FAR Northern councils will no longer be able to ignore their planning schemes and developers with deep pockets will be unable to push through unsuitable projects with the release of the draft Far North Queensland 2025 Regional Plan.

The draft, released yesterday by Premier Anna Bligh and Planning Minister Paul Lucas, will guide development in the region until 2025 and is aimed at catering for growth while at the same time protecting the region’s natural assets.

Regional leaders largely welcomed the document which is open for public comment for 60 working days until August 8.

In releasing the draft, Mr Lucas said the plan provided certainty for councils and developers and development would no longer be guided by legal battles based on "whoever has the deepest pockets".

The draft has effectively ruled out a major upgrade to the Kuranda Range road at least until 2023 - if not beyond - with the Mt Peter area south of Edmonton designated to take the bulk of projected population growth.

As well, the draft plan appears to have allayed fears rural residential developments and major tourism developments on the Atherton Tableland would be stymied by a plan based on southeast Queensland.

Mr Lucas and Ms Bligh stressed the FNQ plan - the first statutory regional plan in Queensland - had been built around the region's unique features and lifestyle and diverse economy.

Ms Bligh said the plan would cater for regional population growth without compromising natural assets or allowing urban sprawl. "It protects World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics by containing development in identified areas and preserving natural drawcards for future generations," Ms Bligh said.

The draft has ruled out development in the Koah, Myola and Clohesy areas on the Tableland by saying there is enough land near Cairns to cater for regional settlement centres until 2025.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Val Schier said at first glance the plan provided the needed framework for planning over the next 20 years.

"The Premier said it created certainty so developers know where the urban footprint is, what they going to able to do inside that, and yes, it certainly gives that framework for us to move forward," she said.

Cr Schier said she was particularly impressed with the plan's incorporation of a bus transit scheme that is set to use cane train corridors.

"That is fantastic, that's really forward thinking and something some of the environmentalists have been talking about for years and it has been picked up by the Department of Transport," she said.

Tableland Regional Council Mayor Tom Gilmore said while the plan was clearly comprehensive he was disturbed by a number of issues within it. Cr Gilmore said the "abandonment" of Myola as a growth area was also of concern as it would affect the upgrade of the Kuranda Range road.

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