The South East Queensland (SEQ) Regional Plan identifies regional landscape management areas that support one or more regionally significant landscape values. These values include:

• nature conservation
• rural production
• scenic amenity
• outdoor recreation
• landscape heritage
• ecosystem services.

Regional landscape management areas support specific functions and provide multiple benefits and include inter-urban breaks, landscape corridors and regional open space. Most regional landscape areas are found in the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area, which includes national and conservation parks, water storages and state forests. Most of the area, however, is privately owned farmland, generally designated 'rural' in local government planning schemes.

The regional landscape provides many of the ecosystem services that sustain the region’s population. Some ecosystem services like clean water, fresh air, fresh food are essential to life itself while others underpin the quality of life and liveability of the region. The regional plan will ensure that actions to manage the region’s ecosystem services are coordinated.

The SEQ Regional Plan recognises the need for more strategic and integrated regional landscape planning. It calls for the coordinated implementation of the regional landscape planning framework as well as the development of a regional outdoor recreation strategy, a regional open space network, a rural futures strategy and rural precincts.

The Regional Landscape and Open Space Advisory Committee is a forum for key stakeholders to discuss issues and provide strategic advice on regional landscape and open space planning issues to the Department of Infrastructure and Planning.

The Chief Executive Officers Committee for Natural Resource Management in SEQ coordinates policy and programs addressing natural resource management and waterway health for the region.