November: Mayor’s message to the business community
Mayor’s column | Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter
Brisbane Lions now have a home in Ipswich
The Brisbane Lions AFLW team edges closer to another grand final and the excitement is palpable with the team moving into their new home in Springfield Central.
We are delighted to welcome the Lions women and men to the newly finished Brighton Homes Arena.
With the completion of the construction, our fast-growing city can now boast its first national-level sporting team in the champion Lions AFLW team, and a brand-new stadium.
Council is proud to have made a significant funding contribution, approximately $20 million to this $80 million project, which sets a new benchmark for women’s sport both in the AFL and across the football codes nationally.
The stadium is a council-owned asset leased to the Lions for an initial 50-year term with a 49-year option to extend and one of the reasons for council opting to invest in the project the extensive access the community will have year-round.
Later this year residents will be able to access the community hub that includes including expansive meeting and function spaces, a public gym and wellness centre featuring high performance fitness and recovery equipment, childcare centre, café and bar and the indoor field and Michael Voss Oval for community events.
Placing sport at the heart of community, council decided to embark on this project alongside the Lions, developers, State and Federal Government, and it was amazing to see finished stadium after the first sod was turned in May 2021.
Free advisory service strengthens local businesses
Ipswich City Council is urging local businesses to take advantage of a free program designed to help them bounce back after recent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Strengthening Business is free business advisory service run by local independent experts who work with owners and staff to help their businesses grow stronger.
The focus of the sessions is to offer constructive advice to support business recovery as well as tools for future crisis planning.
Our small businesses are the heart and soul of our city and are a key economic driver, so we want to explore new ways to help our local businesses community to thrive.
We recognise the impact that COVID-19 lockdowns and natural disasters have had on businesses and council wants to ensure that they can bounce back.
The free program will cover topics including business goals, building on current strengths, business roadmaps, crisis preparation and becoming more resilient.
Healthy lifestyle contributes to community fitness
It was exciting to see the opening of the Springfield MyFirstGym.
Quality childhood education comes in many shapes and forms but always looks like fun in a cheerful environment.
I know the residents of Springfield will embrace MyFirstGym as an engaging activity hub, offering children physical, mental and emotional health, as well as self-confidence and skills in adaptability and resilience for all areas of life.
Physically active kids are healthier from the inside out and they feel better about themselves.
The Ipswich region has a young demographic: there are more than 48,000 people aged 15 years and under– that’s 24 per cent of the population.
Council’s Youth Policy promotes the value of young people, and what needs to happen to make sure that Ipswich is a great place for young people to live in and visit.
Ipswich is a city of opportunity, and we are putting in measures today that will put both today’s youth and this city’s future in good stead.
For example, the 2032 Olympic and Paralympics Games are just around the corner, and Ipswich is fortunate to be a host city for the event.
Ipswich has a long history as a breeding ground for elite sports stars – so I am hoping that some of our future stars attend at the very beginning of their sporting journey.
Food collection waste trial results are in
More than 1,000 Ipswich households participated in council’s food waste collection trial, which led to 82 tonnes of waste being diverted away from landfill.
In a Queensland first, residents in Bellbird Park and Raceview participated in the FOGO (food organics, garden organics) collection trial for a year. Each house received a free 240-litre green bin to use for organic waste that was collected weekly.
The trial tested the frequency and configuration of a FOGO service as well as how the community would adapt to changes in waste collection.
We know Ipswich residents want to improve environmental outcomes and what we saw over the course of the year was how small changes can have a big impact.
There were 33,771 FOGO collections which resulted in 82 tonnes of organic material being diverted from landfill.
Surveys showed that 64 per cent of residents supported a three-bin kerbside system as a core service provided by council.
The trial also looked at the best ways to communicate with residents, around what to separate into which bin to achieve less contamination, with tags put on bins, surveys, home visits and information sessions.
The most challenging aspect of the trial was managing contamination to achieve acceptable levels for the proper processing of materials. When material that is not food or garden waste is added to the FOGO bin, it is time consuming and costly to process the waste. This cost is carried by the people of Ipswich.
Little Day Out wins big award
SPARK Ipswich festival event – Little Day Out – has won a national community award and the hearts of Ipswich’s under 10’s.
Little Day Out won the community category for small shopping centres at the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) Awards.
We are a young and vibrant city. Home to families and young people, with five to nine-year-olds making up the largest sector of our population.
With a median age of 34, our residents are younger than both the state and national population averages.
Ripley is one of our regions fastest growing suburbs and Ripley Town Centre worked with council to present the Little Day Out.
Little Day Out is held at Ripley Town Centre during council’s SPARK Ipswich 11-day festival held in July.
And finally ….
Congratulations to all the winners of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Marquee Business Awards.
I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the achievements of local business with you.