On 13 December 2023, Council resolved to amend the MBRC Planning Scheme 2016 and decided to progress the amendment (Major Amendment No.4 Morayfield South Emerging Community Area and Designated Bushfire Prone Areas) and send it to the Minister for State interest review. Following a period of early consultation where we asked for feedback on the draft Morayfield South Structure Plan, this amendment proposes the updated Morayfield South Structure Plan be incorporated into the Planning Scheme. You can read what we heard, and our response, in the Communication and Engagement Summary.

To read more about this part of the amendment, click on the Morayfield South Planning tab.

In addition, the proposed amendment will address a gap relating to the Planning Scheme's 'Designated Bushfire Prone Areas' and the requirements for building work in these areas. The proposed amendment does this by removing certain exclusions that currently exist, which mean specific areas across the city are not part of the designated 'Bushfire Prone Area'. The proposed change will ensure particular types of new buildings in all areas mapped as 'Bushfire Prone Areas' need to comply with requirements for building works to improve bushfire resilience and public safety. To read more about this proposed amendment, click on the Designated Bushfire Prone Areas tab.

The State Government is currently reviewing the proposed amendment. Once this review is complete, the community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the amendment during a statutory consultation period. It is anticipated this will occur in mid 2025. To be notified of the opportunity to have your say, click the +Follow button at the top left of the page.

Reshaping planning in Morayfield South

Council is listening to the community and doing more to plan for our city's future growth. This includes reshaping planning to properly manage future development and ensure roads and services are well planned and located, the community has the services and facilities it needs, and environmental corridors are protected.

Morayfield South is the second largest growth front in the City of Moreton Bay. It is estimated that in time Morayfield South will contain 9,800 dwellings and be home to approximately 26,000 people.

Council responded to significant and increasing development pressure in Morayfield South by implementing the Morayfield South Emerging Community Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) in September 2021, which includes an Interim Structure Plan to guide development. The TLPI has recently been extended for a further two years.

Since the introduction of the Interim Structure Plan, Council has undertaken more land use, infrastructure and environmental investigations. These investigations, as well as feedback received from the community during early (non-statutory) community consultation, have informed changes to the Interim Structure Plan which we are referring to as the Draft Morayfield South Structure Plan. The updated Draft Morayfield South Structure Plan will not replace the Interim Structure Plan in the TLPI immediately, instead it will be included within proposed amendments to the Planning Scheme which is subject to State Government review in the first instance.

Community Consultation

Between 14 September and 12 October 2023, we asked the community to provide feedback on the new Draft Morayfield South Structure Plan. You can view the version released for public consultation here. Consultation is now closed. We would like to thank all those who shared their views with us.

You can read what we heard, and our response, in the Communication and Engagement Summary.

There will also be a future period of statutory public consultation on the proposed amendment following the State Government's review.

New buildings in Australia must be constructed in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC). The NCC includes requirements for building work in 'Designated Bushfire Prone Areas'.

For City of Moreton Bay, 'Bushfire Prone Areas' are identified by the Planning Scheme's Bush Hazard Overly Mapping and designated by Part 1, Table 1.6.1 of the Planning Scheme.

Currently our Planning Scheme (through Part 1, Table 1.6.1) excludes land in General residential, Township, Centre and Industry Zones from the 'Designated Bushfire Prone Areas'. This means that some residential buildings (Class 1-3 and 10a buildings) and other specific Class 9 buildings (such as health care, most education and residential care buildings), can be constructed in these zones without meeting the NCC safety requirements for buildings in 'Bushfire Prone Areas'.

The proposed amendment removes these exclusions from the 'Designated Bushfire Prone Areas' to ensure resilience and public safety is improved in the construction of applicable new buildings across the city.