The Toowoomba Chamber has taken an active role in looking for answers and solutions to the city’s lack of housing because it is a deterrent to business attraction, it is a disincentive to attracting a workforce, it impacts the ability of businesses to deliver their service, it affects the image of a city and inhibits business attraction and business investment.
Toowoomba Chamber, President Kate Venables, said, “Our independent review demonstrates, without doubt, Toowoomba does not have enough residential land supply to meet the demand generated by population growth for the next 27 years’ as asserted by Toowoomba Regional Council.
Residential Land Supply issues
“It appears the findings show, Toowoomba Regional Council have included in the proclaimed 27 years’ residential land supply, land which:
- is flood affected;
- is on steep slopes;
- is already developed;
- is affected by noise, air and vibration pollution from nearby quarries and haulage routes;
- is the habitat for the endangered koala; and
- has been refused by Council for houses.
Now that our independent review has unveiled its initial findings,
We are very concerned that the evidence suggests statements made by Toowoomba Regional Council on this issue have been misleading as they have included vacant constrained land which is unavailable for residential development in their land supply calculations.
Based on the initial findings, if this challenge is not addressed immediately, we believe local investment opportunities and jobs will be lost, planned major projects in the region will need to construct workers camps for employees, the city will become more reliant on a commuter workforce and business investment, attraction and growth will be stifled.
What we need is for Toowoomba Regional Council to publicly acknowledge their role and responsibility in creating the current land supply crisis affecting the city and then commit to work with the Toowoomba Chamber and its members, other organisations and the community in general to find solutions to remedy the current predicament”,
Kate Venables Toowoomba Chamber President
About Our Chamber
The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce is an independent organisation that advocates on behalf of local businesses at a local, state, and federal level to ensure the business community has a voice. We offer a full program of member networking events that provide members with a platform to strengthen their existing networks, develop new contracts and connect with business leaders to maximise growth opportunities for your business.
