Toowoomba council votes to reverse original rejection of Essence Estate subdivision at Cotswold Hills
One of the region’s new councillors has helped reverse a decision to reject a $105m Toowoomba housing estate worth 171 lots, which has since landed in court at ratepayer expense.
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The Toowoomba Regional Council has sensationally backflipped on its decision to reject the remaining stages of a $105m housing estate in the city’s western suburbs, following a confidential discussion.
Homecorp Construction will soon be able to move forward with its original plan for stages five to 10 of Essence Estate in Cotswold Hills, worth more than 170 lots.
This proposal was knocked back by councillors at a special meeting in December, against the recommendations of their officers, after significant backlash from neighbouring residents.
The grounds for refusal related to some lots measuring just 450sq m, along with a lack of vegetative buffer zones between Essence and existing rural-residential homes.
There were also perceived flooding impacts and the loss of amenity for current locals.
Homecorp chief executive Ron Bakir called the refusal “pathetic” before appealing the decision in the planning and environment court.
But councillor and high-profile businessman Gary Gardner successfully managed to get the original motion reinstated following the council’s confidential discussion of the matter on June 11.
His motion, which was seconded by councillor Kerry Shine, will see council chief executive Brian Pidgeon settle the matter in court using the original plans.
Several councillors who voted to refuse the original motion, including Bill Cahill, Edwina Farquhar, Carol Taylor and Melissa Taylor, supported Mr Gardner’s move.
Tim McMahon was the only opponent, while mayor Geoff McDonald, deputy mayor Rebecca Vonhoff and councillor James O’Shea were not present due to conflicts of interest.
It comes just weeks after Mr Bakir and Homecorp lodged revised plans to move the project forward, arguing the lost months were not only costly but put the brakes on new housing.
“Our ideal situation is to keep the construction team on the ground (because) we’re developing the other stages right now, (and) we’re coming up to completion of civil works in August,” he said earlier this month.
“The best outcome is to have approval relatively quickly.
“Council should consider the shortage of housing — people are sleeping in their cars, so people should consider that and ask how they can get a speedy project through the system to assist the community.”
Under the new motion, this revised plan will be rejected in favour of the original application.
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