Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is investigating additional measures to assist the release of extra greenfield housing sites, as well as incentives to generate greater numbers of rental housing in the existing urban areas, to the property market.
TRC Planning and Development Committee chair Cr Megan O'Hara Sullivan said a report, (including financial and community impacts), detailing likely assistance measures would be prepared for consideration at the June committee meeting.
"Council is investigating measures to bring product through the residential development pipeline to market, such as temporary financial incentives (fees and infrastructure charges reductions), temporary planning instruments to streamline the development process and engineering solutions that could unlock more sites for medium density development in appropriate locations," Cr O'Hara Sullivan said.
"We acknowledge that housing supply and housing rental stress are key issues being experienced in our community, that have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic changes.
"These challenges are not unique to the Toowoomba Region and are reflective of similar challenges being faced by communities across Australia.
