Queensland Govt Buys More Time on Caboolture West

The Queensland government has renewed a 12-month-old temporary planning order for the giant Caboolture West growth area, giving it more time to deal with public submissions lodged over the plans.

The temporary local planning instrument (TLPI) signed 12 months ago by planning minister Steven Miles and designed to protect the state interests at Caboolture West growth corridor expired late last month.

The state government, working with the Moreton Bay Regional Council, threw open draft plans to the public in July, seeking comment on the future town of up to 70,000 residents.

Submissions closed at the end of August.

A spokesperson for the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning told The Urban Developer feedback received during public consultation for the draft Caboolture West interim structure plan identified some land use and infrastructure planning matters that need further work.

A new planning order was signed last week for a further six months.

“The structure plan will deliver a long-term strategy for land use and infrastructure planning, providing greater certainty for landholders and developers,” the spokesperson said.

“The new TLPI will provide the time needed for this further planning work to be completed.”

The $9.5-billion development of the 3480ha that make up Caboolture West, about 50km north of Brisbane, is a big part of the Queensland government’s strategy to ease the state’s critical housing shortage.

The 40-year-plan envisages a bustling city with 30,000 new homes, nine state primary and four state secondary schools, six retail hubs, a TAFE, private hospital, district sports fields and a town centre.

There will be at least 970ha of green space including parks, reserves and conservation areas, with an integrated public transport network.

When completed it will create a regional city with a population of somewhere between that of Rockhampton and Mackay.

▲ Caboolture West will eventually have 30,000 homes and a population of up to 70,000.

In making the draft plans public in July, planning minister Miles said Caboolture West would allow access to 17,000 job opportunities.

Release of the structure plan, he said, would allow Moreton Bay Council and state authorities to finalise a wave of development applications.

“There are already 16 major development applications in place, covering nearly half of the entire Caboolture West area,” he said at the time.

One of the early applications was from ASX-listed property developer Stockland, who is seeking a $388 million residential development of a 175-hectare parcel within the precinct.

In 2021 the Palaszczuk government committed $10 million from the Building Acceleration Fund (BAF) to co-fund water supply and sewerage networks to support the first stage of what is known as Caboolture West Neighbourhood Development Plan One.

Then in June this year the government announced a further $15 million from the newly-created Growth Acceleration Fund (GAF) would supplement that BAF funding.

The Caboolture West local plan divides the area into five local precincts with 15 sub-precincts.

A final plan is expected within about 18 months and will guide the roll out of development over the next four decades.