planning ยท Toowoomba Regional Council
Toowoomba planning scheme project gets formal board as timetable shifts to new state process
A council project board has been formally established for the new Toowoomba Region Planning Scheme as councillors also backed changes to the project schedule to match a revised state planning pathway.
Toowoomba Regional Council has formally set up a project board to oversee work on its new region-wide planning scheme, while also recommending a schedule change to line the project up with a revised state approval process.
The update went to the Planning and Development Committee on 10 March, where councillors recommended noting progress on the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme project for the period from 11 November 2025 to 20 February 2026. The committee also recommended asking the Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning for a new Chief Executive Notice under section 18(3) of the Planning Act 2016. Council adopted that recommendation at its 17 March ordinary meeting.
The minutes show the project board includes Council's Executive Leadership Team, excluding the chief executive officer, and endorsed its terms of reference at its first meeting on 27 January 2026. A Project Control Group was also endorsed at that meeting, with fortnightly meetings planned to manage internal resourcing, integration with other projects and supporting services.
The committee report said the project had moved from establishment work into early-stage execution. It listed consultant appointments finalised in late February, a dedicated Planning Scheme Delivery team being formed in the PLACE branch, and a new State Interest Reference Group process intended to improve collaboration with state agencies earlier in drafting.
For residents and landowners across the Toowoomba Region, the new planning scheme remains the document that will eventually guide land use and development across the council area. The report said the project is aimed at delivering a draft scheme for formal State Interest Review in late 2026, with public consultation intended for early 2027 and formal adoption in November 2027.
The schedule change recommended by the committee was tied to a new streamlined process for making planning schemes under section 18 of the Planning Act. Some key milestone dates were contained in a confidential attachment, but the public report said the revised pathway is expected to create time efficiencies during formal state interest review.
Next steps include the council seeking the new Chief Executive Notice from the state department and continuing work on drafting the scheme. The next quarterly progress report, covering 21 February to May 2026, is scheduled to go to the June 2026 committee meeting.
Reference minutes
Source: Toowoomba Regional Council Planning and Development Committee minutes, 10 March 2026, with the committee recommendation adopted at the 17 March 2026 ordinary meeting.
Key facts from the minutes
- The Planning and Development Committee considered a quarterly update on the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme project on 10 March 2026.
- The committee recommended noting project progress for 11 November 2025 to 20 February 2026.
- The committee recommended a major change to the project management plan to align the schedule with the new streamlined section 18 process under the Planning Act 2016.
- The committee recommended requesting a new Chief Executive Notice from the Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.
- The project board was formally established and endorsed its terms of reference at its first meeting on 27 January 2026.
- The project board includes Council's Executive Leadership Team, excluding the CEO.
- Council adopted the committee recommendation at its ordinary meeting on 17 March 2026.
- The report said the project is focused on a draft for State Interest Review in late 2026, public consultation in early 2027 and intended adoption in November 2027.
Why it matters
- The new planning scheme will set future land-use and development rules across the Toowoomba Region, and the minutes show the project now has formal internal oversight and a revised timetable linked to a new state process.