Mayor’s column monthly newsletter – April 2025

Ash Barty’s playground in Springfield

Ash Barty’s achievements on the tennis court will forever be a source of pride for the people of Ipswich. Now her incredible legacy has been enshrined in our city with a new playground in Springfield.

I was honoured to gather with Ash and Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Honourable Tim Mander MP to open this special space.

Ash co-designed the playground with the State Government, and it includes a halfcourt and rebound wall, complete with a painted-on tennis net so local kids can practise their swing. The existing playground was extended with a dry creek bed and nature play equipment, a looped pathway, new shades, seating and greenery.

This new playground is a fantastic addition to Ipswich’s catalogue of more than 550 parks and reserves. Our city’s glowing reputation as a great place to raise children is enhanced by spaces like this.

Ash has inspired so many, not just through tennis, but through her work with the Ash Barty Foundation and writing children’s books. This park is the perfect recognition of her achievements. I have no doubt the community will enjoy this new spot.

Ipswich rallies together

Ipswich is no stranger to extreme weather events. I’m relieved and grateful that we didn’t feel the full force of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and things are returning to business as usual.

Since the weather event, council crews have worked hard to repair damage. More than 200 jobs were received in the first three days related to fallen trees, 684 potholes have been fixed and almost all roads have reopened.

396 properties were inspected by the Queensland Fire Department for flooding impacts, with 32 properties identified with minor impacts and three facing moderate impacts.

I commend and thank everyone involved in getting our city back to normal as quickly as possible. With crews focused on the clean-up, four of council’s capital projects were affected, which will extend the deadline for their completion. These projects include Marie Street Goodna, Jasmine Street Bellbird Park, Tallegalla Cemetery and the East Ipswich Catchment Drainage Rehabilitation Stage 1 project.

Have your say on local laws

Our local laws regulate everything we do as a council – we don’t take that responsibility lightly. That’s why our city’s local laws are being reviewed over the next 18 months.

An important part of our role as council is to make sure we are in line with community expectation and the vision we have as a city. The Strategic Regulation Project will allow us to create legislation that fits our growing city.

Businesses operate within a set of local laws and it’s imperative that these laws are fit for purpose. A new suite of local laws will allow us to take a more flexible approach as the environment changes, making governance more efficient.

Council will hold comprehensive community consultation throughout the project, with information readily available on ShapeYourIpswich.com.au. Consultation will start later this year, with new local laws expected to commence late next year.

I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with the project, and submit their ideas once community consultation is underway.