The Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) is calling on Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) to urgently adopt a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) for vegetation management, following the rejection of a draft TLPI by councillors late last year.
Council had directed planning staff to prepare a vegetation TLPI in 2024, but when the draft came forward, councillors rejected it citing “insufficient detail.” DDEC’s review of the rejected TLPI compared with those successfully adopted in Gympie and Gladstone found that the Toowoomba version was deeply flawed.
“Unlike Gympie and Gladstone where vegetation protection TLPI’s were passed, Toowoomba’s draft TLPI proposed no exemptions, forced all vegetation clearing into impact assessment, and lacked the technical detail required under the Planning Act,” said DDEC Coordinator Ahri Tallon. “This was inadequate and unacceptable.”
In response, DDEC has prepared a new draft TLPI, based closely on Gympie and Gladstone’s models, but with improvements to strengthen protections. The proposal was presented be to all councillors and staff at a deputation on Tuesday 7 October.
“At the deputation, we were received information that the vegetation mapping was still being worked on, which contradicted the previous information we had received. Given the ongoing delays and uncertainty about the completion of the draft planning scheme we are calling on TRC to use existing vegetation mapping, which will at protect some vegetation and work with the new head of planning in Ed Johnson to put in place a TLPI now” said Mr Tallon. “We have provided a ready-to-go TLPI. There is no reason the Council cannot finalise this and put it forward. The update to the vegetation mapping should be fast-tracked, externally outsourced if staffing constraints deem it necessary and integrated into a TLPI ”
Why Action is Urgent
DDEC’s researchers have compiled a list of vegetated properties currently zoned for development but without lodged applications. These lands are at risk of being cleared unless interim protections are put in place before the new Planning Scheme is introduced mid next year.
“Over 1800 hectares of bushland could be destroyed in the next nine months if Council delays. A TLPI is the only way to safeguard these areas now,” said Mr Tallon. “The State Government will respect Council’s autonomy — the question is whether Toowoomba will choose to act.”
Call to Council
DDEC is asking councillors to:
- Finalise and endorse the community-prepared TLPI as the basis for urgent interim vegetation protection.
- Direct planning staff to finalise the TLPI using existing mapping and submit it for adoption.
- Publicly respond to our call to protect bushland until the new scheme is ready.
“The people of Toowoomba want our landscapes and wildlife protected. The Gympie and Gladstone examples show it can be done — the only missing ingredient here is Council’s political will,” Mr Tallon said.
Notes for Editors
- The Mapping research that shows the amount of vegetated land at risk along with the draft TLPI prepared by DDEC, is available, DDEC comparison of TLPIs in Gympie, Gladstone and Toowoomba, : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P9F_tKvDfGUuVx1Np5VKYLa3NsQn2cep?usp=sharing
- Background: A TLPI is a statutory tool under the Planning Act allowing councils to introduce urgent interim planning measures for up to two years.
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