Media Statements

Ipswich City Council will ask the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to help it reach agreement with three unions at the centre of an industrial dispute affecting bin collections and other services for Ipswich residents.

Ipswich City Council Acting Chief Executive Officer Matt Smith said council had lodged a request for assistance in the negotiations with the Commission on Thursday.

Mr Smith said council believed that its current offer to the three unions – including a 12.75 per cent pay increase over three years and a transition to a 36.25 hour working week by 1 July 2026 – was fair for staff and ratepayers.

“If council accepted the 15 per cent claim by the three unions, it would come at a cost of millions of dollars, and would mean either increasing rates or cutting services. That is not what the community expects of us,” Mr Smith said.

“We are disappointed that the wages dispute is causing residents frustration and keeping residents’ bins full in the lead-up to Christmas.

“We believe we have made a fair offer to the three unions – the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy, Industrial Union, Australian Workers’ Union and the Transport Workers’ Union, and the 500 council staff they represent.

“Two-thirds of our workforce have accepted this offer.

“In the course of these negotiations, we have had 20 meetings with unions.

“We have been willing to keep meeting with them. We met on Monday without result, and have been in regular email contact with the unions throughout this week.

“We want a resolution so that residents can get certainty about their bin collections, and the one-third of our workforce represented by these unions can get the increase on offer.

“As part of the bargaining process, the Commission has a role in helping parties reach agreement where they cannot.

“We hope all parties can meet with the Commission as soon as possible.”

Mr Smith said that council in the meantime would continue to prioritise collecting red-lidded general waste bins in areas affected by industrial action.

“We believe that further industrial action is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday 20 December, and we would ask the unions to reconsider this in light of the impact on the community,” Mr Smith said.

“If industrial action does occur, we will continue to make every effort to minimise the impact on the community.

“We would ask residents in Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Springfield Central, Camira, Gailes, Spring Mountain, Brookwater and White Rock to leave their bins out over the weekend, or until collected.

“Free drop off at council’s Riverview or Rosewood Resource Recovery Centres will continue to be available for residents whose regular bin collection service was not completed this week or last Friday.

“Again, we apologise to residents.

“No one wants their bin to be full in the lead-up to Christmas.”