Queensland Independent MP Peter Wellington has called for the state’s councils to be able to rezone ore downzone land proven to be vulnerable to flooding without fear of having to pay large compensation payouts to developers.

Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive Greg Hallam said Mr Wellington was “spot on’’ when he told State Parliament this week that the antiquated law of “injurious affection’’ needed to be abolished.

Mr Hallam said Queensland was the only state to retain injurious affection - which means that if councils move to protect communities from natural disasters by down-zoning land, they are left open to legal challenge through claims for compensation, and the accompanying huge costs of litigating such claims.

“Until this law is abolished, councils are not able to do all of what needs to be done to ensure their communities are more resilient in the face of events like floods and cyclones,’’ he said. 

“It’s time for the Government to act on a problem the LGAQ has been trying to solve on behalf of councils for many years.”