Toowoomba Regional Council to start work on new planning scheme by 2024
The Toowoomba Regional Council will start work on a new planning scheme to guide development across the region, in a project that will take until late 2024 to be completed.
Council
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The Toowoomba Regional Council’s planning and development committee yesterday recommended the TRC formally resolves to make a new planning scheme.
Mayor Paul Antonio said the key planning document was the council’s key plan for the region’s future development and shaped many of our prized lifestyle attributes.
“Our region’s population is expected to increase by an additional 54,000 people over the next 25 or so years and it is important for the council to reshape our formative strategies that will provide clear planning policies and direction for residents and the development industry,” Cr Antonio said.
“The new plan will ensure the council continues to meet community needs and expectations for urban land, employment and recreational opportunities well into the future; as well as aligning with state planning land use and economic development policy.”
TRC planning and development committee acting chair Cr Bill Cahill said the new scheme was one component of a broader program of strategic investigations that formed part of the council’s Toowoomba Region Futures program.
Cr Cahill said the new suite of work would establish a foundation plan that would determine how future growth would be managed, an infrastructure plan for servicing projected growth and a regulatory framework for guiding development.
“Work will progress early in 2021 and there will be multiple opportunities for the community and interested stakeholders to have a say about the future of the region,” he said.
“The new scheme will be prepared over four stages and is expected to be operational in late 2024.”
An amendment by Cr Rebecca Vonhoff to bring the plan forward by 12 months was voted down, but Cr Geoff McDonald’s follow-up amendment to have a draft ready by January 2024 was approved.
The recommendation will be considered for adoption at next Tuesday’s November ordinary meeting of the council.