Moreton Bay one step away from becoming Australia’s newest city
Published 28 April 2023
The Local Government Change Commission has today recommended that Moreton Bay Regional Council’s request to be reclassified as a city should be granted.
Mayor Peter Flannery said the next and final step is for that recommendation to now be considered by the State Government.
“This is very exciting for Moreton Bay, but I’m not counting my chickens,” he said.
“The Commission’s recommendation now goes to the Deputy Premier Steven Miles for consideration.
“I’m hopeful that he will support our submission and the Commission’s recommendation. The fact that he's a local who understands both Moreton Bay’s growth challenges and critical need for infrastructure funding is beneficial.
“We have advocated for this change due to the size of Moreton Bay, the fact that our population is already larger than cities like Canberra, and also in recognition of our contribution to the SEQ economy.
“While this reclassification won’t have any major impact on the day-to-day lives of locals, it will be a gamechanger for us politically and for our business community.
“It puts us on equal footing to cities like Brisbane and the Gold Coast for funding, and helps us start to realise our potential as Australia’s third largest council (by population).
“We are a region but were never regional, so city status will cement our place as a power player in SEQ and hopefully make the nation sit up and pay attention to Moreton Bay.
“This announcement will also help us give more shape to our polycentric city vision, to strategically invest in the unique potential of our existing centres and townships, rather than funnelling all our resources into a single centralised CBD.
“We’ve seen the transport and logistical issues this traditional city model creates, so we will instead strive to be something more modern and more efficient.
“I see this as the start of Moreton Bay’s coming of age and an exciting new chapter in our story, as we await the Government’s final decision.”
Mayor Flannery reiterated his commitment that if the reclassification is approved by the State Government, it will not disrupt Council’s business-as-usual approach to updating signage or other branded material on an as needs basis and only when necessary.
Visit the Electoral Commission's website for more details on the Change Commission's recommendation and Council's original submission.