Billions in investment will transform Caboolture with the population set to skyrocket
This city is set to lead southeast Queensland’s population explosion over the next few decades with billions of dollars in investment — including for a project described as the ‘grandaddy of all projects’ just the beginning.
Moreton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Moreton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE population in the Caboolture area is set to skyrocket over the next decade driven largely by two massive residential developments.
A Queensland health report predicts that the number of people moving into the area will increase by 51 per cent by 2031.
One of the key challenges for the various governments is ensuring that infrastructure like roads, schools, public transport and medical services can keep up with that population growth.
The Caboolture region is well known for being the home of the battlers, though local councillor Adam Hain has dubbed it “the comeback kid”, given the billions of dollars in investment pouring into the region.
Here are some of the major upcoming developments for the Caboolture area, as well as a handful of smaller ones.
CABOOLTURE WEST
The granddaddy of all developments, the area known as Caboolture West is expected to have a bigger population than Caboolture itself.
It covers a 3480ha site about 5km west of Caboolture and Morayfield.
Once fully realised over the next 40 years, the $9.5 billion development is expected to be home to almost 69,000 people and 27,000 new homes.
Back in 2013, the council envisioned the area to become “one of the best areas to live in South East Queensland” by 2050.
“The area has a ‘sense of place’ with views to the range, river and mountains,” the vision stated.
“Nearly all the services and shops needed are in the Caboolture West area.
“You don’t have to travel long distances to work and there is a convenient public transport/bus service connecting to these sites.”
The council has said the area would be designed as a series of neighbourhoods each with a local centre – six in total.
There would be three high schools and nine primary schools as well as local business opportunities, community services, facilities and jobs, open space and recreation opportunities and a mix of housing types.
Though so far, the vast majority of housing types proposed have been small lots of around 400-450 sqm catering to first home buyers and retirees.
Unless changes are introduced into the planning scheme to force developers to increase the variation of lot sizes, then the practice of cramming in as many of these smaller, more profitable lots could continue across the entire site.
Families wanting bigger backyards will have to look elsewhere.
There are currently four active rezoning applications being assessed for what will become the first phase of the project, along with a fifth much larger application already lodged for a future phase.
All five are from different developers — AV Jennings, Baycrown, Villa World, Orchid Developments, and Foreverlen/Lenvest Holdings.
Just those few applications combined would contain around 10,000 lots.
PINE VALLEY
SITUATED west of Burpengary and just a few kilometres south of Caboolture West is the area known as Pine Valley.
Lendlease last year submitted an application to establish about 2500 lots on more than 254ha of land along the western side of Oakey Flat Rd, north of Burpengary Creek.
Just north of this, developer Australian National Homes only recently lodged an application for a 104ha housing development.
It was expected to have around 1700 lots over the next 15 years, housing up to 4500 people once completed.
If approved by the council, the two Pine Valley estates would contain at least 4000 new houses once fully established.
The land is known to contain areas designated as Koala Bushland Habitat and Koala Rehabilitation Habitat and is also identified as “Essential Habitat “ for the wallum froglet, a species of frog listed as vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
Lendlease’s environmental consultants 28 South found koalas and koala droppings in concentrated locations right across its proposed site.
CABOOLTURE HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT
WORK will soon start on the $394.6 million Caboolture Hospital redevelopment which will add another 130 beds and a huge new car park to the existing facility.
A new five-storey Clinical Services Building will be built at the front of the hospital, providing a new and expanded Emergency Department, a 20-bed Rehabilitation Unit, a 10-bed Palliative Care Unit and more.
“The Caboolture region is one of the fastest growing regions in the state, which is why it is so important we invest in health infrastructure now to meet an increase in demand down the track,” Health and Ambulance Services Minister Steven Miles said.
It will be build alongside the new car park and located between the existing hospital and McKean St.
Parking spaces will increase by more than 500 to about 1640.
The project will also create up to 600 jobs for the region, with 350 workers onsite each day during peak construction periods.
Construction is expected to start in mid-2020.
BRUCE HIGHWAY UPGRADE
AN 11km stretch of the Bruce Highway between the Caboolture/Bribie Island roads interchange to Steve Irwin Way (Exit 163) will be increased from four lanes to six.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has already finalised the design of the project, with work set to begin on the first stage later this year.
The $662.5 million project is funded on an 80:20 basis with the Federal Government contributing $530 million and the State Government $132.5 million.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads stated it would improve the safety, reliability and flood immunity of the highway as well as increase its capacity and reduce travel times and congestion.
It includes upgrading creek crossings at Lagoon, King Johns, Six Mile, Unnamed and Beerburrum Creeks.
The first stage, to begin late this year, will be the widening of the highway between Caboolture/Bribie Island Rd and Pumicestone Rd.
The second stage, to begin mid 2021, is between Pumicestone Rd and Steve Irwin Way (Exit 163).
Construction is expected to take at least three years to complete.
NARANGBA HEIGHTS SHOPPING CENTRE
CONSTRUCTION of a new shopping centre at the corner of Sovereign Drv and Oakey Flat Rd could be under way by the end of the year.
The director of developer Oxmar Phil Murphy said the centrepiece of the project would likely be a Coles supermarket along with fast food options including a McDonald’s, a service station, cafes and other retail businesses.
Mr Murphy said they were also in discussion with Collins Foods, which operates Sizzler, KFC and Taco Bell in Australia.
Tenants for the centre were still being finalised and once that was completed, they would look to employ a builder to begin construction.
The shopping centre was approved by the council about two years ago but the project was held up in the Planning and Environment court.
NEW CABOOLTURE WATCH HOUSE
A NEW $13.7 million watch house is being built on King St that will link directly to the neighbouring Caboolture Magistrates Court.
The old police station has already been knocked down and the new two-storey facility being built in its place, expected to be finished by the middle of next year.
It will be home to office space for prosecutors and other critical government services.
A Domestic and Family Violence co-ordinator, alongside other critical domestic violence responders will be based in the new facility.
The Caboolture Watch House processes between 4000 and 5000 prisoners each year.
The new facility will have 40 beds, 26 more than the old one.
TACO BELL MORAYFIELD
A SHOPPING centre expansion at 182-190 Morayfield Rd will include a service station, several new retail tenancies and a Taco Bell.
It will be the second Taco Bell restaurant in the Moreton Bay Region, after one opened at North Lakes in 2018.
“We are delighted to give our local Morayfield fans the chance to enjoy Taco Bell’s world famous craveable menu in their home suburb,” a Collins Food spokesman said.
The opening date has not yet been announced.
Work has already started on the expansion which is next to an existing Anaconda store, and will include three new retail tenancies, a service station and the Taco Bell.
The complex will include 123 car parks.
Qld homeowners warned to prepare for looming cyclone season
As Queensland braces for another cyclone season, experts urge homeowners to prepare, with alarming statistics revealing most households lack adequate disaster plans.
Thrills, spills and face-plants: Inside our wildest King’s Birthday event
Looking for some wild and wonderful action this King’s Birthday weekend? We have a perfect solution for you.