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George Weston Foods presents new The Willows housing project near Toowoomba Hospital site to council

Toowoomba’s depleted housing stocks are set for a boost in the coming years, after a developer revived plans for a project near the new hospital. Here’s when lots could be available:

A plan for a masterplanned community near the centre of Toowoomba and right next to the future hospital site has been revived and revamped, nearly three years after the developer killed its development due to issues with the council.

British corporation George Weston Foods has returned with a new proposal for a massive 54-hectare housing project, worth up to 700 dwellings, on land bordering Mort and Griffiths Streets in Harlaxton.

The land, which is arguably the largest collection of relatively-undeveloped land within the Toowoomba urban extent, is conveniently just 250m east of the upcoming new Toowoomba Hospital at Baillie Henderson.

Conceptual layouts of George Weston Foods' new master planned residential community in Harlaxton on Toowoomba's northside, dubbed The Willows.
Conceptual layouts of George Weston Foods' new master planned residential community in Harlaxton on Toowoomba's northside, dubbed The Willows.

The new community, dubbed The Willows, will feature a mix of low and medium-density housing as well as mixed-residential precincts within its boundaries.

Mapping also suggests at least two new parks will be created along Gowrie Creek, with the project to also feature extensive pedestrian and cycle pathways.

Stakeholders believe the first stage, worth 60 lots, could be on the market by mid-2026 if plans are approved this year.

The variation request document, which was lodged with council last week as a precursor to a full application, is very different to the original Northgate Vista residential community that was first proposed back in 2016.

According to the report by Precinct Urban Planning’s Andrew Bullen, the project was designed to offer a “diversity of housing styles” to meet demands of more dwellings in Toowoomba.

An aerial view of the land in Harlaxton that could become The Willows, a masterplanned residential community by George Weston Foods.
An aerial view of the land in Harlaxton that could become The Willows, a masterplanned residential community by George Weston Foods.

“The proposal will enhance the range of housing options available to the Toowoomba community while preserving the residential character, scale and amenity of the area,” he wrote.

“The design and layout of the development allows potential sources of nuisance and impact particular including those related to acoustic and traffic-related impacts to be appropriately managed thereby ensuring the development will not adversely affect surrounding amenity or cause environmental harm.

“In addition, the development will not contribute to access, safety or circulation problems in the locality.”

GWF discontinued its legal proceedings against the council in 2022 after spending six years trying to get Northgate Vista approved, including through the courts.

The court cited nearly a dozen reasons against it approval, including inadequate master planning, proximity to industrial land, proximity to road and rail corridors, contamination issues, traffic issues, provision of water and sewerage infrastructure and the provision of stormwater and drainage infrastructure.

LJ Hooker principal Mike Stewart said the applicant had seen a change in the council planning department’s approach under the leadership of now-departed general manager Dr Nikola Stepanov.

“Council’s attitude has improved, thanks to the work Nikola did along with other officers,” he said.

“In the initial phase, we’re going to get the variation through and then we’ll do the first stage, which is 66 lots.

“We don’t know the final number, it could be between 500 and 700, it depends on other factors.”

Mr Stewart said the project’s focus would be on servicing the need for housing and other services generated by the new hospital, along with the general accommodation shortage across Toowoomba.

“The old abattoir (which is not included in the current application) we’re doing the master plan for commercial uses to support the hospital,” he said.

“Our expectation is to get the variation scheme approved by the middle of the year, and then we’d hope to have the decontamination done by then.

“Then we would think we’d be onsite in the first couple of months and settling the first lots by mid to late 2026.”

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Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/development/george-weston-foods-presents-new-the-willows-housing-project-near-toowoomba-hospital-site-to-council/news-story/3187761d34c14bb194ad262eb95b6d50