Mayors Column – October 2026
Jobs boom creating opportunities close to home Ipswich’s accelerating jobs boom is sending a clear signal to investors: this is a city where business confidence is translating into real economic growth. Over the past five years, our city has added more than 17,000 local jobs, reaching almost 100,000 jobs across Ipswich and surpassing council’s 2027 […]
Mayor’s Column – September 2026
Helping Ipswich Businesses Thrive Small businesses serve as the backbone of the city’s economy, which is why council is committed to offering practical support that helps businesses at every stage of their journey. In July this year, council launched its Elevate Business program to bring together a range of initiatives designed to help local businesses […]
Mayor’s Column – August 2026
Progressing our city’s Games legacy In six years’ time, Ipswich and Springfield will be catapulted onto the global stage as the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games begin. Ipswich is a co-host city and Brighton Homes Arena is confirmed as a Games venue which means that the city that we all know and love will welcome […]
Mayor’s Column – July 2026
2026-2027 Annual Plan and Budget I was pleased on 30 June to deliver a record-breaking $779 million 2026–2027 Annual Plan and Budget for our city, with council’s largest ever three-year Capital Works Program locked in. Our Budget is one for all of Ipswich, with 90 per cent of the Capital Works Program to be spent […]
Mayor’s column – June 2026
Health boost with new hospital It was wonderful to attend the official opening of Queensland’s newest public hospital at Springfield Central recently. Health care and social assistance are among our city’s core industries, with almost 20 per cent of our region’s workers employed in the sector. Mater Hospital Springfield will deliver a broad range of […]
Mayor’s Column – May 2026
Ipswich – space to grow Regular readers of this column will be well aware of council’s focus on developing Ipswich’s manufacturing and industry sector. To that end, we have recently launched our new investment prospectus, The City of Ipswich: Space to Grow. We are in the perfect position to become the manufacturing and defence capital […]
Mayor’s Column – April 2026
Trade leaders visit Ipswich I recently welcomed Queensland’s Trade and Investment Commissioners from India, the Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN region to Ipswich. Their visit brought valuable insights into emerging markets and the opportunities ahead. It also gave our local business community the chance to connect directly with international trade leaders. Ipswich […]
Mayor’s Column – March 2026
Accelerating Ipswich I recently took part in the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s Accelerating Ipswich: Transport and Infrastructure Update at Brookwater. The forum discussed our city’s rapid growth rate and changing transport demands. Ipswich is a city on the rise; our population growth is at 3.6 per cent which is well above the Queensland average […]
Mayors Column – December 2025
New residents boost Ipswich growth rate Ipswich’s growth rate has shot to 3.5 per cent with more than 2,300 new residents unpacking the moving boxes over the past three months, particularly in Greater Springfield and Ripley. Our beautiful city is now home to just over 268,000 people, with Ripley, Spring Mountain, White Rock, South Ripley, […]
Mayors Column – November 2025
Infrastructure and the Brisbane 2032 Games At the Queensland Olympic and Paralympic Infrastructure Summit, I had the opportunity to join Urbis Managing Partner James Tuma and Brisbane 2032 Sunshine Coast Program Lead, Sunshine Coast Council Grantley Switzer, to explore how strategic precinct planning can unlock long-term investment and drive regional economic transformation. Brighton Homes Arena […]