Toowoomba Regional Council to explore incentives to encourage shop top living in CBD
The Toowoomba Regional Council will consider incentives like general rates waivers to further promote the idea of turning vacant office space into CBD apartments.
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General rates waivers could be among the incentives the Toowoomba Regional Council will consider to encourage the take-up of shop top unit conversions in the CBD.
Councillors voted at Tuesday’s ordinary meeting to endorse its new Shop Top Living guidelines, which aimed to “demystify” the planning process of turning disused office space into apartments.
The proportion of Toowoomba’s population living in the CBD was the lower than seven other major regional cities across Australia, at just 1.4 per cent.
Cr Rebecca Vonhoff amended the motion to adopt the guidelines to include exploring options that would incentivise conversions, citing potential rate waivers or deferrals for a period of time.
Cr Geoff McDonald supported the change but suggested the wording not include a specific incentives strategy.
With the current CBD incentives period finishing at the end of the current financial year, planning and development general manager Stewart Somers suggested that would be a good period to consider introducing new measures.
The motion was moved unanimously.
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