South East Queensland — Council Development Profile

City of Moreton Bay

Australia's third-largest LGA with two state-backed Priority Development Areas

The City of Moreton Bay is Australia's third most populous local government area and one of SEQ's top-three growth engines. Two large state-backed Priority Development Areas — Waraba and Moreton Bay Central — provide roughly 55,000 new homes of de-risked, streamlined-assessment supply, anchored by the University of the Sunshine Coast's Moreton Bay campus and rail upgrades.

Redcliffe Jetty waterfront, Moreton Bay

Photo: Ché Lydia Xyang, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Development Snapshot

Population
522,494 (ERP, 2024)
Projected Population 2046
~818,000
Dwelling Target to 2046
~125,800 new dwellings (ShapingSEQ 2023)
Planning Scheme
MBRC Planning Scheme v7.1 (new city-wide scheme in development)
Land Area
~2,045 km²
Median House Price
~$920,000 (REIQ/CoreLogic, Sep 2025)

ShapingSEQ 2023; QGSO 2023; profile.id; REIQ/CoreLogic 2025; City of Moreton Bay; EDQ. Figures are indicative and should be verified before any transaction.

Planning & Zoning

The MBRC Planning Scheme (current version 7.1) remains operative while a new city-wide scheme is developed. Two declared PDAs lead growth:

  • Waraba PDA (formerly Caboolture West) — declared 2024; ~2,880 ha; ~30,000 new homes and ~70,000 residents, with a minimum 25% affordable/social housing target
  • Moreton Bay Central PDA — ~460 ha around Petrie/Kallangur/Lawnton; ~25,000 homes and ~17,000 jobs, anchored by the USC Moreton Bay campus
  • Corridors and centres: Caboolture–Morayfield, Petrie–Kallangur, North Lakes/Mango Hill, Redcliffe peninsula, Burpengary East, Narangba

Growth & Demographics

The population reached 522,494 in 2024 and is projected toward roughly 818,000 by 2046, requiring planning for around 12,300 additional people a year. The ShapingSEQ 2023 benchmark is approximately 125,800 additional dwellings, drawn from both greenfield expansion (Waraba, Narangba, Burpengary East) and infill.

Development Pipeline & Approvals

The development pipeline is anchored by the USC Moreton Bay campus, the Moreton Bay Central urban-centre redevelopment, the Waraba build-out and Caboolture/Redcliffe peninsula rail upgrades, with State-funded trunk road, water and sewer delivery. Waraba and Moreton Bay Central applications are assessed under EDQ's streamlined PDA framework.

Investment Angle

As Australia's third-largest LGA and a top-three SEQ growth engine, Moreton Bay offers state-backed certainty through two major PDAs (~55,000 new homes combined) under EDQ-streamlined assessment. At a ~$920k median — below Brisbane's $1M-plus — it pairs relative affordability with capital-growth runway anchored by the USC campus and rail upgrades.

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