Have Your Say on Future Development

The City of Moreton Bay Council is now working towards a new planning scheme. This

project is in its early stages. The new planning scheme will be built using a clearer, simpler structure that will make it easier to understand and update in the future.

This is a golden opportunity to get stronger environmental protections built into the system that Council uses to evaluate Development Applications.

Have your say by completing a short survey online. The survey closes 4pm Sunday 12 July 2026.

Why this matters to BIEPA

Find out what a planning scheme is.

The new Moreton Bay Planning Scheme will have a major influence on how land is used and developed across our region for many years to come. Decisions about housing,

environmental protection, infrastructure, coastal management, biodiversity conservation and community character will all be guided by the Planning Scheme.

The new planning scheme will:

• keep policies from the existing 2016 scheme that are current and working well;

• update priority areas where evidence shows change is needed most; and

• introduce new rules where they are justified.

For BIEPA, this is an important opportunity to advocate for stronger protection of the natural values that make Bribie Island and the Pumicestone Passage special. The Planning Scheme can help safeguard wildlife habitat, wetlands, coastal ecosystems, biodiversity corridors and areas vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise.

Many of the issues BIEPA has been involved with in recent years—including inappropriate

development proposals, impacts on the Pumicestone Passage, loss of habitat, water quality concerns and the cumulative impacts of growth—are influenced by planning policies and development assessment rules.

Getting the Planning Scheme right is vital. The new Planning Scheme will help shape how Moreton Bay grows over coming decades, influencing where housing, businesses,

infrastructure and environmental protection occur.

There is now an opportunity to improve the Planning Scheme. Stronger protection for biodiversity, better management of flooding and coastal hazards, improved infrastructure planning, and preserving the character of local communities are all important issues that deserve community input.

Bringing in the new planning scheme will involve many steps and take some time. If the new planning scheme changes the planning rules in your area, you won’t see a difference

straight away. Changes will only become visible as new development happens.

Have your say

Right now, we are at Step 2 (early consultation) and Council are inviting you to share your views on:

• housing supply, choice and affordable living;

• infrastructure;

• local identity;

• environment and biodiversity;

• natural hazards; and

• economic growth and employment.

Your responses will inform Council’s decision-making on the new scheme and shape the region for years to come. The more responses they receive, the more weight they give to the concerns expressed.

Have your say by completing a short survey online.

The survey closes 4pm Sunday 12 July 2026.