Council needs to find more than just a name for monster Caboolture West development

It will be a $9.5 billion southeast Queensland community that becomes home to 68,000 people, but this tiny detail could bring the whole thing down if not chosen carefully. So what should it be called? VOTE IN OUR POLL

A $9.5 billion satellite city planned for north of Brisbane will be home to more than 68,000 people but it could all come unstuck if the council get one tiny detail wrong.

The monster development area, near Caboolture, was given the moniker Caboolture West almost a decade ago.

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But with developers grabbing up land and lodging their plans and the State Government pushing for work to start Moreton Bay Regional Council is searching for a more suitable name.

The $9.5 billion development, to be formed over the next 40 years, is bounded by the D’Aguilar Highway to the north, Caboolture River Road to the south and west of Old North Road.

It is proposed to be home to 68,7000 new residents and have room for 26,900 homes as well as 12 schools, retail hubs and a private hospital.

Council is currently holding community consultation giving residents a chance to pitch a name for the main hub and six other future suburbs, through a survey.

The council has made it clear though it and the place naming committee will have the final say.

Residents have been asked to consider native flora, fauna, rivers, Aboriginal heritage, local history and community leaders when considering a name.

Stephanie Wyeth, a former town planner with the former Caboolture Shire Council, and senior lecturer at University of Queensland, commended the council on its approach to finding a new name.

Ms Wyeth said a good name had the power to foster community, a less inspired name would fail to create a sense of place.

A great example is Yarrabilba – a development by Lendlease near Logan.

The name means place of song in the traditional language.

“It can set the tone for how they go about building the community and it gives meaning to the place,” Ms Wyeth said.

“I am really supportive of taking on First Nations peoples’ symbols or names if it is done well and authentically there is a lot we can learn from how we care for the land and their culture of community,” Ms Wyeth said.

“It is about finding a balance between past and future. They are building a community for 70,000 people it needs to speak for them for the next 200 years.

“We are all active people in our community, we identify with place and people want to feel proud and to connected to those places.”

Mayor Peter Flannery said Council wanted the planning for this major development area to be right before the first shovels even hit the ground.

“That starts by choosing place names which both the existing residents and new residents can identify with and be proud to call home,” he said.

“You might suggest a title reflecting the area’s culture and history, or an acknowledgment of distinguishable features like the sweeping views to the Glass House Mountains and rich agricultural surrounds, you might even suggest we retain an existing place name.

“It’s up to you to come up with names for this new city and the suburbs within it.”

Council has called for people to nominate for a position on the Place Naming Committee – nominations close August 22 – visit the Moreton Bay Regional Council website to nominate.

A naming survey is also open until September 5.