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Information Sheet 004
On 15 February 2022, Toowoomba Regional Council adopted the Charges Resolution No. 5 in line with changes made by the Queensland State government to the way infrastructure charges are levied.
Toowoomba Regional Council levies infrastructure charges as part of the development application process which includes development assessment and compliance assessment. This ensures that new development pays a share of the cost of providing infrastructure to meet additional demand on trunk infrastructure networks.
The Local Government Infrastructure Plan, Part 4 of the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme (the planning scheme) includes Council’s 15 year forward plan for trunk infrastructure which will be funded by infrastructure charges.
Council’s Charges Resolution will deliver important benefits to the community including:
The types of development that trigger the levying of Infrastructure Charges are:
The Charges Resolution applies across the whole Toowoomba Regional Council area which is divided into three charge areas based on land use and access to infrastructure. These areas are called:
The Charges Resolution includes:
In all charge areas, Council has adopted an Infrastructure Charge at or below the maximum allowable by the Queensland State government for residential and non-residential development. Adopting at or below the maximum allowable enables Council to fund trunk infrastructure for future development.
Any credits or discounts will be applied when the Infrastructure Charge is calculated, see below. Charges vary depending on the charge area in which they are located.
Development applications approved on or after 1 March 2022 may have Infrastructure Charges applied under the Charges Resolution.
For development which is not in accordance with the planning assumptions in the LGIP, additional requirements relating to trunk infrastructure may be imposed on the development, through conditions of development approval. In some cases development applications which are inconsistent with the LGIP may require extra trunk infrastructure costs to be conditioned above the level of the Infrastructure Charge.
At the end of this Information Sheet is a checklist for owners, applicants and building certifiers making a development application i.e. RAL, MCU or building work.
The Infrastructure Charge is detailed in an Infrastructure Charges Notice (ICN). The ICN is issued to the applicant per section 119 of the Planning Act 2016.
Infrastructure Charges are calculated using the charges and method set out in the Charges Resolution as follows:
ICN amount = IC minus discount and credit (if relevant) where:
IC = infrastructure charge for relevant development category* x demand i.e. number of dwellings or m² of GFA plus impervious m² for stormwater.
* If a development may be the subject of more than one use, the local government will levy an Infrastructure Charge for the each of the development types.
When calculating the Infrastructure Charge for a residential RAL, Council will apply to each allotment created, the IC applicable to a 3 or more bedroom dwelling. This approach assumes that the highest and best use will be undertaken on each new residential allotment.
Where residential development occurs within an urban area not serviced by all five trunk infrastructure networks, a 20% discount for each non-accessible trunk infrastructure network is applicable to the Infrastructure Charge e.g. if three out of the five trunk infrastructure networks are available a 40% discount applies.
Where development occurs on a site with existing development that is being removed or on residential zoned land a credit may apply to the calculation of the Infrastructure Charges. Each residential zoned parcel of land receives a credit to the equivalent of a 3 bedroom dwelling. This ensures only the additional or new development is charged.
The Infrastructure Charge will be increased from the date in an ICN to the date of payment of the charge by an amount representing the increase in the 3-yearly moving average quarterly percentage increase in the PPI from the date of the ICN to the date of payment; however this amount is no greater than the maximum adopted charge outlined in the Planning Act 2016 section 112(2).
Council may condition necessary trunk infrastructure, land and/or works, to be provided, in this instance an offset, or refund, is applicable to the Infrastructure Charge.
The Planning Act 2016 also gives Council and applicants discretion to enter into infrastructure agreements.
The Infrastructure Charge is payable for:
If an applicant wishes to vary the timing of payment, another type of offset, the Sustainable Planning Act gives Council and applicants discretion to enter into an infrastructure agreement.
No. The conditions imposed and charges calculated at the time the development application was approved still apply.
To obtain an Infrastructure Charge estimate submit Application Form APP 020 Estimate of Infrastructure Charges Request and pay the required fee via mail or to your nearest Customer Service Centre.
APP 020 Estimate of Infrastructure Charges Request Application Form
Priority Infrastructure Area & charge area maps - appendix A
Charges Resolution No.5 (for print)
The information contained in this article is a guide only. This information has been prepared by Toowoomba Regional Council to help people gain an understanding of the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme. Please consult the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme for detailed information including maps (zones, local plans, overlays and priority infrastructure plan), provisions and policies. The content of this information sheet is not intended to replace the provisions of the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme.
