Ipswich City Council has called on the Queensland Government to fund almost $140 million worth of major roads, parks and open space networks in the Ripley Valley.
Planning, Development and Heritage Committee Chairman Cr David Morrison said the infrastructure was needed in coming years as Ripley Valley grew to its forecast 50,000 homes and 120,000 people.
Cr Morrison said a Council report on funding and provision of the Ripley Valley Priority Development Area (PDA) found that this trunk infrastructure was a key component of facilitating development.
The State Government took control of planning for development for almost 5000 hectares of Ripley Valley in 2010. The government is also responsible for funding significant municipal infrastructure such as roads, bridges, off-road shared paths, parks and open space, public transport and the rail corridor.
Cr Morrison said the Ripley Valley PDA local infrastructure plan provided cost estimates for municipal infrastructure and included maps and plans of the infrastructure networks.
These include about $90 million worth of road upgrades and almost $50 million worth of major sports grounds and regional parks and gardens.
The overall responsibility for the planning and delivery of infrastructure within the Ripley Valley PDA sits with Economic Development Queensland – a government body which “engages with local government, the development industry and the public to identify, plan, facilitate and deliver property development and infrastructure projects to create prosperous, liveable and connected communities”.
“While some catalyst funding has occurred to support the start-up of development in the Ripley Valley PDA, there appears to be no further appetite from EDQ to provide any further catalyst funds or to invest other money into infrastructure delivery in the Ripley Valley,” the Council report said.
Cr Morrison said while the government retained control of the Ripley Valley PDA, no infrastructure projects within the Ripley Valley had been included in Council’s 10-year Transport Infrastructure Investment Plan or the equivalent park strategic planning.
Cr Morrison said as Ripley Valley experienced relatively high growth, there was an expectation from the community and development industry for the government to upgrade or provide vital municipal infrastructure.
One of the Queensland Government’s proposed planning reforms was to return responsibility for planning and development assessment to local government. The ultimate outcome sought for the Ripley Valley PDA is revocation back to Council.
But Cr Morrison said while that process was being worked through by Council and EDQ, it was still the government’s responsibility to fund the associated infrastructure projects in the area.
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