By Sheree Hoddinett
It won’t be a case of skyscrapers suddenly popping up all over the place, but by the end of 2023, Moreton Bay Region will be no longer. Instead a new name will be in place: Moreton Bay City.
Whether you like it or loathe it, the change (of name) is coming. Moreton Bay is pretty much already a city in terms of our population and the many bustling urban centres spread across the council area. As the third-largest council in Australia and still growing, the Moreton Bay Region change of classification to city will bring us into line with the other councils adjoining Brisbane. This includes Redland City, Ipswich City and Logan City. Our council area is larger than these neighbours in terms of geographic area, population and number of local businesses.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government Steven Miles referred a request from the Moreton Bay Regional Council to the independent Local Government Change Commission for assessment last year. The Change Commission concluded its assessment and recommended the change proceed. Mr Miles has recommended the change for consideration by Governor-in-Council, with the change likely to take effect before the end of this year.
It is the first time a Local Government Area has requested a reclassification under the current regulation. It is believed the change of name is expected to put the ‘region’ on the map, in turn bringing the potential for more visitors and jobs.
“Living in Moreton Bay with my family, it’s easy to see why the region is booming,” Mr Miles said. “The Moreton Bay Local Government Area is one of the fastest growing in the country with a population of more than 480,000. This is forecast to grow to close to 700,000 by 2041, a larger population than the state of Tasmania.
“Council met all the criteria for a name change set out in the Local Government legislation and after considering the Change Commission’s assessment, I agree with the change and have recommended to the Governor-in-Council for the change to take effect.”
Mayor Peter Flannery describes the change as a coming-of-age moment and admits that Moreton Bay will always be a ‘region’ but had long outgrown the title.
“We have advocated for this change due to the size of Moreton Bay and also in recognition of our contribution to the southeast Queensland economy,” Mr Flannery said. “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. “I want to embrace our many existing communities and towns to spread opportunity and reduce traffic to one central location, to create Queensland’s first subtropical ‘polycentric city’ with many centres. This will create more job opportunities locally, better traffic flow, more greenspaces and a better connection to our beautiful existing environment. “And when I meet with federal politicians in Canberra to secure funding for our region, they won’t think of Moreton Bay as a backwater shire in rural Queensland.”
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