Mayor’s column | Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter – April 2024
New council sworn in
The newly elected Ipswich City Council is getting down to business after the 2024 Local Government elections held last month.
Your new council was sworn in on Tuesday 2 April. I was humbled to be returned as Mayor with an increase in support from the people of Ipswich, and I look forward to working closely with all councillors to serve the city once again.
The new council team is:
- Mayor – Teresa Harding
- Division 1 Councillors – Jacob Madsen and Pye Augustine
- Division 2 Councillors – Paul Tully and Nicole Jonic
- Division 3 Councillors – Marnie Doyle and Andrew Antoniolli
- Division 4 Councillors – Jim Madden and David Cullen
On behalf of all councillors, I want to thank you for putting your confidence in us. It is an incredible honour to be chosen to represent this city, and I congratulate my fellow councillors on their success.
The city is growing at an unprecedented rate, and that will continue for the next decade. My goal in this second term as Mayor is to build on that growth and prosperity, working with councillors to move the city forward sustainably and lead Ipswich with honesty and integrity.
The first meeting of the new council will be held on 11 April, with decisions expected to be made on new committee structures, the respective chairpersons and a deputy mayor.
City’s largest ever road upgrade continues to progress
Following the construction of Stage 1, the new lanes on Springfield Parkway and Springfield Greenbank Arterial are flowing well and managing more than 20,000 vehicles per weekday.
The upgrade of Springfield Parkway and Springfield Greenbank Arterial in Springfield Central is the largest road upgrade in the city’s history and consists of duplicating both roads from two to four lanes.
This upgrade is vitally important to improving safety and making travel easier for our rapidly growing community.
Stage 1 (Springfield Parkway – Hymba Yumba Independent School to Centenary Highway, and Springfield Greenbank Arterial – Springfield Parkway to Eden Station Drive) is now complete with widening and duplication of this section from two to four lanes and upgrades of the Springfield Parkway and Springfield Greenbank Arterial roundabouts to signalised intersections.
Other works consisted of construction of on road, two-metre cycle lanes in both directions, a three-metre-wide shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists and duplication of the bridge over Opossum Creek.
Progress on Stage 3 is now well underway with nightwork scheduled to commence from 7pm Sunday 7 April to 5am Thursday 11 April. These works will facilitate roadwork, electrical and stormwater upgrades on Centenary Motorway Exit 32 off ramp.
As always, we appreciate the support and patience of surrounding businesses and residents as we expand the local road network for the Springfield community.
More defence business comes to Ipswich
A deal to export Ipswich-made hi-tech armoured vehicles was signed in a coup for the city.
German firm Rheinmetall will export more than 100 Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles manufactured at its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence facility in Ipswich after the deal between the Australian and German governments was signed recently.
The agreement, set to be worth more than $1bn, will support jobs at the facility in Ipswich as workers use parts, mostly imported from Germany to complete vehicles before sending them back to Europe from 2025.
The agreement further strengthens Ipswich’s defence industry credentials, secures local jobs and contributes to the city’s continuing economic growth.
New visitor guide showcases region
A new guide strategically aimed at attracting thousands more visitors to Ipswich has been launched.
The Ipswich Visitor Guide has expanded to 68 pages this year and features the best tourism and leisure experiences across the region, which attract more than 1.5 million visitors to our city every year.
Latest data from Tourism Research Australia shows that the tourism industry is worth $280 million to the Ipswich economy each year.
The 2024 edition has 40,000 copies and these will be distributed shortly to 200 cafes and accommodation providers throughout Ipswich, Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast, as well as visitor information centres in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Copies of the guide are available at the Ipswich Visitor Information Centre in Queens Park. It can also be read online, or a hard copy ordered, by visiting www.discoveripswich.com.au/magazine