Qld housing minister Meaghan Scanlon approves Toowoomba social housing project by Mission Australia just before election campaign

Soon one of Toowoomba’s tallest buildings will be a new 185-unit social and affordable housing project after being approved despite massive backlash from the community.

A massive six-storey Toowoomba social housing development with more than 120 submissions against it has been quickly approved by the state government the day before entering caretaker period, in a move that been slammed as politically-motivated.

Mission Australia was given the green light on Monday by Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon to create its 185-unit social and affordable housing project on Princess Street in Newtown, just two weeks after the submissions period ended on September 16.

The development, which will be built on a car park owned by the neighbouring Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, is expected to measure about 20m in height and become one of Toowoomba’s tallest buildings.

It was approved through a ministerial infrastructure designation (MID), taking it out of the hands of the Toowoomba Regional Council (which was consulted for technical and planning advice).

Concept art for a planning social housing project on Princess Street in Newtown by Mission Australia, which is set to be lodged with the Queensland government this month.

The 15 days between when submissions closed and the project was approved is the shortest of any MID for social and affordable housing issued by the state government this year.

All other comparable projects had assessment periods of between 36 and 100 days, at an average of 57.

Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon signed off on the project. Picture Adam head

While social services have argued for more accommodation to address the more than 1400 people on the city’s social housing register, neighbouring property owners say the project did not feature enough parking and would impact traffic through a local street.

Notably, the number of car parks to be created for the development (128) in the approval was the same number listed in the revised proposal prior to heading to public consultation.

Elite college The Glennie School, which lodged a submission, also raised concerns about the size and scale of the development.

But the short assessment turnaround has incensed community members, with the approval coming on the last possible day before the state election campaign started.

One source within the development industry said the 10 business days was not enough time to properly read, digest and respond to 122 submissions.

“It doesn’t pass the pub test, it’s been pushed through at record speed with 120 submissions,” they said.

“Once consultation closes, the applicant is provided with the submissions, because you can’t see them before and you have to review them and then the assessment officer has to consider the response.

“Normal decision-making is 35 business days, which is about seven weeks – this was done in two.

“It smacks of political motivation, and it’s really quite alarming the minister can sign off on this.”

It was pointed out fellow not-for-profit St Vincent de Paul Society would have to wait until the next government term before it could get approval for its 27 units on Tor Street in the same suburb.

Property owner Dave Harms and other neighbouring residents are concerned about the size and scale of a proposed social housing development on Princess Street in Newtown by Mission Australia.

Property owner David Harms said he believed residents and other stakeholders’ concerns had not been addressed.

“It ain’t fair, it ain’t right — the people that are on the coalface, it’s just been a waste of time, (putting in submissions) they didn’t get a fair run,” he said.

“It’s done and dusted, but it needs to be exposed for what it is.”

Longtime Princess Street resident David Martinelli said he wasn’t opposed to the idea of social housing at the site, but believed what was proposed was far too large.

Given the decision can’t be appealed in the planning and environment court like a traditional application through the council, it is unclear if the LNP could reverse or alter the decision if it won government this month.

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts slammed the approval of the project and promised he would look into it.

Mr Watts’ representation could be influential in reversing the decision if the LNP wins the October 26 election.

“Let me go through the details of that MID proposal and exactly what it means for our community, but it’s symptomatic of a desperate Labor government to approve something like that on the eve of an election,” he told the media on Wednesday.

Housing minister Meaghan Scanlon defended the approval of the MID, arguing Toowoomba needed as many new homes as possible to meet demand.

“We need more homes – especially affordable and social homes – faster,” she said.

“Toowoomba alone will need 31,300 more homes, or risk not having enough places for frontline workers, young families and older Queenslanders.”

Ms Scanlon’s office also noted the Princess Street MID took 4.7 months to assess and decide, higher than the average of three months.

Lifeline CEO: Benefits of housing outweigh impacts

Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland acting CEO Rachelle Patterson, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The head of one of Toowoomba’s biggest not-for-profits says a new 185-unit social housing project in Newtown will deliver broad benefits for the community and take some pressure off demand.

Lifeline Darling Downs chief executive Rachelle Patterson said more work needed to be done by the next state government to address Toowoomba’s crippling shortage of housing.

Officially there are more than 1400 people looking for social housing in the Garden City, with an average wait time of more than two years.

But Ms Patterson said Lifeline believed the actual number of residents without permanent housing was far higher, pointing to changes in the types of people asking for support.

“There is this whole new demographic coming through where we’d previously seen long-term service users (to) we are now seeing people who were or are employed. There are women with children sleeping in cars, and they’re not putting themselves on waitlists.

“We’re seeing this different cohort who have always been employed, they have a job and a car but they can’t afford to move into a rental.

“When you’ve got multi-generational service users, they know where to go, whereas this new cohort don’t know where to turn and they’re feeling a sense of shame.”

Concept art for a planning social housing project on Princess Street in Newtown by Mission Australia, which is set to be lodged with the Queensland government this month.

Ms Patterson said while she understood the concerns shared by residents and business owners who would live and work next to the Princess Street development, she said Toowoomba would benefit in a variety of ways by having less people living rough.

“I can empathise with nearby residents, because people are concerned about the unknown,” she said.

“What I am seeing are people who need help, and the need for housing outweighs any concerns the community might have.

“If people don’t have housing, the broader community might need to consider the consequences of that (because) finding solutions for housing will benefit the broader community.

“When people are securely housed, their mental health outcomes are better and there might be reduced wait times to access mental health services.”