July: Mayor’s message to the business community

Mayor’s column | Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter

July 2022

Collaboration to create employment opportunities with 2022-2023 Budget

The 2022-2023 Budget focused on collaborative initiatives to connect people to local, meaningful work, with nearly $100,000 allocated to skills development and investment attraction.

The council is expecting rapid growth in key industries such as transport, logistics and warehousing, manufacturing, health and community services and hospitality in coming years.

Council will also collaborate with all levels of government and the new Workforce Australia (previously Jobactive) to better connect jobseekers with jobs and where necessary, provide skills development programs.

Council wants to create economic opportunities that attract more Ipswich residents to work closer to home and ensure Ipswich is a city that provides opportunity for all. This will help reduce youth unemployment, increase local employment opportunities and help create a skilled workforce to build a thriving local economy.

2022-2023 Budget employment highlights include:

• $115,000 for small business initiatives, including Small Business Friendly Council, capability workshops and programs and Chambers of Commerce partnership.
• $60,000 for Skilling Ipswich.
• $36,000 for investment attraction initiatives.
• $90,000 for creative industries development and attraction, including Ipswich Art Awards and Creators Ipswich Summit.

Record Ipswich budget focuses on flood recovery and services

Ipswich City Council has released a record $621 million budget for 2022-2023, with a focus on flood recovery, delivering first-class services and keeping pace with rapid growth and transformation of the region by investing in upgrades and infrastructure for the future.

 The Ipswich City Council 2022-2023 Budget includes a total rates and charges rise of 4.49 per cent or $1.48 per week. The average general rate increase for residential properties will rise 3.95 per cent.

Council is exercising tight controls over spending while focusing investment in critical areas such as flood recovery, upgrades and services. Council has allocated $30 million in the coming year for flood recovery and $229 million for its capital works program in 2022-2023, part of a three-year program totalling $473 million. A total of $78 million will be spent maintaining, upgrading and expanding the region’s road network.

 From 1 July 2022 residential owner occupiers who receive a part-pension will be eligible to receive a pensioner remission of up to $120 per annum, with the new program costing the council $430,000.

 Additional budget features include:

• commercial rates rise set at 3.45 per cent, while noxious industry rates rise 6.95 per cent.
• food and garden organics (FOGO) bin service fees remain unchanged at $80
• waste utility charges have risen $20 to $397 and the Enviroplan levy will go up by $1 to $52. The rural fire levy remains steady at $3.
• Council has also allocated $6.3 million towards a new Materials Recovery Facility, in partnership with Logan and Redlands City Councils, to process the city’s yellow top recycling.

 City’s largest ever road upgrade drives forward

Our city’s largest road upgrade project, the $46 million Springfield Parkway and Springfield Greenbank Arterial duplication and upgrade is progressing with initial works continuing to advance for stages 1 and 3.

Early works and service relocations from Hymba Yumba Independent School to the Centenary Highway and Eden Station Drive to Springfield Parkway are nearing the finish line.

The next milestone for Stage 1 is the completion of remaining service relocations followed by construction to complete road duplication on Springfield Parkway and Springfield Greenbank Arterial.

Upcoming works have been included in council’s three-year Capital Works Program and funded in the 2022-2023 Budget with $23 million allocated over the next year. An additional $8.5 million is included for 2023-2024 and another $2.1 million in 2024-2025.

Stage 2 on Springfield Parkway from Hymba Yumba Community Hub to Topaz Road is under design with early works and service relocations planned for 2023.

Stage 3 is also in the final design phase with some early works brought forward in preparation for service relocations on Springfield Greenbank Arterial, from Eden Station Drive to Sinnathamby Boulevard, including modifications to the Centenary Highway Bridge.

For more information about this project, visit Maps.ipswich.qld.gov.au/civicprojects