South-east Queensland’s population is predicted to surge by more than 2 million people within the next two decades.
The Moreton Bay region is one of the fastest growing in south-east Queensland, according to a Queensland government research paper.
It is home to 470,000 residents, making it the third largest council in Australia.
The trend has no sign of slowing with the ShapingSEQ report forecasting an additional 240,000 residents will call the Moreton Bay region home by 2036.
The research found Moreton Bay would need to build another 88,000 homes to accommodate the population surge.
While local councils are largely responsible for development applications, the Queensland government’s ShapingSEQ plan has provided the framework for managing growth and keeping urban sprawl in check.
The plan revealed the Moreton Bay region would need another 88,000 homes to accommodate the population surge, which could be built on a 6,600 hectare area, west of Caboolture.
That would deliver homes for 70,000 people, which Cr Flannery said was “three times the size of [the Moreton Bay suburb of] North Lakes”.
“We’re getting to the stage now where people are putting applications in and developers have sewn up a lot of that land,” he said.
But it will take both levels of government to ensure the infrastructure that is needed is delivered.