Toowoomba’s Avenues of Highfields picks up major award
A major estate in one of Toowoomba’s fastest-growing communities has been named the best subdivision in Queensland. Here’s why it won:
Development
Don't miss out on the headlines from Development. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A $110m masterplanned housing estate in a fast-growing Toowoomba community has been named the best in Queensland, with the developer calling it a validation of nearly a decade of hard work.
The Avenues of Highfields was awarded the “best residential subdivision” prize at this year’s Urban Development Institute Australia awards, beating several major operators in the process.
The 550-lot estate, slated for completion in 2024, has been in the works since the land was bought in 2014.
Project manager and developer Stephen Bowers, who calls the estate home, said the recognition was a reward for the time his team invested into the Avenues.
“I’ve been in this industry for over 45 years and I’ve entered before and never won,” he said. “It’s recognition by your peers of doing something exceptional.
“We’re only a small development company, but we beat out multinational corporations — it’s never been won before by a Toowoomba subdivision.”
Mr Bowers said the Avenues was based on the tree-lined, elegant streets of East Toowoomba, which he believed helped create a sense of community.
“Feedback from the judge said it was carefully curated, and he loved the tree-lined streets,” he said.
“Our design guidelines meant there were great housing outcomes — I modelled the estate on East Toowoomba.
“What was commended was how our guidelines created good solar access and sustainable energy consumption.
“The judge couldn’t believe that I lived there and I knew people in the estate, he said that’s fairly unprecedented — it’s not just a subdivision (to me), it’s a community.”
Mr Bowers said some of his ideas in the Avenues had been picked up by his contemporaries.
The project has been fast-tracked in recent years due to the extraordinary boom in home construction, with Mr Bowers bringing forward a number of stages to meet the demand.
Why ratepayers could be hit twice for multi-billion dollar dam upgrades
A Toowoomba councillor has outlined why ratepayers across the region would be slugged twice for essential dam upgrades, which set to rack up a multi-billion dollar bill across Queensland.
Massive subdivision flagged as farmland in growth area hits market
Developers are circling after a prominent farming family placed a huge parcel of land in a key growth area outside Toowoomba on the market.
Supermarket, cafe planned for growing small town in two-year first
A large vacant parcel in a fast-growing Toowoomba region town could become the community’s most significant new development in years.
CFMEU officials promise to ‘bury’ Labor at upcoming state election
CFMEU officials in regional Queensland have promised to campaign aggressively against Labor at the upcoming state election after the militant union was forced in administration.
Moves made to reform council’s development ‘call in’ process
The Toowoomba council will explore changes to how elected officials can “call in” developments for special meetings, in a move that has been endorsed by a major player.
‘Here to help’: Developers join forces on massive housing estate
A new Toowoomba subdivision now under construction could eventually provide homes for more than 1600 people, as the city continues to battle a housing shortage.