News
30 September, 2025
Moreton Bay’s industrial squeeze
THE State Government is being urged to help councils create more jobs in Moreton Bay and Greater Brisbane by unlocking “critical” industrial land.
Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery joined Property Council of Australia Queensland (PCAQ) last month, following the release of a new report, ‘No Room to Grow’, which revealed the shrinking supply of industrial land in Greater Brisbane.
According to the report, Greater Brisbane’s industrial land supply is set to be exhausted in under five years, with Moreton Bay holding the third lowest amount of potential industrial supply land (1,030ha) out of seven Greater Brisbane councils.
Cr Flannery and PCAQ called for three measures: a $500 million Industrial Infrastructure Fund for local governments, a statewide industrial strategy to identify suitable land and infrastructure, and a State Government-led dataset to benchmark industrial land targets.
According to the ‘No Room to Grow’ report, Moreton Bay is poised for significant growth, but faces major challenges related to workforce mobility and supply chain efficiency that could impact its economic future.
Key areas like Brendale and North Lakes/Narangba are strategically positioned, featuring in the top 15 most efficient locations for access to Brisbane Airport, a crucial advantage for air-freight and logistics operators. Approximately 40 per cent of the potential land supply within these top airport-accessible zones is located in Moreton Bay.
However, the report also exposed a significant challenge: a ‘great migration’ of its industrial workforce, with 52 per cent of full-time industrial workers living in Moreton Bay having to commute outside the region for their jobs. This is one of the highest outbound rates in SEQ and only lower than Logan (61 per cent), Redland (63 per cent) and Ipswich (54 per cent).
This data suggested that, while people are choosing to live in Moreton Bay, local industrial employment opportunities have not kept pace with residential growth. This disconnect is further compounded by logistical inefficiencies in some of the region’s outlying growth areas, such as Caboolture.
A case study comparing an established industrial precinct in Zillmere with a potential new hub in Caboolture found Caboolture showed extremely low connectivity to other existing industrial facilities and was deemed an inefficient location for servicing South East Queensland’s broad retail networks.
While the area has strong future population growth, its limited access to the wider Brisbane population—reaching less than 70 per cent within a 60-minute drive—could constrain its appeal for large-scale distribution and logistics operations.
Furthermore, for businesses considering a move north from established hubs like Eagle Farm, the impacts are mixed. A hypothetical relocation to Caboolture would result in longer average commute times for the existing workforce, a critical factor for staff retention. On the upside, the report suggested such a move would dramatically reduce the number of employees needing to pay road tolls, offering a tangible financial benefit.
According to a Moreton Bay Council spokesperson, in 2023/24, manufacturing, warehousing, construction and transport and postal services accounted for 50 per cent of business expansions from medium to large employers in Moreton Bay.
“Council is seeing an increase in the number of medium to large businesses in the City, with Brendale and Narangba Innovation Precincts nearing capacity,” they said.
“If more industrial land is not released, there will be constraints on local business expansion, which in turn will hinder the city’s ability to attract and retain advanced manufacturing and other high-value industries.”
Moreton Bay is home to a number of industries, including wood product manufacturing, printing, polymer and rubber manufacturing, non-metallic mineral product manufacturing, machinery and equipment manufacturing, and furniture manufacturing.
“The area has excellent transport connections and existing infrastructure that would otherwise be costly to replicate elsewhere,” the spokesperson said.
“Balancing our polycentric City’s housing supply needs with the identification and protection of future industrial land is essential to supporting the long-term liveability and economic prosperity in Moreton Bay.”
