Toowoomba development: 31 projects to be approved or start construction in 2024
From school expansions to the chemical plants, subdivisions to retirement resorts and everything in between, here are 31 projects looking to either get approved, start construction or open in 2024.
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Toowoomba is a fast-growing city, with commercial, educational, social and industrial developments of every size progressing all over the city.
From school expansions to the chemical plants, subdivisions to retirement resorts, here are 31 projects looking to either get approved, start construction or open in 2024:
1. New childcare centre, Harristown (proposed)
Part of a former Toowoomba council depot looks set to become a childcare centre, after plans were lodged to convert existing buildings for a new use.
Applicant Nurturing Ways Early Learning Centre, which operates a centre in Brisbane, submitted plans with Toowoomba Regional Council’s planning department in November for a new 94-place facility on the corner of Anzac Ave and Stephen St in Harristown.
The site forms part of the old council depot, which was sold recently after the council discontinued operations and moved them to Charlton.
The application is still before council.
2. Commercial-residential development, Wilsonton (proposed)
One of Toowoomba’s western suburbs could soon be home to a three-storey commercial and residential project, which would add 30 short-term and permanent unit dwellings to the market.
Brisbane investment firm 360Collective in September lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council for a mixed-use development on a vacant parcel of land on Erin Street in Wilsonton.
As outlined in the report by Steffan Town Planning, the project would include two ground-floor office tenancies, with 13 short-stay units and 17 permanent dwellings spread across the top storeys.
The council is still assessing the project.
3. Chemical plant, Charlton (approved)
A proposal for a massive chemical manufacturing plant in Toowoomba’s western suburbs, which could produce more than 18 million litres of herbicides and pesticides annually within five years, has been controversially approved by the council.
AgCrest Pty Ltd was given the green light in November to build a four-stage plant on a large parcel of land along Steger Rd in Charlton, which would involve the processing, storage and distribution of chemicals used in agriculture.
According to the original planning report by I3 Consulting, the 15ha facility would manufacture nearly 19 million litres of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and adjuvants by its fifth year of operation and employ more than 50 people.
It’s a project that has taken more than two years to be approved, given the high potential impacts of the use and opposition from some neighbouring residents.
4. Bracknell Lodge wedding venue expansion, Wyreema (approved)
The owners of popular Darling Downs wedding venue Bracknell Lodge have been approved to build a new indoor horse arena on land south of the function facility.
Rick and Rebecca Knudsen’s proposal for a 250-person indoor equestrian centre off Rosenberger Road in Wyreema was approved at a special council meeting in August.
Along with the 5600 sqm arena, the additions to the 60-hectare parcel include a toilet block and new camping area for 100 people.
It is understood horse-based events will not run past three days, with manure created by the animals transported off-site at the end of every event day.
5. Clock and Bull microbrewery, Cabarlah (approved)
The man hoping to transform a famous venue north of Toowoomba into a microbrewery and tourism spot says construction will start in 2024.
Damien Matthews says his revamp of the old Black Forest Hill Cuckoo Clock Centre along the New England Highway at Cabarlah can move ahead after securing changes to his original development applications with the Toowoomba Regional Council in December.
Dubbed the Clock and Bull Brewhouse and Chowhouse, the venue will feature a brewery, bar, outdoor seated areas and restaurant.
The new designs, which create temporary structures to house the commercial kitchen, along with the removal of council conditions requiring the widening of the intersecting Evans Rd have reportedly saved Mr Matthews nearly $1m in construction costs.
6. Solar farm and battery project, Punch’s Creek (proposed)
A massive Toowoomba region solar farm and battery storage project could be worth more than $1.5bn and employ about 450 people during construction if realised.
Brisbane boutique renewable energy developer Skylab lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council in March for a two-stage 800MW solar project and 250MW battery storage system across more than 1300ha of agricultural land at Punch’s Creek.
The project, to be located about an hour southwest of Toowoomba, has been in development since 2019 but was fast-tracked following changes in government policy and the increasing purchasing price for solar power.
According to the planning report by Echo Consultants’ Claire Driessen, the project would feed electricity into the existing Powerlink 330kV transmission line that runs through the site.
The application is currently at the public notification phase, after which it will likely head to a special council meeting next year.
7. Fruit and vegetable processing plant, Withcott (approved)
Lockyer Valley Fruit and Vegetable Processing Company, trading as Lockyer Valley Foods, will break ground within months at its proposed site in Withcott after securing enough seed funding from regular Queenslanders to buy the land.
The facility, which will employ more than 500 workers once operational, would annually turn 700,000 tonnes tomatoes, potatoes, beetroot, broccoli, berries and other fruits, vegetables and fungi sourced from the Darling Downs into supermarket products.
The team behind the ambitious $400m proposal just outside Toowoomba says it will buy $45m worth of local produce in its first year of opening.
After securing $4m in funds through a separate co-operative, company CEO Colin Dorber said he was in the process of formally buying the 54-hectare parcel with a view of starting earthworks as early as January.
8. 50-lot subdivision, Westbrook (approved)
A fast-growing community just outside Toowoomba is finally getting more housing, after the council approved a new 51-lot subdivision by a Brisbane developer in October.
Vanderbilt Private Equity director James Walsh was given the green light to turn a 51ha parcel of land off Katrina Court in Westbrook into a new housing estate over two stages.
According to the plans lodged in April, the new developer would retain an existing property in the centre of the parcel, before building lots around it and creating new roads for access.
According to the 2021 census, Westbrook grew by nearly 800 residents and more than 200 families over five years.
It is unclear when construction will start on the subdivision.
9. Living Gems retirement resort, Cotswold Hills (proposed)
Well known developer Living Gems lodged plans in November with the Toowoomba Regional Council to build a 266-home over-50s resort on a 12-hectare parcel along Hermitage Road in Cotswold Hills.
According to the report by Innovative Planning Solutions, the new retirement village would create spaces for more than 260 two-bedroom homes.
The plans also include community facilities like a clubhouse (including an indoor pool, covered bowling green, bowling alley and cinema), luxury summer house and other areas like tennis and pickleball courts and a community garden.
The council has submitted an information request and is waiting on the applicant’s response.
10. Glennie School ‘creative hub’, Newtown (proposed)
One of Toowoomba’s most prestigious private schools will transform part of its historic campus into a “creative hub” to nurture its students’ talents.
The Glennie School lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council in August to demolish the back half of its administration building to construct the hub.
The two-stage project would see the Anglican diocese-run girls school create a series of student gathering, socialising and studying areas, including a “social pantry”.
The works will see a loss of more than 700sq m of gross floor area, with the school arguing the revamp was part of its strategic direction and also a way to address safety issues with the administration building.
An information request has been submitted by council officers.
11. Two 35-lot subdivisions, Pittsworth (proposed/under construction)
The small town of Pittsworth looks set for an influx of hundreds of new residents, as developers ramp up plans to add another 70 residential lots to the local market.
Business partners Mark Droney and Doug Cattell have already started civil earthworks on a new 35-lot subdivision called Tuana Park on Margetts St, 18 months after they lodged plans for the project with the council.
The pair hope to have the works finished before the end of the 2023-24 financial year so sealing and registering can be completed.
Hot on the pair’s heals is developer Dallas Hunter, who in February submitted plans for a different 35-lot housing estate on Colbar St.
The development was approved in July, with an $834,000 infrastructure charges notice attached.
It is unclear when construction will start.
12. Medical centre expansion, Drayton (proposed)
The owner of a medical centre in one of Toowoomba’s future growth areas has laid out expansion plans in response to increased demand for services.
AK Medical put forward a proposal to the Toowoomba Regional Council in July to relocate the Drayton Medical Centre from the nearby shopping centre to a 2400 sqm parcel on Brisbane Street in Drayton.
A cafe and allied health tenancy has also been slated for the new site, which used to be the headquarters for the Toowoomba chapter of the God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club.
According to the report by Precinct Urban Planning’s Jess Garratt, the new premises will be large enough to host 10 GPs and 18 staff in total, catering for potentially hundreds of patients every day.
The application is currently at the public notification stage.
13. Social housing development, Toowoomba City (approved)
One of Australia’s most prominent charities has been given the green light to build a multistorey social housing complex in the Toowoomba CBD with nearly two dozen units.
In a rare bypassing of Toowoomba Regional Council, the Salvation Army secured approval from the state government for the project on a 1200 sqm parcel it owns on Snell Street earlier this year.
Designs show the development could have as much as five storeys, including an undercover car park and community care centre on the bottom floor.
The project will add another 23 dwellings to the social housing market, which has been severely under-serviced across Toowoomba for several years.
It was secured with a “ministerial infrastructure designation” (MID), signed off by then-acting State Development and Infrastructure Minister Meaghan Scanlon in June.
Construction has yet to start.
14. New People Choice Bank location, Toowoomba City (identified)
The Toowoomba CBD will remain the home of Australia’s largest mutual bank, after Heritage and People’s Choice revealed in April where it would be situated following an exhaustive search.
The former Shrine Catholic Church, based on a 2800 sqm site on the corner of Ruthven and Union Streets in Toowoomba City, will be demolished to make way for a six to seven-storey HQ by as early as 2027.
Chief executive Peter Lock said the new HQ would be a purpose-built, campus-style office designed to cater for modern workplaces and drop-in spaces.
Mr Lock said he hoped to have plans approved by the Toowoomba Regional Council before the end of 2024.
The joint venture in November revealed its new name would be People First from next year.
15. 350-lot subdivision, Kearneys Spring (partially approved)
Property developer Clive Berghofer looks set to release even more lots to the Toowoomba market, following an approval that forms the latest stage of his 350-lot subdivision.
Toowoomba Regional Council in December approved the creation of 34 extra residential lots in Mr Berghofer’s Kearney West Estate, a 10-stage development fronting West Street in Kearneys Spring.
The project is less than 500m from the Uniplaza Court shopping village and just 600m south of the University of Southern Queensland campus.
The new parcels, which represent the fifth stage of the housing estate, will range between 550 sqm and 880 sqm, with three identified for future duplex projects.
16. Glenvale Christian School expansion, Glenvale (proposed/under construction)
The burgeoning faith-based primary school turned ground in December on a new $2.5m classroom expansion, the next step in a long-term masterplan for the campus.
The project, managed by Aspect Architecture and to be completed by Newlands, will create a new two-storey learning block on the western side of the school.
Featuring two modern classrooms and a flexible learning space upstairs big enough for assemblies and presentations, principal Brett Munro said the project would increase the school’s capacity to nearly 200 children once completed.
The next step in the master plan is already in motion, with the school lodging an application with the Toowoomba Regional Council for a new Olympic-sized athletics and sports oval and associated facility on the northwestern corner of the campus.
17. 23-lot rural residential subdivision, Top Camp/Mount Rascal (approved)
Even more land in the corridor south of Toowoomba has been slated for development, with an application approved for new lots measuring upwards of 4000 sqm.
Developers Andrew Muller and Brendan Curr lodged plans in February with the Toowoomba Regional Council for the new “rural residential subdivision” on 18.5 hectares of land along Tranter Street in the localities of both Mount Rascal and Top Camp.
The land would be transformed into 23 new allotments measuring between 4000 sqm right up to nearly five hectares.
According to the planning report by Property Projects Australia, the new development would include new interior roads feeding off Tranter Street and servicing the new lots.
After getting the DA ticked off in July, the applicant is currently getting operational works approved with the council.
18. Mater Dei Primary School expansion, East Toowoomba (proposed)
A growing Toowoomba primary school in one of the city’s wealthiest suburbs wants to demolish a ‘unique’ but decaying home to make way for a significant expansion.
Mater Dei Primary School in East Toowoomba lodged plans with the council in November for a variation request over the land it sits on along Curzon St.
According to the planning report, the property known as “the white house” has not been occupied for many years due to extensive moisture damage owing to its “unique” construction design.
According to the school’s 2022 masterplan documents, the house will make way for the creation of new classrooms and learning buildings, catering for more than 100 new students.
The application is still under review.
19. Shopping centre, North Toowoomba (proposed)
A project that has been before council for more than a year, developers Barry and Mitchell Bernoth in November 2022 lodged plans for a $15m Woolworths-anchored shopping centre on Ruthven Street in North Toowoomba.
Along with the supermarket giant, the “neighbourhood centre” would include a service station, specialty stores and a food and drink outlet.
The proposal would also add traffic lights to Ruthven Street.
If approved, it would be located just 300m south of Northpoint Shopping Centre, which already has a Coles and several fast food outlets.
While Mr Bernoth has argued there was demand for a new supermarket in northern Toowoomba, two business owners based in Northpoint have lodged submissions against it.
Subway franchise owner Hazel Johnstone argued the introduction of a Woolworths would affect business at the existing Coles.
The application is not expected to have a decision on it until February at the earliest.
20. Social housing development, Newtown (proposed)
A massive proposal to create nearly 200 social housing units across a development potentially nine storeys high has been floated for an inner-city Toowoomba suburb.
A large parcel of land on Princess St in Newtown, just metres from both Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre and The Glennie School, could soon be home to 185 new social and affordable housing dwellings as part of a project by developer Newtown Qld Pty Ltd.
Massive Australian charity Mission Australia has already become involved as the future operator, should the plans be approved.
If given the green light, the 5000sq m development would potentially halve Toowoomba’s waitlist for social housing and add to the more than 200 affordable and public dwellings already in the pipeline across the city.
It is understood the project would feature two-thirds affordable housing (dwellings where the rent is capped at 80 per cent of the market rate), with the balance being social housing (heavily subsidised units for tenants on low income or unable to work).
Instead of lodging an application with the Toowoomba Regional Council, the developers will apply for a ministerial infrastructure designation through the state government, with traffic, stormwater and amenity likely to be key issues.
The Glennie Parents and Friends Association wrote in November it was gathering submissions against the project from locals, calling the development a “safety concern”.
21. Wedding venue, Kingsthorpe (proposed)
The owner of a historic homestead west of Toowoomba has revealed plans to use the grounds as a destination wedding venue for up to 140 people.
Jacqueline Purcell, who is listed as the owner of the Old Gowrie Homestead at Kingsthorpe, lodged a development application in May with the Toowoomba Regional Council for a “function facility” at the 12-hectare site.
According to the report by Adams and Sparkes Town Planning, the proposal would involve installing a marquee in the gardens, as well as building an ancillary car park to the side of the main property.
The report said the improvements would not detract from the homestead’s historical elements.
The council has submitted an information request to the applicants and is awaiting a response.
22. Gainsborough Lodge subdivision, Wellcamp (approved)
Two of Toowoomba’s most prominent developers have joined forces to create housing for more than 1000 new residents on land that was once a famous horse stud.
Wagner Corporation and the Richards Group revealed in September they would plan to break ground in 2024 on a 340-lot subdivision at Gainsborough Lodge, off Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road in Wellcamp.
It comes after the Toowoomba Regional Council gave approval for the project, which acts as stages two to eight of the master plan.
With an existing approval of 56 lots in the first stage, it means nearly 400 lots will be created over several years.
It is a project that was first forecast for the massive parcel of land at the stud by managing director Melinda Richards and her team back in 2020.
23. New shopping centre, Drayton (approved)
A new shopping centre featuring a supermarket and specialty stores is coming to a fast-growing Toowoomba suburb.
Brisbane developer Capital Transactions submitted plans to the council in March for a new commercial precinct on a 6200sq m parcel along Brisbane Street in Drayton, in between the local police station and the Drayton Hotel.
The site had previously been given the green light for a different shopping centre back in 2008, but the approval lapsed before it could be built.
According to the planning report by Place Design Group, the new centre would include a 2000sq m supermarket as the anchor tenant, two smaller shopfronts, alfresco dining area, significant landscaping and more than 100 parking spaces.
The council approved the DA in August, with construction yet to start.
24. Carl’s Jr restaurant, Wilsonton (under construction)
One of the world’s most famous burger franchises is finally coming to Toowoomba – with a little help from a former Garden City “Macca’s King”.
Mr Beer, who finally divested from the Golden Arches in 2021 with the sale of his Harristown location, helped secure development approvals through the Toowoomba Regional Council in February.
He will also build the 300sq m drive-through eatery for the franchisee – his nephew David Beer.
Mr Beer said he had been approached by Carl’s Jr Australia on multiple occasions to help the company cut into Toowoomba’s lucrative fast food market, but had to wait until he had finally untangled himself with McDonald’s.
Signage has gone up at the site, with the view of completion in 2024.
25. Officeworks and fast-food eateries, Harristown (under construction)
Developers Rob and Cathy Weymouth were approved in March by the Toowoomba Regional Council to build a $30m retail complex on the corner of James and West streets, with Officeworks as the anchor tenant along with two food and drink tenancies.
The squash club farewelled the courts earlier in December with a set of games and a barbecue, with no new home identified.
26. Toowoomba Anglican School expansion, East Toowoomba (approved)
In one of the most controversial council decisions this year, Toowoomba Anglican School was given the green light in November for a significant campus expansion, despite fierce opposition from neighbours who called it “unreasonable” and “poor planning”.
The school was approved at a special council meeting to build a two-storey building called “Gill House” along Wirra Wirra Street in East Toowoomba.
The proposed facility, which adjoins the nearby tennis courts run by TAS, includes classroom, change rooms and offices.
But the planned expansion has been slammed by neighbours, with 11 submissions made by residents against the proposal.
Addressing councillors, homeowner Emma Piovesan said the project was inconsistent with the low-density zoning that partially covered the site and would have significant noise, amenity, parking and traffic impacts.
27. New Guzman Y Gomez restaurant, Wilsonton (under construction)
Work has started on a new drive-through eatery after the council voted in 2022 to approve a new Guzman Y Gomez drive-through restaurant in Wilsonton.
The new seven-day eatery on the corner of Bridge Street and Richmond Drive was given the green light despite opposition from landholders.
28. Luxury residential tower, East Toowoomba (proposed)
One of Toowoomba’s largest companies will turn a prime block of vacant land in the CBD into a “luxury” residential tower that it believes will open up the city’s unit market.
FKG Group in November lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council to build 19 units along Kitchener Street in East Toowoomba.
The project, which has been designed by local architects Feather and Lawry Design, will feature four apartment levels and two penthouse floors, with the top floor to become Toowoomba’s only private roof terrace and wellness retreat.
This would include a pool, spa, gym, yoga room and entertainment area, which FKG Group has argued would create “a haven of relaxation”.
It is understood construction could start in the next financial year, pending approval from the council.
The proposal has created a stir in the housing market, with Real Estate Institute of Queensland’s Toowoomba chair Daniel Burrett believing the city’s development sector to be watching the turnover and sale prices of FKG’s units closely.
29. Commercial precinct, Mount Kynoch (proposed)
Sunshine Coast-based developer Sam Morris lodged plans in December with the Toowoomba Regional Council to create a new $65m mixed-use commercial precinct along the New England Highway at Mount Kynoch.
Dubbed Vue @ Habitat, the extensive project will sit directly next to and cater for the underdevelopment $200m Habitat Mt Kynoch housing project that will create homes for thousands of new residents.
The 147-hectare housing estate, first conceived in 2017 and subsequently approved by council, will help bridge the urban footprint between Toowoomba and Highfields – creating the need for social and commercial infrastructure.
Submitted as three development applications (DAs) and covering 6600 sqm, Vue @ Habitat will host a service station with a food and drink outlet, two drive-through restaurants, GP clinic, pharmacy, vet, two gyms, pub, drive-through bottle shop and five walk-in eateries.
30. Gasworks mixed-use redevelopment, Toowoomba City
One of the last major parcels of land in the Toowoomba CBD could be soon filled, after plans were lodged for a huge residential and commercial precinct at the old Toowoomba Gasworks site.
New South Wales developer Gerard Hanna, through his appropriately-named company Gasworks Rejuvenation Pty Ltd, submitted his application with the Toowoomba Regional Council for the new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Chalk Drive and Neil Street.
The project, according to the report by Precinct Urban Planning, will feature more than 50 new units, a supermarket, multiple retail tenancies and a plaza-style walkway.
The project would introduce a new supermarket chain to Toowoomba, with the economic needs assessment report revealing it to be Fresh and Save that already has seven stores across Queensland.
31. Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s Health Museum, Cranley (under construction)
Hutchinson Builders has already started work on converting the old Baillie Henderson superintendent’s building fronting Hogg St in Cranley into a space showcasing the history of the health sector in the Darling Downs.
The three-stage $8.5m project, called the Museum of Health and spearheaded by the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation, will include a museum featuring some of the best pieces from Darling Downs Health’s extensive archive, along with a gift shop, cafe, office space for the foundation and amphitheatre for live performances.
Hutchies team leader Sean Lees said more than 200 tradies would work on the project, including specialists in remediating and revitalising historical buildings like the superintendent’s quarters.
Hospital foundation CEO Alison Kennedy said a tribute to the region’s health services was the perfect reuse of the heritage-listed building, after it spent years of falling into disrepair.
Do you know of any other projects starting or finishing construction in 2024? Let us know at thomas.gillespie@news.com.au and we’ll add it to the list.
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