TRC removes red tape to aid housing supply

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) today (August 16) endorsed seeking Ministerial approval to remove regulations to aid new housing supply.

TRC Planning and Development Committee chair Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan said this was part of four measures Council would use to simplify and speed up the approval process for new housing across the Region.

Cr O’Hara Sullivan said the simpler process would streamline development mostly in emerging areas in Cotswold Hills, Torrington, Glenvale and Drayton. Around 430 hectares of land or 3700 lots (mostly 700m², in keeping with sizes agreed to by the development industry) will be available for new dwellings.

“This move will create a simpler, shorter and lower-risk process for the development of land with access to existing or planned infrastructure,” Cr O’Hara Sullivan said.

“It also creates more options for the management of stormwater for medium density development on sites that slope away from the street, making them more feasible for redevelopment.

“Council has taken this action to encourage the development of new housing stock on appropriately serviced and located land in the planning scheme area to assist with addressing our current housing shortage.

“Senior TRC planning officers consulted with their state government counterparts and other development industry professionals to devise a range of measures and other policies to enable developers to offer greater housing choice across the Region.”

Cr O’Hara Sullivan said Council continued to investigate options and hold discussions about suitable Council-owned land that could be developed by social housing providers or private developers.

“We will continue to lobby the state government and community housing providers to find solutions for the urgent provision of social housing and affordable housing for the private rental market,” Cr O’Hara Sullivan said.

TRC Planning and Development Committee portfolio leader Cr Bill Cahill said Council’s initiatives were designed to assist in the provision of more rental accommodation in the Region’s existing urban areas, as well as making it easier for developers to provide new housing lots for owner occupiers in the short term, (especially given the demand for new owner occupier homes that has been driven by federal stimulus incentives).

“History and statistical evidence show us that these measures look to give us the greatest yield for new dwellings on the ground,” Cr Cahill said.

“Council is also looking to unlock the latent capacity in our existing infrastructure networks, particularly around in-fill development. This also delivers a more cost-effective solution as we encourage more dwellings to be built.

“We acknowledge that housing supply and housing rental stress are key issues being experienced in our community, that have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic changes.

“These challenges are not unique to the Toowoomba Region and reflect challenges being experienced across Australia.

“Council continues to meet with the development industry as part of ongoing discussions to address housing supply concerns across the Region.

“Council must manage growth sustainably and responsibly and is actively planning for the future in developing a new Toowoomba Regional Growth Plan and planning scheme.”

Council’s additional housing incentive measures (that were endorsed in June 2022), include:

• Reducing application fees by 50% for building new infrastructure associated with new subdivisions for a period not exceeding 12 months from June 2022,

• Bringing forward an incentives policy for adoption, that in principle reduces the infrastructure charges normally applicable to a medium density development. The details of this incentives policy are yet to be determined and endorsed by Council.