New bridges and critical road upgrades across Ipswich are poised to progress thanks to Ipswich City Council’s dedicated advocacy campaign We Can’t Wait, ahead of the Queensland Election on 26 October.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said We Can’t Wait is a council-led community campaign that challenged all political parties and local candidates to commit to delivering the roads, bridges and public transport our booming city urgently needs.
“With days left in the State election, we’ve had a remarkable $170 million dollars in funding commitments from the major parties – demonstrating that people power works,” said Mayor Harding.
“That includes the huge success of a commitment from both major parties to funding for the second river crossing in Ipswich Central.
“There has been $4 million committed by both the LNP and ALP to fund the business case for the crossing. In addition, the ALP has pledged $142 million to be invested in construction of the bridge.
“The Australian Government announced $16 million in funding from an existing 2018 commitment to the Cunningham Highway, alongside $4 million from the Queensland Government, for further planning for the Amberley intersection including the Ripley Road and Swanbank interchanges.
“As well as those projects, the campaign sought funding pledges on the Ipswich to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor. We will continue to argue that critical project’s merits up until election day on Saturday, and beyond.”
Mayor Harding thanked the Ipswich and broader South East Queensland community for getting behind the campaign.
“Council launched this campaign on behalf of the community in July, we needed to be the loudest voice in the room if we were going to get the attention of decision-makers,” Mayor Harding said.
“Over the three months of the campaign, there were more than 3 million engagements with the campaign in its many forms, be that hearing about it on radio, in local newspapers, television news reports and online, on the back of buses or through our bright yellow and red billboards, posters and flyers.
“Residents also signed up to be community champions by joining the waitlist, getting access to information and materials they could use to further promote the campaign messages themselves.
“Our campaign put Ipswich in the spotlight, garnering not just these major promises, but a reminder to all political parties that our community cannot be forgotten.”
Mayor Harding said council welcomed all funding commitments received during the campaign – and would be looking for more.
“Ipswich is poised to double in size over the next 20 years, to more than half a million residents,” Mayor Harding said.
“Through careful planning, we are well-placed to lead South East Queensland in managing growth without destroying the liveability of our city.
“But in successive State and Federal budget, our infrastructure needs have been ignored.
“Figures from the Queensland Government’s own funding tool, the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program, show that Ipswich will have the second lowest amount of public transport and roads funding spent per resident over the next four years – just $787 per resident.
“Our community can’t wait any longer, and we made that clear with We Can’t Wait.
“We’ve had measurable success, and we need to have more – governments need to look ahead and plan for the future, not act reactively. We can’t wait for that.”
Council will include a full list of election commitments from all parties on its We Can’t Wait website at wecantwait.com.au
Authorised by Sonia Cooper of Ipswich City Council, 1 Nicholas St Ipswich.
