Crows Nest Community Solutions to start $2.5m work on housing project after Toowoomba Regional Council approval

In a huge boost for affordable housing in a small town, a community group says it will start work on a major development to support aged and disability residents.

Crows Nest Community Solutions Ltd directors Jeff Close and Baden Brown surveys the plans for a new community and affordable housing project at the end of Creek Street in Crows Nest, dubbed Chaseley Park.

Work will start before the end of the year on a “platinum-level” community housing project in a northern Toowoomba region town.

Crows Nest Community Solutions says it is ready to move ahead with the initial stages Chaseley Park, a massive housing development slated for 45ha of land off Creek St near the edge of town.

It comes after the community group received approval from the Toowoomba Regional Council to split stage one into two parts.

Stage 1A, estimated to cost upwards of $2.5m, will include the required civil works as well as two two-bedroom duplexes and two two-bedroom units.

While the project will be focused on allowing older residents to remain in Crows Nest as they “age in place”, the housing for more than 100 people will be built as fully-accessible for those with disabilities.

Crows Nest Community Solutions has been cleared to start work on a major new affordable housing project in the Toowoomba region town.

CNCS committee member Baden Brown said stage 1A would be going ahead regardless thanks to funding from an ongoing partnership between parent organisation Progressive Community Crows Nest and Heritage Bank (soon to be renamed People First Bank).

Under the arrangement, the profits from the community bank are distributed back into the community by way of a grant process.

“We’ve got our development approvals and changes for the first stage of this,” Mr Brown said.

“1A will be going ahead, irrespective of anything else — we will fund it ourselves and it will include infrastructure for much of the project.

“We want to be doing some of the civil works this year, with building to occur next year.”

Mr Brown said along with securing external funding for stage 1B, the committee were also in talks with a community housing provider that would be able to manage Chaseley Park.

“What we are looking at is a community housing provider to partner with,” he said.

“We’re in the process of dealing with one particular group, whether we go ahead with them will depend on the next couple of weeks.

“If it comes to it, we’ll let them ourselves — we’re keen to get something happening.”