This website is being updated to reflect the new departmental structures (PDF, 510KB) announced on Friday 1 November 2024.

Caboolture West

Caboolture West ( 4.1 MB), located in the Moreton Bay region between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, at around 3,156 hectares, is one of South-East Queensland’s largest greenfield growth areas. Over the next 40 years Caboolture West will provide around 30,000 new homes for approximately 70,000 people. The future community will have access to around 17,000 jobs associated with employment, industrial, centre and commercial land uses.

As a new regional city, Caboolture West will be a well-planned, liveable community with a diverse and affordable range of housing options to suit a broad range of lifestyle and budget needs.  It will be well serviced with primary and secondary schools, neighbourhood facilities, centres, parks, sporting fields and transport infrastructure. Extensive green corridors will enhance the biodiversity and natural values of the region while providing the future Caboolture West community with to access to high quality environmental experiences.

Waraba Priority Development Area

The Waraba Priority Development Area (PDA) relates to approximately 2,900 hectares of land within Caboolture West. The Waraba PDA was declared on 2 August 2024.

The Waraba PDA now supersedes the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) as the regulatory framework for land in the PDA and the Waraba PDA Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP) and the Infrastructure Funding Framework (IFF) are now in effect.

Development applications properly made, prior to the Waraba PDA declaration, under the Planning Regulation, Schedule 10, Part 2A remain subject to the Planning Act 2016 framework.

Development applications made over land within the PDA area after the Waraba PDA’s declaration will be assessed against the relevant PDA planning instrument.

Further information about the Waraba PDA, including lodging PDA development applications and transitioning framework from Planning Act 2016 to the Economic Development Act 2012.

Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan

An important stage of integrated land use and infrastructure planning for Caboolture West has been completed with the Queensland Government approving the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) and Planning (Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan) Amendment Regulation 2023 (Amendment Regulation).

The CWISP paves the way for fast-tracked assessment of 13,000 new homes across 600 hectares of land earmarked for residential development over the next 15 years.

Preparation of the CWISP was led by the State Government’s Growth Areas Team (GAT) in partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council. Other stakeholders, including infrastructure and utility providers, state government agencies, landowners, developers and the community were also involved in the preparation of the CWISP.

Commencing on 14 March 2023, the CWISP and Amendment Regulation will operate in conjunction with the Moreton Bay Regional Council planning scheme to provide a comprehensive planning framework that will guide development applications and approvals into the future. The CWISP provides developers opportunities for streamlined assessment and decision-making outcomes.  The CWISP incorporates all interests of relevance to the state government and builds on the extensive planning work undertaken in the past by the council.

The CWISP represents a significant step in ensuring Queensland’s new communities offer a wide variety of affordable housing options including providing for public and community housing, and makes provision for four state primary schools and two state secondary schools, as well as four neighbourhood hubs, 15 local parks, two district recreation parks and a local centre and a community facilities hub.

Importantly, the CWISP directs developers to engage with and offer the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works opportunities to purchase land for social and affordable housing.

The CWISP also contains some additional or modified planning requirements to those currently in Council’s planning scheme. These include:

  • requiring small lots for detached homes to provide modest backyards
  • facilitating the construction of commercially viable housing on a range of lot sizes
  • provisions to facilitate freehold titled terrace and row housing
  • requiring houses, dual occupancies, multiple dwellings and rooming accommodation to have sufficient onsite car parking
  • integrating design of drainage and transport infrastructure
  • incorporating two-way separated bike paths as part of a comprehensive active transport network.

Frequently asked questions

  • Caboolture West ( 2.5 MB) comprises approximately 3,156 hectares and is identified as a major expansion area in the Shaping SEQ South East Queensland Regional Plan 2017.  Caboolture West could take around 40 years to fully develop, providing around 30,000 new homes for a population of around 70,000. While being part of metropolitan Brisbane, the fully developed Caboolture West will have all of the features of a regional city.

  • The Queensland Governments Growth Areas Team led the preparation of the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) in partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council and key state agencies and infrastructure providers.

    The CWISP has drawn on and updated the extensive planning work previously undertaken by Moreton Bay Regional Council.

    The CWISP was also informed by community consultation and input from all landowners and developers with interests in the area.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) paves the way for the the development of around 13,000 new homes and 2,500 jobs opportunities (excluding construction jobs) within community and employment land uses. The CWISP:

    • provides for at least 15 years land supply of the expected 40-year development horizon for the larger Caboolture West area
    • clarifies the planning requirements and benchmarks, including those in the council’s planning scheme, that will be used to assess and decide development applications
    • enables the Council and Unitywater to push forward with development approvals and infrastructure agreements with confidence and certainty around the next 15 years of envisaged development outcomes
    • contains a structure plan that will ensure that essential infrastructure such as transport corridors, state schools and community facilities are delivered in the right locations
    • sends clear signals that a broad range of affordable and diverse housing types are to be delivered in addition to accommodating the needs of social and community housing
    • directs developers to engage with and offer the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (DCHDE) opportunity to purchase land for social and affordable housing.
    • will guide the roll out of development to ensure that essential infrastructure can be cost effectively delivered
    • provides developers with a streamlined assessment pathway if they propose development in accordance with the plan
    • ensures that the following key features of this liveable community will be delivered:
      • 600 hectares of land for residential development and housing
      • four State primary schools
      • two State high schools
      • 15 local parks
      • two district recreation parks
      • four neighbourhood hubs
      • one local centre
      • one community facilities hub
      • an extensive active transport network
      • approximately 360 hectares of environmentally valuable land will be preserved and enhanced through a comprehensive green network precinct.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) is given effect through an amendment to the Planning Regulation 2017, the Planning (Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan) Amendment Regulation 2023 (Amendment Regulation). The CWISP and Amendment Regulation will operate in conjunction with the Moreton Bay Regional Council planning scheme.

    Moreton Bay Regional Council will continue to be the assessment manager for development applications in the CWISP area and referral agency responsibilities remain unchanged.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB), Planning (Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan) Amendment Regulation 2023 (Amendment Regulation), and the Moreton Bay Regional Council planning scheme should be read together to understand the development assessment requirements for the CWISP area.

    The CWISP divides Caboolture West into two areas ( 1.7 MB):

    • a Growth Area, which is supported by an interim structure plan map and assessment benchmarks, and
    • an Investigation Area, where changes to existing land uses will continue to be limited for the life of the CWISP.

    The Amendment Regulation specifies development that will become prohibited both in the CWISP Investigation Area and in the CWISP Growth Area. For example, certain development in the Investigation Area will be prohibited to allow for detailed land use and infrastructure planning to be undertaken. In the Growth Area, the Amendment Regulation prescribes a prohibition for development on a State school site other than:

    • development for a State primary or secondary school
    • types of operational work (which is made assessable)
    • reconfiguring a lot where the land within the boundaries of the State school site will not be reconfigured.

    These prohibitions have been built into the framework to ensure that the future aspirations for Caboolture West can be realised and that State schools are delivered on well located sites that can be accessed by the future community.

    The CWISP contains a structure plan map ( 1.6 MB) which sets out the spatial arrangement of land uses and infrastructure in the Growth Area. The structure plan map identifies:

    • planning areas to define the development intent
    • existing infrastructure
    • the indicative location of future infrastructure, including for example, State schools, neighbourhood hubs, roads and infrastructure corridors.

    The CWISP also contains specific assessment benchmarks that are either additional or modified to those currently in the Moreton Bay Regional Council planning scheme, including:

    • housing choice and affordability – establishing requirements for development to deliver a mix of housing types and densities on various lots sizes to provide choice and affordability to the community, including facilitating freehold terrace and row housing.   The CWISP also directs developers to offer the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (DCHDE) opportunity to purchase land for social and affordable housing
    • dwelling house rear setbacks – requires new homes to have sufficient rear setbacks for backyards
    • dwelling house maximum site cover – provides for the construction of commercially feasible floorplans that match contemporary housing types
    • car parking requirements – ensures houses, dual occupancies, multiple dwellings and rooming accommodation have sufficient onsite car parking
    • minor green corridors – requires coordinated and integrated design of drainage and transport infrastructure
    • two way separated bike paths – provides design guidance for an extensive active transport network
    • local centre / community facilities hub – provides design guidance for a range of integrated facilities and services in the Growth Area.

    The CWSIP will become an assessment benchmark for all future assessable development applications in the Growth Area, despite any existing preliminary approvals.

  • Applications within the growth area established by the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan area that have been lodged and are actively under assessment by Moreton Bay Regional Council will continue to progress through the assessment process. Although not subject to assessment against the CWISP, Council may give weight to the CWISP in their assessment.

  • On 29 September 2022 the Planning Minister made Temporary Local Planning Instrument No. 2 of 2022 (Caboolture West Emerging Community) (TLPI) to suspend the operation of the Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme on land outside of Neighbourhood Development Plan Area 1 (NDP1).

    This action was taken to protect the balance of land across Caboolture West (outside of NDP1) from out of sequence development, until such time as detailed land use and infrastructure planning, in the form of the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan, had been undertaken.

    As the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB), Planning (Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan) Amendment Regulation 2023 are in effect, the TLPI has been repealed to remove regulatory overlap and give effect to the state interests in this new planning framework.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) will provide a streamlined assessment pathway for development applications facilitating the development of around 13,000 dwellings in the Urban living precinct. Under this new regulatory framework, developers will be able to lodge code assessable subdivision applications, lessening time in the assessment processes and providing a pathway to bring new houses to market sooner.

    Assessment benchmarks are contained in the CWISP to facilitate the provision of freehold titled terrace and row houses. These housing forms are attractive to a wide range of home owners and investors due to their cost effectiveness, low maintenance and variety of formats and price points.

    They present choice to a wide selection of the community whether for a first home buyer, family, family/person looking to down size, or an investor.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) requires developers to deliver a mix of lot sizes and housing types in all new neighbourhoods. This will ensure that choices are provided to consumers to meet their lifestyle and budget needs.

    The CWISP also directs developers to engage with and offer the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works opportunity to purchase land for public and/or community housing so this important housing type is delivered as part of the future community.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) structure plan map shows the location of existing or proposed infrastructure and the indicative location of future infrastructure for the Caboolture West Growth Area.  This includes environmental corridors, State school sites, road layouts and the location for neighbourhood centres and hubs to support development of the new community.

    The delivery of infrastructure and services to support the new community will be through existing state and local government processes.

    The Queensland Government has committed $25.5 million in loan funding to bring forward water and sewer infrastructure for the first stages of Caboolture West, with $15 million from the Growth Acceleration Fund and $10.5 million from the Building Acceleration Fund. The recently signed SEQ City Deal also commits over $210 million towards infrastructure delivery in Caboolture West.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan   (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB) establishes land uses and infrastructure elements to ensure that approved development is well-planned and serviced. The CWISP structure plan map incorporates key infrastructure elements including:

    • the newly gazetted future state-controlled road corridor (Bruce Highway Western Alternative (“Moreton Motorway”))
    • State school sites
    • stormwater infrastructure
    • local road and active transport networks
    • local recreation parks, stormwater basins and environmental corridors.

  • Medical facilities can be provided within the range of local centres and neighbourhood/community hubs depicted on Map 3 of the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan ( 1.6 MB). Requirements for hospitals and government-provided health infrastructure will be further investigated in the next stages of planning for Caboolture West.

  • Property developers who deliver new development within the Caboolture West area will either build essential local infrastructure items or pay infrastructure charges to Moreton Bay Regional Council and Unitywater.

    The Queensland Government will fund and deliver important infrastructure items such as State transport infrastructure and services, State schools, public health facilities and emergency services.

    Establishing a major new growth front requires a considerable amount of money to be spent on infrastructure in the first few years. To assist with getting this early ’catalyst’ infrastructure happening, the Queensland Government has:

    • committed $10.5 million from the Building Acceleration Fund (BAF) to co-fund water supply and sewerage networks
    • committed $15 million from its Growth Acceleration Fund towards water and sewer infrastructure
    • partnered with the Commonwealth and Local Governments in the SEQ City Deal towards a $210 million Growth Area Compact for Caboolture West.

  • The Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) Map 3 ( 2.5 MB) depicts an extensive green network precinct, that, when ultimately vegetated, will provide habitat and movement corridors for a variety of fauna including koalas. These green corridors cover approximately 360 hectares and are aligned with the natural watercourses that traverse Caboolture West.

    The green networks in the CWISP cover areas of existing vegetation that will be preserved and are also combined with degraded areas that need rehabilitation and revegetation to enhance the environmentally valuable land and achieve the ultimate green corridor outcomes.

    The green network precinct seeks to consolidate and rehabilitate fragmented land to create a strong and connected network of quality environmental landscape areas having significant recreation, conservation, overland water flow, biodiversity and habitat values. It will evolve as a multi-functioning network system comprising natural areas, recreational areas, infrastructure and services and utilities.

    The State government’s mapping of koala habitats has been drawn on in formulating the CWISP green networks and corridors. In many locations, the mapped koala habitat is incorporated in the green network within the CWISP. Mapped koala habitat that is within the Urban Living Precinct planning area of the CWISP will need to be reconciled through the development assessment process.

  • Major employment areas within Caboolture West will be accommodated within a future town centre and industrial and business precincts. Both of these areas are currently in the Investigation Area of the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) ( 2.5 MB). The next phase of planning will clarify the location, size and scale of these important employment nodes.

  • What

    Who

    How

    Bruce Highway Western Alternative (Moreton Motorway)

    Department of Transport and Main Roads

    W: www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/north-brisbane-bruce-highway-western-alternative-planning

    T: 13QGOV (13 74 68)

    Moreton Bay Regional Council planning, project and have your say consultations

    Moreton Bay Regional Council

    W: https://yoursay.moretonbay.qld.gov.au

    T: 3205 0555 or 1300 477 161

Quick links

Last updated: 02 Aug 2024