Stakeholders are working to shape two different futures for the former North Lakes Golf Course, after a proposal emerged to build an independent school there, expected to grow over a period ten years. The planned school, from pre-prep to Year 12, would eventually have capacity for up to 1,550 students.
Read: School Planned for North Lakes Common Development
Under the plan from JH Northlakes in partnership with the Anglican Schools Commission, around 15 hectares of the former golf course, south of Diamond Jubilee Way, would be used for two school campuses. Developers say roughly two-thirds of that area would remain as open space or playing fields.
JH Northlakes’ CEO, Simon Forsyth, has described the site as under-utilised land located within a growing urban area. The proposal aims to help meet a forecast need for additional school places in the region: the Independent Schools Queensland estimates the City of Moreton Bay may require more than 21,000 extra school places by 2046. Forsyth also noted that school enrolments across the City rose by 646 this year to 14,996, underlining pressure on existing facilities.
Rather than opening at full capacity, the school is expected to grow over about a decade. Proposed amenities include a swimming pool, chapel, playing fields — facilities developers say could benefit both students and the wider community. The developers maintain that education is an allowable use under the relevant planning rules, and note that although the site lies within a broader Koala Priority Area, there is no mapped koala-habitat within the proposed school footprint.
According to JH Northlakes, they plan to lodge a development application through the state-level Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) process in the coming weeks. If accepted, final approval would rest with the state Deputy Premier, who oversees the relevant portfolio. The MID process includes two rounds of public consultation, with formal opportunities for feedback expected as early as 2026.
On the other side, the community group Save North Lakes Golf Course (SNLGC) has renewed its opposition. The group recalls that a similar proposal for the same parcel of land was rejected by the State Government in 2021, and says the land was originally intended to remain recreational open space as part of an environmental corridor under the suburb’s master plan.
Traffic and parking concerns remain central to SNLGC’s objections. The group warns that the proposed main entrance off Endeavour Boulevard could worsen congestion and strain street parking in surrounding areas. Around 50 residents, including SNLGC members, attended a recent community information session, where concerns were raised about the cumulative impact of the school, a proposed driving range, and further development using the former clubhouse and fairways.
JH Northlakes also has a separate development application before council for a 68-bay driving range, restaurant and conference facilities on approximately 2.1 hectares of the former course. That application is currently in a holding period: the applicant paused its response to an information request, with updated material now due by December 19.
For some residents, the school proposal represents a significant shift for North Lakes, from a suburb originally planned with integrated green corridors and open space to one facing denser institutional or commercial development. For others, it is viewed as a pragmatic response to growing demand, offering new education and recreational infrastructure.
Read: North Lakes Faces Another Choice Over its Former Golf Course
At present the school proposal is in preliminary consultation. If the MID lodgement goes ahead, residents will have another opportunity to formally lodge feedback. As the community watches carefully, the coming months may determine whether North Lakes retains more of its original character, or begins a new chapter of redevelopment.
Published 11-December-2025
