Housing and Development of Toowoomba Region - Case Study Example

Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Site Surrounding Area Context 3 2.1. Climate Zone of Toowoomba 3 2.2. Population Growth 3 2.3. Employment Opportunities 4 2.4. Shopping Facilities 5 2.5. Transport Infrastructure 5 2.6. Existing Road Network in Wider Areas 6 2.7. Community Facilities & Open Space within Wider Area 7 2.8. Educational Facilities 10 3.0 Structured Plan Area (226 hectare) 10 3.1. Natural Features 10 3.1.1. Slope & Aspect 10 3.1.2. Watercourses & Infiltration Area 11 3.1.3. Remnant Vegetation 11 3.1.4. Bushfire Hazards 12 3.1.5. Storm water runoff 12 3.1.6. Geological or Soil Constraints 12 3.2. Man Made Features 13 3.2.1. Historical or Other Structures worth Retaining 13 3.2.2. Location to Closet Connection Points of Services 13 3.2.3. Road Network Restrictions 13 4.0. Subdivision Plan Area (36 hectares) 14 4.1. Natural Features 14 4.1.0 Slope and aspect 14 4.1.1 Watercourses and infiltration areas 15 4.1.2 Remnant vegetation 15 4.1.3 Bushfire hazards 15 4.1.4 Storm water runoff 16 4.1.5 Geological or soil constraints 16 4.2 Man-made features 16 4.2.1 Historical or other structures worth retaining 16 4.2.2 Location of closet connection points of service 16 4.2.3 Positioning of houses on the land 17 5.0 CONCLUSION 17 6.0 GROUP REFLECTION 17 References 19 1.0 Introduction The site which has been selected to the south-east of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and adjacent to the New England Highway in Toowoomba QLD will be chosen for future development. The size of the site is 226 hectares which includes 36 hectares of subdivided land. The site which has selected is surrounded by Nelson St, The New England Highway, Hayden St, Charker St, Nardoo St, Frew St and Rub St all around the site. The site further lies in between Darling Heights and Kearneys Spring. The entire site is undeveloped as can be seen from the Structured Plan Area apart from the 36 hectares where construction work has been carried out since 2010. The site report will be divided into two parts based on natural and manmade features which will be termed as Structured Plan Area having a size of 226 hectares and Sub divisional Plan Area having a size of 36 hectares. 2.0 Site Surrounding Area Context 2.1. Climate Zone of Toowoomba Toowoomba faces severe weather as both the summers and winters are strong. It has been highlighted by the Bureau of Meteorology that winter temperatures for the period 1996 to 2012 averages around 12.5°C whereas the average temperatures in summer for the same period is 23°C, and the average of rainfall is 717.3 mm. The winters further witnesses strong winds with sleet and frost (Bureau of Meteorology, 2011). The flow of wind is north-east to south-east in summers. 2.2. Population Growth More and more people are residing in the in the developing areas of Toowoomba suburbs which is present between the area of Darling Heights and Kearneys Spring. The population of Darling Heights has increased by 14% as it has increased from 4404 people in 2001 to 5035 people in 2006 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007). Using the same growth rate it is estimated that the population will reach 5740 people in 2011. This has led towards an increase in the demand for residential properties. To meet the ever growing needs for housing complex 36 hectares of the Structured Plan Site will be used. The manner in which the population is growing would result in more future needs and the 196 hectares of land will also have to be considered for different construction work. This will help to meet the needs and requirements of the 8,000 person density and ensure proper housing facilities for all. 2.3. Employment Opportunities The main source of employment for people residing in the area are The Uni Plaza, Toowoomba Plaza and the Harvey Norman Centre, the University of Southern Queensland, local schools and home businesses. People who have the required knowledge and are educated work at places like University of Southern Queensland, which is located along the Baker and West Streets. The university also provides employment to casual workers by providing them different work in the universities. Campus students and nearby residents work in Uni Plaza which is located at West St and is roughly 1.2km from the structure area. People further work in different fields like retail, medical, hairdressing and hospitality sector which acts as a source of livelihood for many. The different shopping centres have bus routes which ensure easy accessibility and provide avenues for people. The need for the hour is to develop the employment sector which will require development of more complexes, setting up industries and ensuring a mechanism which provides continuous employment opportunities. 2.4. Shopping Facilities The site has two shopping complexes which are located nearby and acts as the main shopping facilities. The different complexes are Uni Plaza and Toowoomba Plaza and Harvey Norman Centre. Uni Plaza is a small community convenience store spread over 5600m2 and is located on the south of Ruthven Street which is about walking distance of 1.2 km and can be reached through pathways which has been constructed across the sub divisional area. The Toowoomba Plaza and Harvey Norman Centre is a shopping centre which is located on the south of Ruthven Street and provides a large range of different products from different players like Coles and K-mart. The shopping complex is about 3.5 km from the structured area and can be easily reached through different buses which depart from Nelson Street. 2.5. Transport Infrastructure The area has different transport routes like roadways, public transport and bicycle and pedestrian routes. The area also has two city buses which runs every half hour across Nelson Street and links several destinations to the site area. The pedestrian and bicycle tracks are seen across Kearney Street and has been shown in the figure below 2.6. Existing Road Network in Wider Areas The main roads which surround the site area are Nelson Street, Kearney Street, West Street, and New England Highway. The main road which connects in and out of Toowoomba is the New England Highway which is a highway with two arterial lanes. The different residential communities which are present around the site uses the arterial streets which branches into smaller streets connecting the different remote areas. The residential areas also have different traffic signs like ‘give way’ and ‘stop signs’ so that proper management of traffic becomes possible. This has been facilitated by the use of different traffic lights which are placed at the main streets. The intersection of Nelson Street and New England Highway has been facilitated with lights to ensure better traffic control as the volume of traffic is high and requires use of proper traffic lights, traffic zones so that proper management of traffic becomes possible. 2.7. Community Facilities & Open Space within Wider Area The most prominent community facilities which are present at the University of Southern Queensland are Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre and gym and the USQ tennis courts. All the above mentioned communities are located at Baker Street. A soccer goal which is permanent has also been installed at USQ soccer training filed at Baker Street. The different facilities can be easily accessed through the use of pedestrian and cycle path along with driving path as the university has car parking facility as well. In addition to it several small communities which consists of playground, gazebo, grassed areas with shady trees and concrete walking and cycling tracks is also seen in the neighbouring area alongside the Nelson Street. The West Street Park, Emma Drive Park, Anita Drive Park and Pixie Drive Park as shown in the figure below helps to provide connectivity with the different tracks. Different competitions can be held at Kearneys Spring Touch Grounds as the ground is located nearby at Kearney, Spring and Ruthven Streets and provides opportunities for games like touch ball and softball competition. The different facilities are free to use and is spread over 240,000m2 which includes the bitumen parking as well. The facilities also have a kiosks, small playground equipments, seating areas which is covered and an opportunity to play games like touch ball and softball. Near to the touch ground Kearneys Spring Historical Train Park is situated. The West Creek Parkland is situated on the corner of Kearney and Spring Streets. Since, the area is as a walking distance it has ensured easy accessibility for people. The natural features like creeks and ponds, native trees and animals add to the beauty of the place. Children can enjoy train rides which run on weekends. The site also offers an excelled jogging track which will help people to keep themselves fit. The creek helps to drain off the water during the rainy season and ensure that the area is safe from the risk of water logging. The Creek Parklands has underground drainage system which helps to drain off the water which runs from Kearney Street into other streets below it. The runoff water is collected and passed on to different ponds and creeks to be used in the future. This will help the development site to ensure continuous water supply and will also ensure that no shortage of water is faced. 2.8. Educational Facilities The site has numerous primary and secondary colleges which provides education to the people located nearby. The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) is one of the prominent university providing education as students from different areas like Toowoomba and Darling Heights come to the university for their education. The university is well connected through pedestrian and cycling paths which lead to the sub divisional area. Students can also rent the different housing complexes which are available at Darling Heights and Kearneys Spring so that they stay at close proximity to the area. Another educational facility which provides both primary and secondary education is the Christian Outreach College which is located on the south of Ruthven Street; the Middle Ridge State School which is along the Spring Street and; the Darling Heights State School is located on the corner of Wuth and Platz Streets. The close proximity provides an advantage to the students to reach the schools easily as they are within a radius of 3 km which has both primary schools and child care centres so that people are able to look at the different educational needs. 3.0 Structured Plan Area (226 hectare) 3.1. Natural Features 3.1.1. Slope & Aspect The site receives sunlight both in the morning and evening due to the presence of steep terrain in the south and is in between the Handley and Charker Street which doesn’t have any slope. The other side has steep terrain and is present in between Hayden Street East and New England Highway and is underdeveloped. The site thereby resembles a slope in the south east of the region. 3.1.2. Watercourses & Infiltration Area There are four underground drainage lines and drainage points which ensure clear passage to water and is all along Charker Street. This helps to direct the water underneath the surface and ensures that roads are kept free of water logging problems. The region doesn’t require a high degree of drainage and infiltration as the slope of the region is limited and the storm water uses the different drainage points to pass underneath. This will act as a medium through which soil erosion can be preserved and will help to provide better facilities. Despite it the steep gullies increases the risk of erosion and is an aspect which has a negative connotation for the region. 3.1.3. Remnant Vegetation The structured area doesn’t have to be cleared as the vegetation is found all along Hayden Street East and New England Highway primarily due to the steep slope present there. In addition to it vegetation is found on farmhouses and is not an area of consideration. This will ensure favourable development of the region especially on the western side as no vegetation has to be destroyed. This increases the risk of bushfire but since the vegetation is on the other side the risk to property and human life is reduced and will thereby serve as a stage through which development of the structured site plan becomes possible. 3.1.4. Bushfire Hazards The development of the area can be threatened due to the risk associated with bushfire in the adjoining areas. The hazardous zones have been market in the structured area which shows that the chances of bushfire is absent in the western size. This thereby helps to ensure that the place is appropriate for residential development. Still, to reduce the risk a buffer or gap has to be ensured so that bushfire doesn’t spread to the structured area and buildings. 3.1.5. Storm water runoff Having even slope near Charker Street has ensured that minimal storm water runoff takes place. A steep downhill is visible along the Charker Street which helps the storm water to runoff from the slope outside of the site to the drainage system ensuring no water logging. In addition to it no drainage system needs to be developed because the structure of the site plan is such that it will reduce the chances of water logging. This area also doesn’t have the risk of bushfire as the area remains moist due to storm water which will ensure better residential facilities along the area. The rainfall witnessed is high in the region but having steep slopes has helped to deal with the problem associated with rainfall and has thereby multiplied the advantage gained through the drainage system. 3.1.6. Geological or Soil Constraints The southern region of the site has Charker and Hayden Street which has smooth slopes and has balsamic ridges and knolls, featuring red smooth-ped earth. This region is thereby unfavourable for development (Queensland Government, 2011). The northern region of the site is suitable for development as there is no hills and plain area which will thereby help to support the growth of the region and site. 3.2. Man Made Features 3.2.1. Historical or Other Structures worth Retaining The Kearney’s Spring power plant which is a property of the council and provides power to the suburb area need not be moved as it is situated on the opposite of the subdivision site. The development of the region can be carried keeping the property intact and areas all around it can be developed. Instead the farm house which is between Nelson and Charker Streets needs to be bought by the owners of the structured site and has to be demolished so that proper construction work can be carried out in the area. In addition to it while carrying out work if Aborginal groups historic are found it has to be preserved and construction of other property needs to be done all around it. 3.2.2. Location to Closet Connection Points of Services The nearest point for services like electricity, sewerage and telephone lines are Kearney’s Spring power station is the main source of electricity provider and supplies electricity to the subdivisions and structured area The structured plan has no underground sewerage line except those within the subdivision area and two points at the west corner of Nelson and Kearney Streets The future need for telecommunication will be filled through Optus, Telstra and Nextgen telephone connection lines which lies is close proximity to the site 3.2.3. Road Network Restrictions The present roads along the western side of the structured plan such as Rub, Frew, Nardoo and Charker Streets cannot handle the traffic. Roads don’t have traffic control measures and will require improvement in it along with development of one or more arterial access roads around the surrounding streets so that the high traffic is better controlled. 4.0. Subdivision Plan Area (36 hectares) 4.1. Natural Features 4.1.0 Slope and aspect The majority of the area has slope in the range of 0-10% and has helped to ensure some development as housing is favourable in that region. The southeast corner has a downhill gully as shown below 4.1.1 Watercourses and infiltration areas The major streets are as shown below Kearney Street has an underground drain to keep the water underground during rains. The steep slope has ensured that water takes a natural course to the dense forest thus reducing the need of manmade drainage. 4.1.2 Remnant vegetation Vegetation likes in the southeast corner where clearing of trees is not required due to unstable terrain. Vegetation has also been left for natural park zones and open spaces. Acreages as seen within the private properties and is present since the subdivision started 4.1.3 Bushfire hazards Bushfires are marked C but areas along the downhill has buildings and has wet vegetation which reduces the chances of fire breakouts due to running downhill water. 4.1.4 Storm water runoff The storm water flows through the underground drainage system or uses the slope of the land in case of Kearney Street as it has little man made drainage facilities. 4.1.5 Geological or soil constraints The southern region has unstable soil and steep slope as the slope are around 10-20% and soil is unstable which makes future residential housing development not a favourable option and is thereby used as parks and open zones. 4.2 Man-made features 4.2.1 Historical or other structures worth retaining The only historical feature are the few old farmhouses which will be demolished for development of residential building 4.2.2 Location of closet connection points of service The different services are provided as: The Kearney’s Spring provides electricity and will look at fulfilling the future electricity needs of the area The streets have underground sewerage pipe at 17 main points. On the south there is no sewerage pipe as they have their own septic tanks Every household is provided water through fitting and pipe in the residential subdivision. The combination of bore and rainwater is used for water connection as sewerage facility is provided in the residential area of the south. Optus and Telstra both uses underground service cables along Nelson Street, and NextGen us a cable present on Baker Street which will help to fill the telecommunication needs. 4.2.3 Positioning of houses on the land The residential block is in alignment to the Nelson Street and receives sun in the morning and afternoon. Direct sunlight allows the usage of solar electricity and provides a sense of safety and community with regard to the housing on both side of the roads as it helps to ensure better participation in community activities. This helps to ensure that better safety is enhanced in the street lighting. Further no trees and fences ensures better public opinion with regard to fencing. Trees will be further placed along the Nelson & New England highway to ensure privacy of viewing from public eyes and reduce the level of traffic noise and will provide shield from wind. 5.0 CONCLUSION It is seen that the structure and subdivision area is suitable for development of the residential block due to limited constraints. The place is perfect for housing and future developments of residential zones and open space parklands are seen in this area. This will thereby transform into a next major subdivision within the south Toowoomba region 6.0 GROUP REFLECTION: The group had 3 members named Juma, Ali and Doomy and each were assigned roles based on their skills. The group worked well without any difficulty and understood each other well. Despite it the task was challenging but the team gained a lot of experience with regard to fit, split of job, sharing of ideas and so on. The different issues were solved through discussions and steps were taken to ensure that the work was carried as per plan. The use of technology and involving each person helped to bring the best out of each person and ensured the work was carried out on time References Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia, Canberra, viewed 23 August 2012, . Commonwealth of Australia 2012, Bureau of Meteorology, Australia, Melbourne, viewed 24 August 2012, . Queensland Government. 2011. Interactive resource and tenure maps. [ONLINE] Available at: http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au/geoscience/interactive-resource-tenure-maps.htm. [Accessed 07 September 11]. Population and housing profile 2011, report, Toowoomba Regional Council, Office of Economic and Statistical Research Queensland Treasury, viewed 10 August 2012, < http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/products/profiles/pop-housingprofiles- lga/pop-housing-profile-brisbane.pdf>. Toowoomba Regional Council 2003, Toowoomba Planning Scheme Policy No.08 –Infrastructure Contributions for Water Supply Network. Available:, town-a-regionalplanning/ planningschemes/toowoomba/policies.html. Last accessed 25th Aug 2012. Toowoomba Regional Council 2003, Toowoomba Planning Scheme Policy No.11 – Infrastructure Contributions for Transport Network. Available: http://www.toowoombarc.qld.gov.au/planning-abuilding/ town-a-regionalplanning/ planningschemes/toowoomba/policies.html. Last accessed 25th Aug 2012. Read More