Environment and Community Committee - 13 October 2026

Topics

• Toowoomba council approves region-wide invasive pest surveillance
  Council has approved a 12-month biosecurity surveillance program covering every property in the Toowoomba Region.
  Landholders may be subject to surveillance visits and compliance monitoring, while the program targets invasive species and emerging biosecurity risks.
• Parking-law changes deferred again after carpark strategy review
  A proposed amendment to Toowoomba Regional Council’s parking subordinate law has been sent to a future meeting rather than finalised.
  Residents, businesses and visitors will not yet see the proposed parking-rule changes, after the matter was previously delayed for a carpark strategy review and compliance-policy workshops.
• Parking law review remains unresolved
  The parking-law decision had previously been deferred while Council reviewed its carpark strategy and developed a Compliance and Enforcement Policy. The committee deferred it again to a future Council meeting.
  Residents, businesses and visitors will need to wait for a later decision before any proposed amendments are made.

Decisions

• Biosecurity Surveillance Program 2026–27 approved
  Council approved a Biosecurity Surveillance Program for invasive biosecurity matter across all land in the Toowoomba Region. The program will run from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027 and will support compliance monitoring, pest surveillance and responses to emerging risks.
  Council biosecurity officers may seek access to properties for surveillance. Permission will normally be sought, but the approved program provides statutory authority to enter where permission is withheld.
• Parking-law amendment deferred
  The committee recommended deferring the proposed Parking (Amendment) Subordinate Local Law (No. 1) 2024 to a future Council meeting, despite the officer recommendation to make the law with references updated from 2024 to 2026.
  Any changes to local parking rules and the consolidated parking subordinate law will not be finalised through this meeting.
• Confidential lease tenure arrangements authorised
  Following a confidential discussion, Council resolved that statutory exceptions applied to specified land interests and authorised delegates to negotiate and sign documents for new and existing tenure arrangements over council-owned or controlled property, in accordance with Council’s Property Tenure Policy.
  The properties and commercial terms were contained in a confidential attachment and were not publicly detailed in the meeting extract.

Discussion

• Region-wide invasive pest surveillance
  The approved program covers the whole Toowoomba Region, with priority areas aligned to operational treatment schedules and works programs. Listed target species include parthenium, giant rat’s tail grass, giant Parramatta grass, groundsel bush and other invasive biosecurity matter.
  Landholders may receive surveillance visits, compliance advice or requests to manage prohibited or restricted biosecurity matter.
• Parking law review remains unresolved
  The parking-law decision had previously been deferred while Council reviewed its carpark strategy and developed a Compliance and Enforcement Policy. The committee deferred it again to a future Council meeting.
  Residents, businesses and visitors will need to wait for a later decision before any proposed amendments are made.
• Council property tenure negotiations
  Council authorised confidential negotiations and documentation for specified tenure arrangements over council-owned or controlled property.
  The decision may affect tenants or users of the properties listed in the confidential attachment, but the extract does not identify those properties or terms.

Impacts

• Biosecurity surveillance can occur across all land in the Toowoomba Region from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027.
• Council officers will continue monitoring and responding to invasive biosecurity risks, including in identified priority areas.
• No final decision was made on the proposed parking subordinate-law amendments at this meeting.
• Confidential property tenure negotiations may affect specified council property tenants or users.

Places

• Toowoomba Region (local government area)
  The Biosecurity Surveillance Program applies to all land within the region.
• Priority Areas within the Toowoomba Region (operational surveillance areas)
  Priority areas will align with planned treatment schedules and ongoing works programs.
• Council-owned or controlled property (property portfolio)
  Specified properties were covered by confidential lease tenure negotiations; individual sites were not disclosed.

Next

• Present the parking-law amendment for consideration at a future Council meeting.
  Future meeting; no date specified.
• Commence the approved Biosecurity Surveillance Program.
  1 November 2026.
• Conclude the Biosecurity Surveillance Program.
  31 October 2027.
• Undertake authorised negotiations and execute relevant documents for the specified confidential property tenure arrangements.
  After the meeting; no deadline specified.

Extract

TOOWOOMBA REGIONAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY COMMITTEE Members of the Committee Councillor Bill Cahill Councillor Edwina Farquhar Councillor Gary Gardner Councillor Trevor Manteufel His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Geoff McDonald Councillor Tim McMahon Councillor James O'Shea Councillor Kerry Shine Councillor Carol Taylor Councillor Melissa Taylor Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff of 81 Toowoomba Regional Council Environment and Community Committee 13 October 2026 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.Opening of Meeting 2.Attendance including Apologies, Leave of Absence and Declarations of Conflict of Interest Reports 3.Parking (Amendment) Subordinate Local Law (No.1) 2024 4.Authorisation of Biosecurity Su...