Toowoomba rural residential housing estate in Gowrie Junction approved by council

The Toowoomba Regional Council has approved a new housing estate just west of the city, despite opposition from some residents. Read the reactions here.

An aerial shot of land slated for a 49-lot subdivision in Gowrie Junction by Toowoomba developer Edward Hodge.

A new rural-residential subdivision just outside Toowoomba has been narrowly approved following a contentious vote of council this week, despite some opposition from neighbours.

Developer Edward Hodge has been approved for a new 46-lot housing estate based on a 16-hectare parcel off Gowrie-Tilgonda Road in Gowrie Junction.

Councillors voted 8-3 at Wednesday’s special meeting in favour of the proposal, which would create lots ranging from 2500 sqm to 6500 sqm across two stages.

The development was deemed impact-assessable, due to some lots not meeting the 4000 sqm minimum size for the rural residential zoning code.

More than 30 neighbours and residents across about 20 surrounding properties objected to the proposal, with the major issues surrounding the size of the smaller lots, stormwater and sewerage management and impacts on traffic.

The council’s planning and development department also took issue with the size of the proposed detention basin for the scale of the development, recommending two lots be removed from the plan for an expanded version to comply with the Queensland Urban Drainage Manual.

Neighbour Bruce Alcorn told councillors he believed stormwater run-off from the fully-developed site would run through his property once the detention basin was full, but could also cut off access to the road.

“You don’t happen to live there and you don’t see the storm and you won’t wear the impact of the erosion and the deluge that will come down when those retention basins are full and it cannot accommodate it and it spills,” he said.

“They (the council officers) have given me no confidence in what they’ve been able to present today (to mitigate the risk).”

Speaking on behalf of the developer, Property Projects Australia’s James Juhasz acknowledged concerns around stormwater and drainage, but believed the application’s proposed engineering and subsequent council conditioning would mitigate the impact on surrounding properties.

“In relation to the basin becoming larger, that is something that was raised in the report that we’ve seen in terms of the conditions that have been put forward,” he said.

“The certified engineer for the applicant believes that current size (of the development) is able to accommodate the basin; council engineers have a different view, and we respect that.

“We’ve been required to design to a particular standard, which we should be, and our assessing engineer believes that that standard has been achieved.

“But there is a further detailed engineering process that will be completed before any works can commence on site and council will have opportunity to make requests for information as part of that process.”

When asked by councillor Trevor Manteufel whether Mr Edwards would consider redesigning the subdivision so all lots were at least 4000 sqm, Mr Juhasz said the current plan was an “efficient use of the land”.

“There is context for the lot size already within this area of being less than 4,000 sqm, and what we’re proposing, while it’s less than 4,000, can still maintain rural character and amenity and it can integrate effectively with what is east and west of it.”

During debate, councillor Tim McMahon said he was satisfied with the conditions, adding that new housing was needed across the region.

“We have a SEQ regional plan that says this area, we must find a way to significantly increase our housing in this area,” he said

“We have engineers, both for council and both for the developer, who have come to an agreement on the engineering and I’m certainly not going to sit here as someone who hasn’t got an engineering degree and tell them their engineering is wrong.”

Speaking against the proposal, councillor Bill Cahill believed the development would contribute to “legacy issues” in the Kingsthorpe and Gowrie Junction areas around stormwater drainage.

“In the so-called requirement for extra land and houses, we choose to carve that up in an inconsistent manner, which brings forward potentially burden of infrastructure that may not have been required as early to address issues,” he said.

“I can’t help thinking that we’re trying to shoehorn too many lots in here.”

Councillors Manteufel and Carol Taylor joined Mr Cahill in voting against it.

Developer responds to project approval

Developer Edward Hodge.

Applicant and developer Edward Hodge of HF Capital Management praised the council’s decision, calling it the “right outcome”.

“I’m pleased that we had a strong majority of councillors in support of the project – it’s the right outcome for the development and the broader effort to get more housing on the ground,” he said.

“I was disappointed in some of the comments made in the meeting about the council’s engineers and our engineers.

“Engineering is an applied science; it’s not an opinion.

“We should be supporting our industry professionals by recognising and relying on their expertise, not undermining them without basis.”