TWO of Queensland's most powerful mayors have vowed to fight a State Government decision to change restrictions that protect most of the undeveloped land in the southeast.

Gold and Sunshine Coast mayors Ron Clarke and Bob Abbot said they would contest Premier Anna Bligh's call to rewrite the South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP).

The mayors have warned that Ms Bligh's plan would create a precedent that could affect councils across the state by robbing them of the ability to monitor development in their region.

The plan protects 80 per cent of the region's greenfield land – previously undeveloped or agricultural land including 1000ha of protected bushland and koala habitat on the Gold Coast and large tracts of Sunshine Coast cane farmland.

Cr Clarke described Ms Bligh's June 4 announcement about the plan re-write as "terrifying".

He fears it could lead to a state-appointed planning council made up of developers.

"If this goes ahead we'll see wall-to-wall suburbs between the Gold Coast and Brisbane," Cr Clarke said.

Then-premier Peter Beattie introduced the SEQRP in 2005 to protect green areas. But Ms Bligh said development restrictions would be rewritten to fast-track development and expand the urban footprint along guidelines that determine where development occurs.

Ms Bligh said the Government would "remove regulatory hurdles" on 17 greenfield sites and consider development on a further 25. She said the controversial move to build on a possible total of 40,000ha of undeveloped land would provide cheap homes for first-time buyers.

Areas highlighted for immediate development include Oxley Wedge, Upper Kedron and Rochedale in Brisbane; Market Drive and North Lakes in Moreton Bay Council area; Kinross Rd and southeast Thornlands in Redlands; Ripley Valley, Springfield and Redbank Plains in Ipswich, Flagstone in Logan; Coomera and Helensvale on the Gold Coast; and Maroochydore, Meridian Plains, Palm View and Caloundra South on the Sunshine Coast.

Cr Abbot said he was angered by the backflip. He said Ms Bligh sprang the decision on newly elected mayors still organising recently amalgamated councils.

"What we need to do is build a case against the state to say this can't happen in this way."

Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said greenlighting development without necessary roads or public transport could create "permanent gridlock" and make some areas "unlivable".

source: couriermail.com.au