Neighbourhood Planning

Neighbourhood planning video summary

Moreton Bay is one of the fastest growing regions in the country with the population forecast to grow by an additional 200,000 residents in the next 20 years. To help guide this growth and development Council has introduced the Neighbourhood Planning Program. The purpose of the Neighbourhood Planning Program is to:

  • better guide growth and development while considering the things that make our neighbourhoods unique
  • improve the development outcomes on the ground and better align them with the Moreton Bay we all want for the future
  • provide opportunities for communities to be included in the planning process for their neighbourhood.

Each neighbourhood planning project will focus on a smaller local area (such as two suburbs) and will focus on locally specific matters that will help shape our neighbourhoods for the future.

Neighbourhood planning in Moreton Bay is focused on planning for established or existing (urban) neighbourhoods. Planning for the region’s numerous emerging or new neighbourhoods (greenfield growth areas) will follow a different process. For example, the Regional Growth Management Strategy and the Caboolture West planning process.  

Planning and development matters can be complicated and neighbourhood planning is a beneficial process to help improve community understanding and engagement in the planning process. However, it is important to recognise the neighbourhood planning process as part of a broader suite of potential planning responses to community and development issues. Matters that require a consistent approach across the region, such as where taller buildings go or how secondary dwellings (e.g. granny flats) look and operate, will be considered through topic specific projects. More information on these projects can be found on the Reshaping our region’s planning webpage.

Neighbourhood planning process

While each neighbourhood planning project will be different, the general process will include:

  1. Background research
  2. Community input to understand the key issues and opportunities in the area
  3. Drafting a future directions report
  4. Community feedback on the draft report
  5. Council approval of the report
  6. Changing the Planning Scheme to incorporate a neighbourhood plan.

Future directions reports will be used to inform future outputs from the project. This includes changes to the planning scheme and other Council projects and initiatives. This will take about two years to prepare. After the report is approved, the State Government plan-making process will be followed to reflect any changes to the Planning Scheme. This can take 12 months.

When you can have your say

Community input is essential to the neighbourhood planning process. There will be lots of opportunities for local communities to be involved and have their say as a future direction report is prepared.

These might include:

  • sharing what you love about your area
  • providing photos of your local area
  • visiting our team at a pop-up display
  • nominating to be part of a Community Reference Group and work closely with Council officers
  • providing feedback on the draft future directions report.

View Frequently asked questions

Current projects

View the video transcript