About the locality
Two different “about” pages
This page is about the place. For who publishes the site, how we verify facts, and primary sources, see About this guide.
Southern Thornlands is a locality in Redland City, South East Queensland. For many years it has been characterised by rural and rural-residential acreage, bushland edges, and a quieter pace than the denser suburbs closer to Cleveland and Capalaba. That character is still what you largely see on the ground today.
At the same time, the area sits inside a formal planning framework for long-term urban growth. On 4 April 2025 the Queensland Government declared Southern Thornlands a Priority Development Area (PDA) under the Economic Development Act 2012. Planning for the PDA is led by Economic Development Queensland (EDQ). This page summarises publicly available facts so residents and newcomers can orient themselves — it is not an official source.
Traditional Custodians
The broader Redlands Coast area includes lands and waters of enduring significance to Aboriginal peoples, including Quandamooka Country connections across the region. This site offers a brief, respectful acknowledgment only. For cultural heritage protocols, Native Title, or place-specific guidance, consult appropriate Traditional Owner organisations and official heritage processes — not this website.
Boundaries (indicative)
Official regulatory maps define the precise PDA boundary. In plain language, public descriptions commonly place Southern Thornlands as bounded approximately by:
- North — Duncan Road / Boundary Road
- West — Mount Cotton Road
- South — the Eprapah Creek corridor
- East — properties adjoining Springacre Road
Always rely on the current EDQ boundary map PDF or spatial layer for legal or survey purposes. Suburb naming, road centre-lines and cadastral edges can differ slightly from everyday descriptions.
Size
The PDA covers approximately 890 hectares. Some public material refers to figures around 890–900 ha. This site uses ~890 ha consistent with EDQ Have Your Say project wording, and notes that rounded figures appear in media and Council commentary.
What a Priority Development Area means here
A PDA is a state-level planning designation. Inside the boundary, plan-making and development assessment sit with the Minister for Economic Development Queensland / EDQ, rather than under ordinary local planning scheme assessment by Redland City Council. Council continues many municipal roles (for example rates and waste services) but does not hold formal plan-making or development-assessment control inside the PDA.
An Interim Land Use Plan (ILUP) regulates development until a full PDA Development Scheme is finalised. Public notification of the proposed Development Scheme closed on 15 September 2026. Details and official documents: Development & planning. Check EDQ for outcomes.
Planned long-term capacity
Public EDQ and government material commonly describes capacity in the order of around 8,000 new homes for approximately 20,000–24,000 people over the life of the project (wording varies slightly by source; EDQ material often cites ~8,000 homes for ~24,000 Queenslanders). These are planning-scale figures, not a timetable for when individual streets or services open.
Growth is expected to be staged over a long period — often described in the order of roughly two decades — with infrastructure intended to be delivered alongside development rather than all at once on day one.
Precinct 1 / early release context
Planning material identifies an early-release style area often described as Precinct 1 (Eastern / Early Release Area) east of Springacre Road, where development applications may proceed earlier under the Interim Land Use Plan while the broader Development Scheme is prepared. Exact precinct rules, maps and application status change — check EDQ documents and notification pages for the current position.
Character and transition realism
Today, much of Southern Thornlands still reads as rural-residential: larger lots, open sky, creek and bush edges, and traffic patterns tied to Mount Cotton Road and Boundary / Duncan Road corridors. Planned urban structure will change that picture over time, but not overnight.
Useful mental model for visitors to this site:
- Current character — predominantly rural / rural-residential on the ground
- Planning framework — PDA with staged growth intentions
- Environment — creek corridors and habitat values recognised in planning documents
- Certainty — live status always sits with official EDQ sources, not this site
Nearby context
Southern Thornlands sits near existing centres including Thornlands, Victoria Point, Cleveland, Capalaba and Mount Cotton. For access and services, see Location and Living here. For natural setting, see Environment.
Independence
This website is independent and is not affiliated with Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), the Minister for Economic Development Queensland, Redland City Council, any developers, or any government agency. We do not sell land or promote development products.