Toowoomba’s beautiful architecture will be showcased to around 250 property planning industry leaders in an upcoming three-day state-wide conference in August.
Toowoomba Region Council has endorsed a sponsorship request from the Planning Institute of Australia Queensland to host the 2025 PIA Queensland Conference at the heritage-listed Empire Theatre in late August.
The Queensland conference is an annual event for built environment professionals, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and town planning practitioners.
This year’s conference, to be held from 27-29 August, will include study tours which showcase the Toowoomba’s planning accomplishments.
Councillor Tim McMahon said this conference was a great opportunity to demonstrate to planning industry leaders how much the region has grown and why developers should recognise its potential as a great location for future projects.
“Town planners are strong influencers in the business and development sectors, so we are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to have so many of them visit our Region and be exposed to what we can offer,” Cr McMahon said.
Toowoomba Regional Mayor Geoff McDonald said the conference will benefit our community in more ways than one.
“Hosting the PIA Qld conference is also guaranteed to benefit our community by making a significant contribution to our local economy through both direct spending, and the flow-on effects as money circulates through the local economy,” said Cr McDonald.
Based on event impact summary modelling, the conference is expected to inject more than $1.6 million into the region’s economy, with accommodation and hospitality businesses most likely to benefit.
The sponsorship agreement includes TRC providing a financial contribution of $19,000 to PIA Qld which will be put towards covering the venue’s hire and audio-visual costs.
The agreement also stipulates that the Toowoomba region will be promoted to over 5,000 PIA Qld members via an email broadcast.
“I’m excited to think about the positive flow on effects this event will have on our economy as more visitors come to our region,’’ Cr McDonald said.
“I’m also excited about the development opportunities our community may gain because of our involvement with PIA Qld,”
