Energy-efficient units planned for Haig Street in South Toowoomba, to be sold by Re/Max Success

Solar panels, communal veggie patches and energy-efficient design features — the developer behind a set of new Toowoomba units says they’ll reduce power bills to as low as $200 a year.

Concept art for four new smart units on Haig Street in South Toowoomba, which will feature a communal vegetable garden, solar power hooked to a battery, extra insulation and a number of energy-efficient design features. Architecture by Lockhart Drafting and Design.

The developer behind a proposed set of energy-efficient units in a popular Toowoomba suburb says the project could slash hundreds off the buyer’s power bills and disrupt the market.

Melbourne-based Queensland man Trent Macartney is preparing to lodge plans for the four two-bedroom units on Haig Street in South Toowoomba to the council within weeks.

The new dwellings include an extensive set of energy-efficient and ecologically-friendly features such as rooftop solar panels and battery storage, communal veggie patches, composting stations, polished concrete floors, extra insulation and smart glass.

They are expected to be awarded an energy rating upwards of eight stars, which would make them the first units in Toowoomba to reach that level.

Mr Macartney, who has spent years studying efficient home design, said he wanted to avoid the “cookie-cutter” approach to standard Toowoomba units by offering something different.

“There are so many people who want that sense of community but don’t want a house and all the maintenance that comes with them,” he said.

“I find a lot of developers try to target everyone and anyone — the current unit complexes (being taken to market) are very generic and cookie-cutter.

“I’m getting the energy rating completed, but the plan is a minimum of eight stars or above, which is two stars above the minimum — it could likely get 8.5 to nine stars.

“It means your home is 20-30 per cent more efficient (than six stars).”

Mr Macartney said the end result would slash the occupant’s power bills, since not only did the homes use alternative electricity sources but also required less energy to stay at a consistent temperature.

“(For example), the polished concrete (floor) takes in the heat and distributes it to the rest of the house,” he said.

“If you’re paying about $600 a quarter now for power, it’s easy to see your energy bill could be $50 to $100 a quarter.”

Layouts for four new smart units on Haig Street in South Toowoomba, which will feature a communal vegetable garden, solar power hooked to a battery, extra insulation and a number of energy-efficient design features. Architecture by Lockhart Drafting and Design.

The units, which were planned by Toowoomba architects Lockhart Drafting and Design and will be built by Western Building Group, will be marketed by Re/Max Success.

Agent Shaun Blackburn said the units could have a real impact on the surrounding market if they were snapped up by owner-occupiers, which are the primary target.

“It will be quite a big game-changer — we’ve seen a lot of migration to Toowoomba and we’re adopting more a vibe of cities like Melbourne and Canberra,” he said.

“We have seen a lot of those unit developments (down south) sell really well, with the majority selling before the market.

“We’ll see a fair bit of interest and it will keep the Toowoomba market moving in the direction it’s taking.

“Rather than people smashing out cookie-cutter units, it will make the developer think and build a better product, earn a bit more and sell them just as quick.”