Surat Basin Industrial Land Audit

Surat Basin Region The Surat Basin region, in Southern Queensland,

includes the local government areas (LGAs) of

Toowoomba, Western Downs and Maranoa. The Surat

Basin region is characterised by a number of

communities, the largest of which are located along the

Warrego Highway including Roma, Miles, Chinchilla,

Dalby, Oakey and Toowoomba.

The region has strong economic foundations with a well

established rural economy and a rapidly expanding

industrial economy centred on the resources and energy

sectors. Commercial quantities of coal, petroleum, coal

seam gas and natural gas deposits are driving further

economic development across the region. A full range of

resources and energy businesses and supporting supply

chain enterprises are expanding their presence in many

of the region’s towns. The development of the resources

and energy sectors is expected to drive significant

growth in the region over the next 20 years and beyond.

Figure 1: Surat Basin Region

Industrial Land Audit

A detailed audit of industrial zoned land was undertaken

by PSA Consulting in June 2010 across the three LGAs

that comprise the Surat Basin. The audit recorded the

occupancy status and land use activity occurring on

industrial zoned land (Figure 2).

Analysis of this data confirmed the total area and

number of industrial zoned lots that are either occupied

or vacant and available for development. The audit also

presents the mix of land use activities occurring on

occupied industrial zoned land.

Figure 2: Industrial land audit process

SURAT BASIN INDUSTRIAL LAND AUDIT

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

LAND USE l TRANSPORT l INFRASTRUCTURE - 2 -

Industrial Land supply

At the time of the audit there was a total supply of

3,882ha of industrial zoned land on 1,189 lots

distributed across the three LGAs.

Table 1: Distribution of industrial land supply

LGA Area Lots

Maranoa 748ha 249

Western Downs 891ha 680

Toowoomba 2,244ha 260

Total 3,882ha 1,189

The data in Table 1 and Figure 3 highlights that the

Toowoomba LGA has the greatest total supply of

industrial land in the Surat Basin (58%) with 2,224ha

distributed across 260 lots. This considerable land supply

is primarily located at Charlton Wellcamp (Map 1).

Figure 3: Distribution of industrial land supply

Total land supply by lot size

Industrial land stocks were separated into four lot size

categories including:

• <0.5ha;

• 0.5ha – 1ha;

• 1ha- 5ha; and

• >5ha (Table 2).

Land stocks were separated into these categories to

provide an accurate account of the type and quantity of

land available to cater for small, medium and large scale

industrial uses or for further subdivision (Table 2, Figures

4 and 5). Analysis of industrial land stocks highlighted:

• Lots <0.5ha represent the largest number of lots

(776) with the greatest concentration of these

small lots located in the Western Downs LGA;

• Lots sized >5ha represent the largest area

overall (3,266ha), with the greatest supply of

these large lots located in the Toowoomba LGA;

and

• Lots sized 0.5ha-1ha are the least represented

with only 62ha across 81 lots.

Figure 4: Number of lots by size

Figure 5: Supply of lot size by area (hectares)

Table 2: Land supply by lot size

Locality < 0.5ha 0.5ha - 1ha 1ha - 5ha > 5ha

Area Lots Area Lots Area Lots Area Lots

Maranoa 38ha 139 21ha 29 139ha 52 550ha 29

Western Downs 93ha 481 32ha 45 210ha 103 556ha 51

Toowoomba 22ha 146 9ha 7 56ha 27 2,160ha 80

Total 153ha 766 62ha 81 405ha 182 3,266ha 160

Note: The audit only surveyed specific locations in the

Toowoomba LGA including Oakey, Charlton Wellcamp and

Heinemann Road.

SURAT BASIN INDUSTRIAL LAND AUDIT

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

LAND USE l TRANSPORT l INFRASTRUCTURE - 3 -

Industrial Land Occupancy

The audit recorded the occupancy status of all industrial

zoned land within one of the following five categories:

• Occupied – land that accommodates a use;

• Partial Use – while the property accommodates a

use, a portion remains vacant and could be further

developed;

• Vacant Buildings – unoccupied built structure;

• Vacant Land – vacant undeveloped property; or

• Alternate Use - land that accommodates a use

generally not associated with an industrial zone,

such as airports, road and rail infrastructure,

wastewater treatment plants, waste transfer

stations, schools, parklands and extractive industry.

Table 3 and Figure 6 provides a conceptual breakdown

of the occupancy status of all industrial zoned land in the

Surat Basin, highlighting over half of all industrial land

supplies as ‘Vacant Land’ and available to accommodate

future development.

Table 3: Occupancy of industrial land supply

Locality

Occ

up

ied

Pa

rtia

l U

se

Va

can

t

Bu

ild

ing

s

Va

can

t

Lan

d

Alt

ern

ate

Use

To

tal

Maranoa 266ha 19ha 5ha 406ha 53ha 749ha

Western Downs 418ha 7ha 5ha 393ha 68ha 891ha

Toowoomba 106ha 0 3ha 1,810ha 326ha 2,245ha

Total 790ha 25ha 13ha 2,608ha 446ha 3,885ha

Figure 6: Occupancy status of industrial land

This data highlights that, at the time of the audit a total

of 815ha of all industrial land in the Surat Basin region

was either ‘Occupied’ or ‘Partial Use’, with the majority

of this development located in Western Downs LGA

(Figure 7 and Table 3).

Figure 7: Quantity of ‘Occupied’ and ‘Partial Use’ land

A total 2,621ha of industrial zoned land was recorded

within the ‘Vacant Land’ and ‘Vacant Buildings’ status,

approximately 68% of total land supply. Property within

these two categories is considered available for new

industrial development.

Figure 8 presents the distribution of ‘Vacant Land’ and

‘Vacant Buildings’ across the three LGAs as:

• Maranoa– 411ha;

• Western Downs– 398ha; and

• Toowoomba– 1,813ha.

Figure 8: Quantity of ‘Vacant Land and Buildings’

Note: The majority of Toowoomba’s vacant land supply

is located at Charlton Wellcamp

SURAT BASIN INDUSTRIAL LAND AUDIT

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

LAND USE l TRANSPORT l INFRASTRUCTURE - 4 -

Land Use Mix

An inventory of all land use activity occurring on

property classified ‘Occupied’ and ‘Partial Use’ was

prepared as part of the industrial land audit. This

inventory highlighted that a broad range of land use

activities occur on industrial zoned land. Land use

activities were classified into one of the following

categories:

• Agricultural Industry;

• Construction;

• Depot;

• Gas Industry Services;

• Machinery Hire and Sales;

• Manufacturing;

• Residential;

• Retail;

• Service Industry;

• Storage;

• Transport; or

• Other (Community Purpose, Mining Industry

Services, and Professional Service).

Analysis of this audit data has been undertaken to

confirm the mix of land use activities that currently

occur on ‘Occupied’ industrial zoned land (Table 4 and

Figures 9 and 10). This data highlights the five most

dominant land use activities as:

• Agricultural Industry – 241ha;

• Manufacturing – 184ha;

• Transport – 85ha;

• Gas Industry Services – 79ha; and

• Residential – 71ha.

The dominance of the ‘Agricultural Industry’ reflects its

historic contribution to the region’s economic profile. It

is expected that the ‘Agricultural Industry’ supply chain

will remain a dominant occupier of industrial land in the

Surat Basin over the long term.

The dominance of ‘Gas Industry Services’ activities is

related to the growing resources and energy sectors,

which are anticipated to increase in value and share of

the Surat Basin’s economic and employment profile.

Expansion of existing gas field activities and the

exploration and development of new gas fields across

the entire Surat Basin is anticipated to be a significant

driver of demand for industrial land in the immediate to

medium term.

The dominance of ‘Manufacturing’ and ‘Transport’

activities shares a strong nexus with both the

‘Agricultural Industry’ and the ‘Gas Industry’. Both

Manufacturing and Transport activities provide services

that facilitate and support the development of the

agricultural and energy resource economies.

This audit identified 71ha (8.7%) of developed industrial

land in the Surat Basin accommodates ‘Residential’ uses.

‘Residential’ activities are a constraint to industrial

development.

Figure 9: Land use mix

Table 4: Land use activity on ‘Occupied’ industrial land

Locality

Ag

ricu

ltu

ral

Ind

ust

ry

Co

nst

ruct

ion

De

po

t

Ga

s In

du

stry

Se

rvic

es

Ma

chin

ery

Hir

e

an

d S

ale

s

Ma

nu

fact

uri

ng

Re

sid

en

tia

l

Re

tail

Se

rvic

e I

nd

ust

ry

Sto

rag

e

Tra

nsp

ort

Oth

er

Maranoa 97ha 9ha 27ha 71ha 4ha 35ha 4ha 9ha 7ha 3ha 20ha 0

Western Downs 93ha 17ha 6ha 8ha 18ha 148ha 62ha 25ha 18ha 2ha 26ha 3.2ha

Toowoomba 52ha 0 1ha 0 0 0 5ha 4ha 1ha 1ha 40ha 0

Total 241ha 27ha 34ha 79ha 22ha 184ha 71ha 37ha 26ha 7ha 85ha 3.2ha

SURAT BASIN INDUSTRIAL LAND AUDIT

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

LAND USE l TRANSPORT l INFRASTRUCTURE - 5 -

Figure 10: Land use activity on ‘Occupied’ industrial land

Industrial land summary

A key finding of the land audit was the varied state of

development across the region’s industrial precincts.

This audit identified the following key findings.

Industrial Land Supply

• A total supply of 3,882ha of industrial zoned

land across 1,189 lots distributed between the

LGAs as follows:

o Maranoa – 748ha (249 lots);

o Western Downs – 891ha (680 lots); and

o Toowoomba – 2,244ha (260 lots).

• Lots <0.5ha represent the largest number of lots

overall (776); and

• Lots sized >5ha occupy the largest area overall

(3,266ha).

Industrial Land Occupancy

• 815ha (21%) has been developed and is

‘Occupied’ or ‘Partial Use’;

• 446ha accommodates an ‘Alternate Use’ and is

also unavailable for future development; and

• 2,621ha is available for development as ‘Vacant

Land’ and ‘Vacant Buildings’. This supply is

distributed between the LGAs as follows:

o Maranoa – 411ha;

o Western Downs – 398ha; and

o Toowoomba – 1,813ha.

Land use mix

Dominant land use activities on industrial zoned land

across the Surat Basin include:

• Agricultural Industry – 241ha;

• Manufacturing – 184ha;

• Transport – 85ha;

• Gas Industry Services – 79ha; and

• Residential – 71ha.

Connector Road

Rail Line

State Controlled Road

Maranoa Regional Council

Toowoomba Regional Council

Western Downs Regional Council

Toowoomba Regional Council

Western Downs Regional CouncilMaranoa Regional Council

MOONIE HIGHWAY

BUNYA HIG

HWAY

GORE HIGHWAY

NEW ENGLAND HIGHW

AY

LEICHH

ARD

TH

IGH

WAY

CARNARVON HIG

HWAY

WARREGO HIGHWAY

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Toowoomba Regional Council

Western Downs Regional CouncilMaranoa Regional Council

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ToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoombaToowoomba

Date: June 2010Source: PSA Consulting Author: PSA Consulting

Surat BasinSurat BasinMap 1Map 1

Surat Basin Industrial LandAuditSurat Basin Industrial LandAudit

0 25 50

kilometres

Geographic RegionGeographic Region

19%

23%58%

Maranoa Regional Council

Western Downs Regional Council

Toowoomba Regional Council

521

9634

97 85 68130

73

534

313

1909

220

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

2000

Hect

ares