A Brisbane-based housing developer is seeking to fast track the approval of a 75-unit apartment complex in the heart of Toowoomba in a bid to get more affordable housing onto the market.
Brisbane Housing Company (BHC), a not-for-profit developer, has applied to the state government to have its development on Station Street assessed under a new planning initiative.
Projects assessed under the State Facilitated Development pathway, made possible by state legislation passed in April, receive faster decisions and quicker resolutions to planning issues.
BHC chief executive Rebecca Oelkers said the units would provide some relief to people struggling to find a home where the rental vacancy rate was consistently below 1 per cent.
Waitlists for social housing are also stretching out according to the Queensland Council of Social Service, with 45,473 Queenslanders in the queue in March of this year.
But in Toowoomba and south-west Queensland, there was a drop, with 1,548 applications still current in March 2024, down from 2,802 applications in December 2023.
An architectural rendering of the proposed development in Toowoomba. (Supplied: Brisbane Housing Company)
Ms Oelkers said the complex, which would be rented out to tenants by BHC, would be a mixture of social, affordable and at market units.
"It's … such a bonus for the people who need social and affordable [housing], because people are truly priced out of the market," Ms Oelkers said.
"This is a small injection, but … a really positive injection into the Toowoomba economy."
Ms Oelker said the complex would include a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, with some to be offered for rent at a discount of at least 75 per cent on the market rate.
"I think it's going to have a very positive impact on Toowoomba, because we know that frontline workers and lower income workers … face real challenges accessing affordable housing in Toowoomba," she said.
Rebecca Oelkers says the apartment complex will be a positive injection for housing in Toowoomba. (Supplied: Brisbane Housing Company)
Council role
The site, which is currently a council car park but has been sold to BHC, was chosen due to its proximity to amenities and public transport.
Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald said council was pleased it could play a part in helping alleviate the housing crisis.
"The only area that we could play in is through land availability that we have and through planning scheme developments," Cr McDonald said.
"So that's where this proposal from Brisbane Housing Company fits the site, and will hopefully add very quickly, more housing to the market."
The Toowoomba project is one of 12 across Queensland that are being expedited under the new planning framework.
The car park has been sold by the Toowoomba Regional Council to the Brisbane Housing Company. (ABC Southern Qld: ABC News)
Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the process was part of the Labor government's plan to deliver one million more homes.
"Industry told us in other states it can take up to four years to approve a development," she said.
"This process will provide an alternate pathway for builders to get approvals done within a minimum of 75 days.
"The state will expedite planning approvals that align with our focus on affordable and well-located housing, with projects required to have at least 15 per cent of affordable homes."
Meaghan Scanlon says the planning process will cut down the time it takes for approvals to be made. (ABC Brisbane: Kenji Sato)
Speeding up approvals
Housing groups said there had been real efforts made across the country to improve planning schemes.
But National Shelter chief executive Emma Greenhalgh singled out Queensland's changes and said they were a critical tool in speeding up the construction of affordable housing.
"Having worked in local governments myself, where you can have planning delays for affordable housing, this is such a critical tool to be able to get those homes on the ground," she said.
Ms Greenhalgh said more investment was needed in social and affordable housing and urged that a further $40 billion be invested into the Commonwealth's Housing Future Fund.
BHC says it hopes to have the 75 units built within 18 months once approval is given. (ABC Southern Qld: David Chen)
Ms Oelkers, from BHC, said its Toowoomba project was one of 800 units being built across the state, including in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
"We're really pleased with the pipeline that we have, but there needs to be more — this is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed," she said.
Ms Oelkers said once approvals had been issued, she hoped the apartment complex would be built within 18 months, resulting in "beautiful homes" tenants could be proud of.
"We want to enhance the streetscape, and we want people to feel very proud of where they live," she said.
"And I think that that mix of a third, a third, a third — social, affordable and market — will be a beautiful addition."