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Ipswich population is soaring at an unprecedented rate

It took Ipswich 150 years to reach a population of 150,000. But in the last decade alone, 65,000 additional residents are calling Ipswich home.

It was just over a decade ago that Ipswich celebrated its 150,000th resident.

Well, 11 years on the city is surging towards the 250,000 mark at an unprecedented rate.

The population of Ipswich has officially cracked the 215,000 point. At this current growth, 250,0000 is only two or three years away.

And it is likely to double over the next decade or so according to official population projections.

Council’s Planning and Development Quarterly Activity Report for July-September 2018 confirms the city’s continuing high population growth rate – now soaring to an amazing 5.38 per cent.

Our highest growth rate previously was 4.5 per cent in 2009.

An extra 2,858 people now call Ipswich home, increasing our population to 215,391.

Ipswich had previously topped the 210,000 mark in the January-March 2018 quarter. The other significant markers were: 150,000 (2007), 175,000 (2011), 190,000 (2015), 200,000 (2016) and 210,000 (2018).

The South East Queensland Regional Plan projects Ipswich’s population to be a shade under 500,000 by 2036.

Council’s Planning and Development Department, which submitted its quarterly report at the recent Growth and Infrastructure Committee meeting, has the mantra: “Building a balanced and sustainable Ipswich with a strong economy, key infrastructure and a community that cares for each other and the environment”.

At committee, the department referenced its nationally-recognised, award winning Ipswich Population Modeller (IPM), a measurement tool to estimate the city’s population figures based on wheelie bin rollouts.

The IPM uniquely estimates the city’s population based on wheelie bin rollouts and consistently scores tops mark for accuracy against each census. After each census council also recalibrates the occupancy ratios across the city rather than rely on a city-wide average of persons per attached dwelling.

Recent ABS figures have consistently seen Ipswich ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in Queensland and in the top 10 nationwide.

The population hotspots are Spring Mountain, South Ripley, Redbank Plains, Ripley and Bellbird Park.

Spring Mountain, the latest booming suburb in Greater Springfield, experienced 106 per cent growth over the previous quarter. Population more than doubled from 664 to 1,370 and that will continue to flourish as more people move into the sprawling new development.

It was a similar 106 per cent growth in terms of new dwellings, doubling from 226 to 466.

The building boom also continues unabated across the region, as Ipswich continues to be the envy of local government areas across Queensland.

At 30 September 2018, there were 78,786 dwellings within the City of Ipswich, compared with 77,657 dwellings at 30 June 2018. This represents an increase of 1,129 dwellings and an equivalent annual growth rate of 5.82 per cent.

This represents an annual change from the same quarter last year of 3,458 dwellings and 4.59 per cent and a five-year average annual growth rate of 3.9 per cent.

Other significant markers include: 50,000 dwellings (2005), 60,000 (2010) and 70,000 (2015).

Suburbs with the most lots created during the September Quarter were Karalee, Brassall, Redbank Plains, Deebing Heights and Augustine Heights. Highlights from the report included:

  • another high growth period, with 2,858 persons population growth, and the Local Government Area population increasing to 215,391 persons, an equivalent annual population growth rate of 5.38 per cent;
  • Spring Mountain (Greater Springfield) is the fastest growing suburb, Karalee with the highest number of new lots created and Ripley with the highest number of new lots approved;
  • 68,658m2 of new, non-residential building floor space, able to accommodate 719 new jobs;
  • 409 development applications lodged, 687 plumbing applications lodged, and 3,554 building and plumbing inspections undertaken.

New job creation in the quarter saw 92 in the commercial sector, 269 in retail, 353 in industrial and five in other categories. In the previous quarter, 165 new jobs across all sectors were created.

Be Informed - Ipswich First

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