Southern Downs vs Toowoomba - Central

Southern Downs and Toowoomba - Central are two different types of Queensland landscapes, separated by about 76 km. Toowoomba - Central is a more urban hub where 72.5% of homes have a 15-minute-city walkshed, compared to just 27.9% in Southern Downs. This reflects a huge gap in accessibility; Toowoomba - Central is somewhat walkable and almost 80% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, while Southern Downs is mostly car-dependent with 0% of homes near public transport. Toowoomba - Central also has a much larger First Nations population of 5,714 people, and a far higher share of First Nations students finishing Year 12 at 44.4% compared to 33.7% in Southern Downs.

These differences in urban layout have remained stark, though the two areas share a similar landscape with almost identical average terrain slopes. They also both have a First Nations population with the same typical age of 21. While the gap in Year 12 completion is wide, First Nations residents in both areas see similar outcomes in other areas, with only small differences in typical personal income and unemployment rates.