State of the art: A $8.8 Million new library for Rosewood will service theg growing area and will act as a multifunctional community hub. Construction started in started in May 2019 and was announced earlier by the council and local representatives after being on the cards for some time. Funding was provided by the state government and council. 

Learn more: https://www.qt.com.au/news/first-look-inside-new-88-million-library-and-who-g/4063460/

Ipswich is still attracting development investment with 257 applications lodged, 603 lots approved and 501 actual new dwellings in the 1st quarter of 2020. While development can sometimes attract a negative reaction from some quarters, it’s important for the broader local economy as it stimulates supply chain activity and retail purchasing. The challenge for government is to manage infrastructure requirements for the growing region and it will be interesting to see if these numbers continue during the next reporting period.

Read more: https://www.ipswichplanning.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/129245/PRS_Report_Card_Jan-March2020_4.pdf

Solar projects shine bright with the recent launching of solar powered carpark at Goodna with speculation of similar projects in the future particularly with larger residential developments. 

This is in addition to the recent announcement of an $80 million solar farm being approved to proceed on fifty hectares at Karrabin that could power up to 30,000 homes.

Read more:: https://www.qt.com.au/news/60-jobs-council-approves-80m-solar-farm/4061806/

New rail corridor planning

The Ripley Valley Priority Development Area (PDA) is one of the largest urban growth areas in Australia and will potentially reach a population of up to 120,000 and is part of the drive from local government here in Ipswich to expand and connect existing train lines to service this growing corridor. 

The Council is tipping money into the required business cases and while ‘shovel ready’ action may be some time away, it’s a positive sign for this growing area.

More about Ripley here: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/ripley-town-centre-redefining-smart-cities

Rail corridor: https://www.qt.com.au/news/a-look-at-new-transport-corridor-from-ipswich-to-s/4062296/

While COVID-19 has certainly had an impact of one of Ipswich’s favourite social events, The Ipswich Cup, it hasn’t stopped development of the site which has continued with the recently opened $25 million attached function area known as the Ipswich Events and Entertainment Centre. 

Check out their new website here https://www.ieec.com.au/