The Morayfield South Emerging Community Area comprises of approximately 900 hectares of existing rural residential land located predominantly in the southern extents of the suburb of Morayfield. It is positioned centrally within City of Moreton Bay and has access to the Bruce Highway, North Coast rail line and Morayfield Road.

The area has been identified for future urban growth and is included in the ‘Emerging community zone - Transition precinct’ of the MBRC Planning Scheme 2016. Refer to Council’s information sheet on the Emerging Community Zone for more details.

A planning scheme amendment refers to changes made by Council from time to time to the planning scheme. Our city’s current planning scheme is the Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016. Council may also decide to make a new planning scheme in the future and is required by law to review the planning scheme every 10 years. In Queensland, planning schemes are made under State legislation - the Planning Act 2016.

The Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016 guides development by setting out preferred land uses, coordinating delivery of infrastructure, protecting natural areas, and managing development outcomes so that growth occurs in the right places.

Council undertakes amendments to keep the planning scheme up to date with community expectations and standards or to improve the efficiency of the planning scheme. Amendments can:

• correct simple errors
• reflect development approvals
• incorporate updated State Government requirements
• give effect to a policy change.

The proposed Major Amendment No.4 - Morayfield South Emerging Community Area and Designated Bushfire Prone Areas is an amendment to the Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016.The draft planning scheme amendment includes an updated draft structure plan outlining community infrastructure, key features, and development requirements to support growth in Morayfield South. It responds to the current TLPI and, once incorporated into the planning scheme, will replace the TLPI as the basis for regulating future development. It also includes changes to Council’s city-wide designated bushfire prone area rules for all zones in the city to improve bushfire hazard resilience and public safety. To learn more about the amendment process click here.

A planning scheme amendment is a legal process set out by the State Government through legislation. There are different types of planning scheme amendments that can be undertaken.

The Major Amendment No.4 - Morayfield South Emerging Community Area and Designated Bushfire Prone Areas is a ‘major amendment’, which means it proposes changes to policy that need to be reviewed by the State Government, Planning Minister and the community.

This process involves:

• preparation of the amendment by Council
• State Government review of the draft amendment, which may result in further changes
• public consultation, where formal submissions are invited during a 20-business day period
• Council’s review, response to, and further changes based on submissions received. This must be documented in a consultation report that is publicly available
• Planning Minister’s consideration of the draft amendment and whether Council can adopt it
• formal adoption and commencement (i.e. approved amendment becomes part of the planning scheme).

The Planning Scheme Amendments information sheet further explains this process.

Amendments to planning scheme policies have a separate amendment process which is described here.

Yes, you will have the opportunity to make a submission on the draft amendment during a formal 20-business day public consultation period. Consultation is open from 13 October 2025 and closes midnight Friday 7 November 2025. See how to make a submission on a planning scheme amendment for more information.

Council engaged with the community on a draft structure plan for Morayfield South in late 2023. The draft structure plan forms part of the amendment along with supporting provisions, to enable the Morayfield South Emerging Community Area to develop in an orderly and integrated manner that incorporates housing diversity, infrastructure, services, parks, centres, schools and environmental corridors and links, to create a holistic and attractive future community. We encourage you to share your views on the proposed changes during our public consultation period. Read the how to make a submission page for more information.

Outside of the public consultation period, you can make direct enquires to the Planning Scheme team via email mbrcplanningscheme@moretonbay.qld.gov.au should you have any questions regarding your property and Council’s future planning for the area.

Should you wish to make an enquiry specifically about the planning and timing for the state school sites, please contact the Department of Education directly via email to ISD_PropertyServices@qed.qld.gov.au or by phoning (07) 3034 4660.

In late 2023, public engagement on the Morayfield South draft Structure Plan was undertaken. You can read what we heard, and our response, in the Communication and Engagement Summary. The State Government interest review period occurred from December 2023 to August 2025. The State Government has provided Council with a response, including Ministerial conditions for updates to the planning scheme amendment to reflect particular State interests in the proposed amendment. For full details of the Ministerial conditions that have been imposed see Appendix H of the proposed Amendment Instrument.

The State Government has conditioned an update be made to the draft structure plan to identify Future State Schools within their own sub-precinct inside the Morayfield South growth area. The State Government's intent is to identify and protect specific land parcels for Future State school sites (as determined by the Queensland Department of Education) in the draft structure plan for the Morayfield South Precinct. Refer to the individual lots on the updated draft structure plan within the amendment identifying specific sites for Future State schools in Morayfield South growth area. The Planning Minister’s condition on Future State Schools ensures these sites are protected from inappropriate development and can deliver the planned educational facilities for the population of Morayfield South and surrounds.

To find out more about the planning and timing for school sites, please contact the Department of Education directly via email to ISD_PropertyServices@qed.qld.gov.au or by phoning (07) 3034 4660.

To ensure the amendment is clear for the reader, the State has also asked Council to make minor drafting updates to the proposed planning scheme amendment. To satisfy the Planning Minister’s conditions, the updated amendment now reflects the latest version of the planning scheme, (i.e. version 7.1) and numbering and referencing of section headings are corrected.