"Transport solutions" must come first

New plans for the first stage of Caboolture West have been welcomed by Mayor Peter Flannery but he has warned “transport solutions” and funding must come first.

It follows approval of the Caboolture West Interim Structure Plan (CWISP) which will guide and assess development applications for 13,000 homes over the next 15 years.

In a statement, the Queensland Government says the 600-hectare development also “requires an efficient local road network that will accommodate public and active transport networks”.

“The rest of Caboolture West, apart from NDP1 (Neighbourhood Development Plan), which is the first area we’re looking at, cannot go ahead unless there’s a transport solution for it,” Mayor Flannery said.

“That, in my opinion, is the Bruce Highway Western Alternative (BHWA) which I have been asking for, for a few years now.

“This (plan) will hopefully highlight this road needs to be built a lot sooner than they currently suggest.”

Stage one of the 60-kilometre BHWA, from Beerburrum to Petrie, was gazetted in 2021. The preferred route for stage two was unveiled last year. Stages three and four will follow.

The BHWA will help the transport needs of 70,000 new residents, living in 30,000 new homes, taking up 17,000 new jobs at Caboolture West - making it the current size of Rockhampton - over the next 40 years. 

Deputy Premier and State Member for Murrumba Steven Miles said the CWISP was a “significant milestone in the creation of a new regional city”.

The Plan also includes four state primary and two state secondary schools, four neighbourhood hubs, 15 parks, two district parks and a community facilities hub.

Deputy Premier Miles said applications are already lodged with Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC) that, when approved, will see a staged roll out of 13,000 homes in Caboolture West.

“Queensland’s population is booming and this has had an impact on housing supply, which is why our government has fast tracked the planning for this community,” he said.

“Importantly, we’ve ensured there will be a diverse and affordable range of housing options.

“Development applications will be fast tracked if they align with the plan, meaning more housing will come to market sooner.”

Mayor Peter Flannery welcomed “anything that is going to make approvals of Caboolture West area quicker and more efficient”.

However, he wants to see development confined to the “urban footprint” and “building up rather than out” to protect Council's target of 75 per cent of the region’s green space.

Moreton Bay Region’s current urban footprint is around 20 per cent.

The Mayor also wants to see natural habitat protected and a “whole blend of properties from residential to single stories and multi-stories”.

“If we put people out there (Caboolture West) we want jobs out there,” the Mayor said.

“We want to see more funding put into Caboolture West. There has been funding but that is just a dip in the ocean for what’s needed.

“This plan identifies the need for major infrastructure. I want to see major funding behind it.”

The State Government is already working with MBRC on the next stage of Caboolture West and the potential declaration of a Priority Development Area (PDA), similar to that over the university precinct in Petrie.

Consultation on the proposed names for five new localities in Caboolture West has also been completed.