Chance to shape communities

Kallangur and Dakabin will be the first suburbs to trial Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Neighbourhood Planning initiative.

Mayor Peter Flannery says it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for residents to help shape the future of the region by revealing what they love about their suburb and what urban design elements they would like to see.

“The Neighbourhood Plan is a long-term vision for each community, to ensure they remain a place that people want to live, work and grow in the wake of a population boom,” Mayor Flannery says.

“The Neighbourhood Plan is about connecting the community through things like footpaths, roads, and active transport links as well as creating housing options for all walks of life, building town centres where people want to gather, while protecting our natural environment and greenspaces.

“This will not only prepare our local communities for future growth but preserve the individual characteristics that make them unique.

“This is an election promise that I’m proud to be delivering on for Moreton Bay Region, and the first suburbs to trial the initiative will be Kallangur-Dakabin thanks to the advocacy of Deputy Mayor Denise Sims.”

Deputy Mayor Denise Sims says she wants to hear ideas on how Council can help bring a sense of community and vibrancy back to the CBD area.

“Kallangur and Dakabin are unique suburbs in the heart of Moreton Bay Region that historically have had links to the Anzac spirit, local creeks, green corridors, and parks and playgrounds,” she says.

“I want to make sure we act now to revitalise these kinds of amenities through modern urban design principles, to retain the character of our neighbourhoods as the region’s population grows.

“Right now, the combined population of Kallangur and Dakabin is 25,300 people but we expect that to grow to 35,700 by 2041 - that’s more than a 40 per cent increase - which is why it’s important you have your say now.

“So, please get online and tell us what you think Council can do to help protect that identity, and also suggest things you’d like to see Council do or deliver here in the future.

“You can also catch us in person at popup sites over the coming weeks, we’ll be hitting the streets and coming to supermarkets near you to get your input.

“For those that have some extra time and are passionate about the future of this area, we are also seeking nominations for a community reference group.

“This is a small group of community members who will work closely with our neighbourhood planning team to set a vision for the area and some strategies to help us get there.

“Moreton Bay Region is booming, which is great for our economy and local job opportunities, but I want to ensure we don’t lose our character along the way.”

Exciting new chapter

Gemma Gale is a third-generation Kallangur resident who is keen to see the area reach its potential.

“We’ve got people with a lot of heart but we haven’t had a town with a heart. I think it’s exciting the neighbourhood plan will give those residents, who most of which are long-term residents, the chance to have their say. Not just what they don’t want, but what they do want and what they want this area to look like,” Ms Gale says.

“It’s so unique and it is a special area. It has its own things to offer and so do its people and so I think they are the best ones to ask when wondering what this place should end up looking like

“It’s exciting to be able to be part of the that and not just be told this is the plan, being asked to be part of what the plan is going to be and to bring that community together.”

Ms Gale would like to see a community hub, which will bring people together in the way the old library did.

“We don’t have a town centre, there’s no core to where we are … there’s Anzac Ave. We want to be beyond the shops that line the street. There needs to be some sort of heart and centre to the actual suburb and I think will come more sense of belonging and purpose,” she says.

“It will encourage people to treat their spaces better and to get involved in their local areas and be part of what makes it great, moving forward.”

The neighbourhood plan was also an opportunity to shape the growing Dakabin area to ensure it evolves to meet its residents’ needs.

This is the first initiative to be rolled out as part of the ‘Reshaping our Region’s Planning Work Portfolio’ that will overhaul the planning scheme during the next five years.

To find out more, visit moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Building-Development/Planning-Schemes/Neighbourhood-Planning