Developer Stephen Bowers takes aim at Toowoomba council over rejected green space, detention basin plans

Developers have taken aim at the council over its approach to creating new green spaces, arguing they don’t want embellished areas. Vote in our poll here:

One of Toowoomba’s most prominent developers says the council doesn’t want embellished green spaces in new subdivisions, after his proposal for a dog off-leash park was rejected.

Avenues of Highfields project manager Stephen Bowers took aim at the council’s parks and gardens team over its approach to new public areas, accusing it of wanting “something they can put a slasher down on”.

It comes just weeks after thousands of residents signed a petition calling for the council to reform its tree clearing laws following the felling of hundreds of mature trees for subdivisions.

Mr Bowers said he submitted plans recently to turn a mandatory detention basin, which captures stormwater during heavy rain events, inside the Avenues of Highfields into a dog off-leash park.

Developer Stephen Bowers says the Toowoomba Regional Council has pushed back against the industry from creating more embellished green spaces.

But the proposal, which included dozens of fig trees, native plants and necessary park infrastructure, was rejected by the council’s parks and gardens team.

“Developers do want to invest in landscaping (but) councils want something they can put a slasher down on, nothing more,” he said.

“Parks and gardens hate it (my concepts) — you look at detention basins in Highfields, it’s not because the developers want it that way, it’s because of parks and gardens.

“In the detention basin I have some opportunities to plant some massive trees where their roots won’t be constrained.

“We can create remnant forest and it has no impact whatsoever on the detention basin (but) these are thwarted by policies of the council.”

Other developers, who asked not to be named, also expressed concerns about the council’s approach to new green spaces.

The council will spend $50m on parks and recreation in the current financial year.

In a statement, environment and community chair councillor James O’Shea said the cost of maintenance had to be considered with parks, gardens, green spaces and detention basins.

“Council must balance the cost of maintaining infrastructure and the benefit of the public amenity that infrastructure linked to private developments provides to ratepayers,” he said. 

“Detention basins are intended specifically for stormwater functions and are generally designed as utilitarian structures.

“When design aspects are considered or added later in the delivery process, it becomes more difficult to achieve the desired amenity values.

“Developers often see design features as one way to improve the market appeal of adjoining lots.”

Mr O’Shea said engineers for council had expressed concerns about how landscaping could affect the function of detention basins.

Councillor Tim McMahon was contacted for comment.