When Zac Potter and Emma Sorenson first laid eyes on their Moreton Bay property the house was dishevelled, but they knew the 5 acres of koala sanctuary was going to be their "forever home".
But just months later, doubt was cast over their plan when a neighbour revealed that a four-lane highway might pass right through their home.
Planning is underway for the Bruce Highway Western Alternative to improve transport options for the rapidly growing Moreton Bay population – which is predicted to hit 750,000 by 2041.
The Department of Transport is yet to finalise the path for stage 2 of the highway but has identified a broad corridor, which encompasses Ms Sorenson and Mr Potter's property.
The peak body for outer suburban councils, the National Growth Areas Alliance, estimates about 18 per cent of the Australian workforce lives in outer suburban areas, with about 1.3 million people facing long-distance commutes daily.
As suburbs across the country experience growth almost double the national average – the onus is on national leaders to balance the need for improved infrastructure against the impact on existing residents.
'Forever home' in jeopardy
Ms Sorenson and Mr Potter are planning to get married on their Kurwongbah property in March next year but are concerned by the possibility of resumption.
"You don't want to fork out all this money for then someone's turn around and say, 'sorry, we actually need your land to build a highway'," Ms Sorenson said.
"That was a big part of the reason we purchased the property, so we could get married on property, we're going to spend our life and we're going to have children here."
The pair said they had spent upwards of $120,000 improving the house and landscape and were planning to put up a fight.
In a statement, a Transport Department spokesperson said the plans for the relevant stage of construction were yet to be finalised, and that plans would be put to the community for feedback.
Vital infrastructure needed for growing region
If funded, the Bruce Highway Western Alternative would connect Beerburrum to the Petrie Mill Precinct — easing traffic between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast through Caboolture West – a booming new suburb expected to swell to the population of Mackay.
The road is a priority on the Federal Election wish list for the Moreton Bay Regional Council, which currently has almost the same population as Tasmania and is gearing up to grow by half again within two decades.
"I have a fear that as we're regional council that we keep getting overlooked by the federal government and often state governments for investment in infrastructure to deal with that growth," Mayor Peter Flannery said.
Moreton Bay encompasses three key coalition-held seats; Longman and Dickson held with margins of less than 5 per cent, and Petrie, a bellwether seat that has fallen the way of the party that has won government since 1987.
Mr Flannery said he would have expected more funding commitments from either major party for the region.
"They've dipped their toe in a few things, some smaller projects, I look forward to the bigger ones, when they want to move forward with them," Mr Flannery said.
The suburbs weaning off the commute
About half of Moreton Bay's workforce leaves the area for work, and the council is implementing a plan to create a new-age city – with a series of smaller urban centres where people can live, work and play closer to home.
"We'd be focused on bringing those jobs back within our region, because the time you spend on those highways, and the traffic on the train, is time you've lost out with your family or friends or doing what kind of recreational activities you love to do," Mr Flannery said.
In Western Sydney, a metropolis is being planned to surround the new Western Sydney International Airport.
The Western Sydney Aerotropolis promises to deliver more than 200,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing, computing, defence, pharmaceutical and aerospace industries 60 kilometres west of Sydney's CBD.
Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said the LNP had committed $120 billion to improve infrastructure in suburban areas across Australia, and is making closer commutes a priority.
"It's not just about the transport infrastructure — it's about attracting jobs, and it's also about great planning," Mr Fletcher said.
The ABC made multiple attempts to contact Labor's infrastructure spokespeople Catherine King and Andrew Giles but neither were available for an interview.
Commuter experience
But not all who commute are frustrated.
Twenty-three-year-old Emily Jose broke into the property market in Geelong last year and commutes the hour-and-a-half to her job in Melbourne three times a week, either by train or road.
"I see it as an opportunity to kind of reclaim some me time… I can stick my earphones in, I can read a book," Ms Jose said.
She grew up in the Dandenong Ranges and went to high school 40 minutes away.
"I hope that one day, I will have that opportunity to only have to drive 20 minutes or so to work, because that would certainly make life a little bit easier, but right at this point in time it doesn't faze me that I have to commute to Melbourne for work.
"I'm not looking to move on from my role, any time soon," she said.
EDITOR'S NOTE: May 6, 2022: This article was updated to correct a sentence that incorrectly stated the planned Western Sydney Aerotropolis was located in the electorate of Bradfield.
