Article: Ipswich can handle population boom

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Ipswich can handle population boom

Ipswich can handle population boom

Zane Jackson | 30th December 2009

IPSWICH welcomed nearly 21 new residents a day for the last 12 months according to council statistics.

Figures from the Ipswich City Council's population modeller reveal that in the year up to September 30 2009, 7602 people moved to our city.

While the Urban Development Institute of Australia's (UDIA) latest Queensland report shows that state-wide there is not enough housing to deal with the influx of people, council are confident Ipswich can cope.

With the city's population surging to 164,683, council's Planning and Development Committee chair Paul Tully believes Ipswich is building enough homes to cater for the boom.

"It doesn't come as a surprise really, because despite the economic downturn, in the last 15 months we have seen lots of building approvals and buildings going up around the place," Cr Tully said.

"The first half of next year might slow down, but then it will pick back up again. The whole Western Corridor is going to continue its boom.

"I think Ipswich and the Western Corridor will be Queensland's pre-eminent area for development for the next 25 years."

The UDIA report states that housing approvals dropped by 25% on average for the last decade across Queensland.

With Greater Springfield and other residential developments surging in Ipswich, Cr Tully said the city would feel the benefits of the population boom.

"Not only do you have Springfield, but places like Augustine Heights, Bellbird Park and Redbank Plans have a lot of development going on at the moment," he said.

"With places like the Ripley Valley still to come, we can expect to keep this steady growth.It brings more money into the area, it creates jobs and creates more opportunities."

Real Estate Institute of Queensland Ipswich zone chairman Peter Mendoza said Ipswich's abundance of industrial land would propel growth in the years to come.

"There's more industrial land here than anywhere else in south Queensland, and we'll see more businesses move out here to take up that land," he said.

"That will create more jobs and in turn get more people moving out here to fill that position. I think the demand for housing will continue to be strong – I can't see it slowing."

[mufreight]

Now the area needs a decent level of public transport before it strangles itself.

[#Metro]

I think that Ipswich should be seen as a city in its own right rather than a "dormitory" for Brisbane workers.
This means higher density from the beginning, TODs nodes and the possibility of developing perhaps a busway or rail line extensions into Ipswich's outer suburbs.

Lets hope the mistakes are learned from the past and are not repeated.
Ipswich is a blank sheet, make the most of it.

[Jon Bryant]

Well said tramtrain

[O_128]

A decision needs to me made now on whether to just keep building the springfield line all the way to ipswich

[#Metro]

Density has to be built into from the start and the future vision for the area made clear before people move in.
Otherwise NIMBY syndrome sets in, the pollies see cheap votes and it becomes *impossible* to build any further.

So people have to go to the where whoop whoop meets the city edge and set up house there.
Then they ask for a major freeway, the pollies see cheap votes and guess what happens...
Freeway dodeca-duplication!

I feel sorry for residents of the inner suburbs who have their suburbs spaghetti-fied with concrete.
Concrete spaghetti/tunnel interchanges at:
1. Woolloongabba (existing)
2. Bowen Hills (being built, yet to open)
3. Toowong (Tunnel portal entry here Scrapped)
4. Logan motorway (ok, this is further out)

All that is missing to complete all points of the compass is one plonked somewhere in the Western suburbs...
Bit by bit the Wilbur Smith Plan is creeping... this is the same plan that advocated the shutdown of the rail network!

[Jon Bryant]

I fear for my children growing up in the inner city

[ozbob]

I have posted similar comments to this before, but when I was a little fella growing up in inner Melbourne (Prahran / Windsor) on reflection (with the benefit of the 'retrospectroscope' ) I was actually participating/living in a giant TOD. We had transport laid on particularly the rail variety, heavy rail (Sandringham line through Windsor) and trams - Chapel Street.  We also rode  bicycles a lot, despite the weather and tram tracks!    People had a priority.  We never had a car.

Fast track, why can't we have these TOD like environments once again?  It takes a little bit of guts for folks to adopt to a car less existence, and we need the liveability environments recreated.  We have seen tentative elements such as the residential developments at Roma St for example but it needs a better committment and support for folks.  Boot the cars and bring back light rail, particularly in high density inner city precincts.  Seamless ...

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

City prepares for population rise

City prepares for population rise

Chris Garry | 4th January 2010

IPSWICH will be an epicentre of infrastructure next year, as the city braces for its greatest population influx yet.

Dozens of major projects are scheduled to be completed in the region next year, including two thirds of the Ipswich Motorway's current construction, more than 300 school refurbishment projects in 85 schools, while several other major works begin construction including the Dinmore train station's large car park.

This year, Ipswich City Council expects more than 20 people to move to Ipswich every day.

Augustine Heights near Springfield is tipped to expand dramatically to become a major hub for fresh Ipswich residents.

The suburb will have its own police station and ambulance station next year, while several industrial sites and large residential sites will be completed in the next 12 months.

Ipswich planning and development councillor Paul Tully said the next 12 months would see a return to Ipswich's construction boom after investment in the city dropped off last year.

"Because the world financial situation, there had been a slight slow-down in development in the western corridor in the past year but we expect this to pickup in 2010," Cr Tully said.

"The Commercial Hotel at Brisbane Road Redbank is undergoing a major facelift as is the Racehorse Hotel at Booval.

"A large industrial development will begin at Redbank Peninsula, north of the Railway Workshops, this year.

"Supermarket chain Aldi has approval for a new store at Mill Street, Goodna which follows the opening of their store at Orion at Springfield Central."

The Health City project in Springfield Lakes is also expected to take shape, with the first phase to be completed by September.

Crime-prone Bell Street will be beautified through a partnership between Ipswich City Council and the State Government designed to breathe new life into the area.

The CBD redevelopment will also move ahead, as the tender winners will be announced and detailed plans released towards the end of the year.

Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said 2010 would be a big year for Ipswich's development.

"The Ipswich motorway between Darra and Goodna and Goodna to Wacol will be completed early next year which means two thirds of the current Motorway construction will be finished," Mr Neumann said.

He said the Ipswich Super Clinic would also start being built this year.

Ipswich has a notoriously low rate of GPs with many doctor surgeries no longer accepting new clients so the Super GP would bring welcome relief to the city's sick.