Queensland's transport department and Brisbane City Council appear to have resolved a squabble over the installation of a new bus route in a section of the capital's booming south-west.

Current route 126 (Sunnybank to Acacia Ridge) will be realigned and extended to run along Mains Road and also south to Ritchie Road, providing Pallara residents a bus route to Sunnybank Plaza and CBD connections, or further south to Heathwood.

But the timeline for its installation was uncertain as the council wanted the state to fast-track the installation of the bus route with temporary bus shelters and stops, while TMR required at least six disability-compliant, permanent bus stops installed before the route began.

A letter from TMR to the council's transport committee chairman Ryan Murphy was tabled in a chamber meeting this month, proposing to "correct the record" on discussions regarding the proposed bus route.

In the letter, Transport Minister Mark Bailey wrote that Translink supported a "second business case" for the bus service and was "ready to commence services from 27 June 2022 however Brisbane City Council is required to install approximately 17 new or upgraded bus stops along the proposed route".

Mr Bailey wrote that any bus stops installed needed to meet federal accessibility requirements and comply with other Australian laws.

Member for Algester Leeanne Enoch said the service was reliant on Brisbane City Council delivering "permanent, and accessible bus shelters for commuters".

However Calamvale Ward Councillor Angela Owen argued the the council had "submitted four business cases since March 2020 supporting the case for Pallara bus services, but each has been rejected".

Cr Owen said TMR had agreed with the provision of temporary bus stops along the route in February and March this year, but by April had decided not to implement the service because of the lack of permanent bus stops.

"The state government has come up with every excuse in the book to avoid funding Pallara buses," she said.

"I have also had council engineers and officers working with me to assess suitable locations for bus stops which can only be installed as local development progresses and the Ritchie Road upgrade gets delivered."

But, this week Ms Enoch said locals would begin to notice bus stop building activity in coming months.

"To deliver the service we needed Brisbane City Council to provide permanent, and accessible bus shelters for commuters," she said.

"Council have now agreed to deliver these bus stops so we can get on with the job of providing an extended 126 service.

"The extensive new coverage area will mean that a large number of residents will now be within walking distance of public transport from their homes for the first time.

The council confirmed there was a "plan to work towards six stops which is now underway".

Suburb moved with ward boundaries

Cr Owen said since Pallara became part of her ward, she had "helped secure a new school bus service, land for a new sports park, stormwater improvements, additional green space and funding to upgrade Ritchie Road for Pallara residents". 

Ward boundary realignment meant Pallara only became part of Calamvale Ward in March 2020 and was in the Labor-held ward of Moorooka between 2016 and 2020.

Moorooka's Cr Steve Griffiths said when the suburb was under his responsibility, he too "campaigned relentlessly on behalf of residents for basic services and suburban infrastructure". 

The council's Labor Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy said "Pallara has fast become one of Brisbane’s most neglected suburbs".

"You can’t have bus services without building bus stops and footpaths first and it’s this basic suburban infrastructure that LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and local LNP Councillor Angela Owen have been refusing to deliver for the people of Pallara," he said.

Pallara school population explosion

The rapid growth in Pallara has compounded enrolment pressure at Pallara State School, where the student population has tripled in five years, and is double its original capacity.

The school's original maximum capacity was 498 students but enrolments have surged from 317 in 2016 when it opened to 1017 this year.

In a school newsletter to parents earlier this year, principal Mark Johnstone urged parents to drive safely and abide by road traffic rules in the car park and around the school, after 80 police infringements were issued in one week during the first term.

To meet the growing enrolment demand, the education department spent about $11.5 million building a new three-story learning centre with 17 classrooms, which opened at the start of 2021, meaning the school now has a built capacity for 1,260 students.

An education department spokesperson said planning was underway, in consultation with the school, to support local enrolment growth.

"The school does not require additional relief teachers to cover classes, other than when substantive teachers are on leave."