Scarborough Boat Harbour

Scarborough Boat Harbour is a vibrant part of the Redcliffe Peninsula community. We are currently undertaking a master planning process to help guide future activities at the boat harbour. 

Scarborough Boat Harbour is 1 of 8 state owned and operated boat harbours on the Queensland coast and hosts dry standings and wet berths, plus 2 public boat ramps (one at each end of the harbour). Scarborough Boat Harbour offers boating and cruising yacht facilities of particular significance for Australia's eastern seaboard.

The current function of Scarborough Boat Harbour is to:

  • provide safe and efficient access for recreational and commercial vessels
  • promote activities that are commercially and environmentally sustainable, support the maritime industry, and generate local employment and tourism.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth

Key features

We are now creating a master plan for the Scarborough Boat Harbour. The draft master plan will:

  • establish a new long-term vision
  • continue to provide safe and efficient access to Queensland waters
  • continue to provide berthing for recreational and commercial vessels
  • continue to promote activities that are commercially and environmentally sustainable, support the maritime industry, and generate local employment and tourism
  • identify potential opportunities and constraints
  • support the development of a sense of identity, increased activity and connections 
  • support leasing and investment decisions.

Current status

Development of a final Scarborough Boat Harbour Master Plan is now underway. It will be informed by:

  • community feedback that we gathered in October 2021
  • technical information and analysis including:
    • marine infrastructure and operations
    • economics, supply chain and tourism
    • land and marine environmental values
    • property and leasing
    • planning and urban design
    • noise and air quality.
  • targeted stakeholder engagement
  • community and stakeholder feedback on the draft master plan gathered between November 2023 to March 2024.

About the Scarborough Boat Harbour Draft Master Plan 

The Scarborough Boat Harbour Draft Master Plan, when finalised will be a strategic decision-making tool that will provide greater certainty to government, investors, tenants, stakeholders and the community about the Scarborough Boat Harbour’s future form and activity. The final master plan will be a non-statutory document used to guide future leasing and development decisions and implementation actions over time, while working within Queensland’s existing legislative and governance processes.

Goal for master planning at Scarborough Harbour 

Our goal for the master planning at Scarborough Harbour is to sustainably address a growing maritime industry, engage the community, enhance the function and quality of the harbour, and elevate the harbour’s recreation and tourism role in a manner that protects the important ecological values and processes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and the surrounding environment.

Insights and feedback received through the public consultation process will play a critical role in the development of a revised master plan.

Development and preparation of the draft master plan

We engaged a specialist multidisciplinary team to drive the development of the master plan and have been engaging with Moreton Bay City Council, state government agencies, tenants, and key stakeholders to inform the development of the draft master plan. 

Using an evidenced-based approach and the feedback received during early engagement, the master planning process has explored the opportunities and constraints of the harbour and the environmental, commercial, recreational, public and private opportunities for the harbour in the future.

Harbour access and traffic 

Traffic, transport and carparking matters have been considered during the preparation of the draft master plan. The draft master plan acknowledges further investigation of traffic, transport and carparking will be required, once feedback has been received through public consultation on the potential uses and layout of the harbour.

The draft master plan also recognises the need to work collaboratively with Moreton Bay City Council and the community and acknowledges that any future development will need to provide carparking, respect the residential setting of the harbour and complement movement networks.

Future assessment and environmental processes

The draft master plan relies on and works within the existing legislative and leasing frameworks relevant to the harbour. The draft master plan is a strategic, non-statutory document, which would not enable development or change to occur without further approvals. Future leasing and development decisions would be guided by the master plan, however any existing planning and environmental regulatory requirements and processes would need to be complied with such as Moreton Bay City Council’s Planning Scheme, and requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, where relevant. 

The draft master plan does not affect areas under the control of Moreton Bay City Council. Outcomes for these areas are identified indicatively in the draft master plan to illustrate potential harbour opportunities and how they could relate to the surrounding area, however decision-making processes for these areas remain with Moreton Bay City Council.

Implementation

The draft master plan is a strategic document that looks out to the year 2050 and will be used to guide decision-making and implementation actions over time. The draft master plan will be updated, monitored and reviewed into the future and existing lease arrangements would not be affected by the draft master plan.

To inform future changes at the harbour, further technical investigations and detailed design work will need to be undertaken, in collaboration with Moreton Bay City Council and other state government agencies. Transition of the harbour towards the vision will be achieved through staged improvements and changes to existing infrastructure, and new development and leasing opportunities. The draft master plan outcomes and initiatives will also be used to inform existing infrastructure planning and prioritisation programs.

Project timeline overview

  • October 2021 Pre-planning and early community engagement was completed
  • Early 2022 to late 2023 Preparing supporting technical assessments, reviewing community feedback, and draft master plan preparation
  • November 2023 to March 2024 public consultation on the draft master plan
  • Mid-2024 Master plan expected to be finalised

Draft master plan and community and stakeholder engagement 

From 13 November 2023 to 11 March 2024, we undertook public consultation on the draft master plan. Feedback from the community and stakeholders is now being reviewed and will be used to refine and inform development of the final Scarborough Boat Harbour Master Plan. 
Thank you everyone who participated and provided feedback on the draft master plan. Details of the engagement will be updated when available.

Early community engagement 

From 9 September to 24 October 2021, we undertook early community engagement to better understand what you value about the harbour, how you use the harbour and gather ideas about future use. 

Scarborough Boat Harbour engagement in numbers

  • 6.5 week engagement period
  • 30,000 fact sheets delivered to households and businesses in the Redcliffe Peninsula
  • 3,002 visits to the project webpage
  • 420 pieces of feedback from the community

Download the early engagement update.

Thank you everyone who shared their thoughts and ideas. Your insights have been used to inform the draft master plan.