Agenda of Economic and Cultural Development Committee

Item No.	Item Title	Page No.
	Confirmation of Minutes
1	Confirmation of Minutes of the Economic and Cultural Development Committee No. 2025(04) of 20 May 2025	7
	Officers’ Reports
2	SPARK Ipswich 2025 - Festival of Arts and Culture Program Preview	17
3	City of Ipswich Economic Update	48
	Notices of Motion
	Matters Arising
	Questions / General Business

Economic and Cultural Development Committee

Meeting Agenda

10 June

2025

Economic and Cultural Development Committee NO. 2025(04)

20 May 2025

Minutes

COUNCILLORS’ ATTENDANCE:

Councillor Pye Augustine (Chairperson); Councillors Marnie Doyle (Deputy Chairperson), Deputy Mayor Nicole Jonic (via audio-link), Jacob Madsen (via audio-link), Andrew Antoniolli, David Martin (via audio-link) and Jim Madden

COUNCILLOR’S APOLOGIES:

Mayor Teresa Harding

OFFICERS’ ATTENDANCE:

Chief Executive Officer (Sonia Cooper), General Manager Community, Cultural and Economic Development (Ben Pole), General Manager Corporate Services (Matt Smith), General Manager Asset and Infrastructure Services (Seren McKenzie), Precinct Director – Nicholas Street Precinct (James Hepburn), Coordinator, Creative Industries Development (Courtney Strow), Director, Ipswich Art Gallery (Claire Sourgnes), Manager, Community and Cultural Services (Don Stewart), Manager, Media, Communications and Engagement (Mark Strong) and Theatre Technician (Max Moylan)

Leave of Absence – MAYOR TERESA HARDING

Recommendation

Moved by Councillor Pye Augustine:

Seconded by Councillor Marnie Doyle:

That a Leave of Absence for the Economic and Cultural Development Committee be granted for Mayor Teresa Harding.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Councillors: Councillors:

Augustine Nil

Doyle

Jonic

Madsen

Antoniolli

Martin

Madden

The motion was put and carried.

Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement of Country

Councillor Pye Augustine (Chairperson) invited Councillor Marnie Doyle to deliver the Acknowledgement of Country

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN MATTERS ON THE AGENDA

Nil

BUSINESS OUTSTANDING

Nil

Confirmation of Minutes

1. Confirmation of Minutes of the Economic and Cultural Development Committee No. 2025(03) of 22 April 2025

Recommendation

Moved by Councillor Pye Augustine:

Seconded by Councillor Marnie Doyle:

That the minutes of the Economic and Cultural Development Committee held on 22 April 2025 be confirmed.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Councillors: Councillors:

Augustine Nil

Doyle

Jonic

Madsen

Antoniolli

Martin

Madden

The motion was put and carried.

Officers’ Reports

2. Nicholas Street Precinct - April 2025 Nicholas Street Precinct Project Control Group

This is a report concerning the April 2025 Nicholas Street Precinct (NSP) Project Control Group (PCG) meeting focussing on the status of the leasing program and the planning, development, delivery and ongoing management of the NSP.

“The attachment/s to this report are confidential in accordance with section 254J(3)(g) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.”

Recommendation

Moved by Councillor Pye Augustine:

Seconded by Councillor Marnie Doyle:

That the April 2025 NSP PCG Report be received and the contents noted.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Councillors: Councillors:

Augustine Nil

Doyle

Jonic

Madsen

Antoniolli

Martin

Madden

The motion was put and carried.

3. SEQ City Deal Public Art Initiatives

This is a report concerning viable projects for submission to the SEQ City Deal Public Art Initiatives following a public Expressions of Interest.

“The attachment/s to this report are confidential in accordance with section 254J(3)(g) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.”

Recommendation

Moved by Councillor Pye Augustine:

Seconded by Councillor Marnie Doyle:

That Council receive and note two valid projects to be submitted for funding through the SEQ City Deal Public Art Initiatives.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Councillors: Councillors:

Augustine Nil

Doyle

Jonic

Madsen

Antoniolli

Martin

Madden

The motion was put and carried.

4. Report - Advocacy Advisory Committee No. 2025(01) of 8 May 2025

This is the report of the Advocacy Advisory Committee No. 2025(01) of 8 May 2025.

Recommendation

Moved by Councillor Pye Augustine:

Seconded by Councillor Marnie Doyle:

That Council adopt the recommendations of the Advocacy Advisory Committee No. 2025(01) of 8 May 2025.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Councillors: Councillors:

Augustine Nil

Doyle

Jonic

Madsen

Antoniolli

Martin

Madden

The motion was put and carried.

1. Confirmation of Minutes of the Advocacy Advisory Committee
No. 2024(03) of 21 November 2024

Recommendation

That the minutes of the Advocacy Advisory Committee held on 21 November 2024 be confirmed.

2. 2025 Federal Election Outcomes

This is a report providing a summary of the outcomes of the 2025 Federal Election, held on 3 May 2025.

Recommendation

A. That the report be received, and its contents noted.

B. That the Advocacy Advisory Committee discuss next steps for Council’s advocacy program.

Discussion

The committee received an update and overview from Dan Heenan and Kate Adams on the 2025 Federal Election:

· It was noted that in the lead up to the Federal election the Mayor wrote to all candidates seeking their support for Council’s advocacy priorities.

· Nineteen election commitments were made in the seat of Blair. Seven from ALP sitting member Shayne Neumann totalling $216.9 million and 12 from LNP candidate Carl Mutzelburg totalling 221.695 million.

· Most notable commitment was $200 million to upgrade the Amberley interchange from both ALP and LNP.

· Other election commitments were made for the upgrade to local sporting clubs and commitments to local community groups.

The committee discussed the steps that need to occur in relation to the Amberley Interchange project so that Council could build its advocacy around them. Following on from discussions the Mayor has already had with the Minister, it was recommended that it would be a good opportunity to write to the Minister and request a meeting in Ipswich.

The Economic Development Manager outlined the Question on Notice that was raised in Parliament by Jennifer Howard MP asking for an update in relation to funding for the second river crossing.

ACTION

That Council write to the new State Government requesting a meeting in Ipswich to discuss the Amberley interchange and the second river crossing.

4. General Discussion

Mayor Harding advised that there will be three elections in 2028 and that she was keen to work out how to advocate in the lead up to and between these elections as well as revising what council’s regionally significant projects are and expanding the list of locally significant projects.

In relation to the Advocacy Plan it was noted that this would be updated to include Councillor Doyle’s Notice of Motion at the last council meeting regarding a Tartan Track.

The committee discussed the engagement of SAS group in the previous term and how they shared their insight on how they advocate and how to increase the chance of funding. From this, there were 5 principles that were presented:

· Common Purpose

· Coordinated Communications

· Unity of Voice

· Engaging all appropriate channels

· Systematic recordkeeping and follow up

It was agreed that in a typical calendar year council could prepare federal and state budget submissions and that the state also did a mid-year budget update where council could prepare a submission.

It was also agreed that council could undertake delegations to Canberra and Queensland Parliament as an annual activity.

ACTIONS

A. That the Economic Development Manager and Advocacy Lead meet with each councillor individually to compile a list of locally significant projects and that these be collated and brought to a future Advocacy Advisory Committee for discussion.

B. That as well as the federal and state budget submissions and delegations to Canberra and Queensland Parliament, relationships also be built and maintained.

5. UPDATe in relation to Regionally Significant Projects

The committee discussed each of the Regionally Significant Projects listed on Council’s Advocacy Web Page to ascertain the current status:

· Better Bus Network for Ipswich

· Ebenezer Regional Industrial Area

· Ipswich to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor

· Waste and Circular Economy Transformation

· Critical and Enabling Infrastructure

· Ipswich Central Second River Crossing

· North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct

ACTIONS

Council webpage for all the Regionally Significant projects to be updated.

Better Bus Network

· The Economic Development Manager to follow up on the details of the three stages of the introduction to the new bus services in relation to what is funded and what is not and include school bus routes.

Ebenezer Regional Industrial Area

· Ebenezer Regional Industrial Area to remain as a regionally significant project.

Ipswich to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor

· Ipswich to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor to remain as a regionally significant project and Council to request a briefing from TMR on the planned routes for the I2S public transport corridor prior to the business case being finalised.

· This project to be included in the Mayor’s letter to the Transport Minister requesting that he visit Ipswich.

Waste and Circular Economy Transformation

· The CEO to organise a review of the information to include the additional funding for the Material Recovery Facility and any funding for the resource recovery centres.

· In relation to the Waste and Circular Economy space, Council request the State Government for $8 million as an ex-gratia payment for the payment of legal fees for waste recovery.

· The public health enquiry findings from parliament to be included.

Critical and Enabling Infrastructure including Cunningham, Warrego and Centenary Highways as well as Ripley Valley PDA Infrastructure

· Council to continue to lobby for funding from the State Government for the Amberley Interchange, following the Federal Government election commitment of $200 million

· A briefing to be organised in relation to what is planned for the Centenary Highway Motorway/Augusta Parkway interchange and what this means

· Council to continue to follow up in relation to the Ripley Valley PDA Catalytic Infrastructure specifically the community centre/library/multi-purpose centre.

Ipswich Central Second River Crossing

· Council to continue to explore options for a second river crossing

· Information to be provided to councillors on what council holdings are around this project

· That opportunities be explored for TMR to be part of the project steering group for the Ipswich Central River Crossing

· The project to be included in the Mayor’s letter to the Transport Minister following the recent Question on Notice in Queensland Parliament stating that Ipswich City Council is the lead authority for the business case.

North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct

· That an options paper be prepared for discussion outlining the 3 options for the Corporate Centre – High Performance Gym, Office Accommodation (Sports House/Hub) or remain as Function Room

· The advocacy website to be updated to include the next steps for this project

· That the map on the Advocacy website for the North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct be updated

· That the previous masterplans be provided to councillors for information

In the context of the Leveraging 2032 update it was proposed the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic opportunities be added to the Regionally Significant Projects list.

6. Update on Locally Significant Projects

The committee discussed locally significant projects and next steps.

ACTION

· That an update to councillors on Bell Street, Ipswich be organised

The following projects were proposed by Councillors to be added to the Locally Significant Project list:

· The clay courts at Leichhardt need to be repurposed

· John Street Rosewood drainage and flood resilience upgrades

· Tartan athletics track

ACTION

· That the Economic Development Manager liaise with the General Manager (Planning and Regulatory Services) to assist with the preparation of information to support councillors relating to the infrastructure funding gap and infrastructure charges.

NOTICES OF MOTION

Nil

MATTERS ARISING

5. Membership of Advocacy Advisory Committee

Recommendation

Moved by Councillor Pye Augustine:

Seconded by Councillor Marnie Doyle:

That Councillor David Martin be appointed as a member of the Advocacy Advisory Committee.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Councillors: Councillors:

Augustine Nil

Doyle

Jonic

Madsen

Antoniolli

Martin

Madden

The motion was put and carried.

QUESTIONS / GENERAL BUSINESS

Nil

PROCEDURAL MOTIONS AND FORMAL MATTERS

The meeting commenced at 11.48 am.

The meeting closed at 12.00 pm.

Economic and Cultural Development Committee

Meeting Agenda

10 June

2025

Doc ID No: A11570033

ITEM: 2

SUBJECT: SPARK Ipswich 2025 - Festival of Arts and Culture Program Preview

AUTHOR: City Events Manager

DATE: 14 May 2025

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning SPARK Ipswich Festival of Arts and Culture program of events from 11 July to 20 July 2025.

Recommendation/s

That the report concerning the 2025 Spark Ipswich – A Festival of Arts and Culture program preview of events be received and its contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no discernible related party conflicts of interest associated with the report or its recommendations.

ifuture Theme

Vibrant and Growing

Purpose of Report/Background

SPARK Ipswich is an annual Festival of Arts and Culture in council’s City Events Plan. SPARK Ipswich is a key driver in achieving the Plan’s mission to attract, support and produce a diverse program of annual events that engage the community, promote Ipswich as a destination, drive visitation and positively impact on business and industry.

SPARK Ipswich has been programmed from 11 July to 20 July 2025 which coincides with the final weekend of school holidays, and the 50^th anniversary of the Ipswich Civic Centre.

Designed as a platform to showcase and celebrate the people, places, arts and culture of the city, the program engages around 67 artists and 65 performers across 52 events.

SPARK Ipswich 2025 is a direct outcome and delivery action of the Ipswich Economic Development Strategy:

Pillar 3 – Prosperity
Deliver the City Events Plan of annual events to promote Ipswich as a destination, drive visitation and maximise local expenditure.

SPARK Ipswich 2025 is a direct outcome and delivery action of Leveraging 2032:

Legacy Outcome 19 – Destination Led Events
Attract, support and produce a diverse program of annual events that engage the community and promote Ipswich as a destination, drive visitation and short stays and positively impact on business and industry.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Spark Ipswich Branding Artist

Local artist Kianna Good is the Spark Ipswich 2025 Branding Artist. Her artwork is a collection of vibrant and dynamic motifs that reference community connection and landmarks in the local landscape including the saw tooth roof, finials and arched windows of our industrial buildings, clocktower, Bremer River reeds.

SPARK AFTER DARK

Activating the cultural spine of Ipswich Central from the Civic Centre to Tulmur Place with light, sound and action, including:

· HEXADECA – an interactive, music making installation that invites people of all ages, abilities and cultures to engage https://pulsingheart.com.au/Hexadeca

· The Bubble Canteen – a spectacular installation connecting people through joy, laughter, wonder and 20,000 bubbles per minute https://www.clintbolster.com/thebubblecanteen

· Neon: Play the Music – This installation lights up the night with glowing instruments and a mic for you to perform. Snap a pic, share the fun https://volterinternational.com/neon-play-the-music

· deLIGHT – Projection artist James Muller collaborates with 9 artists to animate their creations in motion across Metro B. Each night unveils a new artist, celebrating creativity under the stars. Six of the nine deLight feature artists are local, and the non-local artists all demonstrate strong connections to the local community – either personally or professionally through their art works and arts practice:

DATE	FEATURE ARTIST
Friday 11	Chloe Adams	Local Resident
Saturday 12	Andrew Kimberley	Local Resident
Sunday 13	Rushanthi Herath	Local Resident
Monday 14	Kym Tabulo
Tuesday 15	Brandon Huges	Local Resident
Wednesday 16	Sean Williams	Local Resident
Thursday 17	Jordache Guage
Friday 18	Dave Pearce	Local Resident
Saturday 19	YEAHYEAHCHLOE

FESTIVAL FAVOURITES RETURN

WOMI (World of Music Ipswich)

Crowd favourite WOMI will return to Springfield Central including a live broadcast from Radio 4EB, with dynamic artists and activities that reflect the vibrancy of our linguistically diverse community.

Little Day Out
‘Dirtgirl’s Garden Party’ will headline the iconic Children’s Music Festival, presented by Verso Projects (Ripley Town Centre). With a program focused on children 10 years and under, this year’s line-up includes kaleidoscope, building cubbies and fairy villages, seedpod painting, nature jewellery, build a bee, and a silent disco with haptic vests and straps.

NEW ADDITIONS

Guru Dudu’s Silent Disco Walking Tours

This unique ‘dancing tour’ of the city has participants wearing supplied headsets, exploring the city streets to custom soundtracks of upbeat music from your favourite decades. Tour hosts will point out quirky local facts, iconic buildings and artworks along their routes, bringing the area to life. It’s laughter all around, especially from the onlookers.

Ignite: Celebrating Creativity

This ‘up-late’ event hosted by Ipswich Art Gallery encourages musicians, performers, visual artists, writers, designers, filmmakers and cultural leaders to join us in celebrating the vibrancy and progress of our city’s creative scene.

Spark Youthful Vision

Creative Hearts Co. at Brookwater is a local business dedicated to celebrating and nurturing creativity within our community at a grassroots level. During Spark their new boutique gallery space will present an exhibition featuring youth art, celebrating young talent in our city.

Street Art Jam

New to the program is Street Art Jam delivered by valued partner Queensland Museum Rail Workshops featuring street art demonstrations, workshops and performances. Whether you're an art enthusiast or simply curious, this event offers a hands-on experience alongside world-renowned local and international street artists.

MILESTONE CELEBRATION

For 50 years, Ipswich Civic Centre has been at the heart of arts and culture in the city – a vibrant hub hosting everything from local theatre to international acts. In 2025 the Spark Ipswich program celebrates this performing arts icon with special events like car park parties, headlining shows with local comedian Mel Buttle, internationally acclaimed DJ Groove Terminator and revered Aussie singer-songwriter Pete Murray. The milestone birthday bash culminates in an epic community production ‘Hip Swich’ – a one-night-only show which commemorates decades of performance, aspiring talent and community connections.

A communications and marketing campaign will run from late May across the city and South-East Queensland to promote the festival. The campaign will be distributed through council-owned and paid channels to build profile and increase visitation to the city.

The full program is available at www.ipswichfestivals.com.au

Legal IMPLICATIONS

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Not Applicable

policy implications

There are no discernible policy implications associated with the report or its recommendation.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

As with all of council’s festivals and events, an Event Management Plan has been developed and implemented by the City Events section in consultation with the Workplace Safety and Wellbeing Section.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

Council has $450k allocated to SPARK Ipswich as part of the 2024-2025 City Events budget.

The City Events team has also secured significant sponsorship for the festival, currently sitting at $76,000 and $66,200 in-kind support. This includes funding from Multicultural Affairs Queensland and Orion Springfield Central for WOMI, along with the new owners of Ripley Town Centre - VERSO Group supporting Little Day Out.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

SPARK Ipswich is a collaboration of a significant number of local organisations, businesses, key industry partners and creatives. Stakeholders and festival partners include:

Arts Connect Ipswich	Ipswich Arts Advisory Group	Nicholas Street Precinct
Artime Gallery and Art Supplies	Ipswich Art Gallery	Queensland Museum Rail Workshops
Banshees Bar & Artspace	Ipswich City Big Band	St Paul’s Anglican Church
BEMAC	Ipswich Civic Centre	Stony Creek Brewing
Booval Fair Shopping Centre	Ipswich Libraries	Switch Up Productions
Creative Hearts Co.	Ipswich Little Theatre	University of Southern Queensland
Handmade Markets Co.	Ipswich Orpheus Chorale	Verso Group (Ripley Town Centre)
Hotys Cinemas	Mirvac Orion Springfield	Yamanto Central Shopping Centre

Conclusion

Spark Ipswich is the city’s premier arts and cultural festival, showcasing the region’s exciting creative scene and rich diversity from 11 – 20 July. Over 50 events showcase local artists and performers to an audience of thousands from across South-East Queensland to promote Ipswich as a destination, drive visitation and positively impact on business and industry.

HUMAN RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS

HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACTS

RECEIVE AND NOTE REPORT

The Recommendation states that the report be received and the contents noted. The decision to receive and note the report does not limit human rights. Therefore, the decision is compatible with human rights.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Spark Ipswich 2025 Events Calendar ⇩
2.	Spark Ipswich 2025 Program ⇩
3.	Ipswich Civic Centre - Celebrating 50 Years Program ⇩

Deannah Vieth

City Events Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Carly Gregory

Manager, Marketing and Promotions

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager (Community, Cultural and Economic Development)

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Economic and Cultural Development Committee

Meeting Agenda

10 June

2025

Doc ID No: A11594975

ITEM: 3

SUBJECT: City of Ipswich Economic Update

AUTHOR: Economic Policy and Strategy Lead

DATE: 21 May 2025

Executive Summary

This report provides an update on the recently released economic data for the Ipswich Local Government Area.

Recommendation/s

That the Ipswich Economic Development Strategy Report be received and the contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no discernible related party conflicts of interest arising as a result of this report and its recommendation.

ifuture Theme

Vibrant and Growing

Purpose of Report/Background

Ipswich Economic Update

The latest Ipswich economic update confirms that our economy continues to go from strength to strength, with growth largely driven by Defence (Public Administration and Safety) and Manufacturing, which remain our highest valued industries.

Ipswich City Council is one of the fastest growing local governments in Australia, with the data reflecting the scale of construction across the city. This financial year to March 2025, there was in excess of $1 billion in building approvals, predominantly from residential development. Construction also recorded the highest year on year growth in business numbers, representing a jump in rankings for the sector.

Gross Regional Product

The Gross Regional Product (GRP) of an area is the equivalent of Gross Domestic Product, but for a smaller area. It is the amount of region’s wealth which is generated by businesses, organisations and individuals working in the area.

The City of Ipswich’s GRP reached $15.08 billion in the year ending June 2024, reflecting a 4.2% growth from the previous year (refer table 1 below). This not only reflects a higher rate of growth than the state of Queensland, which rose 2.95%, but also other local governments:

• City of Moreton Bay - $23.81 billion (2.4% increase)

• Gold Coast - $49.42 billion (1.96% increase)

• Logan - $18.24 billion (2.6% increase)

• Townsville - $15.32 billion (1.9% increase)

Table 1 – Ipswich Gross Regional Product

Exports

Exports are sales of goods and services to non-resident households, businesses and other organisations, outside the City of Ipswich boundaries.

The City of Ipswich exports were valued at $8.2 billion. An analysis of the total exports by industry sectors in the City of Ipswich in FY2023-2024 shows the three largest industries were:

• Manufacturing ($3.5 billion or 42.2%)

• Public Administration and Safety ($2 billion or 23.9%)

• Transport, Postal and Warehousing ($701 million or 8.5%)

In combination these three industries accounted for $6.2 billion in total or 74.6% of the total exports by industry in the City of Ipswich.

The largest changes in the total exports by industries between 2022/23 and 2023/24 in the City of Ipswich were for:

• Transport, Postal and Warehousing (+$100 million)

• Wholesale Trade (+$66 million)

• Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services (+$57 million)

• Manufacturing (+$44 million)

Compared to Queensland, City of Ipswich had a higher percentage of exports in Public Administration and Safety (23.9% compared to 5.3%) and Manufacturing (42.2% compared to 15.5%). This highlights the continued strength of our Defence (classified as Public Administration and Safety) and Manufacturing sectors (refer table 2 below).

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Table 2: Total Exports

Local Employment

In 2024, there were 95,532 jobs in the City of Ipswich, almost 500 more jobs than our 2027 target in the Economic Development Strategy 2023-2027. This reflects a 3.8% change on the previous year, a higher rate of growth than Queensland that saw a growth of 3.2% in jobs between FY2022-2023 and FY2023-2024.

Table 3 below provides a breakdown of total jobs and table 4 provides the change in total jobs FY2022-2023 and FY2023-2024 by industry.

Table 3: Total jobs

Table 4: Change in total jobs FY22/23-FY23/24

The three (3) largest industries in 2024:

· Health Care and Social Assistance – 17,206 local jobs

· Education and Training – 10,948 local jobs

· Manufacturing - 10,114 local jobs

The top industries with the largest growth between 2023 and 2024 were:

· Construction (+793 local jobs)

· Manufacturing (+ 516 local jobs)

· Transport, Postal and Warehousing (+504 local jobs)

Businesses

There were an estimated of 13,049 GST registered businesses in 2024 in the City of Ipswich (refer table 5 below). The industries with the largest portion of businesses included:

• Construction – 18.7% (2,435 businesses)

• Transport, Postal and Warehousing – 16.3% (2,125 businesses)

• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services – 9.7% (1,263 businesses)

Table 5: Registered Businesses by Industry

Building Approvals

The total value of building approvals in the City of Ipswich was $1 billion for FY23/24 with residential development equating for a large portion of development (refer table 6 below).

A graph with green bars

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Table 6: Value of total building approvals.

Economic Development Strategy Update 2023-2027

The Ipswich Economic Development Strategy 2023-2027 provides the direction for the economic development program and guides its activities, key priorities seek to:

· Competitively position Ipswich within South-East Queensland to attract investment

· Review and evolve the organisation’s policy settings to ensure the organisation harnesses and supports appropriate economic development opportunities

· Promote the city as a desirable place in which to invest, live, learn, work and play

Implementation actions under the Strategy are categorised under four (4) pillars:

The last six monthly update on the progress of the Economic Development Strategy was provided to Council in December 2024.

Key Priorities

People

Progress on the implementation plan for People for the past six months has included:

· Council supported Department of Employment, Small Business and Training and Jobs Queensland who engaged UniSC to deliver the Workforce Planning for Business Course in Ipswich.

· Delivered on regional skills development by actively engaging in the Wivenhoe Jobs Taskforce, Greater Springfield Regional Jobs Committee, and Skilling Queenslanders for Work Advisory Committee to align workforce qualifications with growth industries, strengthen connections between jobseekers and employers, and drive a collaborative skills plan with key government and industry stakeholders.

Place

Progress on the implementation plan for Place for the past six months has included:

· Continuing to support investment attraction enquiries for new business establishing in Ipswich.

· Continue to deliver Ipswich Central Revitalisation, highlights include securing $3.8 million as part of the Urban Precinct Partnership Program for the cultural heart.

· As a result of working with Planning and Regulatory Services, two new incentives have been developed: Hotel and Short-Term Accommodation and Housing Diversity and Affordability.

· Continued to delivery on the 2032 Legacy Roadmap, with the 2025 Action Plan prepared focusing on:

o Venue audit and team attraction;

o Connecting with Multi-Cultural Australia;

o Looking for opportunities to expand the current urban greening works; and

o Advocacy to all levels of government for games outcomes and investment in the city.

Prosperity

Progress on the implementation plan for Prosperity for the past six months has included:

· New businesses are continuing to establish in Ipswich with the total number of registered businesses reaching 13,049, an increase of 665 business in 12 months.

· Held two Business Booth sessions which continue to see strong demand with all sessions to date fully booked and a waitlist established, recording a 4.9/5 satisfaction score.

· In partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Economic Development Agency Ipswich business participated in the Brisbane Region Welcomes You program that strengthens frontline service and guest hosting skills in the preparation for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

· Continued to engage with Council’s Sustainability Section and Procurement Branch to encourage businesses to operate more sustainably through policy improvements and uptake of the EcoBiz program.

· On 15 May, Ipswich City Council welcomed delegates from a number of countries to Ipswich as a part of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Consular visit to encourage economic growth and investment attraction.

Partnerships

Progress on the implementation plan for Partnerships for the past six (6) months has included:

· Advocated for our regionally significant projects as part the advocacy plan, with $200M committed for the Amberley Interchange as part of the Federal election.

· Continued to meet regularly with State Government agencies such Department of State Development, Department of Tourism, Department of Small Business and Training, Department of Treasury .

· Worked with the Ipswich and Greater Springfield Chambers of Commerce in delivery of the partnership agreements.

· Launched the Business Support Program to establish a program of works to ensure we are meeting our commitments under the Queensland Small Business Friendly Charter.

· Participated in the Small Business Friendly Roundtable and the Small Business Friendly Program Review – Working Group.

· Delivered the second annual New Business Breakfast with 112 registrations.

Case Studies

Western Grandstand

Ipswich City Council completed the concept design for the North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct to deliver a new 2,000 seat western grandstand and field lighting.

This $40 million project is the result of $20 million Federal, $10 million State and $10 million Council funding. Procurement has commenced for a design and construct contractor to deliver the project by mid-2027.

Council continues to seek delivery funding for the next stages of the development to deliver a northern, eastern and southern seating area, upgrades to Len Johnson Oval and improved connectivity to the Ipswich Train Station and Ipswich Central.

Federal Election Outcomes

The Federal Election was held in May, resulting in $216.9 million of commitments for Ipswich, that will be delivered by the newly appointed Federal Government. This includes a $200 million commitment towards our advocacy priority for Critical and Enabling Infrastructure: Amberly Interchange.

Games Update

The release of the 2032 Delivery Plan confirmed Brighton Homes Arena as an Olympics Venue, subject to final sports program. The 2032 Delivery Plan through the Games On! Program has committed to enhancing regional sporting and community facilities to create a legacy outcome for Rosewood Showgrounds, Ipswich Musketeers Baseball Club, North Tigers Junior Rugby League and Queens Park. In addition, the recently announced design for the North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct presents a major opportunity to support pre-Games training while encouraging greater community participation in sport.

Legal IMPLICATIONS

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Not Applicable

policy implications

The initiatives outlined in this report are in line with the Economic Development Strategy 2023-2027.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

Based on the general nature of this report it is deemed that there are no risks associated with the recommendation.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

The Strategy activities were delivered within budget and resource allocations provided in the Ipswich City Council 2024-2025 budgets.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

Throughout the reporting period, each initiative outlined in this report had its own engagement strategy, involving both internal and external stakeholders. The Office of Economic Development has conducted consultations with relevant branches within the organisation and community stakeholders, aligning with our strategic objectives to enhance partnerships.

Conclusion

Ipswich’s economy continues to outperform, with the latest data confirming strong growth across key sectors. The city’s GRP has reached over $15 billion, driven by high-value industries such as Defence and Manufacturing. Construction continues to fuel expansion, reflected in record building approvals and the highest growth in jobs and businesses. With stronger export figures and rising employment, Ipswich is well-positioned for continued prosperity and investment attraction.

The implementation of the Economic Development Strategy 2023-2027 is progressing well with key deliverables being achieved over the past six (6) months.

HUMAN RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS

HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACTS

RECEIVE AND NOTE REPORT

Gemma Rippon

Economic Policy and Strategy Lead

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Dan Heenan

Economic Development Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager (Community, Cultural and Economic Development)

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”