Mayor’s column monthly newsletter – May 2025

Spotlight on 130 local businesses

Council recently launched its latest visitor guide featuring 130 local businesses and their incredible offerings.

Last year was a record-breaking year for tourism in our city, with two million visitors coming to our region, injecting $460 million into the Ipswich economy – that’s a 34 per cent increase on visitor numbers compared to 2023.

This guide promotes some of the best tourism and leisure experiences across the region, including a ‘How to spend a day in Springfield’ feature page highlighting Springfield businesses.

From the great outdoors, flagship events and cultural activities to culinary adventures and a great family night out, the guide aims to attract visitors to our city and keep them coming back. I encourage all businesses to become ambassadors for local tourism and grab a copy of the new visitor guide to share around.

For more information and to view the guide online, please visit: https://www.discoveripswich.com.au/magazine/

Ipswich’s largest road upgrade reaches final stage

I’m very excited to see the final stage of our city’s largest road upgrade has started, with construction to widen Springfield Parkway between Old Logan Road and Springfield Greenbank Arterial from two lanes to four lanes now underway. Springfield is one of our fastest-growing areas and it is critical that our road and transport network supports and sustains this growth.

For this upgrade, we firstly duplicated Springfield Parkway from Hymba Yumba Independent School to the Centenary Highway, and Springfield Greenbank Arterial from Springfield Parkway to Eden Station Drive. Then, we constructed four lanes from the Centenary Highway’s Exit 32 ramp to link to a new signalised intersection at Springfield Greenbank Arterial and Main Road, providing faster and safer access to Springfield Central.

More than 20,000 vehicles travel on this road each day and with bicycle lanes and shared pathways being built, the upgrade will benefit motorists, pedestrians and cyclists as a safe thoroughfare for all. Completion is due at the end of 2027.

Brighton Homes Arena reaffirmed as Brisbane 2032 Games venue

Springfield’s Brighton Homes Arena remains our city’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games venue.

Recently, Premier David Crisafulli reaffirmed the arenas position on the Brisbane 2032 Games masterplan.

Council pushed hard through multiple submissions to the review and its own advocacy, however Ipswich missed out on any additional commitments as part of the Australian and Queensland governments $7.1 billion funding for the 2032 Games.

While we are disappointed to not receive more sporting investment for our city, I am mindful that of the 77 councils in Queensland only a dozen will have the opportunity to host medal events during the 2032 Games – Ipswich being one of them.

I am excited that Ipswich will have a front row seat to the biggest sporting and cultural event our state has ever seen, with Brighton Homes Arena likely to host the modern pentathlon.

We will know for sure next year when the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee finalises its sporting program with the International Olympic Committee. For now, Council remains focused on how it can maximise the opportunity of the 2032 Games being right on our doorstep.