Ipswich City Council has backed a 20-year plan which aims to understand the needs of the city and strategically guide council investment, programming and advocacy for community facilities and services.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the Strengthening Ipswich Communities Plan is a planning and prioritisation framework for community places and facilities needed across the city in the short, medium, and long-term.
“The Strengthening Ipswich Communities Plan uses an evidence-based approach to social infrastructure provision identifying what we need, where and when,” Mayor Harding said.
“As the city grows and the population more than doubles over the next 20 years there will be increasing demand for community facilities that promote social connection and enhance liveability.
“This plan earmarks provision for future community facilities at Ripley Valley, Springfield Central, Bundamba, Yamanto, Walloon and Rosewood.
“Our vision for Ipswich, developed in collaboration with the community, is a city of centres with activated places and spaces where we can enjoy creative pursuits and active recreation or relaxing time with our families or loved ones. This plan aims to help make this vision a reality.
“Ipswich faces serious financial challenges in ensuring equitable access to community facilities across our growing city of centres.
“Through a community hubs model, council aims to better plan for accessible and affordable community facilities, ultimately shaping better neighbourhoods and places.
“This model allows for more efficient use of land and enhances accessibility.”
Infrastructure, Planning and Assets Committee Chairperson Councillor Andrew Antoniolli said a primary objective of the plan was to identify the principles and attributes of community hubs and their optimal locations.
“The hubs are prioritised to complement the city’s Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP), which outlines the trunk infrastructure needed to support development,” Cr Antoniolli said.
“While the LGIP can facilitate the acquisition of land for community facilities, it is crucial to recognise that it cannot fund the construction or activation of the facilities themselves, which present additional and significant financial challenges for council.
“In addition, trunk social infrastructure might be absent in areas of Ipswich with low or limited growth, exacerbating strategic asset gaps that may exist and further emphasising the need for social infrastructure investments to ensure equitable outcomes for all communities.”
Cr Antoniolli said it would be a case of council working “smarter, not harder” in the years ahead and coping with funding shortfalls from the State and Federal governments.
“It means that council will have to find ways to make funds stretch further to get the best outcomes for our communities. This strategy goes a long way towards that,” he said.
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