Media Statements

Ipswich says ‘we can’t wait’ for critical infrastructure investment

08 July 2024

The Ipswich community is calling for urgent funding commitments to avoid unprecedented traffic bottlenecks, in a new community campaign launched today.

‘We Can’t Wait’ is a community-led campaign outlining the opportunities and risks as Ipswich faces a more than doubling of its population to 533,000 by 2046.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding urged Ipswich residents to raise their voices in the campaign and tell the Queensland Government that we can’t wait for fairer funding, by signing up to the waitlist at wecantwait.com.au

“The numbers are clear: Ipswich consistently receives far less than its fair share in State and Federal infrastructure funding, and it is time that changed,” Mayor Harding said.

“Figures from the Queensland Government’s own funding tool, the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) clearly spell out the shortfall our city faces.

“QTRIP spells out what local governments across the state will be getting over the next four financial years, between now and 2027-28.

“In that period, the QTRIP allocation for Ipswich is just $198 million. This is despite our city being the epicentre of Queensland’s population explosion.

“In comparison, over that time Logan next door will receive more than $1 billion, and Brisbane more than $3 billion.

“Put another way, if we look at a breakdown of QTRIP funding per resident across all south-east councils, Ipswich residents would receive the second lowest amount of funding in SEQ.

“Without significant, urgent infrastructure investment, travel times in our city will explode, and excessive congestion will cost the Queensland economy more than $1 billion.

“Ipswich is poised to double in size within 20 years. Through careful planning, we are ideally positioned to lead South-East Queensland in managing growth without destroying the liveability of our city.

“But right now, we are not being given the chance. With each new Queensland and Federal budget, obvious and vital infrastructure needs continue to be ignored.

“We can’t wait for the Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport corridor to be developed.

“We can’t wait for the Amberley interchange, for the Cunningham Highway, and the Warrego Highway to be given critical safety improvements.

“And we can’t wait for a second river crossing to relieve the pressure on Ipswich’s city centre.

“Our community can’t wait any longer. We are calling for meaningful commitments from all State election candidates to deliver the infrastructure funding our city needs.”

The ‘We Can’t Wait’ campaign calls for urgent commitments to upgrade public transport in the Ripley-Springfield corridor and address major bottlenecks on the highways that transect Ipswich.

It would also significantly improve problem pinch points in the national freight network, help unlock major new industrial land, jobs and economic growth, and free up regional roads.

“Ipswich is ready to step up and be the beacon for delivering sustainable population growth,” Mayor Harding said.

“It is the responsibility of government to be looking ahead and managing for the future. That’s why we are calling for serious funding for our city now – we can’t wait.”

The ‘We Can’t Wait’ campaign will play out through ongoing public campaigns, advertising, community engagement, petitions, and advocacy to political candidates and parties.

To raise your voice in the call for fairer funding, visit wecantwait.com.au and join the waitlist today.