Southern Thornlands Priority Development Area (PDA) | Redland City Council
Skip to content Skip to main navigation
Council operations for Anzac Day and Labour Day public holidays

Essential Council services will operate over the upcoming public holidays. Bins will continue to be collected, and recycling and waste centres will be open.

Details on closures or changes to operating hours
Redland City Council Redland City Council
Back

Home

How can we help you today?

Browse our website

Southern Thornlands Priority Development Area (PDA)

The Queensland Government has recently designated a ~900-hectare area in Southern Thornlands as a Priority Development Area (PDA) under the Economic Development Act 2012 - see map of impacted area below. The PDA declaration was made by the Minister for Economic Development Queensland (MEDQ) on 4 April 2025, following the inclusion of the area in the Urban Footprint of the SEQ Regional Plan (ShapingSEQ 2023).

Southern Thornlands Priority Development Area boundary map

Figure 1. Map of the Southern Thornlands PDA

Things you should know

Now that the PDA has been declared, the Redland City Plan will no longer apply to the area and Redland City Council will have no formal control over plan-making and decision-making within the designated PDA area.

The Queensland Government, through the MEDQ and Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), will now assume responsibility for plan-making and decision-making functions (i.e., assessing and deciding development applications) within the PDA.

New planning controls will initially come into force via the Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP) until the final Development Scheme is approved by the MEDQ.

The ILUP includes two precincts:

  • Precinct 1: Eastern Precinct - located east of Springacre Road. This 'Early Release Area' will allow for the delivery of 900 dwellings in the short term. In this area, development applications may be lodged, assessed and decided while the ILUP is in effect.
  • Precinct 2: Investigation Precinct - comprising the balance of the PDA. Development in Precinct 2 is restricted to interim or temporary uses until the PDA Development Scheme and Development Charges and Offset Plan (DCOP) is finalised.

The Queensland Government is responsible for preparing the proposed Development Scheme for Southern Thornlands. The planning process is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months. Once completed, EDQ will release the proposed development scheme for a minimum 30-business-day statutory public notification period, during which anyone can make a submission. Future project-related announcements will be available on the project web page.

Redland City Council will still be responsible for collecting rates and providing essential services like waste collection, road maintenance, and potable water supply.

To ensure infrastructure delivery is well-coordinated, supports sustainable growth, and enhances community wellbeing while addressing long-term infrastructure funding deficits in the city, Council calls on the following commitments from the State Government:

  • Infrastructure Costs: The full cost of delivering essential infrastructure to service future development within Southern Thornlands must be borne by future development proponents and not Redland City Council or its ratepayers.
  • Region-Shaping Infrastructure: To support development, the State Government must commit to delivering transformative region-shaping infrastructure for Redland Coast, including:
    • Completion of planning and delivery of the full Eastern Busway extension to Capalaba;
    • Finalisation of planning investigations to improve rail services, including duplication of the Cleveland train line between Manly and Cleveland; and
    • High-frequency public transport connections linking Capalaba, Cleveland, Victoria Point, Southern Redland Bay, and Logan Hyperdome.
  • Road Network Upgrades: Full upgrades are required for key corridors such as Boundary Road/Duncan Road/Mount Cotton Road (from Thornlands to the Gateway Motorway) and Cleveland-Redland Bay Road.
  • Community Infrastructure: Delivery of new community facilities such as schools and emergency services must be prioritised.
  • Environmental Protections: Important environmental values across Southern Thornlands, including koala habitat, must be safeguarded and enhanced.
  • Community Engagement: Active engagement with both Council and the broader Redlands Coast community is essential to deliver a development scheme that aligns with our naturally wonderful lifestyle.

Project timeline

An overview of the 20-year-plus planning history for Southern Thornlands is briefly summarised below (from most recent):

4 April 2025: The Minister for State Development and Infrastructure, the honourable Jarrod Bleijie MP, designates Southern Thornlands as a PDA under the Economic Development Act 2012. Following this designation, Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) will be responsible for the preparation of a development scheme for the area, including an interim land use plan, infrastructure plan, and implementation strategy. 

13 May 2024: Representatives from the departments of Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) and Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works (HLGPPW) brief Council on Southern Thornlands PDA investigations.

December 2023: In the final ShapingSEQ 2023, Southern Thornlands is retained within the urban footprint and designated as an SEQ development area. The designation prevents, through prohibitions contained in the Planning Regulation (PReg), any out-of-sequence development from occurring until detailed land use and infrastructure planning has been completed.

27 September 2023: Council resolved to make a formal submission on the draft ShapingSEQ 2023. In its submission, Council notes that Redland city has significant dwelling capacity and that there is no need to expand the urban footprint or provide new growth areas.

August 2023: The draft ShapingSEQ 2023 is released, with Southern Thornlands proposed to be included in the urban footprint.

19 April 2023: A Mayoral minute was tabled. Council's resolution rreaffirmed its long-standing policy position that it did not support urban residential land uses being delivered in the Southern Thornlands and that if, despite Council opposition, the State progressed with the designation as a PDA or other regulatory mechanism, the full cost of delivering infrastructure to service future development within the STPFGA should be borne wholly by the developer and not existing Redland ratepayers.

4 April 2023: Via written correspondence from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning (DSDILGP), Council officers are advised that the major amendment is being placed on hold pending finalisation of the Redlands Housing Strategy (RHS).

Early-mid April 2023: Council officers were invited to attend meetings with representatives from Economic Development Queensland (EDQ). At the first meeting with EDQ, Council officers are advised that the department is considering designating the entire Southern Thornlands area (~900ha) as a PDA.

15 September 2022: The Planning Minister made a Ministerial Direction to undertake the Housing Supply and Diversity Strategy on Council's behalf.

19 January 2022: Council resolves to submit 02/21 - Major Amendment - Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA) (the major amendment) for State Interest Review. The amendment proposes a mix of uses, including rural residential and a mixed industry business precinct. It is important to note that Redland City Council's resolution specifically stated that 'urban residential land uses are inconsistent with Council's preferred future land use intents for the area'.

23 July 2020: A Ministerial Direction was issued by the Planning Minister requiring Council to fulfil its obligations under ShapingSEQ 2017.

August 2017: A new iteration of the SEQ Regional Plan (ShapingSEQ 2017) was released. Southern Thornlands is identified as a Potential Future Growth Area (PFGA) and Council is required to conduct investigations to determine the appropriate use of the area.

2009: The final regional plan removed the Springacre/Taylor Road area from the Urban Footprint and included it in the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area. In a media statement published on 28 July 2009, the former Minister for Infrastructure and Planning noted that a key reason for this decision was to protect the high-value koala habitat in the area.

2008 -2009: The draft regional plan maintained Springacre/Taylor Road area in Urban Footprint, identifying the site as an Enterprise Opportunity Area.

2005: The SEQ Regional Plan (2005-2021) included part of the Southern Thornlands area (~550ha to the east of Taylor Road, including land adjoining Springacre Road), in the Urban Footprint.

Contact details for Economic Development Queensland (EDQ)

Questions relating to the Southern Thornlands PDA should be directed to EDQ via:

Important Links:

FAQs

The map below shows the spatial extent of the PDA. The defined area is bordered by Duncan Road/Boundary Road to the north, Mount Cotton Road to the west, Eprapah Creek in the South and properties adjoining Springacre Road to the east (see map below).

Southern Thornlands Priority Development Area boundary map

Figure 1. Map of the Southern Thornlands PDA

A Priority Development Area (PDA) is a site declared by the Queensland State Government under the Economic Development Act 2012 (the Act). The stated purpose of the Act is to facilitate accelerated development of land for economic growth and community benefit. Visit the Southern Thornlands PDA website.

PDAs are managed by Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) and may involve partnerships with local government and industry. While the following functions can be delegated to Council, EDQ is expected to retain responsibility for guiding development within the Southern Thornlands PDA via:

  • Plan-making: preparing the Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP) and Development Scheme to determine future land uses.
  • Decision-making: assessing and deciding development applications against the ILUP or Development Scheme.
  • Charging for and delivering infrastructure, including preparation of the development charges and offsets plan (DCOP).

The PDA declaration has no set expiry date. It will remain in place until the development objectives are achieved or if the Minister decides to revoke the declaration.

The Queensland Government has indicated that the Development Scheme, the overarching plan for the area, will take 12-18 months to prepare. New planning controls will initially come into force via the Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP), until the Development Scheme is approved by the MEDQ. Once this has occurred, the proposed Development Scheme will be published on Southern Thornlands PDA page on the department's website and in the local newspaper. The public consultation period will occur for a minimum of 30 business days and the Minister for Economic Development Queensland (MEDQ) must consider all submissions made during the submission period.

Enquiries relating to the PDA should be directed to Economic Development Queensland:

Following the declaration, the State Government, through the Minister for Economic Development Queensland (MEDQ) and its agency Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), will be responsible for assessing and deciding applications in the area.

Upon declaring the PDA, the Queensland State Government released the Southern Thornlands Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP). The ILUP designates six allotments on the eastern side of Springacre Road (see map below) as an Early Release Area (ERA), intended to provide [type of development]. Land use designations for the remainder of the PDA have not yet been determined. Over the next 12-18 months, the Queensland State Government will prepare a Development Scheme for the entirety of the PDA. This document must include a land use plan, a plan for infrastructure and an implementation strategy.

Southern Thornlands ILUP Precincts Map

Figure: Map of the Southern Thornlands ILUP Precincts Map

You can view it by downloading the Southern Thornlands ILUP

The Queensland Government has indicated that up to 8,000 dwellings will be provided across the PDA, providing homes for up to 20,000 new residents.

In making its Priority Development Area (PDA) declaration, the Queensland Government has committed to providing a significant quantum of affordable and social housing. The ILUP states specifically:

A housing strategy will support development in the precinct, outlining the strategies and mechanisms that will be applied to deliver a target for 20% of dwellings within the precinct as a mix of social and affordable housing (including market affordable housing) with a nominal target of 5% social housing (including housing provided by community housing providers).

If designed and located appropriately, the provision of this social and affordable housing component could make a genuinely positive contribution to the Redlands Coast community.

Council will be closely monitoring the Queensland Government’s follow-through on this commitment and will continue to advocate for tangible benefits for those in the Redlands Coast community facing housing affordability challenges.

While the Redlands Planning Scheme (City Plan) will no longer apply to the area, Council will still be responsible for collecting rates and providing essential services like waste collection, road maintenance and potable water supply.

The infrastructure charges to be levied against development within the PDA are outlined in the Infrastructure Funding Framework (dated 2 August 2024). A future Development Charges and Offset Plan (DCOP) will be developed for release when the development scheme is finalised.

The Queensland Government has set a target date of 2026 for development to commence on the ground. However, meeting this timeline depends on several key factors such as:

  • Delivering the necessary infrastructure upgrades to support development in the area, including improvements to roads, water, sewer, electrical and telecommunications networks.
  • Obtaining the required development approvals and permits from regulatory authorities.
  • The timing of when developers and builders who receive potential future approvals decide to take action and start construction.

Reaching the 2026 target relies on coordinating the infrastructure solutions, approval processes, and private sector readiness for commencement.

Council previously advocated against the inclusion of Southern Thornlands into the Urban Footprint to accommodate suburban-scale residential development, given it already had a sufficient quantum of residential land in the Urban Footprint to accommodate population growth to 2046. Council’s preferred land use intents were reflected in 02/21 – Major Amendment - (Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA)).

While Council must accept the Queensland Government's decision, its primary focus moving forward is to advocate for development outcomes that are in the community's interest. This includes ensuring:

  • The full cost of infrastructure required to service development within the PDA, including any necessary upgrades to external networks, is borne entirely by the development proponents, not existing Redland City ratepayers.
  • The development outcomes within the PDA support economic growth and deliver meaningful employment opportunities for the local community.
  • Appropriate and meaningful opportunities are provided for public consultation and submissions on the proposed Development Scheme, as well as any potential future amendments to it.
  • Environmentally sensitive areas, such as core habitat zones, are protected, and ecological linkages between these areas are maintained and enhanced.
  • The ILUP and Development Scheme provide clear direction to create a consistent, high-quality built environment and streetscape that enhances the overall liveability of the community.

As required by the superseded SEQ Regional Plan (ShapingSEQ 2017), Council completed a series of planning investigations to determine its preferred future land use intents for the area formerly known as the Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA). At its General Meeting on 19 January 2022, Council resolved to submit 02/21 - Major Amendment - (Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA)) for State Interest Review. Council’s preferred land use intents were centered around a Mixed Industry Business (MIBA) precinct intended to provide employment opportunities for the city in the medium-longer term.

This amendment was placed on hold by the Queensland Government on 4 April 2023 pending completion of the Redlands Housing Strategy.

Council made numerous representations to the State Government, over several years, advocating against the inclusion of Southern Thornlands in the Urban Footprint for urban residential development. The high-level rationale for this position was as follows:

  • Council had a sufficient quantum of appropriately zoned residential land to accommodate the projected future population growth forecast in ShapingSEQ 2023. Furthermore, ad-hoc greenfield development would undermine the delivery of well-located development in the existing urban area (i.e., proximate to existing jobs, services, public transport, and lifestyle opportunities around its existing centres network). It was contended by Council that no evidentiary basis existed to justify Southern Thornlands’ inclusion in the Urban Footprint for residential purposes.
  • Council’s preferred future land use intents for the area are reflected in 02/21 – Major Amendment – Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area. The land uses envisioned by the State Government for this area, as reflected in the ShapingSEQ 2023, were inconsistent with Council’s proposed amendment.
  • Prolonged underinvestment in state infrastructure networks is already creating adverse outcomes for residents. The ShapingSEQ 2023 is proposing significant additional population and dwelling growth in the city without funding commitments to upgrade the relevant state or utility provider infrastructure networks via the SEQ Infrastructure Supplement (SEQIS).
  • The costs for servicing the PDA with infrastructure have not yet been determined and could prove a significant obstacle to realising future development in the locality. By including land in the Urban Footprint prior to having a detailed understanding of future infrastructure servicing costs and challenges, the State Government risks increasing the quantum of underutilised land in the Urban Footprint.
  • Further to the point above, achieving financial sustainability for infrastructure delivered through the DCOP is contingent on several factors, including levying an equitable portion of total infrastructure charges against development in the locality and ensuring that the ultimate development capacity can be realised. As such, there exists a real risk that whomever bankrolls the future infrastructure upgrades required to service development in the locality will not be able to achieve full-cost recovery.
    • In this regard, Council has maintained a consistent policy position that development proponents must bear the full cost of infrastructure delivery. Furthermore, Council firmly opposes assuming the role of financier or inheriting a future Development Scheme and Development Charges and Offsets Plan (DCOP) that would transfer the cost burden of future development in the locality onto existing ratepayers.

Although Council must ultimately accept the State Government's decision, many of the concerns previously raised remain relevant. Moving forward, Council's role as a representative for the Redlands Coast community will be to advocate for the best possible planning outcomes within the Priority Development Area (PDA) and to ensure that future cost-shifting to existing Redland City ratepayers does not occur.

The superseded SEQ Regional Plan (ShapingSEQ 2017) identified Southern Thornlands as a Potential Future Growth Area (PFGA). ShapingSEQ 2017 notes that PFGA’s are areas that ‘may be needed to accommodate long-term urban growth….These areas are not required to accommodate the dwelling supply benchmarks or employment planning baselines of ShapingSEQ’ (p. 49).

Following the Queensland Government’s decision to include Southern Thornlands within the Urban Footprint of the new SEQ Regional Plan (ShapingSEQ 2023), the area was designated as a SEQ Development Area. ShapingSEQ 2023 notes that this designation is a regulatory tool to assist with the sequencing of development and prevents development from occurring until such time that appropriate structure planning has been completed.

Council will take a firm stance against any attempt by the Queensland State Government to shift the costs of upgrading and expanding infrastructure to service the proposed Priority Development Area (PDA) onto existing Redlands ratepayers (e.g., by proposing capped infrastructure charges). Existing Redlands ratepayers should not be expected to subsidise private sector development activities where developers aim to profit from their projects. Council believes it is entirely reasonable to expect that any development within the PDA locality should be able to "stand on its own two legs" financially.

Furthermore, Council will continue to advocate for the State Government to address existing infrastructure funding shortfalls across State Government infrastructure networks and for the following actions/items to be reflected in the SEQ Infrastructure Plan (expected to be finalised in 2025):

  • Completion of planning investigations and delivery of the full Eastern Busway extension to Capalaba.
  • Finalisation of planning investigations to improve rail services including the duplication of the Cleveland train line between Manly and Cleveland.
  • High frequency public transport connections to Capalaba, Cleveland, Victoria Point and Southern Redland Bay through to Logan Hyperdome.
  • Upgrades to the state road network including key intersections. At a minimum, this would include:
    • A full upgrade for the Boundary Road/ Duncan Road/ Mount Cotton Road corridor from Thornlands to the Gateway Motorway.
    • A full upgrade for the Cleveland – Redland Bay Road corridor.
  • New community infrastructure such as schools and emergency service facilities (e.g., hospitals, police stations, ambulance stations, fire stations and the like).