Timeline of the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme project

Sometimes it helps to go back to the beginning, in order to understand how to get to the end. This timeline provides a brief overview of the process of putting together the new planning scheme:

2008 – Council resolves to prepare a new planning scheme to replace the eight current planning schemes inherited from amalgamation

2009 – Research and community consultation

Council planners prepared the framework for the new planning scheme in accordance with State Government guidelines.

Fifteen background studies were completed to provide regional perspectives on a variety of planning issues.

A Community Summit was held in Oakey to start discussions on planning and development for the region.

2010 – Drafting the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme

The draft planning scheme was written.

Community consultations were held to prepare the Local Area Planning section of the new scheme. The following three areas feature in the new planning scheme:

• Charlton Wellcamp enterprise area
• Highfields district area
• Glenvale district area

 2011 – Community review: Have your say

The draft scheme underwent peer, legal and state government checks to ensure it met all of the necessary statutory guidelines.

The draft planning scheme was provided to the State Government in March 2011 for the 'First State Interest Check', where state departments reviewed the scheme to ensure it met the requirements of their respective policies.

From Saturday 23rd July until Friday 2nd September 2011, the draft planning scheme was on public display for six weeks so that all residents could access the scheme and make a submission if they had any concerns, ideas or suggestions.

Planning staff reviewed all of the 700+ submissions received from the public and highlighted all of issues raised. Changes were made to the draft scheme in response to those issues.The final version of the draft scheme was sent to the State Government in December for the ‘Second State Interest Check’ for final sign-off.

2012 – The Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme arrives

In February, council received final confirmation in writing from the Minister for Local Government and Planning to confirm that the final version of the planning scheme had been approved by the State Government.

On March 20, at a council meeting, the new planning scheme was officially adopted and an implementation date of July 1 was set for the scheme.