Phase 1 of the Narangba East Planning Investigation outlines Council’s long-term intent for planning in the area. This has been informed by technical studies focused on future urban land options and the potential for employment and housing uses in this area.

Phase 1 planning outcomes identify that Narangba East has the potential to provide land for housing and jobs to help support the City’s future growth. This provides greater transparency in response to landowners and developer pressures seeking greater certainty over long-term urban development outcomes for the area.

Phase 1 is early in the planning process and is not a planning scheme amendment. There are no changes to the planning rules or the zoning of land at this time with further planning and community engagement to be undertaken.

Parts of Narangba East have already shifted from rural residential uses to urban development in response to the Narangba East Strategy 2012 and responding to growth pressures throughout the city. The area's proximity to major transport infrastructure and urban services presents a unique opportunity to designate land for employment and industrial purposes, as well as areas that may be suitable for transitioning to future urban housing.

Viable employment/industrial land has specific requirements and is more difficult to locate compared to other land uses (such as residential) due to the physical characteristics of the land, access to supply chains/ freight routes and the interface with other land uses.

The Land Use Feasibility Study investigated the potential for an economically viable employment/ industry land proposition in response to critical city-wide industrial land supply needs and to support Council’s economy and jobs goals in the Regional Economic Development Strategy 2020-41.

The study found parts of this area have the potential to accommodate a future employment/ industrial precinct due to several locational advantages and land use characteristics including:

• direct access to major freight routes including the Bruce Highway and two major interchanges, the North Coast Rail line and a highway overpass connecting the Narangba Innovation Precinct (East and West). This provides critical freight connections to the Port of Brisbane, Brisbane Airport, Narangba Innovation Precinct and other economic hubs to maximise local supply chains and increase productivity
• access to an existing and growing local workforce population in Narangba and nearby growth areas (e.g. Morayfield South)
• underlying lot size, topography, environmental constraints and capacity analysis identified parts of the area have the potential to support employment/ industrial uses subject to further detailed planning
• the ability to efficiently provide urban infrastructure and services such as urban water and sewer
• the potential to deliver employment and economic benefits through 10,527 indirect and direct full time equivalent jobs and $1.257B indirect and direct contributions to the city's economy.

Further planning will consider how to best implement new housing and employment/industrial land over parts of the area while managing change to support the lifestyle and amenity of existing residents.

The Phase 1 Narangba East Preliminary Planning Directions Map identifies preliminary land use and environmental planning directions that reflect the outcomes of Phase 1 of the Narangba East Planning Investigation. The map identifies areas that Council will focus further detailed planning during the next phase of the investigation. This map is not a planning scheme amendment and does not change the local planning rules or zoning of land.

The outcomes of Phase 1 of the Narangba East Planning Investigation clarify Council’s long-term intent for planning in the area but they do not change the local planning rules, the zoning of land or represent a planning scheme amendment.

Future planning may seek to change the local planning rules and this may mean areas have the potential to change over time similar to what has already been occurring in parts of Narangba East.

Council will undertake further planning to consider how to best support the lifestyle and amenity needs of existing residents as part of managing change in the area. Any proposed changes to the current local planning rules will go through a statutory process and include community engagement.

Council will commence Phase 2 of the Narangba East Planning Investigation in early 2025. This will focus on detailed land use, environmental and infrastructure planning work to prepare an Integrated Structure Plan informed by the outcomes of Phase 1 planning to guide long-term growth in the area. This is expected to take 2 years and will involve community engagement at key milestones.

Phase 3 involves Council preparing planning scheme amendments to implement the integrated Structure Plan and other policy directions prepared in Phase 2. This is expected to take 1-1.5 years subject to State Government approvals and will involve community engagement at key milestones.

During Phase 2 and 3 Council will be engaging with the community and seeking feedback at key milestones throughout the project. To be notified about opportunities to have your say, click the +Follow button on the top the Narangba East Planning webpage.

City of Moreton Bay continues to experience significant population growth and we are responding to housing supply challenges at places like Pine Valley, Morayfield South and Waraba. It is important that we balance these housing needs by also securing our city’s employment future in providing areas where residents can work locally.

Each week 80,000 residents travel outside the city to work. Creating jobs locally is a key priority for Council and planning for employment land ensures we can continue to provide a range of jobs for our existing and future residents to live and work closer to home. Working closer to home reduces road congestion and commute times, which in turn reduces our impact on the environment and improves residents’ quality of life.

The Urban Areas Employment Land Investigation identifies that the availability of industrial and employment land across the city is quickly declining and will not accommodate the jobs required to support our projected population growth unless Council plans for additional land.

Narangba East provides a long-term opportunity to respond to this need.

In June 2023, Council commenced the Narangba East Planning Investigation to undertake a multi-phased planning process in developing a long-term plan for the area. Council is progressing this planning in response to:

• large areas of rural residential land being identified for potential urban investigation in the 2012 Narangba East Strategy and in the Council’s Planning Scheme.
• increasing private development and landowner pressure (in the form of urban residential development applications lodged over rural residential land) ahead of Council completing a long-term plan for the area.
• satisfying obligations under the Queensland Government’s South East Queensland Regional Plan to accommodate future housing and employment growth. City of Moreton Bay is required to plan for an additional 308,300 people and 85,400 jobs by 2046. This includes reviewing the long-term role of non-urban land in the Urban Footprint and planning for additional employment areas at Narangba East to meet local industrial demand.
• recent employment land investigations identifying a critical need for Council to plan for additional industrial areas to support local jobs for our city’s growing population.