Reshaping our region’s planning

The Moreton Bay region is one of Australia’s fastest growing local government areas. The region’s population is forecast to grow from 484,400 in 2021 (currently more than 500,000) to approximately 792,700 by 2046, meaning an additional 308,300 residents over this 25 year period.

Council is committed to protecting and enhancing the existing local lifestyle and amenities through this evolutionary chapter in our region’s history. The existing planning scheme sets out the current approach to development in our area. To find out how the current planning scheme relates to your property, search for your address in   My property look up  . Find out more   about planning in our region  .

The Portfolio outlined below is Council’s approach to improving development outcomes occurring across the region, through either amendments to the existing MBRC Planning Scheme 2016 (current planning scheme), or a new planning scheme. The Portfolio includes:

• Short-term (0-2 years): targeted and prioritised policy (and interim policy) amendments to the current planning scheme to address urgent and critical community concerns; 

• Medium-term (2+ years): neighbourhood and growth areas planning to deliver more localised responses to growth and development issues in established and emerging (new) neighbourhoods, and

• Longer-term (5+ years): delivery of a new planning scheme. 

The Portfolio is comprised of six (6) separate and supporting work programs. These include:

1. Planning Scheme 2016 Reset Program;

2. Great Places (Urban Design and Place Making) Program;

3. Neighbourhood Planning Program;

4. Growth Areas Program;

5. Regional Planning Program; and

6. New Planning Scheme (Review) Program (yet to commence).

Each program will deliver work in parallel to the others to help reduce delivery timeframes where possible and will inform future amendments to the current planning scheme or a new planning scheme, or both.  

Critically, this work and any future planning scheme amendments will not impact or influence existing development in the region, such as homes or businesses, and will only influence new development that occurs after they are adopted.  

We’ve listed below plans, projects and investigations currently underway for each program to show how Council is reshaping town planning for your community. 

This work program supports the delivery and maintenance of a MBRC Planning Scheme that is responsive to the needs of the Moreton Bay community, considering environmental, social and economic factors, while also being consistent with State legislation and interests.

This work program supports the delivery of best practice built environment and excellence in urban design, placemaking and heritage outcomes for the Moreton Bay Region.

This work program will deliver integrated neighbourhood and precinct plans to guide growth and development in established/ existing (urban) neighbourhoods and manage development in a way that respects and builds on key elements of local character and identity.

This work program will deliver integrated land use and infrastructure planning to guide growth and development in emerging/ new (urban) neighbourhoods (greenfield growth areas) and manage development in a way that respects and builds on key elements of local character and identity. New infrastructure networks and local area improvements and open space will be considered in this context.

This work program will deliver sustainable regional planning strategies and land use planning policies that are consistent with State interest requirements and reflect the region’s unique growth, development and land use characteristics, whilst managing natural hazards and protecting and conserving the region’s natural resources, environment and heritage. This planning helps to create new and better neighbourhoods, land for businesses and centres as well as the infrastructure required to make it work well.

This work program will investigate, guide and ultimately deliver a new planning scheme for the region. This program is under development.