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5 Things Going Gangbusters in Ipswich

For many people driving over the hill past the Limestone terraces and down into the city, Ipswich is home.

Ipswich has a great community feel and it is the people who make Ipswich such a great place to live and work.

Ipswich First has put together a list of some things which are really going gangbusters across the city.


Building boom

Costco Bundamba is on track to be ready by Christmas.

In case Costco is new to you, here are the facts. Costco Wholesale is in international company that sells from purpose built warehouses. The company is designed to help small to medium sized businesses reduce costs in purchasing their stock. Individuals may also purchase goods from the bulk wholesaler, if you join as a member.
They sell everything from groceries, appliances, televisions, apparel, to beauty, books, cameras and office supplies.

The refurbished Masters Home Improvement store at Springfield will soon be turned into a mini mall of shops.
A development application has been lodged with council for various facilities, including a restaurant, food and drink outlets, chemist, childcare centre, 24-hour gym, medical centre, play centre, retail shops and showrooms.
The building at Southern Cross Circuit is expected to take shape over coming months.

Development applications have also been lodged for a new playground at Springfield Central Shopping Centre, an expansion of health city in Springfield and a parcel distribution centre at Redbank. Ripley Town Centre is expanding with a $40 million first instalment recently opened.


Population and housing surges ahead

You can snap up a heritage style home, many still affordable in Ipswich, or a brand new home with all the mod cons. Our housing affordability enables a better standard of living for families and coupled with great facilities, everything you need is right here.

Ipswich has a population growth rate of 4.3 per cent annually.

Recent ABS figures revealed Ipswich as one of the fastest growing cities in Queensland and in the top 10 nationwide. Planning, Development and Heritage Committee Chairperson Cr David Morrison said as of 30 June, the population had increased by more than 2000 residents in the last quarter. Ipswich had previously cracked the 210,000 mark in the January-March 2018 quarter.

The population growth hot spots were Redbank Plains, Spring Mountain, South Ripley, Collingwood Park and Ripley.

Redbank Plains is the fastest growing suburb and Spring Mountain has the hightest number of new lots created and Ripley the highest number of new lots approved.

At 30 June 2018, there were 77,657 dwellings within Ipswich City as compared with 76,807 dwellings at 31 March 2018.
This represents an increase of 850 dwellings and an equivalent annual growth rate of 4.43 per cent.


CMC Rocks in a Country way

CMC Rocks is the largest country music festival in Australia and has announced the date for next year including a jam-packed additional day of festivities exclusively for campers.

Book your holidays for Thursday 14 (campers only) Friday 15 March – Sunday 17 March 2019, to be held at Willowbank Raceway.
CMC Rocks CEO Matthew Lazarus-Hall said he was looking forward to continuing to grow and evolve the festival to 2022 and beyond.

“In 11 years we have come from a small 2000 people event in the Snowy Mountains to the big league in Queensland with 20,000 fans selling out the event months before the first band takes to the stage.

“CMC Rocks owes its success to the late Rob Potts. He was the one person who gathered together industry heavyweights from across the world to make this country music festival a reality.

“The new agreement between CMC Rocks, Tourism and Events Queensland and Ipswich City Council takes it to a new high, and I have no doubt that Rob would have wholeheartedly supported this.”

Ipswich has continued to develop and grow as a southeast Queensland destination. In 2017 total visitor arrivals were 2.6 million people worth an estimated $383 million to the region’s economy.

Tourism growth in Ipswich was driven by events such as CMC Rocks QLD, nature-based adventure and heritage attractions.


Markets bringing the community together

A new regular market is about to launch at Ripley on 11 August.

The markets will then be held on the second Saturday of every month from 3-8pm and, with Springfield Markets creator Vicki Martin at the helm, they are generating plenty of interest. Already confirmed are stalls offering everything from jewellery, homewares and children’s clothing to street food, fresh produce and local honey.

Ms Martin said the location would provide a nice point of difference for the markets, being based in the new food court area of Providence, South Ripley, with seating, cushions and live music in the mix as well as the water play area and an onsite licensed café.

Urbane Markets Ipswich launched this year and are at Cameron Park, Booval every Saturday night.

It’s a mecca night market that combines traditional vendors as well as a line of food trucks. Live music entrains the crowd and there is plenty of room for children to run about. It attracts locals who are eager to support small, local businesses.

The Springfield Markets are on the first Friday of every month at Robelle Domain, Springfield Central and the third Sunday of every month at Orion Springfield Central. They have a large array of stalls, food trucks and entertainment.

The Ipswich Showplace Markets are held every Sunday at the Ipswich Showgrounds and have plenty of fresh produce as well as plants and the usual stalls. The Peak Organic markets are on every Saturday and you purchasing the produce that is grown on the farm. The monthly Handmade Expo Market has 100 stalls and the added attraction of steam train out front.

 


Burgeoning Foodie Scene

Award-winning Homage restaurant has re-opened in the wonderfully rustic barn at Spicers Hidden Vale, Grandchester, after it burned down earlier this year.

Executive chef Ash Martin has been abroad seeking inspiration in some of the world’s most revered restaurants, including Faviken, Sweden which has been named in the world’s top 10 (2013, Zagat).

A new milkshake bar is set to open in Springfield in August. Mondaze creates decadent milkshakes such as Nutella and Oreo Crash along with alcoholic milkshakes and cocktails.

A new traditional european restaurant has opened this month at Booval, Stefans Balkan Grill.
Little Mode Cupcakery in The Boulevard offers traditional cupcakes such as red velvet and vanilla as well as more unusual flavours like lemon, lime and bitters, honey and Iced Vovo.

The charcoal food trend has arrived at Augustine Heights’ Indian Tadka restaurant. They offer a charcoal kulfi with salted caramel sauce. New ice cream parlour Ungermann Brothers are most famous for the tasting plate. You can pop next door for a nutella martini at Dovetails Restaurant.

Crispy Puff Donuts launched this year selling traditional Greek sweet, loukoumades. They have flavours of the month so there is always something new to try.

New restaurants, cafes and eateries continue to buck the trend and doors are opening right across the city, a great excuse to get out of the house and leave the dishes to someone else.

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