Moreton Bay · Subdivision guide
Subdividing in Moreton Bay: rules, approval and what the data shows
Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016, v7.1 sets the rules for a subdivision in Moreton Bay. The figures on this page come from 2,446 decided reconfiguration and subdivision applications recorded against Moreton Bay council, current to 9 Sept 2026.
According to Casa Intelligence analysis of 2,446 decided reconfiguration and subdivision applications in Moreton Bay, 98% were approved, with a median decision time of 76 days.
98%
Approval rate
2,405 of 2,446 decided Moreton Bay applications
76 days
Median decision time
Lodgement to decision across 2,446 dated Moreton Bay cases
2,446
Decided applications
Moreton Bay reconfiguration and subdivision applications
$5,000
Median infra. charge
Across 33 charged Moreton Bay decision notices
Do you need council approval for a subdivision in Moreton Bay?
Whether a subdivision in Moreton Bay needs a development application is decided by Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016, v7.1, which places each proposal in one of the three Planning Act 2016 categories: accepted development, code assessable or impact assessable. For a Moreton Bay lot the answer turns on the zone, any precinct mapped over it and the overlays that apply, so Moreton Bay council does not publish one blanket answer for subdivision proposals.
Subdividing a Moreton Bay lot, formally reconfiguring a lot, almost always requires a development application, so the live question in Moreton Bay is whether it is code or impact assessable and what minimum lot size and frontage apply. Casa's rules register for Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 records subdivision as contemplated in 9 of the 16 Moreton Bay zones it tracks.
4 of those Moreton Bay zone rows carry a minimum new-lot size that has been checked against the scheme's own table, from 300 m² in the Emerging Community zone to 1,000 m² in the Industry zone, before precinct mapping and overlays are applied. Frontage, access and servicing tests then knock out Moreton Bay lots that clear the area test on paper.
The Moreton Bay record gives a feel for what assessment involves: a quarter of the 2,446 dated subdivision decisions were made within 44 days of lodgement, and a quarter took longer than 152 days.
The zone, precinct and overlay position of one Moreton Bay address is what settles the pathway for a subdivision, and a free Casa block check reads all three for any Moreton Bay lot in seconds.
What Moreton Bay’s scheme says about subdivision development
The passage below is quoted word for word from Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016, v7.1, the instrument Moreton Bay council assesses subdivision proposals against, from the Reconfiguring a lot code, as Casa held the Moreton Bay scheme text on 9 Sept 2026.
“The purpose of the Reconfiguring a lot code is to facilitate and manage the outcomes of development for reconfiguring a lot.”
Source for these Moreton Bay subdivision passages: Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 (Moreton Bay council)
Subdivision position by zone in Moreton Bay
Casa's register holds 16 Moreton Bay zone rows relevant to a subdivision, each citing Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016, and precinct mapping and overlays tighten these subdivision positions for individual Moreton Bay lots.
| Zone | Subdivision | Min. lot (checked only) | Scheme reference held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre | Yes | not held | Part 6.2.2 Centre zone code |
| Emerging Community | Yes | 300 m² | Part 6.2.5 Emerging community zone code |
| General Residential | Yes | 400 m² | Reconfiguring a lot code §9.4.1.6 (General residential zone), Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 |
| High Density Residential | Yes | unchecked, withheld | not held |
| Industry | Yes | 1,000 m² | Reconfiguring a lot code §9.4.1 (Industry zone), Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 |
| Low Density Residential | Yes | unchecked, withheld | not held |
| Medium Density Residential | Yes | unchecked, withheld | not held |
| Next Generation Neighbourhood | Yes | unchecked, withheld | not held |
| Township | Yes | 600 m² | Part 6.2.14 Township zone code |
| Community Facilities | No | n/a | Part 6.2.3 Community facilities zone code |
| Extractive Industry | No | n/a | Part 6.2.4 Extractive industry zone code |
| Environmental Management and Conservation | No | n/a | Part 6.2.5? Environmental management and conservation zone code |
| Limited Development (Constrained Land) | No | n/a | Part 6.2.8 Limited development (constrained land) zone code |
| Recreation and Open Space | No | n/a | Part 6.2.10 Recreation and open space zone code |
| Rural Residential | No | n/a | Reconfiguring a lot code §9.4.1 (Rural residential zone), Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 |
| Rural | No | n/a | Reconfiguring a lot code §9.4.1.10 (Rural zone), Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 |
4 of the 16 Moreton Bay rows above carry a minimum lot size that was checked against the scheme's own lot table, and unchecked figures are withheld rather than shown. "not held" means Moreton Bay's register has no value for that subdivision cell, not that the scheme is silent. Height, setback and site-cover figures for Moreton Bay zones are held in the register but have not been checked against the scheme text, so they are not printed on this subdivision page.
How subdivision applications have fared in Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay council has decided 2,446 reconfiguration and subdivision applications in our dataset, approving 2,405 (98%) and refusing 41. That is 1 point below the pooled South East Queensland figure of 99% across 42,549 decided subdivision applications in the 7 councils Casa tracks, ranking Moreton Bay 4th of 7 for approval rate.
Subdivision work is 17% of everything Moreton Bay council has decided in our records (14,587 applications of all kinds), which makes Moreton Bay the 4th largest subdivision cohort of the 7 councils.
The median Moreton Bay decision took 76 days from lodgement, measured across the 2,446 subdivision applications with both dates recorded, the same as the 76-day middle council for this cohort. Moreton Bay decisions made since the start of 2024 ran at a median of 90 days (555 cases), 14 days longer than the long-run Moreton Bay figure.
The busiest year for subdivision decisions in Moreton Bay was 2017, with 334 decided. In 2025 Moreton Bay council decided 290 and approved 99%, against 235 decided in 2024.
Where the Moreton Bay application description states the lot count, the typical subdivision was a 3-lot outcome across 2,066 described applications, and 41% of those were one-into-two splits.
By suburb, Moreton Bay's subdivision decisions cluster in Morayfield (275 decided, 99.6% approved), Caboolture (231 decided, 99.6% approved) and Burpengary (127 decided, 97% approved).
Across the 33 Moreton Bay decision notices in this cohort that levied infrastructure charges, the median total charge was $5,000. Moreton Bay's charges scale with the lots or dwellings created, and credits for existing use reduce what a subdivision actually pays.
Moreton Bay subdivision decisions by year
| Year | Decided | Approved | Refused | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 217 | 214 | 3 | 99% |
| 2022 | 278 | 273 | 5 | 98% |
| 2023 | 229 | 225 | 4 | 98% |
| 2024 | 235 | 231 | 4 | 98% |
| 2025 | 290 | 286 | 4 | 99% |
| 2026 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 100% |
Recent subdivision decisions in Moreton Bay
The 3 most recently decided reconfiguration and subdivision applications recorded against Moreton Bay council, each cited by Moreton Bay's own application number so it can be looked up on the council's register.
| Application | Decision | Decided | Days to decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| DA/2025/3395 | Approved | 17 Feb 2026 | 214 days |
| DA/2025/3767 | Approved | 16 Feb 2026 | 192 days |
| DA/2026/0008 | Approved | 13 Feb 2026 | 39 days |
Subdivision in Moreton Bay: common questions
Do I need council approval for a subdivision in Moreton Bay?
Only your lot's zone, precinct and overlays under Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 can answer that for a subdivision at a Moreton Bay address. Subdividing a Moreton Bay lot almost always needs a development application, and the scheme sets whether it is code or impact assessable. Moreton Bay council has decided 2,446 reconfiguration and subdivision applications in our records, so the pathway question comes up constantly in Moreton Bay.
Which zones allow subdivision development in Moreton Bay?
Casa's register for Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 records subdivision development as contemplated in Centre, Emerging Community, General Residential, High Density Residential, Industry, Low Density Residential and 3 other zones, 9 of the 16 Moreton Bay zones tracked. Precinct mapping and overlays can still restrict a Moreton Bay lot inside one of those zones.
What is the approval rate for subdivision applications in Moreton Bay?
98% of the 2,446 decided reconfiguration and subdivision applications recorded against Moreton Bay council were approved and 41 were refused. Moreton Bay sits against a pooled subdivision figure of 99% across the 7 South East Queensland councils Casa tracks. These are past Moreton Bay decisions and they do not guarantee any future subdivision outcome.
How long does subdivision approval take in Moreton Bay?
The median time from lodgement to decision across the 2,446 dated subdivision applications in Moreton Bay was 76 days. A quarter of Moreton Bay decisions came within 44 days and a quarter took longer than 152 days. Since the start of 2024 the Moreton Bay median has been 90 days across 555 decisions.
How much are infrastructure charges for subdivision projects in Moreton Bay?
Across the 33 Moreton Bay decision notices in this cohort that levied charges, the median total infrastructure charge was $5,000. Moreton Bay's charges scale with the lots or dwellings a subdivision creates and existing-use credits reduce them.
What does Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016 say about subdivision development in Moreton Bay?
The Reconfiguring a lot code (section 9.4.1.2) states: "The purpose of the Reconfiguring a lot code is to facilitate and manage the outcomes of development for reconfiguring a lot."
About this guide
The zone rows on this page come from Casa's rules register for Moreton Bay Region Planning Scheme 2016, v7.1, and the statistics from 2,446 decided reconfiguration and subdivision applications recorded against Moreton Bay council between 10 Mar 2016 and 17 Feb 2026, computed on 9 Sept 2026.
Moreton Bay amends its scheme over time, and precincts, local plans and overlays can vary these subdivision rules for a single Moreton Bay lot. Past Moreton Bay decisions describe how comparable subdivision proposals fared and do not predict any future application.
This page is general information, not planning or legal advice.
Would a Moreton Bay block support a subdivision? Check the address free.
Moreton Bay-wide subdivision rules give the frame, and a free block check reads the zone, precinct and overlays for one Moreton Bay address and returns a Casa Score for a subdivision in seconds.
What the Moreton Bay subdivision rules mean for your site
This guide covers Moreton Bay at council level across 2,446 decided reconfiguration and subdivision applications. A Preliminary Planning Report covers one address: the likely pathway for a subdivision, the constraints on that Moreton Bay lot, and the comparable Moreton Bay approvals, prepared by our planning team and delivered within three business days.