28 October 2025

Councillor Briefing and Workshop Session Meeting NO. 2025(18)]

 

 

Councillor Briefing and Workshop Session Meeting NO. 2025(18)

 

28 October 2025

 

Report

COUNCILLORS’ ATTENDANCE:

Mayor Teresa Harding; Councillors Jacob Madsen, Pye Augustine, Paul Tully, Marnie Doyle, Andrew Antoniolli, David Martin and Jim Madden

COUNCILLOR’S APOLOGIES:

Deputy Mayor Nicole Jonic

 

OFFICERS’ ATTENDANCE:

 

Chief Executive Officer (Sonia Cooper), General Manager Community, Cultural and Economic Development (Ben Pole), General Manager Environment and Sustainability (Kaye Cavanagh), General Manager Planning and Regulatory Services (Brett Davey), General Manager Corporate Services (Matt Smith), Acting General Manager Asset and Infrastructure Services (Graeme Martin), Manager Works and Field Services (Sonia Gollschewski), Manager Executive Services (Wade Wilson), Chief of Staff – Office of the Mayor (Melissa Fitzgerald), Property Services Manager (Alicia Rieck), Senior Property Officer – Tenure (Kerry Perrett), City Planning Manager (Garath Wilson), Senior Planning Officer – Strategic (Richard De Vries), Manager City Design (Nathan Rule), Manger Community and Cultural Services (Don Stewart), Manager Strategy, Governance and Performance (Haiden Taylor), Executive Services Manager (Wade Wilson), Senior Policy and Communications Officer (Linda Clayton) and Manager Community and Cultural Services (Don Stewart)

 

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN MATTERS ON THE AGENDA

 

Nil

 

Officers’ Reports

 

1.           Open Space Maintenance Action Plan Quarterly Update

The Open Space Maintenance Action Plan has been developed in response to the community’s strong expectations for well-maintained open spaces and the need to ensure sustainable, high-quality service delivery. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the key deliverables of this plan.

 

MATTERS ARISING:

 

Councillors in attendance noted and discussed the quarterly update on the Open Space Maintenance Action Plan.

 

Councillors congratulated Open Space staff on their timely and efficient response in the recent storm event.

 

Attachments

1.    Presentation - Open Space Maintenance Action Plan Progress Update ⇨

2.    Open Space Maintenance Action Plan Update July Sept 2025 ⇨  

 

 

2.           Councillor expenses budget

Workshop for Councillors to consider the proposed changes to the Councillor Expenses Policy and to seek feedback on the proposed budget amounts.

 

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

 

MATTERS ARISING:

 

Councillors in attendance noted and discussed the proposed changes to the Councillor Expenses Policy and proposed budget amounts.  Feedback was provided and minor edits will be made to the draft policy to be presented to a future workshop.

 

 

3.           Various Leasing Matters

This briefing outlines an update on various leases currently progressing in negotiations for several Council owned sites.

The properties under consideration include:

1.    Goodna Aquatic Centre – 123 Brisbane Terrace, Goodna

2.    Rosewood Aquatic Centre – 1 Mill Street, Rosewood

3.    Springfield Central Tennis Centre – 44 Sportstar Drive, Springfield Central

4.    Ipswich City Dirt Kart Club Inc. – 102 Champions Way, Willowbank

This briefing seeks to discuss the specific sites and current negotiations and seek feedback with the intent to table a report at a future Finance and Governance Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

MATTERS ARISING:

 

Councillors in attendance noted and discussed the information presented on various leasing matters and a report will be provided to the Finance and Governance committee for consideration.

 

 

4.           Ipswich City Plan 2025 - s18 Amendment No.1

The Ipswich City Plan 2025 commenced on 1 July 2025, replacing the Ipswich Planning Scheme 2006. Since commencement, over 400 development applications have been received by Council, including an increasing percentage of Building Works applications for works assessable against the planning scheme.

This briefing session will provide Council with an overview of the first operational amendment to the Ipswich City Plan 2025 – Amendment Package 1 – which consists primarily of minor and administrative changes to improve the clarity and functionality of the planning scheme, as well as canvassing the forward amendment program.

The purpose of Amendment Package 1 is to reduce the number of low-risk building applications triggered, make minor corrections and updates, ensure consistency with the planning regulations, enhance local heritage conservation, and improve the usability of the new planning scheme. Given the operational nature of the proposed amendment, it is proposed for all changes (major, minor and administrative) to be grouped into one package and to proceed under Section 18 of the Planning Act 2016, which includes a streamlined 3-month approval process.

 

MATTERS ARISING:

 

Councillors in attendance noted and discussed the information presented on the Ipswich City Plan 2025 – s18 Amendment No. 1, in particular development to heritage buildings.

 

 

5.           Western Grandstand

The purpose of this briefing is to provide Councillors with an update on the progress to date, and in advance of a report containing formal recommendations, in regards the procurement activities in relation to the Western Grandstand project at North Ipswich Reserve. 

 

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

 

MATTERS ARISING:

 

Councillors in attendance noted and discussed the updated information presented on the Western Grandstand project at North Ipswich Reserve.

 

 

6.           Strategic Priorities

This forms part of the regular strategic priorities workshops for the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors to meet with the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team to discuss strategic priorities, opportunities, challenges and risks.

 

MATTERS ARISING:

 

Councillors in attendance noted and discussed strategic priorities, opportunities, challenges and risks. Focus of the discussion was on efficiency and revenue initiatives and feedback on service standards.

 

 

PROCEDURAL MOTIONS AND FORMAL MATTERS

The meeting commenced at 9.00 am.

Councillor Jacob Madsen left the meeting at 9.22 am.

Councillor Jacob Madsen returned to the meeting at 10.03 am.

The meeting adjourned at 10.17 am.

The meeting reconvened at 10.40 am with all councillors in attendance.

 

Councillor Pye Augustine left the meeting at 10.44 am.

 

Councillor Pye Augustine returned to the meeting at 10.46 am.

 

Councillor Jacob Madsen left the meeting at 10.52 am.

 

Councillor Jacob Madsen returned to the meeting at 11.01 am.

 

Councillor Marnie Doyle left the meeting at 11.10 am.

 

Councillor Marnie Doyle returned to the meeting at 11.17 am.

 

Councillor Marnie Doyle left the meeting at 12.10 pm.

 

Councillor Andrew Antoniolli left the meeting at 12.16 pm.

 

Councillor Marnie Doyle returned to the meeting at 12.16 pm. meeting

 

Councillor Andrew Antoniolli returned to the meeting at 12.18 pm.

 

Councillor Andrew Antoniolli left the meeting at 12.21 pm.

 

Mayor Teresa Harding left the meeting at 12.22 pm.

 

Mayor Teresa Harding returned to the meeting at 12.25 pm.

 

Councillor Jacob Madsen left the meeting at 12.25 pm.

 

Councillor Jacob Madsen returned to the meeting at 12.27 pm.

The meeting closed at 12.37 pm.