The eight takeaways from this week in the Toowoomba Regional Council
IT’S committee meeting week for October, and that means the Toowoomba Regional Council has been kept busy with a number of interesting motions before it.
Council
Don't miss out on the headlines from Council. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It’s committee meeting week for October, and that means the Toowoomba Regional Council has been kept busy with a number of interesting motions before it.
As usual, there were plenty of stories worth covering in and out of the meetings, so here is a wrap on the past seven days.
Links to original articles are in the subheads.
1. NEW BRIDGE ST QUARRY COMMITTEE APPOINTED
THE members have been set for a key committee that will advise the Toowoomba Regional Council on the future of the highly-anticipated Bridge St Quarry Gardens project.
Councillors voted yesterday to endorse the representatives of the Bridge St Quarry development advisory committee, which will feature members from the council as well as representatives of key tourism, business, community groups.
A nearby Bridge St resident, Sue Collins, has also been selected to join the committee.
2. PARKLANDS EXPERT PANEL CREATED
THE Toowoomba Regional Council has created a new $12,000-a-year expert advisory panel that will help grow business activity in the Railway Parklands precinct.
More than a year after acknowledging the slow take-up of development inside the priority CBD area, councillors yesterday voted to establish the panel of outside consultants.
According to the report by TRC commercial development principal Andrew Quain, the body would help overcome challenges in the CBD with “commercial property vacancies, visitation and business confidence”.
3. QUESTIONS OVER SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP
A TOOWOOMBA councillor has called for a report on the exact economic and cultural value created by the region’s sister city relationship with a Chinese district.
Cr Carol Taylor yesterday questioned the value of the relationship the TRC had established with the Yuecheng District of Shaoxing back in late 2018.
Speaking during a discussion around deferring the signing of the council’s next international relationship, Cr Taylor highlighted the issue around a perceived lack of reciprocation from the TRC’s Chinese counterparts.
4. FLOOD MITIGATION PLAN FOR OAKEY SCRAPPED
THE Toowoomba Regional Council has walked away from a major flood mitigation plan to protect hundreds of households in the Oakey township because it believed the project’s cost outweighed the potential benefits.
Councillors on Tuesday endorsed the officer’s recommendation for the TRC to head back to the drawing board, after an independent engineering report revealed a proposed diversion channel option would cost nearly $100 million.
After voting to look into options under the Oakey Flood Risk Management Plan back in June last year, the diversion channel was determined as the “only feasible option warranting further investigation”.
5. SMALL TOWN DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES APPROVED
THE Toowoomba Regional Council has granted more than $160,000 in incentives and subsidies to four different projects based in regional towns.
Councillors voted on Tuesday to grant infrastructure charges subsidies to developments in Cambooya, Greenmount, Pittsworth and Hampton, after applications were submitted by the respective developers.
All were approved under the council’s Temporary Economic Development Incentives for District Townships Policy, which will grant a certain reduction in infrastructure charges for developments based outside Toowoomba.
6. FAST-TRACK FOR CITY’S WATER TREATMENT PLANT
THE Toowoomba Regional Council will seek advice from external contractors as part of the fast-tracking of a $19.5 million expansion of the city’s main water treatment plant.
Councillors voted on Tuesday to invite expressions of interest from a short-list of proponents to help with the expansion of the Mt Kynoch water treatment plant, which is due to reach capacity in 2022.
The TRC had already committed $3 million in the current budget towards the project.
7. COUNCIL TEAMS UP WITH NEIGHBOUR
THE Toowoomba Regional Council will team up with a neighbouring local government as part of a joint procurement process for waste and recyclables collection services.
Councillors voted at the committee meeting this week to join up with the Western Downs Regional Council in the process, which could lead to a cost saving for residents.
The TRC’s current waste and recyclables collection and bulk haul and processing of recyclables service contract will run out on June 30, 2023, with the WDRC’s contract due to expire in late 2022.
8. HERITAGE-LISTED BUILDINGS RECEIVE FUNDING
TWO historic and heritage-listed buildings in the Toowoomba region will be revitalised thanks to more than $18,000 in incentives from the council.
Councillors this week approved applications under the CBD Heritage Incentives policy for the old Crows Nest Post Office on Curnow St and the St Luke’s Church Hall on Herries St in Toowoomba City.
The works will involve a new paint job for each of the buildings by their respective owners.