City Style With Regional Charm

Moreton Bay Regional Council could be getting a whole new look, while still retaining its coastal vibe.

The Council is investigating changing from a ‘regional’ council to a ‘city’ council and Mayor Peter Flannery said there were plenty of benefits for residents.

“Lots of people see ‘regional’ in our name and they ask what part of Central Queensland we live in, when in fact we’re the third largest council in Australia,” he said.

“We’re surrounded by city councils – Brisbane of course, as well as the Gold Coast, Redlands, Ipswich and Logan. The Sunshine Coast has even dropped the word ‘regional’ from their branding.”

Cr Flannery added Moreton Bay would be a different kind of city council.

“People think ‘city’ and they think of a CBD like Brisbane,” he said. “But we don’t want one central business area like that. Our concept is a polycentric city, which means many small or mini cities, all supporting each other.

“So, we would have areas like Redcliffe, Strathpine, North Lakes and Caboolture as coastal cities all supporting each other.”

Cr Flannery said the area had experienced exponential growth since the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the Brisbane Olympics on the horizon in 2032, the time to capitalise on investment was now.

“We’ve had people from southern states enrolling their kids in schools here and buying houses sight unseen, just to get up here,” he said.

“What we offer is a great work/life balance – 20 minutes to work, 20 minutes to school, 20 minutes to home.”

Councillor Sandra Ruck told the Redcliffe Guide it was a logical move. “Redcliffe was a city, is a city and the Moreton Bay region is already a ‘polycentric’ city and our population meets the definition of a city - we’re bigger than Canberra, Newcastle and Geelong,” she said.

Cr Flannery said the name change would ensure the area could bid for greater government funding, and be more recognisable as a modern, urban region to overseas investors.

“Any changes are not going to be costly, and it will be a gradual process that we can roll out over time,” he said. “We need to make sure we reap the benefits of State and Federal Governments reinvesting our taxes here to support our infrastructure and growth.

“Most important to me, is that we must act now to protect our environment and the affordability of our communities.

“By linking the existing centres to our communities through green corridors and other connections we can develop a new kind of city. So that we go green as we grow.”

Community consultation on the proposal is currently open.

For more information, go to council’s website:
www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/N...