Push for new projects
UDIA wants $4.7b for big items
TOOWOOMBA needs a $4.7 billion investment in transport and health infrastructure over the next 25 years, according to the development industry.
Top developer lobby group UDIA Queensland has revealed its wish list to the Toowoomba Regional Council, State and Federal Governments for the region, featuring four projects to cater for a growing population.
The list included a new Toowoomba Hospital at Baillie Henderson, as well as improvements to road and rail connectivity between Toowoomba and the rest of south-east Queensland.
UDIA CEO Kirsty Chessher-Brown said the group saw Toowoomba as a potential powerhouse for the south-east corner, but only if it was better connected and serviced by public transport.
“We’re a growing region, and we know by 2041, Toowoomba is expected to be home for an extra 46,000 residents,” she said.
“These are the projects that have the potential to unlock population growth.
“We think these are critical to addressing the needs of current and future residents.
“The key thing is to make public transport usable and ensure public transport provides the right service.”
The wish list comes amid a discussion over high-speed passenger rail between Toowoomba and Brisbane, which Mayor Paul Antonio said would be valuable as southeast Queensland bids for the 2032 Olympic Games.
Ms Chessher-Brown said the major obstacle to achieving the projects was a lack of coordination between different levels of government and through the private sector.
“Coordination between the different levels of government is vitally important,” she said.
“We know that quite often we have record infrastructure spends, and they need to be the new norm.
“We really need to make sure that we fund some of these projects so we’re not playing catch-up.
“We see City Deals as a potential way for this but whatever it looks like, that coordination is needed to really unlock the potential of the region.”