Time for Toowoomba Council to act on our housing crisis
WE acknowledge the initiatives proposed by Toowoomba Regional Council to resolve the housing crisis namely a temporary planning instrument to vary the level of assessment for land in the Emerging Community Zone, 50% reduction in operational works fees, infrastructure charges incentives for medium density developments, and reviewing requirements for charge stormwater drainage pipes.
However, these principally deal with infill development only.
It is our view these will have no meaningful impact on the supply of additional greenfield residential land.
On April 29, the Toowoomba Chamber invited Toowoomba council officers and all councillors to discuss potential solutions to the housing crisis.
We thank those who attended and for listening to possible solutions.
At this meeting, our independent consultant provided context to the report and outlined solutions specifically relating to the priority infrastructure area expansion and the temporary local planning instrument for priority growth areas.
It was noted that:
● the recent Toowoomba Regional Council resolution to address the matter did not embrace most of the Toowoomba Chamber’s independent report recommendations failing to comprehensively address greenfield areas;
● after reviewing the facts, figures and maps provided by Toowoomba Regional Council, their assertions that there is 27 years’ residential land supply and 4300 approved lots as reported are incorrect; and the recent media release from Toowoomba Regional Council articulates their view that there is not a land supply issue in the city.
Considering the resolution, we offered commentary and solutions as articulated as articulated in our report, for further consideration.
We trust these suggestions will be considered by both officers and the city’s policy makers, the councillors, as Toowoomba Regional Council finalises its course of action on the policy levers it has at hand, to play their part in helping to address the housing crisis the city faces.
As a fiercely independent body, we will continue to work hard to understand and address our members’ concerns.
The decision now lies solely on the hands of the Toowoomba Regional Council.