TRC to review options to stimulate medium density housing

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) will review options to stimulate medium density housing construction and offer available land that could be used by community housing providers in a concerted effort to address the Region’s rental housing shortage.

Council’s December Ordinary Meeting this week endorsed motions that are designed to offer more stock for the Region’s rental housing market.

TRC Planning and Development Committee chair Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan, who moved the motion, said Council was determined to examine every available measure to relieve pressure on an extremely tight rental market.

“Council appreciates the input of all concerned parties and will continue to work with the development industry and other interested parties to address problems around availability of rental accommodation across the Region’s major urban areas,” Cr O’Hara Sullivan said.

“Council’s planners are examining various options to encourage the development industry to invest in medium density housing forms in the short term. This is a problem that is being experienced across Queensland and Australia.

“Incentives in the form of infrastructure charges discounts are one way to help developers increase the supply of medium density housing.

“The state and federal housing incentives that were introduced over the past year, while very welcome, have meant there is an imbalance between the construction of detached dwellings and medium density attached dwellings across the Region.

“Discissions with members of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) and other key development industry representatives have revealed their concerns about the imbalance in the available housing stock, particularly for the rental market.

“Figures indicate that around half of medium density housing goes directly to the rental market, with the other half to owner/occupiers.

“While Council has a limited role in influencing issues concerning broader private housing construction, we can offer infrastructure charges discounts relating to site amalgamation and design excellence.

“Other means of stimulating attached housing construction will be addressed as part of our review of current planning scheme provisions. Potential temporary rates relief for an agreed timeframe could also be considered by Council.”

Cr O’Hara Sullivan said Council was aware of issues raised by the development industry in relation to the provision of essential urban infrastructure, land fragmentation and wider housing market factors, and had used feedback around these topics to inform options presented in the Growth Plan.

“Long-term planning and engaging with higher levels of government are critical to addressing housing rental issues being experienced by parts of our community, especially those sectors that have special housing needs or who are unable to gain a foothold in the private housing market,” Cr O’Hara Sullivan said.

“Council officers will continue to hold discussions with community housing providers, including state government housing officers.

“Discussions have covered potential sites owned by Council and the state government that could be offered to a community housing company to provide a greater mix of housing options for people with particular needs.

“Council is optimistic that these measures will contribute to encouraging greater interest in the construction of dwellings suitable for rental housing, which will greatly relieve our Region’s current rental housing shortage.”