City planning processes
Understand the planning process in City of Moreton Bay. Learn how Council makes plans, manages development, and how you can help shape our city's future.
Local Government Planning Schemes
The City of Moreton Bay planning scheme controls land use and development within our city. It is one tool we use to guide how land can be used and serviced.
With a 20-year outlook, it:
- helps balance where housing, jobs and local infrastructure go
- protects important natural areas
- influences how development responds to natural hazards.
Local planning schemes must be reviewed within 10 years after they are made or last reviewed.
City of Moreton Bay has resolved to start working on a new Planning Scheme to replace the current one. We are now in the early stages of reviewing it and want you to help us shape our vision for the future.
View the current Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016.
Part of the bigger picture
Queensland’s State Government sets a process that councils must follow when making planning schemes and assessing development.
Planning and development across Queensland are regulated through a framework at four levels: state, regional, local, and site. This is established by the Planning Act 2016.
The State Government also prepares regional plans. Growth in South East Queensland is guided and managed by the ShapingSEQ Regional Plan 2023. This includes the City of Moreton Bay and 11 other local government areas.
The State Government makes other plans for specific local areas. These include Priority Development Areas, like Moreton Bay Central and Waraba. They also include Temporary Local Planning Instruments, such as those for Narangba Innovation Precinct and Morayfield South.
Temporary Local Planning Instruments (TLPIs)
A TLPI is a tool used to deal with specific, local issues, often to respond to emergent situations.
Council may use it to provide:
- protection for a historic building before it is listed on a local heritage register.
- requirements for development in areas recently affected by disasters, like flooding. A TLPI is used until the change can be incorporated into the planning scheme.
Once made, Council is allowed up to two years to incorporate a TLPI into our local planning scheme.
The State Planning Minister can also make a TLPI under the Planning Act, if determined to be in the state's interest.
Planning Scheme amendments
Council consults with the community when making or amending our local planning scheme.
The Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016 commenced on 1 February 2016. has been amended by Council. Amendments are used to respond to the needs of our growing city.
You can view the amendments made on the planning scheme page.
Neighbourhood and precinct planning projects
Neighbourhood and precinct planning help guide growth and development in existing urban areas.
Neighbourhood planning focuses on one or two suburbs. Precinct planning covers smaller areas. These areas are often near and around shops, business areas or train stations.
Future Directions Reports are an extra planning document. They detail a vision, strategies and actions to help shape development in an area.
When these reports are finalised, changes are usually made to the Planning Scheme. These changes can include new assessment criteria to develop a local area. This criteria may include a Neighbourhood Plan or Precinct Plan.
Community consultation
City of Moreton Bay engages in community consultation. We seek your views at various stages of our planning processes. This includes consultations on city-wide things like Planning Schemes and Local Government Infrastructure Plans, and more locally specific plans like Neighbourhood and Precinct planning projects.
New planning scheme
Council has resolved to start working on a new Planning Scheme to replace the old one. We are now in the early stages of reviewing it and want you to help us shape our vision for the future.
To have your say, complete the New Planning Scheme Early Engagement survey, which will be open from 1 June 2026 to 4:00 PM on 12 July 2026.
City of Moreton Bay has chosen to undertake early community engagement to gather community thoughts and inputs into the development of the new planning scheme. This won’t be the only consultation that will occur during the process of preparing the planning scheme. There will be a further consultation opportunity, which is required by legislation, following the State government’s review of the draft planning scheme – currently expected to be in 2028.
Get involved
As we move towards a city that works for everyone, we need your input into the plans and programs that go towards creating a future city. Our planning scheme is one of the tools we use to manage development and guide how land can be used and serviced. We’ll be developing a new Planning Scheme and want you to join us on the journey.
Register now to have your say
Join our online community Your Say Moreton Bay to share your ideas and provide feedback on the Council projects that matter to you.
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