Ipswich City Council has identified a list of projects it stands ready to deliver under the Local Government Association of Queensland’s job-creating $608 million Battleplan for Queensland Local Communities.
Councils across Queensland have been compiling their local battleplans in a bid to secure critical economic stimulus from the State Government to help their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the council was well advanced on its $250 million redevelopment of the CBD, but had multiple shovel-ready projects around the region which were also high priority.
“We are giving the city centre its biggest facelift in more than 20 years, however there is still much work to be done right across Ipswich,” Mayor Harding said.
“Our population is expected to grow from the current 230,000 to well over 500,000 by 2040 and we vitally need infrastructure and a public transport network to cope with that many people.”
While council has only been in place for about four weeks, the impacts of COVID-19 have been at the forefront of discussions.
“We need to be investigating all avenues to create direct and indirect jobs to ensure our local workforce has the greatest opportunity to be productive,” Mayor Harding said.
“New jobs will be crucial to expediting economic recovery and a boost in infrastructure investment will go a long way to enabling that.
“Council can bring a range of projects forward in 2020-21 with additional funding, including the more than 50 projects that will see improvements to community assets like parks and sports facilities.”
Mayor Harding said a parks and sports package featured a range of projects across the region, totalling about $16.6 million, which would see facilities significantly upgraded with various capital works programs.
“Ipswich has a high community participation in sports, active health, arts and culture. While there has been significant investment, we need to keep our fields, parks, equipment and associated infrastructure up to the highest standard,” she said.
“This investment in our parks and sports will benefit every member of the community and the huge numbers who visit the region every week.”
Mayor Harding said investing in a detailed business case for the second Bremer River crossing is important for future regional growth and crucial to easing congestion, improving road safety and maximising productivity across Ipswich.
“Congestion in the Ipswich city centre is said to be costing the community about $34 million a year and it is absolutely necessary to have a second crossing,” she said.
“The David Trumpy Bridge was opened 50 years ago and with 40,000 vehicle crossings a day the bridge and nearby intersections are reaching capacity.
“The City of Ipswich Transport Plan iGO clearly highlights that, based on growth projections, a second river crossing is absolutely necessary within the next decade.
“Based on all the available evidence, population and traffic projections, doing nothing is simply not an option.”
Mayor Harding said the preliminary business case for this critical transport infrastructure had identified two options to be taken forward for further planning during the detailed business case.
A detailed business case will cost about $2.3 million and take two years to complete.
Other projects in the Ipswich battleplan would see improvements to popular conservation estates, youth facilities and community-based infrastructure.
“We need to maintain economic growth and create new jobs. Our population growth is one of the fastest in the nation, we are set to experience unprecedented growth in coming decades and we need to be ready to support that,” Mayor Harding said.
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We urgently need something done with the exit & entrance off Highway into Karalee before people are killed. We try & are totally ignored.