first property (as it is loading
the data), but subsequent searches will be faster.
• It may take some time for newly created properties to become available in the tool, as the
planning scheme needs to be formally amended to incorporate updated property boundaries.

As an alternative to the text search, you can use the map to select a property by panning (dragging
the centre of the map to re-position it) to find the right area, and then zooming in to locate and click
on the property.

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There is further information available on the ‘Help’ panel on the right hand side of the map page
(with the Map Tools).

Map Tools (layers)

Using the 'Map Tools' box on the right side of the page, you are able to view all available mapping
layers (such as planning scheme zoning, constraints (e.g. flooding, landslide, biodiversity), local
plans, and other base layers like contours or divisions) and turn them on or off by using the
checkboxes (). If you have ticked the box against a particular layer and it is not appearing on the
map, it may be that you need to zoom in or out to view it.

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You can use the Transparency slider (illustrated above) to improve the visibility of information on the
map. For example, the zoning layer uses block-shading (coloured polygons) which can obscure the
aerial imagery underneath. By adjusting the transparency you can still see the aerial imagery
(houses, roads, trees etc.) while viewing the zones.

A map legend is available (on

the Map Tools pane, under
the layers) to help you
interpret the symbology
(colours and styles) on the
maps.

Only the layers you have

turned/ticked on will be
displayed in the legend. The
legend will be updated when
you turn layers on or off.

The Map Tools pane also provides other functions to help you use the map, including:
• Measurement tools for measuring distance (by drawing a line on the map) or area (by
drawing a polygon (multi-sided shape) on the map). Click on the map to start drawing, and
double-click to finish.

• Drawing tools to allow you to place points, lines and shapes on the map. With some shapes,
you can rotate, move or edit them as required. There is also a delete option available.

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 • Text tools so that you can enter some text and click on the map to place it in the position
you want. The coloured box beneath the text entry field allows you to change the colour
and shading of the text.

The Help option at the bottom of the Map Tools pane provides further information about using the
map and the other tools.

Map layers – filtered for a selected property

When you have a property selected in the map viewer, use

the navigation panel on the left hand side to view the
information that is applicable to that selected property. A
filtered view of the planning scheme maps will be provided,
along with a link to view the filtered applicable parts of the
planning scheme document.

At the top of the panel there is information about the

property along with links to:

• View the planning scheme chapters applicable to the

property, based on the zone and precinct (and/or local
plan) it is in, and the overlays which apply to it
[Property Specific Planning Scheme Chapters].

• Go to the full planning scheme [Read the full Planning

Scheme]

• Go to the Planning Scheme Property Report (in the

Logan PD Hub, for this property). The Property Report will display summary information about
the property, along with the applicable zone, precinct, local plan and precinct, overlays (with
proportion of coverage – i.e. how much of the property’s area is covered by that constraint),
and any applicable trunk infrastructure considerations from the Local Government
Infrastructure Plan (e.g. major road, sewer, water or other infrastructure). [Planning Scheme
Property Report]

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 • Zoom to the selected property – this is helpful if you have moved around to other areas on
the map and want to quickly get back to the property.

Under the property information and links, the map layers applicable for the selected property will be
listed:
• Use the headings (e.g. Overlays (Part 8)) to expand and
collapse the map groups.
• Click on the check/tick box next to the map layer name to
display that layer on the map. You may need to zoom in or
out if the layer does not display when you tick the box;
some layers will automatically adjust the map to the
appropriate zoom scale. The symbology for the layer (e.g.
what colour and shading it uses, which you would normally
see on the Map Legend) will be displayed in the left hand
panel underneath the layer name; you may need to click
on the ‘+’ button on the left of the layer name to expand it
to show the symbology.
• Clicking on the layer name will display the relevant part of
the planning scheme document (e.g. the overlay code) in
the map viewing pane. To return to the map, click on the
‘View map’ underneath the property details, at the top of
the left-hand panel, as illustrated below.

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Online Submissions Portal

Logan's ePlan includes an online submissions portal where you can lodge the types of feedback
outlined below.

Feedback on the current version of the Logan Planning Scheme

You can use the online submissions portal to provide feedback and make suggestions for
improvement of the Logan Planning Scheme (and/or specific provisions) at any time. This feedback
is reviewed and considered as part of the planning for future amendments.

Submissions about a proposed amendment

You may also use the online submissions portal to make a submission about proposed amendments
to the Logan Planning Scheme which are currently open for public comment/consultation. During
the consultation period, any person may make a submission to Council to support or object to all or
part of the proposed amendment. Logan's ePlan has an interactive viewing and comparison feature
(to easily identify changes) for proposed amendments on public consultation.
There are two ways to make a submission about a proposed amendment - either when viewing a
proposed amendment in the ePlan or via the online submissions portal. Both options are explained
further below.
Making a submission - whilst viewing the amendment in the ePlan
Select the amendment you wish to view and make a submission on (for instructions on how to do
this, see 'Viewing a proposed amendment').
When you have identified a part of the proposed amendment that you would like to make a
submission about, select ‘Make a Submission’ at the top of the screen.

A pop-up box will appear with some further instructions.

When you can click on the provision you would like to comment on, a pop-up box will display the
provision you have selected and allow you to type your comments and indicate whether you support
or oppose the proposed change. A formatting toolbar (e.g. bold, italics, bullets) is available to help
you structure and present your feedback/submission clearly. Please ensure you explain in what way
you support or object to the proposed change, and the reasons for that.

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Continue to make comment on as many changed provisions as you like (e.g. you may wish to
comment on several different sections). A count will appear at the top of the page of how many
points you have created.

Once you have finished recording your comments, click on 'Edit/Submit Submission Points', or the
View Submission Summary option from the menu. The next screen will the provisions you
commented on. You can delete all or individual points or export the list (including your comments)
to html. If you click on the individual provisions, you can see the comment you made and edit it if
required.

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Once you are satisfied with the feedback/submission you have provided, select 'Start Submission
Process'. You will then be taken to the online submissions portal. To submit your comments, follow
the instructions in the 'Making a submission - using the online submissions portal' below.

Making a submission - using the online submissions portal

The online submissions portal is accessible from the ePlan landing page:

You will then be prompted to login to an existing account, or register for a new account. To provide
either feedback or submissions on proposed amendments, you must first register for an account.

Within the online submissions portal, you can view the consultations, noting that you can only
provide feedback or make a submission on those which are OPEN. Select (click on) one of the open
consultations listed, and the next screen will provide further details about that consultation.

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Once you have selected the consultation that you would like to provide feedback/submission on,
and confirmed that it is the correct one (by reading the details displayed), click the 'Provide
Feedback' button.

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If you are proceeding as a guest, you will need to provide your name, address and contact details.
When your details have been entered (either as a registered user who has logged in, or a guest), you
will be able to provide your submission points (one or more).

For each submission point, you can select which section, sub-section and provision of the scheme
you would like to make a comment on by using the drop down boxes. Once you have selected the
relevant provision, the content of that provision will appear below, so that you can confirm you have
the right one (or change your selection if required). You can also indicate if you oppose, support or
support in the part the selected provision.

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If your feedback/submission does not relate to a particular provision of the planning scheme, but is
more general in nature about the scheme (or relates to a specific property/location), you may select
'Not related to updates in the consultation package' and 'General' from the drop down boxes.

After you select 'Next', you can type your comments into the text box. Please be as specific as
possible about what you are suggesting, which property your feedback/submission relates to (if
appropriate), and what change you would like to see.

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Alternatively or in addition to your comments, you may choose to copy the provision you are making
a comment about and type in the changes you are suggesting. You may use bolding, underline or
italics to make your suggested changes clearly visible.

You may also add an attachment to a feedback point by clicking on the Attachments button. Please
note that attachments may only be in PDF and have a 20MB size limit.

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Click Save when you have completed your submission point, to return to the Summary page where
you can view or edit the submission points you have made. To add another submission point, click
on 'New Submission Point'. A Delete button is available if required for a selected submission point.

When you are satisfied that all of your submission points are complete, please use the Submit
button to lodge them to Council. Council will only have access to what you have entered AFTER you
have submitted it.
Council will review your feedback/submission and if it is properly made (i.e. contains all of the
required information), you will receive an acknowledgement email to the address you have
provided. If there is additional information required, or if you have not provided an email address,
Council will contact you using the details you have provided.
Please note that if you are a registered user and save a draft feedback/submission, this is not sent to
Council. If the closing date for feedback is approaching, the portal will automatically send you an
email reminder to complete and submit your feedback/submission.

Release (Version) History

Version Date Description

10 9 February 2023 Updated in accordance with minor v2022.06 isoPlan update (e.g.
changing the 'print' function to a 'download' icon).
9 1 February 2021 Updated to reflect new Council logo.
8 27 Oct 2020 Updated after software upgrade, to incorporate new/changed
features.
7 13 July 2020 Removed references to PD Online and replaced with the
Development Enquiry Tool.
6 3 December 2019 Updated hyperlinks to Council's new website.
5 15 July 2019 Updated to include information about providing feedback on the
scheme when viewing an amendment (using the ePlan viewer).

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 4 27 May 2019 Updated to include information about the Planning Scheme
Property Report and updated information about the compare
function and downloading/accessing the code compliance tables.
3 12 February 2019 Updated to include information about how to view and compare
an amendment.
2 31 January 2019 Updated to include information about the online submissions
portal and updated screen shots for new home page image.
1 10 January 2019 Original version of the document, for limited release.

<< end of document >>

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