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 outside of the Ipswich city centre. More than $210 million will be invested in roads, facilities and open spaces, and an extra $100 million has been injected into capital works over three years, ballooning the city’s three-year Capital Works Program to $672 million.
That program includes $22.4 million over three years to complete stage 2 of the Springfield Parkway upgrade from Topaz Road to Hymba Yumba Independent School at Springfield. It also continues our investment in the $51.85 million upgrade of Augusta Parkway and Sinnathamby Boulevard to a four-lane urban road from Eden Station Drive to Main Street, including a bridge duplication, with $10.5 million allocated over three years.
Delivering a balanced Budget in the current market inflation conditions has been a challenge. We left no stone unturned, scrutinising every aspect of Ipswich City Council spending, finding $6.8 million in organisational efficiencies, allowing that money to be reallocated to community services, capital works and maintenance.
The 2026-2027 Budget includes a $9.2 million surplus as well as a reduction in council’s overall debt position of $23 million. These measures will allow council to deliver more essential infrastructure for the Ipswich community. It’s a future-focused approach aimed at allowing our city to grow and prosper, while maintaining some of the lowest rates and charges in Southeast Queensland.
One feature I am particularly proud of is that for the first time from September this year residents will be able to receive a free waste voucher for up to 500kg taken to a resource recovery centre, bringing flexibility in how residents dispose of unwanted items and cost-of-living relief.
This initiative will begin in time for household clean-ups ahead of the busy South East Queensland storm season.
Council’s Business Budget
Our 2026–2027 Annual Plan and Budget also targets investment where it matters most, supporting business growth and keeping Ipswich’s economy moving.
Ipswich’s rapid growth over the next two decades presents significant opportunities, alongside challenges that require careful management.
Council is actively supporting jobs growth through its Economic Development Strategy 2023–2027, which originally set a target of 95,040 jobs by 2027. That target has already been exceeded three years early, with 95,532 jobs recorded in 2024.
Council is continuing to build on this momentum by delivering targeted initiatives that position Ipswich as an attractive place for businesses of all sizes.
With more than 13,500 small businesses driving the local economy, supporting their sustainability and growth remains a key priority.
We’ve worked hard to deliver a budget that meets the needs of businesses while continuing many of our free and low-cost supports for new and established business owners.
This year’s budget includes targeted investments across business capability, creative industries, placemaking, arts, tourism, and destination marketing to strengthen the city’s economic foundations.
That includes $1.9 million for Ipswich Festivals and major event attraction, $309,000 for destination development and tourism marketing, and $145,000 for creative industries development.