Housing & planning · Toowoomba Regional Council
North Toowoomba shopping-centre proposal stalls as application change requires further assessment
A proposed 4,137-square-metre centre across Isaac, Hagan and Ruthven streets was not considered after the applicant lodged a change. Officers had recommended refusal, citing serious planning-scheme conflicts and the possible loss of 12 street trees.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
A proposed North Toowoomba shopping centre, including a 3,400-square-metre supermarket, has stalled after the applicant lodged a change that requires further assessment. The Planning and Development Committee carried a motion on 10 November not to consider the application at that meeting.
The proposal described in the report covers land at 6 Isaac Street, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 Hagan Street, and 145, 151, 153 and 155 Ruthven Street. The report describes a 4,137-square-metre shopping centre with a supermarket, food and drink outlet, shop and 178 dedicated car spaces, as well as additional parking facilities.
Council officers had recommended that Development Application MCUI/2022/5495 be refused. Their report said the proposal had serious non-compliances with the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme and, if approved, would represent a significant departure from it, with an unacceptable community impact and no demonstrated economic or community need or other compelling grounds.
The assessment identified concerns about the proposal's out-of-centre location, its consistency with the site's Low-medium Density Residential and Low Impact Industry zones, the centre hierarchy, traffic and access, stormwater, residential amenity and site design. It also found that the development and associated road works would require the removal of 12 existing street trees.
Those trees include eight established Camphor laurels on Ruthven Street. The assessment described their loss as a significant impact and said proposed replacement planting would not fully compensate for the established tree-lined character of the street.
The supplied committee record shows no approval or refusal of the changed application. It does not say what change was lodged, whether the changed proposal would still require the identified tree removals, or the timetable for further assessment or consideration. The refusal recommendation is an officer assessment of the material described in the report, not the committee's final ruling on the proposal.
What deserves a closer look
The recorded motion meant the committee did not consider the application or adopt the officer refusal recommendation at that meeting.
The identified tree removals are linked to the development and associated road works described in the assessment; the supplied record does not establish how the applicant's change would affect them.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What change did the applicant lodge with the development application?
Would the changed proposal still require removal of the 12 identified street trees?
What is the timetable for further assessment and any subsequent consideration of the changed application?
What happens next
Further assessment would be required for the applicant's change; the supplied record gives no timetable for that assessment or any subsequent consideration.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The committee carried a motion not to consider the application because the applicant had lodged a change requiring further assessment.
MOTION Moved by Councillor Trevor Manteufel, seconded by Councillor Gary Gardner That the matter not be considered as the applicant has lodged a change to the Development Application which requires further assessment. CARRIED Page 21 of 271 Toowoomba Regional CouncilPlanning and Development Committee 10 November 2026 CORPORATE PLAN REFERENCE 2.3Plan for and manage infrastructure assets sustainably.
Item No. 4, motion and carried result
Open original minutes ↗The report concerns a shopping-centre application at 6 Isaac Street, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 Hagan Street, and 145, 151, 153 and 155 Ruthven Street, North Toowoomba.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is to consider a Development Application for Material Change of Use for Shopping Centre (Shops and Food and Drink Outlet) on land at 6 Isaac Street, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 Hagan St and 145, 151, 153, 155 Ruthven St, North Toowoomba.
Item No. 4, executive summary
Open original minutes ↗The proposal described in the report comprises a 4,137-square-metre shopping centre, including a 3,400-square-metre supermarket, a 320-square-metre food and drink outlet, a 300-square-metre shop, 117 square metres of shared amenities and 178 proposed carparking spaces, with additional parking facilities.
Please refer to Attachment 5. The development application seeks approval for a Shopping Centre (4,137m 2 total GFA) (please refer to Attachment 6 for plans of proposed development) comprising the following: •3,400m 2 GFA supermarket inclusive of ancillary online area of 200m 2 GFA; •Two (2) small tenancies being a Food and Drink Outlet (320m 2 GFA) and a Shop (300m 2 GFA); •Shared amenities (117m 2 GFA); •A public foyer; •10m building height above finished floor level; •178 proposed carparking spaces (which exceeds the minimum 150 requirement); •Additional six (6) 'direct to boot' car parks, five (5) motor bike parks, and two (2) taxi bays making a total combined 191 car spaces;
Item No. 4, executive summary, proposed development components
Open original minutes ↗The report recommended refusal of application MCUI/2022/5495, citing serious planning-scheme non-compliances and stating that approval would cause an unacceptable community impact, with no economic or community need or other compelling grounds to warrant the departure.
It is recommended that the development is refused based on the grounds in Attachment 3. RECOMMENDATION That Council refuse the Development Application MCUI/2022/5495 for a Development Permit for Material Change of Use - Impact - Shopping Centre (Shops and Food and Drink Outlet), pursuant to the provisions of Section 60 of the Planning Act 2016 based on the grounds listed in Attachment 3. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION The proposed development has been assessed against the applicable assessment benchmarks and with regard to all relevant matters as identified within this report. The assessment of the application has determined that it does not comply with the assessment benchmarks and it cannot be conditioned to comply. The serious non-compliances with the Planning Scheme indicate the purpose of the Planning Act 2016 is not achieved by the development. If approved, the development will result in a significant departure from the Planning Scheme, and an unacceptable impact on the community, with no economic or community need or other compelling grounds to warrant the departure.
Item No. 4, recommendation and reasons
Open original minutes ↗The assessment identified conflicts involving out-of-centre development, the centre hierarchy, zoning, street trees, traffic, disability access, stormwater, amenity and design, and said economic, community and planning need had not been demonstrated.
The assessment outlined in this report notes the development conflicts with a number of benchmarks of the Planning Scheme being: •Out-of-Centre Development and the Centre Hierarchy •Inconsistency with Zoning •Loss of Street Trees and Streetscape Character •Engineering Matters - Traffic, PWD Access and Stormwater •Amenity and Design Economic need, community need and planning need is not demonstrated and, given this is an out- of-centre development, these matters are considered significant in deciding the application.
Attachment 2, Planning Report, overall assessment and recommendation
Open original minutes ↗The assessment said the development and necessary road works would require removal of 12 existing street trees, including eight Camphor laurels on Ruthven Street, one Camphor laurel on Isaac Street and three trees on Hagan Street.
Page 47 of 271 Officer Assessment: The development including necessary road works would necessitate the removal of 12 existing street trees, including eight (8) significant Camphor laurels on Ruthven Street, one (1) Camphor laurel on Isaac Street, and three (3) trees on Hagan Street.
Attachment 2, Planning Report, page 47, street-tree assessment
Open original minutes ↗The assessment described the loss of Ruthven Street Camphor laurels as significant and said new plantings could not fully compensate for the loss, notably the row of eight trees on a major entry road.
The loss of Camphor laurels on Ruthven Street is a significant impact, and is not fully replaceable as this species may not be replanted. While the new plantings seek to offset the loss, this cannot fully compensate the loss of iconic street trees notably a row of eight (8) on a major entry road for Toowoomba.
Attachment 2, Planning Report, loss of significant contribution of existing street trees
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the supplied record of the Toowoomba Regional Council Planning and Development Committee meeting held on 10 November 2026. The record's confirmation status is not established.
Key facts from the minutes
- The committee carried a motion not to consider application MCUI/2022/5495 because the applicant had lodged a change requiring further assessment.
- The proposal described in the report is for a 4,137-square-metre shopping centre, including a 3,400-square-metre supermarket and 178 dedicated car spaces.
- Council officers recommended refusal, citing serious planning-scheme non-compliances and no demonstrated economic or community need.
- The assessment said the development and associated road works would require removal of 12 existing street trees, including eight Camphor laurels on Ruthven Street; the supplied record does not establish whether the applicant's change would alter that impact.
- The committee record supplied does not show a final approval or refusal of the changed application.
Why it matters
- People living near Isaac, Hagan and Ruthven streets remain exposed to uncertainty about a proposed large supermarket and its possible effects on local traffic, residential amenity, site design and established street trees.