On 8 October 2010, Economic Development Queensland declared Yarrabilba a Priority Development Area (PDA). Situated within the Logan City Council local government area between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the site is one of South East Queensland’s significant greenfield urban growth corridors, with a designated PDA boundary of approximately 2,200 hectares. Development is predominantly managed by Lendlease under the Economic Development Queensland planning framework, with the broader master plan outlining a 30-plus year development lifecycle.
Planning Framework and Precinct Structure
The PDA declaration established a statutory planning and land development framework designed to promote economic growth, streamline approvals, and deliver coordinated civil infrastructure across the site over its multi-decade rollout.
Residential growth is organised across several named precincts, each linked to specific housing stages and parkland integration, including Neumann, The Oval, Solander and Wickham Rise. Alongside residential development, the Yarrabilba Mixed Industry and Business Area (MIBA) is set aside for light industrial, commercial and employment uses, aiming to provide local work opportunities within the suburb rather than relying entirely on external regional hubs.
Population and Housing Targets
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census, Yarrabilba had a population of 10,250 residents occupying more than 3,500 private dwellings at that time. This reflects an early-to-mid phase of a project designed for substantially higher density over time.
The overall master plan targets a total yield of approximately 17,000 to 20,000 dwellings at completion, with an ultimate projected population estimated between 45,000 and 50,000 residents. These figures are long-term master-plan projections established by Lendlease, not current population or completed dwelling totals, and development continues across distinct precinct releases rather than a fixed timeline.
Schools and Education
Yarrabilba State School provides local primary education, and Yarrabilba State Secondary College provides public secondary schooling within the suburb. San Damiano College offers an additional secondary school option locally. Early learning and childcare centres also operate within the community, supporting families before primary enrolment.
Having primary and secondary schools established within Yarrabilba allows local students to complete their schooling without leaving the suburb.
Parks and Recreation
Darlington Parklands is Yarrabilba’s primary community hub for water play and active recreation, combining a free water-play area, shaded picnic shelters and BBQ facilities, climbing structures, a 30-metre flying fox, outdoor gym equipment, a basketball half-court and paved walking tracks. It also hosts the weekly Yarrabilba Parkrun.
Buxton Park offers specialised play focused on digital interactivity and physical agility, including an outdoor digital interactive play arch (Yalp Sona) that uses sound and movement to structure games for children, alongside obstacle courses and open green space.
Adjacent to the suburb, Plunkett Conservation Park provides direct access to natural bushland characterised by sandstone ridges and eucalypt forest, used for bushwalking, trail running, mountain biking and wildlife spotting. Yarrabilba’s park network also includes neighbourhood dog parks and dedicated skate and BMX tracks, and is jointly managed by Lendlease and Logan City Council.
Shopping and Community Amenities
The master plan integrates local shopping centres providing everyday retail, dining and commercial services, alongside dedicated sports ovals for organised sport and community recreation. These built amenities sit within a wider network of preserved bushland reserves woven through the residential precincts.
Where Narevella Can Help
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