Ipswich records highest growth in house prices in Queensland

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1 Ipswich records highest growth in house prices in Queensland Ellen Lutton News Editor May 2, 2017 convincing her to leave there but it was a nobrainer once we looked past the stigma of Ipswich and talked to some locals. House prices in Ipswich are skyrocketing and its growth outstripping every other region in Queensland, including Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts. The Domain regional house price report shows Ipswich house prices increased by 6.3 per cent during the March quarter a massive result compared to the rest of the state, where most house prices fell. Out of 14 regions in Queensland, only four others recorded positive growth during the March quarter: Cairns (0.7 per cent), the Gold Coast (1.1 per cent), Redlands (1.0 per cent) and the Sunshine Coast (2.7 per cent). Brisbane s house price fell by 3.2 per cent to a median of $635,925. Ipswich also recorded the strongest growth in Queensland over the past 12 months, with house prices increasing a whopping 11 per cent. The only other regions that came remotely close to Ipswich s result were the Gold Coast (8.2 per cent rise in 12 months) and the Sunshine Coast (7.5 per cent rise in 12 months). Brisbane s house price grew by 3.1 per cent during that time. Local Ipswich agent Gillian Dargusch of First National Karalee Prestige says buyers from My wife grew up in Wavell Heights and it was hard Brisbane are continuing to turn to Ipswich, often seeking out character properties that would otherwise be out of their reach in the capital city. Brisbane people are looking for better value and they can see it here, Ms Dargusch says. Luke Buckel of Ray White Bundamba says it s not just the house prices bringing buyers to Ipswich from Brisbane. There s those who won t ever move out here because of perceptions but those who come out here find everything s here; the airport is 40 minutes away, there s wonderful amenities, beautiful housing and excellent schools, he says. Gorgeous old homes you can bag here like 8 Thorn Street, Ipswich, for $569,000, or move them closer to Paddington and you ll be paying more like $1.5 million. That s difficult to ignore.

2 Ipswich to be Queensland s fastest growing area over next 25 years Charlie Peel & Daryl Passmore, January 11, 2017 To achieve their goal, council is encouraging expanded retail to meet population growth demands, a boost in entrepreneurship and growing existing industry strengths underpinned by Defence, food processing and transport. IPSWICH is shaping to be Queensland s fastestgrowing city over the next 25 years, after recording the highest increase in residential dwelling approvals in the state. The State Government and Ipswich City Council agree there will be an explosion in population growth and the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data supports this with dwelling approvals surging by 34.7 per cent since last year. The state s recent draft South East Queensland Regional Plan forecasts that 327,000 more people will call Ipswich home by 2041 (up from 193,000) but there will be only 65,000 new jobs. It predicts a future city of commuters who travel back and forth to jobs in Brisbane. That in itself creates infrastructure challenges through increased pressure on the already strained Ipswich Motorway and public transport system. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale is overseeing extraordinary growth in the city. I m working towards 400,000 jobs, not 65,000, Cr Pisasale said. Every day I say one thing in the morning, create jobs, create jobs, create jobs. We ve given the city a heart transplant and are allowing other CBDs like Springfield, Ripley, Brassall, Yamanto and Goodna to develop as strong regional centres. Innovation is being encouraged through the council s Fire Station 101 a start-up incubator set up in the city s old fire station this year. 61 members have joined since March. Next week alone I m opening two new shopping centres in Ipswich, Cr Pisasale said. RAAF base Amberley is itself undergoing a $1.5 billion upgrade and will be home to 2000 more base staff. The State Government has already set aside $200 million for Ipswich Motorway upgrades and $44 million in capital works projects at local schools.

3 Ipswich land increasing in value: Report Helen Spelitis 8th Mar 2017 THE value of land in Ipswich has increased by an average of $16,000 since The State Government has released its latest valuations which show an average increase of 11.5% within the Ipswich City Council area while values in areas affected by the downturn in the mining sector have continued to slide. In 2015 when Ipswich was last assessed by the Valuer- General average land prices were $139,000. This year that's up to $155,000 with growth centred in Springfield Lakes and Redbank Plains along with minor increases in Bellbird Park, Bundamba, Goodna and Karalee. According to the Valuer- General's Property Market Movement Report, released this week, overall growth in Ipswich and Logan was greater than neighbour Morteon Bay Regional Council, valued in 2016 and In Ipswich there has been some growth in commercial land while industrial land values in other areas have dropped, specifically in Yamanto, Raceview, Ipswich and Wulkuraka where there were minor reductions. "Commercial land values in Ipswich City were generally unchanged since the 2015 valuation," the report reads. "However, there were some minor increases in North and Central Ipswich and more significant increases in West Ipswich. "Ipswich City rural residential land values increased overall, with minor to moderate increases in land value, but with stronger movement in suburbs such as Karalee." Meanwhile cities in Central Queensland have taken a hit as a result of the decline in the mining sector. Property valuations, 2017: Valuer-General's 2017 Property Market Movement Report Queensland Valuer-General Neil Bray said while growth in major urban centres, some regional centres were suffering. "The current state of the resource sector has seen moderate to significant decreases in overall land values in affected areas, notably the Surat Basin, Gladstone and some areas within Central Queensland," Valuer-General Neil Bray said. Ten of the 28 local government areas valued this year recorded an overall increase in average residential land values while the Maranoa district recorded a decrease of 54.6%. "Generally, across Queensland, increased sales activity in rural markets resulted in rising land values within the grazing, horticultural, small crop and dryland farming industries," Mr Bray said. Land valuations are used by local governments to calculate rates and the new valuations will take effect on June 30 which will affect rates bills for some property owners. The Valuer-General will today release a report comparing land values across Ipswich suburbs.

4 Ipswich facing housing shortage Helen Spelitis 20th Feb 2017 Matusik Property Insights Michael Matusik SELLING a home in Ipswich will take an average of just 40 days and one property expert is warning Queensland's most affordable city is headed for a housing shortage. The demand for homes in Ipswich is increasing rapidly as renters, owners and investors flock to the city to take advantage of the comparatively low property prices. Highly regarded property analyst Michael Matusik says demand is outstripping supply. In a report presented this month in Ipswich, Mr Matusik says the number of homes being listed for sale, compared with sales, have dropped in the past 12 months. He says the city is behind on housing construction by about six months. That is despite increasing interest from buyers and multiple large-scale residential developments such as those in the Ripley Valley and Springfield. The report states that in the past five years developers have added 9077 homes to the Ipswich market, yet demand was significantly higher at Rising demand coupled with a decline in supply will push prices up this year, the report says. In June, the average sale price of a home in Ipswich was $320,000, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland. By September that had increased to $325,000 and Mr Matusik said the average price for this year would be closer to $340,000, or an increase of 5% over the next 12 months. Ipswich REIQ chair and local agent Darren Boettcher said while there was not an obvious undersupply now, if current trends continued there would not be enough homes in coming years. "About 20 years ago there was an oversupply of homes in Ipswich," Mr Boettcher said. "You would have 120 listings between two sales people trying to chase down buyers," he said. "Now you've got 120 buyers and two listings, so it's completely turned around. "If the trend continues there will be an under- supply of new and existing homes for sale." Ipswich's vacancy rate has been about 2% for most of the past six months, suggesting there are just enough rental properties to house people moving into the city. If that vacancy rate falls below 2%, renters will struggle to find properties and prices will increase. Matusik's fast facts About 5000 homes are expected to sell across Ipswich this year. That's twice as many as were sold in The number of homes, including units, townhouses and apartments, is sitting at about 4000 compared to about 4300 at this time last year. House prices are expected to rise by 5% this year. Over the next decade more young renters, first home buyers and upgraders are expected to move into Ipswich.

5 200,000th resident in Ipswich population boom but population will be 520,000 in just 20 years by Joel Gould 19th January 2017 YOU ain't seen nothing yet. Ipswich welcomed Megan Sabburg of South Ripley as its 200,000th resident today in an historic milestone. However by the time Ms Sabburg's three-and-a-half month old son Jackson is starting work in 20 years time, that population will have more than doubled. By 2041, Ipswich will have a stunning 520,000 residents; larger than the current populations of European cities such as Liverpool, Toulouse and The Hague. The need for extra state and federal government funded infrastructure will be vital in the coming years, but for now Ms Sabburg and her young family are enjoying the facilities that new suburbs like South Ripley provide. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said Ms Sabburg was attracted to Ipswich for all the right reasons. "Ipswich is growing faster than anywhere else because we are creating a family friendly city and the jobs and sustainability that goes with it, he said. "This year with our CBD redevelopment, our city of centres and our upcoming beautification program in every suburb we are positioning Ipswich as a world class city. "We have welcomed our 200,000th resident but it was just 15 months ago that we welcomed our 190,000th. We are a becoming a city of choice. City planning boss Cr Andrew Antoniolli said he was not surprised the 200,000th resident was unveiled in South Ripley. "About 20 families a week are moving into South Ripley. Our population is growing at around 165 people per week (across Ipswich) and that is roughly 50 homes, so South Ripley is making up a large proportion of that growth. "Around 10 years ago Ipswich had a population of 150,000, Cr Antoniolli said. "People may think that extra 50,000 in 15 years is fast growth, but we are going to double our population to 400,000 in 20 years. So governments need to start spending some time, energy and money in Ipswich.

6 Ipswich property market very attractive Helen Spelitis 12th May 2017 more than $1 million in Sydney. That price difference is attracting buyers from Brisbane and investors from across the country. IPSWICH property has become even more attractive for buyers, after this week's Federal budget announcements. A new scheme designed to help first-home buyers save for a deposit was heralded as a game changer by the Federal Government as it attempts to deflate the housing bubble squeezing Australians out of the property market. But a real estate agent says Ipswich's booming market will be largely unaffected by the budget because prices are affordable, which is driving the latest boom. Ipswich Real Estate Institute of Queensland chairman Darren Boettcher said the scheme was designed to help people living in Sydney and Melbourne where stock was limited. "In Sydney and Melbourne the market is overheating because the demand is high and the stock is low," Mr Boettcher said. "Here in Ipswich, agents are crying out for more property but the market is still buoyant and there are still homes coming onto the market to meet demand. "The biggest different is price. "What we pay for houses here in Ipswich is what they need for a deposit in Melbourne or Sydney." Buyers can expect to pay about $320,000 for a house in Ipswich compared to $643,000 in Brisbane and The latest data from the REIQ shows continued growing demand for property in Ipswich as the population throughout the whole southeast corner expands. The vacancy rate, a tool used to measure the number of homes available to rent, has tightened in Ipswich to 2% in the March quarter, down from 2.4% in the previous quarter. If the vacancy rate drops below 2% for more than six months, that generally indicates there will be a housing shortage. But in the Ipswich region that's offset by the number of new homes being released on to the market every week with more major residential developments in the pipeline.

7 Ipswich is Queensland s fastest growing city DARYL PASSMORE, February 17, 2017 development the size of North Lakes which will employ 20,000 people over the next two decades. Developer Sekisui House is also building Ecco Ripley, a 4000-home masterplanned community. FOR years, Ipswich was the butt of jokes but no one is laughing any more as Ipswich is now officially Queensland s fastest growing city. From an area in economic death throes after the decline of traditional mining and rail industries, Ipswich is now booming. The population ticked over 200,000 just before Christmas. It is rising almost twice as quickly as Greater Brisbane and that rate will accelerate to four times as fast within the decade. By 2036, Ipswich will be home to nearly half a million people almost as big as the Gold Coast today. More than 130,000 will live in Greater Springfield up from 32,000 today as investment in the city-withina-city balloons from $12 billion to $85 billion over the next couple of decades. Some 50,000 people will work there. The latest landmark is a partnership, announced this month with giant Chinese developer R & F Properties, to build 10,000 apartments, retail and office space over 15 years in a $6 billion project, generating 4000 jobs. Managing director Raynuha Sinnathamby, the founder s daughter, said the deal was a game-changer and the company was speaking to other overseas groups about investing there. The nearby Ripley Valley s 1000-strong population will explode to 120,000 by Construction began last week on Ripley Town Centre, a $1.5 billion Yet neither Springfield nor Ripley are the fastest growing suburb in Ipswich. That honour goes to Redbank Plains, a vast tract of former farming land adjacent to the Centenary Highway extension, which is being developed by several companies and added 1051 residents last year. All those extra people need work and the State Government s draft South East Queensland Regional Plan, released last October, warned jobs growth would lag well behind population with only 65,000 new positions expected by 2041 creating a huge commuter problem as people head into Brisbane for work. Ripley Town Centre is expected to create 20,000 new jobs for Ripley Valley when fully completed. We are creating one job for every three residents... (we are) creating jobs here to relieve congestion there. Brisbane needs Ipswich a lot more than Ipswich needs Brisbane.

8 Families find good value at Ipswich DARYL PASSMORE, February 17, 2017 There is an astronomical difference in prices compared to Brisbane. Ipswich is now becoming its own little hub where we no longer need to travel to Brisbane to enjoy a nice cafe or night life. MORE affordable properties and a familyfriendly lifestyle are attracting thousands of new residents to Ipswich. Families and businesses are opting for a less stressful lifestyle away from the city but locals are calling for more infrastructure and upgraded train lines to support the rising population. The median house price across the Ipswich local government area fell 3.6 per cent to $295,000 during 2016, but it is up 4.8 per cent over five years. Some 2749 new homes were built last year and another 3393 lots approved as the building rush continued. City Council data shows 7.6 hectares of parkland, equal to 15 football fields, was created in 2016 and 3.2 hectares of other community land. Nicole McGrath (left), who moved to a new housing estate at Ripley, said the decision was prompted by wanting to be closer to family and friends. But the big savings compared to living in Brisbane was a bonus. People are moving here because of the affordability, she said. Ms McGrath said the town was being flooded with new residents about 150 people a week she estimated. The city population rose by more than 7000 last year. The one issue she noted was a lack of train services and jam-packed roads leading in and out of Ipswich. Traffic is always an issue... there s more cars, so there needs to be the infrastructure to cater for that, Ms McGrath said.

9 Coca-Cola to move Adelaide factory to Ipswich By Sarah Scopelianos February 21, 2017 production capacity," Ms Watkins said. Coca-Cola workers in Adelaide are in shock after the company announced it would close its South Australian manufacturing facilities in Join ABC News on Facebook Messenger and sign up for business alerts to make sure you never miss big breaking stories. Workers attended the Thebarton factory at 8:00am for the announcement, after shifts were cancelled and casuals stood down. About 180 people are employed at the facility, one of six of the company's bottling plants in Australia. In a statement to te ASX, Coca-Cola Amatil said the closure of the Thebarton facility would deliver the company a further $20 million in cost savings from That is on top of the company's attempts to save $100 million over the next three years in its Australian beverages arm. The group's managing director, Alison Watkins, said the company had identified consolidation opportunities across its Australian supply chain. "This is not a decision that we take lightly, however we know we must modernise and invest in new capability," she said. The company in October last year announced it would invest $75 million in consolidating its sites in Ipswich QLD, with a new warehouse facility at its Richlands plant. "Additional capacity will be developed at Richlands, with a further $90 million investment to install a new glass production line and new dairy and juice The company's Australian division managing director Barry O'Connell said the state's payroll tax and power prices did not play a big part in the decision to close the factory. "I would say to a very limited extent because it is not about individual state idiosyncrasies in that manner," Mr O'Connell said. "This is much more about our Australian footprint, it is about a strategic decision and investment over the next five to 10 years and sure it has an impact on it but it was by far down the scale when we look at the overall decision." He said the company looked at its operating costs including freight, capacity at plants, opportunities to expand plants, as well as the technology use and age of the equipment. The company announced underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $683.4 million in 2016, and underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) of $417.9 million.

10 Budget 2017: 2200 jobs bound for Ipswich Sherele Moody 13th Jun 2017 ABOUT $80m will be spent on Ipswich-based prison and anti-terrorism projects in The Queensland Government's budget focuses on 40 projects across a range of areas including education, infrastructure, health and law and order. Key among this year's funding promises for our region is the recommission of the Borallon Training and Correctional Centre. The $126.9m project received $42.1m in the budget on Tuesday. The centre also has an extra $5.7m to put towards health and medical services. About $3.5m will fund the Westgate Counter- Terrorism and Community Training Centre's plans for a $46.7m world-class "use-offorce, weapons and counter-terrorism" facility in Wacol. Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre received $14m for its expansion while the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre has $15.8m to put towards its $23.4m security upgrade. The Ipswich Motorway upgrade between Rocklea and Darra will get $36m and the Warrego Highway intersection improvements between Ipswich and Toowoomba scored $5.1m. A significant amount of money was set aside for schools including $6.3m for the new classrooms at Ipswich Special School, $4.8m to help fund a new hall at Springfield Central State High School and $5.4m for Claremont Special School's planned upgrade. Homeless services received $4.4m and the Bundamba fire and rescue station has $2.5m for its expansion and upgrade. The Briggs Road Cycle Safety Centre has $825,000 to put towards a new asphalt track and other amenities and $1m will help expand industrial facilities at Willowbank. About $16m will be spent on a range of Ipswich Hospital projects and $13m has been set aside for the Bundamba Racecourse project. Wivenhoe Power Station received $12.3m for its refurbishment, $1m went to the Somerset hydro refurb and the Mount Crosby East Bank Water Pump and Blackwall Substation each scored $1.8m for ongoing projects. Inala Community Centre received $1.3m to establish a new community hub and neighbourhood centre and $690,000 will be spent on maintenance works at the Workshops Rail Museum. About $407m will be spent on the delivery of 75 new trains that will service Ipswich and the rest of the state while the Cross River Rail project is expected to deliver quicker commutes for rail passengers. Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the budget would support 2200 jobs across Ipswich in

11 . Ipswich block sells for $582 a square metre Emma Clarke 19th Jan 2017 A property on the Brookwater golf course sold for a record-breaking $612,000. A PATCH of dirt in an Ipswich suburb sold for a record-breaking $582 per square metre. The 1050sqm vacant block at Brookwater has all the trimmings of a luxury lifestyle including the price tag after it sold for $612,000 in December. It smashed the 2007 record for $515,000 for a vacant home site in a gated community. The sale marks a 24% property price boom and has the region's real estate agents excited as it represents Ipswich catching up to capital city market standards. It boasts 80m of golf course frontage, security within a gated precinct and enough open flat space to build what is expected to be an $800,000 home. It's just the beginning of Brookwater's boom as another 900 homes are set to be delivered in the next 10 years and a taster for a new development to be known as The Dress Circle. Brookwater Residential general manager Nick Kostellar said the property had significant enquiry from buyers asking to be shown the cream of the crop but was ultimately sold to a local buyer. "This home site is quite unique, it is one of a kind and had over 80 plus metres of golf course frontage directly overlooking gated precinct so it had a lot of unique attributes," Mr Kostellar said. Mr Kostellar said developments like the Orion Lagoon, a $1 million golf course revamp, rail and highway infrastructure and the Mater Hospital were key in pushing property prices towards those in inner-city Brisbane suburbs. "That has driven a lot of health professionals to Brookwater who are looking for premium land and premium homes," he said. the second green and it was relatively large and flat in a "Overall for prices across the board, not only from Brookwater, it really sets a positive tone for greater Springfield in general and the Ipswich local government area. "It has broken a new price ceiling for over $600,000 and it certainty paves a great path moving forward across our future land releases. "There has been a lot of amenity infrastructure put into the ground over the last couple of years which has really helped drive the growth and it's new amenity, very well constructed amenity."

12 0 Billion dollar expansion at Amberley Air Base By LifestyleQld - January 16, 2017 with 36 Squadron, Mr Clarke said. With the number of C-17s on base increasing from the original four to six, and now eight, and the government deciding to buy an additional two KC-30s a new hangar and tarmac area needs to be constructed for 36 Squadron. Work is now well underway on infrastructure projects at the air base to accommodate and provide services for the rapid expansion of air power capability at RAAF Base Amberley. Squadron Leader Matt Clarke, the Base Support Manager says that 2016 was one of the busiest years yet, in terms of base development, with about 10 projects in the pipeline. Over the next four years the projects planned total is just on one billion dollars, he said. One of the first projects to commence will provide construction of facilities for the Australian Army s 17th Construction Squadron s move to Amberley next year, with its 200 soldiers. Another major project is to provide facilities for the squadron of ten C-27J Spartan aircraft, replacing the Caribou aircraft, bringing around 300 RAAF personnel onto the base, requiring similar facilities to those for the eight C-17s Under a Flight Line Master Plan area a large parcel of land to the west of the runway will become tarmac space for heavy air lift aircraft types and facilities for 36 Squadron, creating a heavy air lift operations precinct parallel to the main runway. Existing squadrons flying the C-17 Globemaster, KC-30 Multirole Tanker Transport and F/A-18F Super Hornet will be joined in the future by the C-27J Tactical Airlift Squadron, the Growler EA- 18G Electronic Warfare Squadron and the Heron UAV flight.

13 Houses selling like hot cakes in Ipswich Helen Spelitis 16th Jan 2017 The latest real estate statistics are in and Ipswich has emerged as the "standout performer", beating Brisbane and surrounding suburbs. In the three months between June and September more than 630 houses were sold in Ipswich at an average price of $325,000. That's a sales increase of 1.4% compared to the previous three months and the latest numbers earned Ipswich the official title of one of Australia's fastest growing real estate markets - if not the fastest, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland. Owners looking to sell can expect to wait just 44 days to find a buyer, but demand for rentals is tight. The REIQ figures show Ipswich is still teetering on the border of what would be considered a housing shortage with a vacancy rate of 2.1%, where anything below 2% is likely to push up rental prices. Yet real estate agents say that could be because most of the people buying homes in Ipswich are moving into them, rather than renting them out. 'Character homes' in the older suburbs are the most sought-after for homeowners while investors are fuelling growth in new development areas. Real estate agents are constantly fielding calls from out-of-state investors that barely care what the house looks like. Adam Horth, Johnson Real Estate Principal, says while 50% of the inquiries his agency receives are from investors, 80% of successful sales are to people already living in Ipswich. It's that trend that will help Ipswich shed its reputation as 'undesirable' with more Ipswich residents choosing to stay within the city limits. Mr Horth is expecting the market to take a little turn in some traditional suburbs, particularly Raceview, where low-set brick homes are expected. "With more owner occupiers moving into homes, rather than renters, we will see that changing. "Often where you have areas predominantly filled with renters there is no sense of pride but with more and more Ipswich people choosing to stay we will see that slowly changing." In the past few months Johnson Real Estate has seen their sales jump from 10 a month to about 25. It's a trend agents are expecting to see continue into the New Year, along with the lift in prices which keep climbing.

14 Renters battle for Ipswich homes Helen Spelitis 12th January 2017 REAL estate agents listing properties close to the city of Ipswich are being swamped with applications from wouldbe renters. Generally, Ipswich's real estate market is booming with near unprecedented growth in the outer suburbs. That development is fuelling a highly competitive rental market in the inner suburbs where classic style homes have quickly become the city's most sought after. During a recent inspection at a four bedroom, two bathroom, double lock-up garage house in Coalfalls, First National Brassall Property Manager Judy Tyne fielded enquiries from 24 hopefuls. The latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, released last month, show the availability of homes in Ipswich has improved in the past few months. One of the data sets used to measure the health of a rental market is 'vacancy rates' which have improved in Ipswich since June. The ideal vacancy rate is between 2-3%, with anything below 1% indicating an undersupply of homes and heralding a spike in rent, whereas a rate above 3% is likely to see rents fall. some of his clients who are renting while building have struggled to find a suitable home. "There is definitely fierce competition for certain properties close to the CBD," Mr Ball said. "We are being swamped with multiple applications and lots of interest each time one comes onto the market." For an agent, houses with four bedrooms, two bath and a double lock-up garage are dream listings that are snapped up quickly. In the June 2016 quarter Ipswich's vacancy rate was sitting at 1.1% First National Action Realty Principal Glenn Ball said "It's the new or renovated homes that are very popular while the older, cheaper ones are sitting on the market for a while." The need for new housing has been brought on by the city's natural growth coupled with a major expansion at the Amberley RAAF Base - hence the new estate planned to house additional personnel.

15 High demand and low supply pushing up Ipswich house prices Brigid Simeoni 19th Mar 2016 a lot of people are holding on." But he said properties that were presented well and priced competitively sold quickly. He said the market was good in January, "lousy" in February and was now starting to pick up again. IPSWICH real estate agents say house sale listings are tight and home buyers are concerned there are not enough options to choose from. CoreLogic RP Data statistics show 816 homes were sold in the Ipswich region in the three months to December. The year recorded a total 3911 sales across Ipswich city suburbs. In the December quarter, Springfield Lakes recorded the most sales, 76 houses. Brassall recorded the second highest with 46 house sales. Median house sale prices ranged from $325,000 in One Mile to $545,000 in Brookwater. Ipswich PRD Nationwide principal Craig Mendoza said prices were stable but local listings were tight. "Great rental returns mean that people are holding off from selling and there's not a great deal of stock on the market," Mr Mendoza said. "It's very competitive because (all the agencies) are all fighting to try and get that stock. "At the moment it feels like there are more buyers than sellers. "The biggest complaint from customers walking through the door is that there's not enough stock available. So Ipswich Ray White principal Warren Ramsey said August, September and October last year were good months because a lot of stock was around, but this left them low in stock in December. But he said it had turned again this year. Mr Ramsey said they had 26 auctions, a record number, lined up for yesterday (Friday March 18). The future was also looking positive; he said it was only a matter of time before more investors started realising how good the prices were in the region and would soon take notice of the huge price gap between a house in Raceview compared to one closer to Brisbane in Jindalee.

16 Jobs bonanza for Ipswich in 2017 Emma Clarke 31st Dec 2016 Major developments and government schemes are creating thousands of long-term roles in Ipswich in Ipswich youth jobless rate fell to 13.4% last month. Here's where job seekers should be looking for positions in 2017: Youth jobs incentives: $20,000 per employer LOCAL businesses who take on an unemployed young person will be thrown a $20,000 boost. $200 million Jobs and Regional Growth Package including $20 million over two years for the new Made in Queensland program providing support to Queensland's manufacturing sector and $500,000 to identify barriers to employing local jobseekers. National Disability Insurance Scheme: 13,000 jobs MORE than 13,000 new jobs are forecast to be created in disability services in the next three years under the NDIS roll-out. "We expect that the disability services market in Queensland will grow from around $1.8 billion at present to approximately $4.3 billion in The NDIS will become available in Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset from 1 July $140m fast-tracked road works: 16,000 jobs A $140 million job-boosting road safety and road network renewal works package will be fast-tracked across Queensland over the next year and a half, creating 16,000 jobs. New Enterprise Incentive Scheme: 8,600 places per year NEIS is a program delivered by a network of 21 providers who provide individualised help for job seekers to become selfemployed business owners. Construction boom: More than 2000 roles More than 2000 workers will be employed to build the new $15 million aged care facility at Eastern Heights. Retail and business boom: More than 200 positions Ripley Town Centre is already 80% sold or close to being sold to Coles, a medical centre, pharmacy, dentist, vet, barber and food outlets. Another jobs boost will coincide with Redbank Plains Town Centre facelift.

17 Ipswich s huge population growth overtakes State average big-time! 30 th of August 2016 The proportion of the population aged 65 years and over through southeast Queensland ranged from a high of 20.8% in Noosa to a low of 10% in Ipswich. Ipswich continues to lead as the state's fastest growing city, with a growth rate of 2.7%, according to the to the latest Queensland Treasury population report. A newly released 2016 population report. shows just over 5,000 new residents moved to IPSWICH in 2015 / 16 Financial Year. Our city bucks the statewide trend, which has Queensland's growth slowed to 1.3%, down from 1.5% in the previous year. The Population Growth Highlights and Trends report shows that in the 10 years to June 2015, the fastest average annual growth occurred in Ipswich (3.6%), followed by Moreton Bay (3.1%) and Gold The report also confirms Ipswich has the lowest percentage of seniors and the highest percentage of youth. In south-east Queensland, the proportion of the population aged 0 to 14 years ranged from a high of 23.6% in Ipswich to a low of 17.5% in Brisbane. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the city's demographics were going through an encouraging change. "Our average age is 32 and the state average is 36," Cr Pisasale said. "That means our kids are coming home and are proud to say they live in Ipswich. IPSWICH BOOMS Annual growth in past decade - 3.6% population increase (3%) 23.6% aged under 15 10% aged 65 and over

18 Ipswich property set to jump by up to 20% Brigid Simeoni 16th Jan 2016 HOUSE prices in some of Ipswich's core suburbs are tipped to potentially lift by 20% within a year and masterplanned communities are also set to be hot property. The median sale price of Ipswich homes for the September quarter was $320,000, up 1.6% on the previous quarter. Year on year Ipswich's median house sale price rose 4.6% and there was no change from five years ago. Ray White Ipswich principal Warren Ramsey said these core suburbs and any areas along the railway line were poised for growth. "It's not unlikely we could see a 20% rise in 12 months," Mr Ramsey said. The Suburb of Karalee recorded an 8.7% rise on the last quarter, impacted by sales of acreage properties. It had one of the highest median sale prices for the region at $540,000. Mr Ramsey said the price bump was promising for the local market and while people were now paying more for good properties, the gap between Ipswich and Brisbane was still huge. "If every house in Ipswich put 25% on it, it's still better value than the western suburbs of Brisbane," Mr Ramsey said. REIQ Ipswich zone chair Darren Boettcher said masterplanned communities such as Springfield Lakes, Ripley and Augustine Heights would also be boom areas as they provided the lifestyle factor. "You've only got to look at what Springfield has done catering for all the families - you've got water parks, green spaces and shopping centres," Mr Boettcher said. Mr Boettcher said people were "trading up" to new land packages in Springfield and others were moving to the area to downsize. He also said Eastern Heights was a good pick for people wanting to invest in a core Ipswich suburb as it was close to schools and sporting fields. "It's such a great area, flood-free and with views from some of the elevated blocks," he said. Mr Boettcher said Ipswich properties were still being undervalued by about $50,000 so people could get homes in close proximity to Brisbane at much cheaper prices. "People are starting to realise that heading west makes good financial sense," he said.

19 No slowing down for Ipswich's strong-performing suburbs Brigid Simeoni 16th Jan 2016 couples wanting new houses on smaller allotments. "Their first home is a brand new home and land package, not a second-hand house," he said. The city's affordable prices were also a drawcard, he added. "You can get a new fourbedroom house with all the bells and whistles in the low $300,000s," he said. HOUSE and land packages and homes near Springfield are being snapped up as property experts predict Ipswich's sought-after suburbs will not slow down in Sales activity was up 12% for the September quarter and Redbank Plains, Springfield Lakes and Raceview had the highest number of house sales. PRDnationwide Ipswich principal Craig Mendoza said these areas were booming thanks to an abundance of house and land packages enticing buyers. Mr Mendoza said "affordability and proximity to Springfield" were key factors for many buyers. "There is so much infrastructure there and there are a lot of reasons buyers would want to live there," he said. "Everything is there now - private schools, hospital, cinemas and rail network. The parklands as well are amazing." There were 718 house sales in Ipswich for the September quarter and 58 acreage properties sold. Mr Mendoza said he had seen a trend of young Mr Mendoza said Ipswich was still an ideal option for investors and offered good rental yields. "Investors should consider Ipswich as a good place to invest in property for their future," he said. "There's more and more infrastructure and growth coming to the region." REIQ Ipswich zone chair Darren Boettcher said there was a lot of confidence in the city's "buoyant" market and expected the growth to continue. "In the next three to five years it will be strong, steady growth," he said. - Brigid Simeoni

20 Toowoomba and Ipswich property markets ripe as massive growth projects underway REIQ president Antonia Mercorella 16th Jan 2016 THE South West region market is looking promising with Toowoomba bouncing back in the September quarter and Ipswich a standout performer for sales. The outlook for the Toowoomba market remains positive with several major projects under way and planned. The Second Range Crossing project has started and the announcement the project's developer Nexus is required to employ only people living within a 70km radius bodes well for the region. A multimillion-dollar abattoir is also in the planning stage and the QIC redevelopment in the city centre will result in the net lettable area for retail increasing significantly. The number of cranes visible on the city's skyline is a clear representation of the momentum behind construction and is creating optimism for the market. Property price growth to the level seen over 2015 is not likely to be repeated any time soon and the coming year is expected to be more in line with the region's long-term trend of generally conservative growth. Local agents say new residents in the area are predominantly owner occupiers. Typically from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Tweed area, they are all part of the treechange trend. Meanwhile Ipswich was the standout performer for sales activity. This comes as no surprise to local agents given the relative affordability of the region and the strong rental yields being achieved. Owner occupiers are starting to see good value for money in suburbs outside of metropolitan Brisbane. Over the year to September, the suburb of Yamanto recorded the highest increase in preliminary sales compared with the previous year. Interest in Ipswich's unit and townhouse market is evidently strong with average days on market and vendor discounting remaining relatively unchanged, despite a 12% increase in listings over the year to August. Investors are enjoying record low vacancy levels with a 1.3% vacancy rate at the end of September. This is the lowest rate of vacancy the region has recorded in the history of REIQ's rental survey.

21 Is it the right time to invest in Ipswich? SIMON PRESSLEY - JAN 28, 2016 had to work hard to create sufficient jobs for its growing population. The awardwinning Springfield masterplanned community has been developed over the last decade as a satellite city - Brisbane s version of Parramatta. Queensland's Ipswich has had one of the fastestgrowing populations in Australia in recent times, but does the region stack up as an investment location? Ipswich has had one of the fastest growing populations in Australia over the last decade. When a few marketing jazz words are combined with a low entry price and above-average rental yields, it s never been difficult for the so-called property guru to attract property investors to Ipswich. But does the region really stack up? With its vast amounts of developable, cheap land available, Ipswich plays a key role in the state government s strategy to try and direct population growth away from the coast. Population Growth (Post-GFC) Australia 1.8% Queensland 2.1% Ipswich 3.7% The impact of a relatively large volume of new property sales in a developing region creates a distortion between the data for changes in median property values and the real change in property values. With a traditional blue-collar demographic, successive state governments and the Ipswich City Council have Already with a new hospital, business park, and railway line, Springfield currently has several good projects in the pipeline. These include a $50m expansion of the University of Southern Queensland, $70m headquarters for GE, $80m Mater Hospital, $100m Brookwater resort, and plans to further extend the Orion shopping centre. The existing Amberley RAAF base has also been spoken about as an anchor tenant for a potential aeronautical precinct. Investors could do worse than Ipswich, as it is a growing city with so much land flagged for development, expect to see significant new supply, mostly concentrated around Springfield, Ripley, and Redbank Plains.

22 Ipswich hits top spot in house price gains Brian Bennion 18th Mar 2015 REIQ Ipswich Zone chairman Darren Boettcher said the data backed up his belief Ipswich would see serious capital growth on property prices in the next three to five years. The Property Palace principal Suzy Niemeyer.David Nielsen IPSWICH is officially the Brisbane's median house state's property hot spot, price smashed the recording a 6.7% jump in $600,000 barrier for the first the last quarter. time, a 3.4% change. The latest data from the The figures from the REIQ's Real Estate Institute of Queensland Market Monitor Queensland reveals for the December quarter Ipswich's median house 2014 also show the price was $320,000. southeast continues to enjoy a strong affordability Ipswich's gain was the edge over Sydney. largest gain recorded by any area across Sydney's median house Queensland. price is $800,000, an explanation for the demand Mackay and the Gold Coast from interstate investors. were the closest gains at 5.4% and 5.1%. "We've got the most industrial land available in Queensland, we've got a masterplanned community underway at Ripley Valley," Mr Boettcher said. "People realise Ipswich is the sleeping giant of the southeast corner because there's plenty of room here for people and there's a lot of growth." And Mr Boettcher said there was plenty of room to move yet. "I still think we're undervalued by about $80,000 average," Mr Boettcher said. "Where average prices in Brisbane were $400,000 we were $250,000. "We should be $380,000 to $400,000 average. I think it's going to continue to climb."

23 The $200,000 reason why you should buy property in Ipswich Andrew Korner 1st Jun 2016 Construction of the District Park, which will include a Splash n Play Water Park IPSWICH house and land prices remain some of the most affordable in the nation, despite the city's real estate values growing faster than anywhere else in south-east Queensland. Land prices across the city averaged a growth rate of 11 per cent over the past 18 months, from $174,950 to $192,750. This figure is forecast to exceed an average of $200,000 per lot by late Data released by real estate agent Oliver Hume suggests the 11% growth in Ipswich is acres ahead of the average 7.5% growth accross the rest of the south-east Queensland region. Oliver Hume managing director Brinton Keath said affordability, better roads and job opportunities were driving the growth. "The Federal Government's commitment to Ipswich infrastructure projects, despite budget pressure, is a firm nod to the area's significance and potential for expansion and economic growth," Mr Keath said. "On average, Ipswich land prices have risen by $18,000 but are still priced low at $192,750, signalling the early stages of a land sales explosion in the region." Development applications and approvals have also been soaring ahead in Ipswich - thanks mainly to new communities being carved out of the bush in Ripley and Redbank Plains. There were more than 14,500 approvals in Ipswich in the first three months of this year, compared to only 5800 in Logan and 3700 on the Gold Coast. In terms of affordability, Ipswich's growth has not put it beyond the reach of first-home buyers, with an median land price for retail lots of $192,750, compared to Brisbane's median of $395,000 - a difference of more than $200,000.

24 Southeast Queensland suburbs offer best property price growth, new report shows Aidan DevineNews Corp Australia Network APRIL 14, 2016 SUNSHINE PRECINCT, VIC: Sunshine and surrounds are destined to become a major regional hub within the Melbourne metropolitan area. INVESTORS in search of properties that will deliver high capital growth may find them in Hotspottings latest Top 10 Best Buys report. GOLD COAST, QLD Billions is being spent on infrastructure across the Gold Coast in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games in April 2018, which is expected to bring around 690,000 visitors to the city. LOGAN, QLD Logan City s combination of affordable property prices, good infrastructure and proximity to job hubs could boost home values. HOBART, TAS Tasmania s economy is rising on the back of big improvements in tourism and business investment after years of lacklustre economic activity. EPPING, VIC The Epping region, on the northern fringe of Melbourne, is due a number of improvements which are likely to bring new people to the suburb and boost property prices, Hotspotting said. CITY OF CASEY, VIC The property market in the City of Casey, in Melbourne s southeast, has been growing with many suburbs attracting rising sales activity. MORETON BAY, QLD: The region offers affordable housing as well as good rail and road links to Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, making it a strategically placed property market. SUNSHINE COAST, QLD: Billions of dollars in service upgrades, including the development of a $5 billion medical hub, are driving an influx of new jobs to the area, in the process, boosting demand for housing. IPSWICH, QLD: A forecast 56,000 jobs will be created in Ipswich s central suburbs by The jobs growth, coupled with affordable prices, will fuel demand for housing.

25 Ipswich the next Parramatta by Ben Everingham Posted on November 18, 2015 of every savvy investor in Australia. When Australia s leading real estate commentators begin throwing around statements like, Ipswich has entered the recovery phase of the property cycle with sales volumes, prices and rental yields all likely to rise. It s time to take a deeper look into the drivers behind the hype. The Ipswich real estate market is showing signs of a recovery, according to June figures released by RP Data. The driving force behind this price growth has been an increase in investor activity. According to new data from the REIQ s Market Monitor, suburbs like Bundamba, North Ipswich and Augustine Heights have grown in value over the last 12 months.forty minutes west of Brisbane is Ipswich Queensland s oldest provincial city. Ipswich was narrowly beaten by Brisbane in 1859 in the race to be Queensland s capital city and still hosts an impressive number of heritage listed buildings. Originally a working class town with relatively affordable housing, Ipswich has always welcomed families who dreamed of owning their own home. In recent years the government has began relocating a number of departments to Ipswich, bringing with it some new residents. The addition of several new lanes to the Ipswich Motorway and more frequent trains to Brisbane city, has made commuting much easier for those who work in Brisbane. Long overlooked due to its working class heritage, Ipswich is now on the hit list A new shopping complex, Riverlink, has also popped up across the river with cinemas, department stores, supermarkets, specialty stores and some outlet shopping. As Brisbane expands, Ipswich has experienced a new wave of investment, bringing with it a sense of liveliness and rebirth. Cool cafes have popped up on the top end of Brisbane, which are a perfect match for the op shops and vintage stores in that part of town has seen investors come in droves, snapping up the Queenslanders that line the hills around the CBD. There has also been a meaningful increase in the construction of new homes, with dual income properties high on the hit list. Ipswich has been reborn as a new frontier for homeownership and affordable living, with all of the benefits of a metropolitan lifestyle (including a University of Queensland campus, hospitals, top quality schools and public transport).

26 Strong growth in Ipswich land prices with predictions rises will continue into next year Darcie Akeroyd, March 31, 2016 will be popular with buyers and they will separate themselves from the competition in terms of price growth, he said. MEDIAN land prices in new housing estates across Ipswich experienced strong growth last year, with 2016 predicted to follow. New research released in March by property services group Oliver Hume showed strong price growth in new land lots of nearly every size across nine new estates. The largest growth at Providence, South Ripley, with the value of 600sq m blocks rising by 26 per cent. The price of 600sq m blocks in Providence have increased by 26 per cent. Oliver Hume joint managing director Brinton Keath said the growth reflected strong local demand and 2016 was likely to replicate the growth achieved last year. We predict that developments with familystyle infrastructure like the new waterslide park at Providence at South Ripley Providence buyer Kerri- Anne Pearson, who recently bought a 580sq m block, said she wasn t surprised by the strong price growth. One of the things we took into consideration was maximising capital growth, and that s why we bought early at Providence with the cheaper land prices, she said. We believe with everything that is going on in that side of town that Ipswich will only keep growing.

27 Increased buyer activity likely to see Ipswich land price hike by end of year Paula Shearer - June 9, 2016 On average, Ipswich land prices have risen by $18,000 but are still priced low at $192,750, signalling the early stages of a land sales explosion in the region. A NEW land report has predicted that average Ipswich land prices will pass $200,000 by the end of the year. The South East Queensland Land Market Update, from property services company Oliver Hume, noted Ipswich had a vacancy rate of 2.4 per one of the lowest in Queensland. Oliver Hume southeast Queensland joint managing director Brinton Keath said this indicated the local market offered some of the best value for money. Ipswich offers affordability, strong road linkages, $200 million of planned and ongoing infrastructure and, as a byproduct, ongoing job opportunities due to this increased activity in the region, he said. Block prices increased 11 per cent during the past 18 months, up from an average $174,950. Ipswich is where the available land supply is and, based on our research, come 2017 will be the leading local government area in terms of new land sale volumes for the next 10 to 15 years, Mr Keath said. Our data projections suggest we can certainly expect land prices to exceed the $200,000 average in the second half of Mr Keath said the inclusion of quality, market-leading facilities such as water parks, upgraded shopping precincts and train stations servicing the new housing estates had added to a clear and dynamic price shift through the corridor. Providence at South Ripley recorded close to 580 land sales in More than 120 families have already moved into the community and a water park is now open.

28 Ipswich looks set for a year of growth with up to 20% increase - Matusik BBennion 19th Feb 2016 dwelling values to rise between 5% and 10%. Our investigations have also found that there is a need, based on current trends, to build between 2500 and 3000 new dwellings in the Ipswich area each year. IPSWICH house prices are on the up and sales are set to increase by 20% in the next year according to a real estate market outlook from leading commentator Michael Matusik. Mr Matusik presented the special report, sponsored by the Queensland Times, to Ipswich real estate agents yesterday. The report, developed by Matusik Property Insights, said Ipswich was developing to become Brisbane s Parramatta. Houses on small land lots and traditional family homes are forecast to be the most in-demand property type over the next decade. Over the next 12 months we expect both weekly rents and average dwelling prices to rise, the market outlook said. We are forecasting a 5% lift in weekly rents and anticipate median The area is projected to grow by 14,000 new residents per annum. Mr Matusik s report said the Ipswich rental market could become undersupplied over the next few months and also predicted there would be a $15 rise in average weekly rent prices over the next year.

29 Ipswich continues to be property hot spot BBennion 9th Feb 2016 THE REIQ Rental Report has revealed an easing of the vacancy rate in Ipswich from 1.3% to 2.5% over the last quarter. REIQ chief Antonia Mercorella said the December quarter was historically high and then traditionally dropped again in January. She said Ipswich continued to be a great market for investors and first home buyers. Ipswich has been a very good market for investors, with good rental returns of up to 6% in some cases, she said. It is clear the demand for rental accommodation is steady and the population growth is driving that demand.

30 Ipswich housing prices at strongest level in several years Published On: Sat, Jan 9th, 2016 In Yamanto, 162 homes sold for a median price of $420,000, a stand-out growth of 24.6% in one year and 21.7% in three years. THE Ipswich property market is on a 5 year high according to Ipswich zone chairman for the Real Estate Institute of Queensland Darren Boettcher. His comments come on the back of new data that shows Ipswich house prices are at their strongest level in several years. The Ipswich market is attracting buyers across all fields, from first home buyers to investors, He said. We ve got a short supply of houses now, which we have not had since RPData figures for August 2014 to August 2015 show house prices have gone up in the majority of Ipswich suburbs, particularly newer and developing suburbs. In Springfield Lakes, 334 homes were sold for a median price of $414, 968 a growth of 5.1%. Redbank house prices grew by 11.7% in the year to $301,000. REIQ s own figures show similar good news, with the state body labelling Ipswich a stand out performer in a different period from July to September House sales over the quarter were up 12% in Ipswich, while the annual trend in house listings were up 3.6%, an REIQ statement said. Bidders packed out the auction room at Ray White Ipswich s office on Friday afternoon as three properties went under the hammer. Ray White Ipswich principal Warren Ramsey agreed with the predicted growth backed by the REIQ and RPData figures.

31 Ipswich to become a Smart City By: Ipswich Investor May 9, 2016 statement said. Accenture will focus on identifying and developing future strategic direction to maintain and improve priorities for a safe, connected, productive and liveable city. The Ipswich City Council has selected IT integrator and consultancy Accenture to progress what it has dubbed its Smart City Strategy. Ipswich is located in southeast Queensland, about 50 kilometres from the Brisbane central business district. It currently has about 190,000 residents, but is projected to more than double that over the next 15 years. It was traditionally a major coal mining centre, as well as hosting manufacturing operations, but is seeking to transition its economy. In a statement issued this morning, the city s council said the new Accenturebacked strategy would develop and deliver an innovative blueprint to optimise city operations, enhance community engagement, cultivate digital technology capabilities and lead economic innovation. Ipswich is one of Australia s fastest growing regions and has earned a reputation as a progressive and motivated city, the Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Paul Pisasale, said the initiative is about connecting city services to new digital realities, forming innovation clusters to create jobs and a vibrant economy, and utilising data to anticipate, mitigate and prevent problems faced. We are a city which leads by example, embracing the positive impact of technology and digital trends for the benefit of our local businesses and community, Pisasale said. We really believe that digital cities are better enabled by digital governments who are not afraid to adopt a more human-centred approach in order to better serve their citizens.

32 Qld new house sales topping the nation Sophie Foster MAY 5, 2016 Data finding transaction volumes were down over the year to April. The data analysis firm s settled sales data for the year to April in Australian capital cities saw houses fall -3.7 per cent year-on-year and units drop -9.7 per cent. QUEENSLAND had the nation s biggest surge in detached house sales in March. It posted a 13.2 per cent rise in detached house sales in March, the only state in double digits with Western Australia seeing a 9.8 per cent rise, New South Wales 8.3 per cent and Victoria 2.8 per cent. HIA economist Diwa Hopkins said, We ve been seeing a recovery in detached house sales very gradually gather momentum over past 18 months to two years. Conditions in residential construction in Queensland were very weak so we ve slowly started to see a recovery emerge. She said this week s Reserve Bank rate cut would support a healthy level of activity this year particularly seeing this rate cut is being passed on to mortgage holder. New home sales, which includes houses and units, rose 8.9 per cent in March nationally, after a 7 per cent jump in detached house sales and a 16.3 per cent jump in multi-unit sales. It was a bright spot given a sea of lowering expectations in the housing market, with CoreLogic RP Brisbane had 74,142 house sales over the period, up 2.2 per cent over the year, with 35,723 unit sales - a fall of per cent over the year. It is difficult to gauge exactly how strong the downwards trend is in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane given how many units are under construction, said CoreLogic analyst Cameron Kusher. Nevertheless, affordability constraints, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, following consistent value growth in recent years is likely leading to a decline in sales.

33 Ipswich house sales turnaround by Ellen Lutton - 01 August 2016 Ipswich is renowned for its abundance of beautiful period properties and according to Adam Horth, principal at Johnson Real Estate Ipswich, it s these homes that many buyers are targeting. Affordable house prices are driving a recovery in Ipswich as first-time buyers and investors take advantage of a market that IS undervalued compared to close neighbour Brisbane. Local agents are reporting an urgency from buyers not seen in recent years; sales volumes are up and days on the market are down. Neil Mundy, agent at Ray White Ipswich, said this was so far the best year he d had in 11 years as a real estate agent. The momentum is certainly back in the market. There s a lot of people from either interstate or Brisbane who have realised what you can get for your money here only 27 minutes from Brisbane, he said. I recently listed a threebedroom house at Eastern Heights for $450,000 and sold it 90 minutes later for $450,000. LJ Hooker agent Richard Bird described Ipswich as a sleeper and predicted significant rises in house prices by the end of this year or mid-next year. I can remember when investors were pushing this much in 2006; that s what it feels like now. There s pressure in the market, he said. Anything pre-1960 is very popular and that s where the growth is. Twelve months ago, a great value property would sit there for weeks on end. Now, a well-priced property gets sold within days. Domain Group data showed in suburbs such as Eastern Heights, prices have gone up by as much as 17.7 per cent. RealWay principal Geoff Giles said most of his new activity was being driven by first-time buyers. Affordability is key. There seems to be a new wave of first homebuyers entering the market again and they re most active in the $300,000 market.

34 REIQ highlights 'very tight' vacancy rates Emma Ryan Monday, 16 May 2016 The Real Estate Institute of Queensland says tight vacancy rates have led to pressure mounting on rental markets in the state s southeast region. According to the REIQ March quarter 2016 Vacancy Rate Report, areas such as the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Caboolture, Caloundra and Noosa are all experiencing vacancy rates of less than 2 per cent. REIQ chief executive officer Antonia Mercorella said the data highlights that vacancy rates are very tight and shows that specific rental markets in south-east Queensland are crying out for greater investment and more housing construction. Gold Coast vacancy rates have been operating at less than 2.5 per cent for more than two years and this is clear evidence that there is continuing strong rental demand, she said. The Sunshine Coast has had tight conditions for more than four years and rental accommodation can be very challenging to find this area could support new dwelling construction. REIQ data also revealed Brisbane vacancy rates dropped from 3.1 per cent to 3.0 per cent over the quarter. The inner 5km ring is at 3.3 per cent and the middle ring is at 2.5 per cent these levels continue to fall within what the REIQ considers the healthy range, Ms Mercorella said. We are clearly not oversupplied at this stage. Meanwhile, vacancy rates recorded weak results outside the capital city and south-east areas, with most regional centres continuing to experience the consequences of the mining downturn, according to Ms Mercorella. Gladstone has pushed out to 11.3 per cent, the highest in the state, and this is concerning, she said. The closure of the LNG project continues to have an impact as workers leave in search of jobs elsewhere. REIQ data showed vacancy rates eased from 3.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent in Bundaberg and from 6.1 per cent to 6.9 per cent in Rockhampton. Meanwhile, the data revealed vacancy rates tightened from 9.3 per cent to 8.1 per cent in Mackay and from 6.4 per cent to 6.0 per cent in Townsville. Cairns remains the standout regional centre, with vacancy rates further tightening from 2.5 per cent to 2.1 per cent over the quarter.

35 Ipswich water park makes big splash Jason Quelch Mar 4, 2016 There is huge buyer demand in this region, he said. Both of these developments are targeting young families, which is obvious with the building of the water park, but there will be benefits for the whole of Ipswich, not just Providence. A new $3.2 million water park is making a splash in one of Ipswich s fastestgrowing new suburbs. More than 2500 people attended the opening of Splash n Play Water Park in Ripley Valley s largest housing development, Providence, at the weekend. Providence director Michael Khan said the new park was family friendly and free to the community. Providence is one of a handful of residential communities in all of Queensland to have a water park like this that s free to the community, Mr Khan said. This is a completely free facility for the community to enjoy all year round. Providence will be constructed over 20 years across 670 hectares, which is about three times the size of the Brisbane CBD. It is one of two large land and housing developments in Ipswich, the other being the eco-friendly Ecco Ripley. First National Ripley Valley principal Steve Athanates said both housing developments were showing strong markets. He said despite the two estates targeting the same housing demographic, there was limited competition between the sites. Although they are in the same market, with similar targets, there really is more than enough business to go around, he said. The water park forms part of the larger District Park facility and adjoins the Providence Centre and cafe, which will open in April. Providence is being developed by Amex Corporation.

36 Ipswich mounting a property comeback Terry Ryder 16 JANUARY 2016 There was an inevitability about the Ipswich revival because this precinct ticks all the boxes. It is a perfect fit the power combination of factors that drives real estate markets affordability plus infrastructure plus jobs nodes. Ipswich, once the capital growth leader for the Brisbane metropolitan area and a favourite target for property investors from around Australia, is mounting a comeback after three quite years. Up until 2013, Ipswich City dominated the growth rankings for Greater Brisbane. In a report early in 2013, I wrote: Ipswich City is the capital gains star of the Brisbane metropolitan area. The municipality which encompasses the southwestern fringe of the Greater Brisbane area has the top five suburbs for long-term capital growth. It has eight of the top 10 - and 15 of the top 25 suburbs. At that time, virtually every suburb of Ipswich had a long-term growth rate (average annual growth in median prices over the previous 10 years) above 10% per year. Today, after three slow years, the same suburbs have long-term growth averages in the 4-5% range. But the comeback has started, with the first compelling evidence seen in the latest quarterly figures. Hotspotting analysis of sales volumes shows that Ipswich City has joined the overall positive trend in the Brisbane market. The LGA now has eight suburbs with clear growth trajectories double the number in the previous survey three months ago. This area has big government spending on infrastructure of all kinds, an ambitious and proactive council, and billions in investment from the private sector. Many big businesses with major warehousing needs are based out there because the land is cheap and the transport links are good. Entities involved in key current projects across Ipswich City include Mirvac, GPT, TNT Express, Devine, Lend Lease, Ramsay Health Care, the State Government, the Ipswich City Council and an array of major Asian companies. As well as cheap entry prices, the area offers solid rental yields, typically in the 5.5% to 6% range.

37 Billion dollars gets RAAF base flying high Anna Hartley July 23, 2016 hangar and tarmac would be one of the key projects to be completed before "That project was approved by the last Parliament before the last election so that work will start early next year," he said. "There's also some other works increasing base services such as sewerage, power and water, some additional fencing and road works as well." MORE than $1.1 billion will be injected into RAAF Base Amberley over the next four years in the biggest expansion the site has ever seen. Wing Commander Scott Winchester said work had now begun on the first of many key projects at the base. "There's about 10 projects all up but there are a few key ones. The first is an additional army unit to Amberley. The 17 Construction Squadron will relocate from Sydney at the end of this year so that will increase the army presence on the base," he said. "There is also a couple of key Air Force projects. "We're getting 12 Growler electronic attack aircraft. They look like a Super Hornet but it's a very highend US-developed aircraft. That will grow our fast jet fleet from the current 24 Super Hornets to 36. We will also operate the 10 C-27J aircraft, a tactical air lift aircraft which is new to the Air Force inventory. They are basically a mini two engine Hercules. The C-27J squadron, made up of about 260 additional people, will move from Sydney to Amberley." Wg Cdr Winchester said the number of C-17s at the base had doubled from four to eight and, along with two additional KC-30s to accommodate for, a new The billion dollar upgrades could also benefit Ipswich residents. Wg Cdr Winchester said the base would be working with local, state and federal government to fast-track the Cunningham Hwy upgrade due to the increased Defence traffic using the road. "Currently we have 5800 people on the base, that number will increase to about 7000 as the base continues to grow," he said. "The expansion will boost the local economy. We will endeavour to get a lot of local tradies and I would encourage local businesses to look at the AusTender website to get involved with projects on the base."

38 Work to start on Brookwater luxury resort Peter Chapman July 9, 2016 THE plans have been signed off, pre unit sales have hit 80% and now after a two year wait the much anticipated $550 million Dusit Thani Resort at Brookwater will start to rise from the ground. With the first stage works about to begin Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale was asked last week to travel to Thailand to meet with Dusit Thani's executive management team. At those meetings he was assured of the commitment one of the world's biggest resort groups had to building and developing a five star project in Ipswich. "This is without doubt the most exciting opportunity ever to come to our city and it will change the face of our community," Cr Pisasale said. "Thousands of international tourists will be lured to Brookwater on the back of the Dusit quality brand. "I have had the opportunity to travel to three of their resorts in the past week and every one of them exuded luxury and class. "This will not just be a first class resort, this will be a luxury destination. After opening its first resort in Thailand almost 60 years ago, Dusit Thani now operate more than 30 major resorts around the world in such places as Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the United States, Egypt and India. The Brookwater project, masterminded by Richard Turner's Maxsen World Holding Hong Kong, signifies Dusit Thani's first foray into Australia. The commitment by them is one of the largest single investments ever made by a foreign company in the Australian resort industry. Stage one of the $110 million first stage will include: 168 resort apartments, a 15,000sm central resort pavilion, which will include restaurants, a conference centre, spa and five star resort-themed retail centre. A central recreation club will also be established featuring fitness centres, lagoon pools and cafes. Memberships to local residents will be offered to enable them to use these facilities. The restaurants will also be open to the general public. On completion the resort will feature 520 apartments and bring in thousands of international visitors weekly. Work will start at Brookwater within the next few months, providing jobs for more than 500 tradesmen.

39 Higher demand to push up Ipswich rents Helen Spelitis July 11, 2016 A PROPERTY analyst is warning Ipswich will face a housing shortage in the next year as the number of people wanting to move into the area exceeds the number of available homes. His theory is supported by property data released this month which shows the number of houses available for rent is dropping rapidly. If the trend continues renters could be facing higher weekly rents and fierce competition to secure a home. This month the REIQ released the March quarter data on Ipswich's vacancy rates, or the number of empty houses on the market for rent, showing over three months the rate dropped from 2.5% to 1.8%. Generally a vacancy rate below 2% indicates a shortage and rents begin to increase. According to the latest market outlook report from Brisbane based property guru Michael Matusik that shortage will likely see rents increase by $15 a week over the next 12 months. Mr Matusik says the market is balanced at the moment, but he expects it to become "undersupplied in the coming months", as demand outstrips the supply. According to Ipswich City Council between 6000 and 7000 people are moving into the region every year. Last financial year the council approved 2785 new homes for construction. A realestate.com.au search of the 4305 postcode shows there are 453 homes available for rent right now and 87 of those are listed as apartments or townhouses. REIQ chairman for Ipswich region Mr Boettcher says the demand isn't just coming from new people moving into the region either. Mr Boettcher said there is a lot of interest in the new estates such as at Deebing Heights, Ripley Valley and Brassall from established residents looking to upgrade to a newer style home. "People might be living in a 60s, 70s or 80s built house at the moment paying $340 a week in rent," Mr Boettcher said. "But they can see that for the same money they can be in a brand new, four bedroom, double lock-up garage house and they're making that move. "The rental yields for owners are good at the moment."

40 Ipswich population growth tops state Helen Spelitis 21st Sep 2016 IPSWICH has the fastest growing population in south-east Queensland according to the latest Queensland Treasury population report. The Population Growth Highlights and Trends report shows that in the 10 years to June 2015, the fastest average annual growth occurred in Ipswich (3.6%), followed by Moreton Bay (3.1%) and Gold Coast (2.7%). In , Somerset had the fastest population growth (3.2%), followed by Lockyer Valley (3.1%) and Ipswich (3%). In terms of the size of the population increase, the largest growth in was at the Gold Coast, increasing by 11,180 people, followed by Ipswich increasing by 9100 and Logan-Beaudesert by In the 10 years to June 2015, Gold Coast also had the largest population growth, increasing by an average of 12,960 people a year, followed by Ipswich at 8110 and the Sunshine Coast at The report also confirms Ipswich has the lowest percentage of seniors and the highest percentage of youth. In south-east Queensland, the proportion of the population aged 0 to 14 years ranged from a high of 23.6% in Ipswich to a low of 17.5% in Brisbane. The proportion of the population aged 65 years and over through south-east Queensland ranged from a high of 20.8% in Noosa to a low of 10% in Ipswich. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the city's demographics were going through an encouraging change. "Our average age is 32 and the state average is 36," Cr Pisasale said. "That means our kids are coming home and are proud to say they live in Ipswich. "They're getting jobs here.". Annual growth in past decade - 3.6% population increase (3%) 23.6% aged under 15 10% aged 65 and over

41 470 jobs in Ipswich Motorway upgrade Geoff Egan 24th May 2016 state and federal governments. she said. "This project will provide a safer, quicker motorway journey for the motorists and improve national and local freight movements." Ms Palaszczuk said early works on the upgrade to begin next month would include eastbound off ramps at the Oxley and Blunder roads' roundabout. INITIAL works on the Ipswich Motorway upgrade will begin next month. The long awaited upgrade of the road from Darra to Rocklea is set to begin in full next year - but early works will start from June. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced in parliament on Tuesday the government had begun to seek contracts for the design and construction of the upgrade. Ms Palaszczuk said the $400 million project would create 470 construction jobs. "The Ipswich Motorway is currently a major source of frustration for more than 85,000 motorists who use this section of the motorway daily, including up to 12,000 trucks," she said. "The sooner the longstanding congestion and safety issues on the Ipswich Motorway are alleviated, the better it will be for road users and the community," The $400 million cost will be split fifty-fifty between the "The works at this location will improve the safety of the off-ramp and roundabout by reducing queuing from the ramp extending back to the motorway through lanes," she said. The motorway upgrade was confirmed when the Federal Government and Opposition both committed to funding the road.

42 Ipswich growth centres given green light BBennion 18th Mar 2016 MORE than 560 residential lots have been approved by Ipswich City Council in the past week in the growth areas of Collingwood Park, Leichhardt and Ripley. The rapid growth for Collingwood Park is set to continue with another 301 residential lots approved on land west of Collingwood Drive. Planning and Development Committee chairman Paul Tully said council had approved a significant number of residential lots within Collingwood Park recently, including this new approval on Cairns St. "This new estate will feature residential lots ranging from 316sq m to 5573sq m," Cr Tully said. "Stages five and six will feature more than 11ha of linear parkland beside Six Mile Creek, which will incorporate a footpath, recreation park and will conserve an area of endangered vegetation." Division 3 Councillor Victor Attwood said the new development was located close to a number of other residential estates, including Six Mile Creek, Collingwood Park and Woodlinks residential estates. Meanwhile the new developers of Leichhardt's Golf Links Estate received approval for 155 additional residential lots. The lots range from 315sq m to 576sq m and a new park has also been approved for the estate. Marquee Projects CEO Mark Spedding said stages 2, 3 and 4 of the development had been redesigned with stage 2 being released at the end of March. "We have had extremely strong demand since stage 1 of the development launched back in October and as such there are only three house and land packages available," Mr Spedding said. "We have taken a fully integrated approach to the development and have researched the market to understand what buyers are looking for, namely, affordable quality house and land package prices that have a genuine value for money proposition and working with Urbane Homes allows us to provide this to buyers as their build prices are amongst the most competitive in southeast Queensland." As reported in the QT on Monday a further 109 residential lots were approved for Ecco Ripley Estate, which has seen a high number of sales in early stages. Cr Tully said development in the Ripley Valley growth corridor was thriving and struggling to keep up with demand.

43 Ipswich is strong as an investment hotspot Judith F - Thursday, July 28, 2016 Just 31km from the Brisbane CBD and backed by strong economic and demographic underpinnings, Ipswich is coming on strong as and investment hotspot. The Ipswich region is hugely popular with families due to its retail and family amenities, local employment opportunities and great educational and transport infrastructure. According to data from Queensland Government Statistician s Office, Ipswich s annual employment growth was 2.2%, streaks ahead of the statewide average of 0.1%. Ipswich also has one of the fastest growing populations in the country and, according to new REIQ research, the strongest property price growth in Queensland at 6.7% (almost double Brisbane s 3.4% gain over the same quarter). City of Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale says the new demographic and economic data point to the city s continued growth as a South East Queensland centre. The city of Ipswich continues to lead the way in development, innovation and growth in South East Queensland, says Cr Pisasale. Ipswich also benefits from very favourable consideration in the Queensland Government s South East Queensland Plan, with policy directly stimulating population and economic growth. Private and government investment in the area, including the under construction $320 million Darra to Springfield train line, major Ipswich Motorway upgrades and a new Bunnings in West Ipswich, is further driving demand. INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS A $279m upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway from Darra to Rocklea. A $3.1million widening of the Ipswich Motorway to six lanes. The $1.1billion expansion of Amberley RAAF base as Australia s only super-base. Development of Amberley as a tech hub for aerospace and defence support enterprises. The $600 million Stage 2 of Orion Shopping Centre at Springfield.

44 Ipswich cracks top 10 for property price growth in Australia by Michalina Lisik April 21, 2016 Great news if you own property in Ipswich or are looking to invest in the area. Property researchers Hotspotting.com.au report that the region is one of the hottest for property price growth in Australia and has listed the city in its Top 10 Best Buys. The article adds: In Ipswich, residents are reaping the benefits of an employment boom, with more than 56,000 jobs to be create by in the next decade, according to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. The abundance of employment in the region, along with Ipswich s reasonably priced housing, is expected to contribute to a sustained demand for property in the area. Logan and the Gold Coast also popped up on a national list of locations that have proven to show steady growth in the property market over the last year.

45 Ipswich prepares for population explosion Shirele Moody 20th May 2016 Ipswich that would grow and benefit?" the CQUniversity School of Business and Law professor said. "The view is Ipswich would be the bigger beneficiary than Toowoomba because it's not that much further and it's got a much better location. "The traffic issues mean that the western side of Brisbane is the ideal place for your mining and service sector to develop." IPSWICH has Toowoomba kissing the canvas as the pair battle to attract new residents. Both cities are going toe to toe over population but Toowoomba is struggling to shake off its neighbour to the east. While Ipswich is winning the fight, any sign of weakness could cost the region dearly. The city must reap the benefits of the Surat Basin if it hopes to continue growing by 5592 new residents a year. Ipswich is now home to 188,047 compared to 132,119 residents in Toowoomba - on the other hand - attracted 2114 new residents a year and now has a population of 161,970. Location, transport and lifestyle factors will attract Surat Basin mining development employees to settle in Ipswich rather than Toowoomba, resource economist John Rolfe says. "One of the fascinating questions is 'as the Surat Basin develops... where would the supply chain sector and the workforce be located?' Would Toowoomba grow and benefit or would it be Ipswich City Council is preparing for an influx of residents. With 435,000 people to be living here by 2031, the council is starting to make inroads on the infrastructure needed to cater for them. City planners are working with the developers of two master planned communities - the Springfield and Ripley Valley projects. There are also smaller infill developments underway and the planning scheme makes room for economic and social development without impacting on the area's natural environment.

46 Brassall estates: 400 lots sold out and last homes completed in under 4 years Peter Foley 16th Jan 2015 IT SEEMS only yesterday it was featureless bushland but now the 1788 Estate at Brassall has reached a major milestone with its last home being completed. That has been achieved only four years after the estate was released to the market. The $79 million 202 lot estate was developed by AGG Brassall Developments. The neighbouring $71 million Savannah Woods estate, developed by Kilcorp Properties and also built by Choice Homes, has added to Brassall's residential profile by also selling out its 183 lots in a similar time. Both estates are located off Windle Rd - once a deadend dirt road - and have contributed to the Ipswich area being recognised as one of the fastest growing regions in south-east Queensland. Choice Homes CEO Troy Knight said developing 1788 helped the company refine its process for building on sloping blocks, which was recognised with a Master Builders Award. "Prior to this development we were slab-on-ground builders, but close to 50% of the 40ha estate featured valley-like terrain which required a much higher degree of build engineering," Mr Knight said. "The land would span out then drop three metres and repeat - it took two months longer than usual to transform the terrain into land we could build upon. "The hard work has paid off as many 1788 residents now have homes with truly unique character that you don't see very often these days." The estate targeted firsthome buyers, investors and owner-occupiers with packages under $390,000 and lots from 700sq m- 1400sq m. Carmelo Tomasello said he and his partner could not wait to move in. "We chose Brassall because of the close proximity to Brisbane and the Gold Coast," Mr Tomasello said. "Even better, Ipswich CBD is only a 10 minute drive down the road which makes life easy."

47 $71.8 million upgrade for RAAF Base Amberley to support relocation of 17 th Army Squadron 17 July 2015 both in war time and peace, Mr Chester said. Relocating the 17th Construction Squadron to RAAF Base Amberley will provide enhanced operational and training effectiveness, increase deployment readiness, and reduce travel and transportation times. It will also enhance command and control arrangements. A $71.8 million project to support the relocation of the Army s 17th Construction Squadron to RAAF Base Amberley has been approved by Parliament. The 17th Construction Squadron will be relocated from Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney to RAAF Amberley in early Approximately about 140 positions would be transferred to Amberley and construction of new facilities at the base was planned to start in the coming months, now approved. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Darren Chester, said the 17th Construction Squadron Relocation Infrastructure Project would provide new working accommodation, vehicle shelters, quartermaster stores and workshops, as well as a new Fire Training Area for the RAAF Fire Services. The new facilities will provide a consolidated Engineer Support Regiment with modern and fit-forpurpose facilities to work, operate, maintain and support the Army s efforts, The investment will bring economic benefits for local industry in Ipswich, Queensland, over the next two years. Construction is expected to begin in late 2015 and be completed by late A Defence report into the relocation notes that RAAF Base Amberley is one of the largest Defence sites in Australia and is also home to RAAF's C17 strategic airlift fleet, Army's 9th Force Support Battalion and the Joint Logistics Unit.

48 Amberley air force base has huge future Andrew Korner 22nd Jul 2016 luncheon, said there was still plenty of real estate to physically expand the base. "The smartest thing we did was to leave a five-kilometre buffer zone around the outside of the base," Cr Pisasale said. Stuart Robert, Kyl Murphy from Ceda and Mayor Paul Pisasale at Amberley THE future expansion of the Amberley RAAF base was the main topic of conversation as Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert dropped in to Ipswich this week. Mr Robert was the keynote speaker at Monday's Defence Industries lunch, hosted by Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). About 50 business, government, and defence representatives heard about Ipswich's 75-year relationship with the RAAF base that now employs more than 5000 people butis ideally positioned for even further growth. Mr Robert said Ipswich had a reputation for embracing defence families and the important job they do, which made it an ideal city to look to for the future. "Our people love coming here," Mr Robert said. "We have spent $3.5 billion for defence in Queensland and Amberley will continue to grow. "There is always the opportunity there to expand its footprint." Mayor Paul Pisasale, who also addressed the. If talk of the possible closure of Richmond Air Base in NSW comes to fruition, it could result in the further expansion of Amberley, which is set to take on "superbase" status. The addition of more KC-30 aircraft to the Amberley fleet is on the cards, while Mr Robert said the new C-27 J Battlefield Lift transport aircraft that will replace the Caribou will also be coming to Amberley. The 9th Force Support Battalion - a logistics unit of the Army - could also be joined by further Army units at Amberley in the near future. Mr Robert said the Amberley base's contribution to the war effort in Iraq through the deployment of Super Hornets and a KC-30 aircraft was something residents "should be proud of."

49 $370 million plan for Amberley RAAF Base to house new Spartan battlefield aircraft squadron 23rd Sep :00 AM No 35 Squadron is set to call Amberley RAAF Base Ipswich home. AMBERLEY is set to be home to 10 C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifters with approvals under way for a $370.4 million project to house the fleet. The first of the aircraft arrived at RAAF Base Richmond in June and construction works are expected to start early next year at Amberley to house the fleet permanently. The facilities for RAAF Base Amberley to support the new aircraft are expected to be completed by mid The project will include constructing training areas, flight simulator, an aircraft parking tarmac, meteorology observation room, fire station and storage. It will also include road extensions, demolition work and relocating heritage buildings. The Department of Defence is seeking approval from the Public Works Committee for the facilities to maintain and operate the fleet. Public hearings will be held in Ipswich in November and submissions to the inquiry close on October 22. The aircraft will be operated by No 35 Squadron and serve as the airlift link between Army's rotary-wing fleet and Air Force's larger transport aircraft. Defence has told the Public Works Committee that choosing RAAF Base Amberley as the main operating base for the aircraft would provide opportunities and efficiencies for the RAAF. Director of the C-27J Transition Team Group Captain Steve Young said Amberley was the most flexible and efficient basing option to support the C-27J. "Having the main operating base at Amberley will also improve responsiveness for major deployments through co-location with the C-17 capability," he said. Further details are available on the Public Works Committee's website:aph.gov.au/pwc

50 800 new Ipswich jobs with Brookwater project Joel Gould 11th Jun 2016 "Ipswich is set to pass the 200,000 population mark in the next three or four years and when we go to over 400,000 in the next 20 years there will be thousands of jobs available for Ipswich people, including young people when they finish school. THE 800 jobs to be created by the $550 million Dusit Thani Brookwater Golf and Spa Resort will be a massive employment boost for Ipswich for decades to come. Ipswich City Council's planning and development supremo Cr Paul Tully said the Brookwater resort would be vital to the economic prosperity of a city that will grow to over 400,000 in the decades ahead. Major projects based in the city don't just bring jobs in the construction phase, but also provide long-term employment into the future. The construction phase of the Brookwater resort will create 500 jobs, and once operational a further 300 positions will need to be filled. Cr Tully said the construction of resorts such as Dusit Thani's was a winwin for the people of Ipswich. "Growth means jobs in two ways, firstly in the initial construction phase of these new developments," Cr Tully said. "It also means the ongoing jobs that will be available in the hospitality industry for people in our local community. "This is a major development for Ipswich. "Who would have ever thought that Ipswich would be promoted as a major tourist destination? With this five-star resort we will be promoted to the world...for people who want to fly in from overseas for a golfing holiday or a holiday where they can commute to Brisbane or the Gold Coast. Cr Tully has been in local government for 36 years and never has he seen a drawcard like the Brookwater resort. "This is the big one," he said. "This will really put Ipswich on the map. It is one of the biggest boosts that Ipswich has had in its history."

51 Amberley engineering firm wins massive maintenance contracts for fighters and tanks Peter Foley 24th Feb 2015 maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade of the F135 engine in the Asia Pacific region." Among others, TAE already looks after the engines for the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. Adding the F135 would position TAE as the leader in this sector in the Asia-Pacific region, Mr Sanderson said. IT'S certainly been a big week for Ipswich-based engineering company TAE, announcing massively successful contracts to maintain engines on the ground and in the air. TAE - Tasman Aviation Enterprises - won the contract to maintain engines for the Joint Strike Fighter and the engines that power the Australian Army's Abrams main battle tank. Operating from four sites in Australia including RAAF Base Amberley, TAE is Australia's leading gas turbine engine maintenance and engineering company. "Amberley would be where we would plan on setting up to do the work," TAE general manager Andrew Sanderson said. TAE already employs people from in and around Ipswich and the new deal would certainly be a great opportunity for more. "Absolutely," he said. "We're in the market right now for 10 people - trainees, engine technicians and engineers. "We're growing our business here in this region and this would add to that in the long term." "We are very excited to have been selected to be responsible for the "It's a big, long-term deal. We had to put in a submission about why we might be the best enterprise and the decision was made by the US Department of Defence," he said. "It's a significant success for our business and we look forward to a lot of years servicing this engine once we're up and running. "The Air Force is looking to the aeroplane. They're already flying it in the States; they got their first two aeroplanes in Phoenix," he said. "It's a big commitment from an Australian point of view - 72 jets on their way between now and early next decade.

52 More Army troops for Amberley Base Brian Bennion 19th May 2015 Construction Squadron. Construction of the squadron headquarters offices, troop buildings, workshop and vehicle and equipment shelters is expected to be completed by late THE army presence at RAAF Base Amberley is set to grow with plans for another squadron to be relocated to Ipswich under a $77 million project. A defence spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that 17th Construction Squadron would be relocated from Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney to RAAF Amberley in early She said about 140 positions would be transferred to Amberley and construction of new facilities at the base was planned to start in the coming months, subject to parliamentary approval. The move co-locates the 17th Construction Squadron with its parent unit, the 6th Engineer Support Regiment. The headquarters of the 6 ESR and the 21st Construction Squadron are already at Amberley. The Department of Defence said the relocation of 17th Construction Squadron would provide opportunities to enhance the command and control of engineer units in south-east Queensland and to improve the overall operational and training effectiveness of 6 ESR. The project being considered by the Federal Government's Public Works Committee proposes to provide both purpose built and adaptively reused facilities for 17th Mayor Paul Pisasale welcomed the $77 million investment in the city and said Defence families were a strong part of the community spirit. "We are a defence city," Cr Pisasale said. "We want to give a loud and clear message to the people of Australia that we are there to support RAAF Base Amberley. We are here not only to support the base but to support the families." With more than 600 regular soldiers, 6 ESR is the largest of the Royal Australian Engineer regiments. A Defence report into the relocation notes that RAAF Base Amberley is one of the largest Defence sites in Australia and is also home to RAAF's C17 strategic airlift fleet, Army's 9th Force Support Battalion and the Joint Logistics Unit.

53 Amberley project to create 3500 civilian jobs Joel Gould 8th Apr 2016 Minister for Defence Marise Payne (centre) with Senator Joanna Lindgren (left) and LNP candidate for Blair Teresa Harding AN AMBERLEY Defence Support Centre independently estimated at bringing $500m per year and creating 3500 jobs is in the works for Ipswich. The centre, planned to be located on government owned land near the BP at Purga, has been front and centre of the agenda of Ipswich City Council and the Queensland Government since The state bought three parcels of Commonwealth land in the area in 2012 to develop a defence precinct and in his letter Senator McGrath said it was resolved by the state that "the development of the land for defence related purposes should be driven by the private sector and to that end, the State Government has entered into a contract to sell over 100ha of their land to Amberley Logistics, on the condition it is used for that project". Senator Payne said, "I know this is a pretty go ahead part of south-east Queensland and I think there is enormous potential here." The opportunities were limitless" for the variety of defence industries which could be located in Ipswich. All of those opportunities will complement the expansion of Amberley that will occur over the next decade. "Over the 10 years to there is an $850m investment and that is a very significant undertaking for a base which currently supports 5700 people and which will increase to about 7000," Senator Payne said. "That brings business and action in the economy as part of that process. "We've got some really important work going to happen at Amberley. Ms Harding said the planned Amberley Defence Support Centre was an economic boost to Ipswich of stellar proportions. "If it was to proceed I would imagine it would go to tender and there is a lot of interest in the market place to leverage off the base and take it from there," she said. "The economic modelling shows it could employ up to 3500 people and create $500m in economic value every year. "This would be a way the defence industry could really support the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO). The Defence White Paper unveiled the increase of $29.9 billion in defence spending over the next decade with the goal of making the Australian Defence Force (ADF) more capable, agile and potent.

54 Ipswich attractive to first home buyers Jim Malo Dec 7, 2016 home owners grant boost drops $5000. House and land packages have grown in popularity as first home buyers on tight budgets look to get a foothold in the market. But with higher popularity comes higher prices. Developers say Ipswich continues to be an attractive area for first home buyers, despite its poor reputation. First home buyers, they ve had a lot of diversity, said Urbane Homes director Jon Rivera. But in the last two years, some of those areas have become really expensive. Ipswich hasn t received its due recognition over the years and unfairly so when it has so much to offer Queensland buyers. People in Brisbane and south east Queensland have a real negative perception of Ipswich. A mix of accessibility to Brisbane, established community, and affordability have Ipswich earmarked for an influx of first home buyers in coming years, Mr Rivera said. That bad image of Ipswich is really changing on the back of people that are moving there, he said. Domain Group chief economist Andrew Wilson said Ipswich was already seeing growth from buyers searching for their first home. It was a country town that you drove to but it s becoming suburban now, he said. It s picked up, there s no doubt about it. The median house price in Ipswich is $350,000, which Dr Wilson said was within the average Queenslander s purchasing po wer of $400,000. He warned that growth may slow down from the middle of next year when the state first These things are working, there s no question about it, Dr Wilson said. The issue there is whether if after the party, there s going to be a hangover. He said growth would continue, but not rapidly. It s fringe area, it will always be a target for entry level buyers, said Dr Wilson. Mr Rivera said Ipswich s appeal extended past the boosted first home owner grant. Compared to north Brisbane where there s just one road in and one road out, Ipswich is in a prime position for commuters with multiple highways offering easy access to south east Queensland s inner-city areas and regional hubs including Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. Realway Property agent Karen Bagenal agreed Ipswich had potential long-term appeal. The infrastructure that Ipswich has got going for it, especially in the western corridor, she said. It only takes 30 minutes to get to the airport. But Ms Bagenal shared Dr Wilson s concerns that Ipswich may lose momentum when the boost runs out.

55 2000 jobs at multi-million dollar Ipswich project Helen Spelitis 22nd Nov 2016 More than 2000 workers will be employed to build the new $15 million aged care facility at Eastern Heights. Bulimba based builders Badge have been awarded the contract to deliver the 100 residence precinct by early 2018 with work expected to start in the coming weeks, following today's official ground breaking and blessing ceremony. Badge construction manager Brett Smith said there will be about 120 workers on site each day at the height of the project, in March and April next year. "Throughout the construction we will have about 2000 people employed, including contractors, builders, trade workers and admin staff, and we're looking at hiring local subcontractors now," Mr Smith said. The new facility will replace the ageing home on Limestone St and the name Villa Maria will be carried across, along with the residents. While Catholic Healthcare has made every effort to preserve the legacy of its Limestone St site, first opened in 1952, there will be some major changes. For the first time ever, men will be allowed into Villa Maria. It means husband and wife will no longer have to be separated and there will be six rooms specifically designed with couples in mind. accommodation for men which the women only facility couldn't accommodate - yet. Catholic Healthcare managing director David Maher said the project to replace Villa Maria had been in the pipeline for at least two and a half years; the demographics of Ipswich was evidence enough the community needed more aged care services. "It's very significant for us to be able to build a brand new service for the residents of Ipswich, but also to be able to make it two and half times bigger so we can provide a lot more services to more members of the community," Mr Maher said. Villa Maria Manager Carol Nowak said there were often calls asking about Almost half of the rooms, 40, have already been set aside for residents living at the aged Villa Maria nursing home, while the remaining 60 will be offered up to Ipswich seniors. The facility is due to be finished early 2018 and developers, Catholic Healthcare, say the goal is to produce a precinct that is "as home like as possible".

56 Ipswich getting up to speed thanks to NBN Anna Hartley 6th Sep 2016 SPRINGFIELD Lakes is the next suburb set to reap the benefits of faster internet. NBN construction is under way in the ever-growing Ipswich suburb. Residents can expect to see workers connecting fixed line technology to more than 6,700 premises in parts of Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Brookwater, and Augustine Heights. NBN is already available in areas like Walloon, Goodna and with building having now started at Springfield Lakes. NBN government relationships manager Amber Dornbusch said the Springfield region was crying out for faster broadband. "Springfield is eagerly awaiting NBN. Construction has started and people should be able to connect at the end of this year or early next year," she said. "Whole families will be able to be online at the same time, using multiple devices and all enjoying the same fast speeds. "The NBN network will become critical for health, education, business development and the overall long-term sustainable growth of the region." Oxley MP Milton Dick agreed, saying faster internet meant a boost for the local economy. "NBN is a top priority for this area," he said. "There are a number of small businesses who have been crying out for faster internet for years. "I really think this will provide a huge economic boost for the city." Ms Dornbusch said NBN offered speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. "In Brisbane many premises have speeds of just five megabits per second so it's a lot faster," she said. "Ipswich Council has really embraced NBN," she added. "It's not just about Facebook and Netflix, it's about economic development. "Ipswich was one of the first areas in all of Queensland to connect." The NBN roll out is predicted to be completed Australia-wide by Connected: Bundamba, Dinmore, Ebbw Vale, New Chum, Blackstone North Booval Riverview Flinders View Raceview Redbank Collingwood Park Redbank Plains

57 Redbank Plains and Springfield - Ipswich property markets set to jump by up to 20% Brigid Simeoni 16th Jan 2016 HOUSE prices in some of Ipswich's core suburbs are tipped to potentially lift by 20% within a year and masterplanned communities are also set to be hot property. The median sale price of Ipswich homes for the September quarter was $320,000, up 1.6% on the previous quarter. Year on year Ipswich's median house sale price rose 4.6% and there was no change from five years ago. House and land packages and homes at Redbank Plains and Springfield are being snapped up as property experts predict Ipswich's sought-after suburbs will not slow down in Sales activity was up 12% for the September quarter and Redbank Plains, Springfield Lakes and Raceview had the highest number of house sales. PRDnationwide Ipswich principal Craig Mendoza said these areas were booming thanks to an abundance of house and land packages enticing buyers. Mr Mendoza said "affordability and proximity to Springfield" were key factors for many buyers. "There is so much infrastructure there and there are a lot of reasons buyers would want to live there," he said. "Everything is there now - private schools, hospital, cinemas and rail network. The parklands as well are amazing." There were 718 house sales in Ipswich for the September quarter and 58 acreage properties sold. Mr Mendoza said he had seen a trend of young couples wanting new houses on smaller allotments. "Their first home is a brand new home and land package, not a secondhand house," he said. The city's affordable prices were also a drawcard, he added. "You can get a new fourbedroom house with all the bells and whistles in the $300,000s," he said. Mr Mendoza said Ipswich was still an ideal option for investors and offered good rental yields. "Investors should consider Ipswich as a good place to invest in property for their future," he said. "There's more and more infrastructure and growth coming to the region." REIQ Ipswich zone chair Darren Boettcher said there was a lot of confidence in the city's "buoyant" market. "In the next three to five years it will be strong, steady growth," he said.

58 Ipswich included in $20M jobs package Published On: Wed, Dec 14th, 2016 By Invest Ipswich Weds Dec 14, 2016 was excluded from a regional youth jobs package, despite having a youth unemployment rate of 13.4%. For steel manufacturer Perry Evans the support is welcome although he s a little sceptical. IPSWICH manufacturing has been thrown a bone with the State Government finally including the city in a regional jobs stimulus package. On Tuesday the State Government announced the $20 million package to boost the ailing manufacturing sector in regional areas where unemployment is higher than the state average. It s the state government s third major jobs announcement and this time Ipswich business are in a good position to win some of the cash with the grants aimed at businesses embracing new technologies. Manufacturing is Ipswich s biggest employer keeping about 10,700 people in a job but the industry is struggling. Ipswich s unemployment rate has been steadily rising and is now sitting at 8.3%, up from 6.7% 12 months ago, compared to 6% across the state. The State Government has assured Ipswich business owners they will be eligible to apply for the grants; unlike in June when Ipswich For 40 years JA Evans and Co steel fabricators have been running their family business out of Ipswich and before the Global Financial Crisis the company employed 55 people. Now that s down to about 30 employees. Owner Perry Evans said 30 years ago most of his customers were Ipswich businesses, however, today only about 15% of his work comes from within the city.

59 Ipswich market two-speed Geoff Egan 18th Jun 2016 IPSWICH has a "twospeed" property market that depends on a house's location. Statistics from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland show location has become the driving factor in Ipswich house prices. Over the March 2016 quarter median house sale prices in Flinders View rose 14.7% to $370,000 and in North Ipswich rose 15.9% to $301,250. In comparison over the same quarter the median house sale price in Springfield Lakes dropped 3.4% to $412,000 and in Raceview it dropped 5.2% to $303,250. REIQ Ipswich zone chair Darren Boettcher said location was becoming a more important factor than price in house sales. "It's like a two-speed market at the moment," he said. "You can list a property in one area and it will stay on the market for months. But one listed in another suburb will be gone in days." Mr Boettcher said he believed the dip in Springfield Lakes prices was due to increasing competition from housing developments in Ripley. According to the REIQ figures the Ipswich-wide median sale price remained relatively steady - increasing by just 0.2% to $321,500 over the March quarter. still represented a major part of the market. "What we were finding about six months ago is that seven out of 10 buyers were investors from interstate," he said. "But then banks changed their lending criteria. Now it's about four out of 10 buyers who are from out of town." Mr Boettcher said prices were looking up in Ipswich's eastern suburbs - but faced competition from new developments attracting first home buyers. Mr Boettcher said the number of out-of-town investors looking to Ipswich Over the March quarter median house prices increased in Redbank Plains by 3.9% to $364,000 and Goodna prices rose 5.2% to $313,000. Mr Boettcher said he believed suburbs in Ipswich's south would perform strongly over the coming months including Ripley and Deebing Heights. - ARM Newsdesk

60 More jobs created by Ipswich drink packaging plant investment worth millions Helen Spelitis 22nd Oct sold P&N Beverages Australia for more than $360 million, says at least six new positions will be available for the next six months. A DRINKS packaging company which employs hundreds of people in Ipswich is investing millions of dollars in brand new equipment to expand their operation. Australian-owned company Tru Blu Beverages has just been given the green light from Ipswich City Council to refit a new warehouse at Redbank and the timing couldn't be more crucial. Tru Blu desperately needs the space to house new products following a significant expansion as the business's export arm booms, creating more local jobs. In the past 12 months Tru Blu Beverages has spent more than $4 million buying new machines and equipment to expand their product line, catering for growing demand in the Philippines, China and Burma. The company already employs 120 operational staff in Ipswich, plus sales representatives, and in the past six weeks has put on 15 more people at the Bundamba plant. Each year the staff numbers are growing by 20. As the busy Christmas season approaches, there will be even more jobs on the table when production levels double, compared to June. Owner Peter Brooks, a former Coca-Cola executive and drinks mogul who in 0 Plans show the refurbishment of a warehouse at Bundamba that Tru Blu Beverages will be carrying out in the coming weeks.0 And it doesn't stop there; Mr Brooks is being tight lipped on future plans, but he has something up his sleeve that could see the Ipswich operation expand again. "We do have plans to expand our business into some other areas," Mr Brooks said. Tru Blu Beverages is a national company employing more than 400 people across three states with Ipswich as their major Queensland operation. One in six beverages bought by Australians in supermarkets has been made by Tru Blu including Pub Squash, Waterfords Mineral Water, Diet Rite and Wicked Energy Drinks.

61 Massive tank contract is turbo boost for hi-tech jobs in Ipswich 19th Sep 2016 "We started in 2000, working on F-111 support engineering, then in we over the engine workshop from the RAAF." Additional contracts followed, with the RAAF F-18 Hornet engines added in 2006, the F/A- 18 Super Hornets in 2010, and then the latest deal to work on the Army's Abram tanks. IPSWICH is the focus of a hi-tech jobs boom, with Amberley company TAE securing a contract to refresh engines for Australian Army combat tanks. With TAE already working on engines from the RAAF's fast jet program, the addition of the AGT1500 engine program was about improving productivity for the company. The company already employs 110 staff at Amberley, CEO Andrew Sanderson said it will also begin working on the soonto-arrive F35 jet fighter from December Mr Anderson said he would 'love' to see more jobs in Ipswich, with many of the current technical staff an 'ageing workforce'. "We are going to have to replace, retrain or qualify our technical workforce, we already have four new apprentices coming in." "We are a commercial enterprise, we need to win work from our competitors," said Andrew Sanderson, CEO of TAE. Tracing its roots to maintaining the Pratt and Whitney engines of the iconic F-111 fighter bomber fleet, TAE has worked hard to establish itself as the preferred company for Air Force fast jet operators "This was a good fit, it allowed us to make greater use of our tooling and machinery." around the Asia-Pacific region. Unlike other military tanks, the Abrams uses a gas turbine, similar to a jet engine, rather than a traditional piston engine. Already the company's growth focus is paying off, with the Malaysian Air Force sending engines to be refurbished at Amberley. "We produce engines that are the envy of the world among F-18 Hornet, we are a world leader in reliability, we are highly regarded."

62 Govt to inject over $1.5 billion into expand RAAF Amberley Base 2nd Mar 2016 will continue to be undertaken at Amberley. The government announced the funding as part of an increase in national defence spending, which they say they will aim to prop up to 2% of GDP over time - up from as low as 1.56% under the previous government. THE arrival of new aircraft and more personnel seems likely to set Ipswich's reputation as a RAAF city in stone. Over the next 20 years, the Federal Government will pump more than $1.5 billion into the Amberley base, funding the introduction of more accommodation for personnel, new maintenance facilities and two new types of aircraft. Among the new aircraft will be the EA-18G Growler - a specialised version of the Super Hornet that is built to disrupt enemy radars and communication. The Growlers will arrive at Amberley in 2018, and the base will have a new apron, refuelling system, hangar and maintenance bays in place ready to accommodate the aircraft. Set to join the Growlers will be the new C-27J Spartan medium transport aircraft. Ten Spartans arrived in Australia last year, which the RAAF says significantly boosted its capabilities to move troops, equipment and supplies. The C-27J has the capacity to carry significant load and still access small, soft, narrow runways that are too short for the Hercules. Maintenance for the F/A- 18F Super Hornet aircraft and E-7A Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft Federal Wright MP Scott Buchholz welcomed the investment, which includes $850 million at the Amberley base in the next decade and a further $700 million between and "Defence is already a major employer in the region, which has significant flowon effects for the local economy," he said. "The investments outlined for Amberley in the Turnbull Government's 2016 Defence White Paper will strengthen our Defence Force and provide a welcome boost to the economy." "The White Paper is a pathway forward for further investment in the military and we have one of the premier bases in the country at Amberley," he said.

63 Ipswich has big plans for future Geoff Egan Mar 28, 2016 WHILE Brisbane planners are talking building up, Ipswich has reached out to the community to set the direction for the city's future. The challenge is to balance growth, jobs and infrastructure with community, conserving heritage and environment. Ipswich City Council yesterday launched its most ambitious community engagement blueprint, Our Future - Your Say, with an online survey to inform development of a new longterm community plan. With 43% of the state's industrial land, the city is poised for sustained growth. Mayor Paul Pisasale said the recently established Ipswich Futures Board would oversee the development of the next long-term community plan which would help guide sustainable development across the city. "Ipswich was one of the first councils in Queensland to prepare a long-term community plan called, Ipswich: 2020 and Beyond, in 2005," Cr Pisasale said. "We are taking the next big step by casting the net wide to seek as many views and ideas as possible from the community," he said. "Our city will face many challenges during the next 20 years and beyond. "Important decisions need to be made that will be critical to our future and our children's future." "The demographics of Ipswich have changed considerably over the last five or six years," he said. Deputy Mayor Victor Attwood said first home buyers and young families moving into Ipswich's growth corridor had driven the average age citywide from 35 to 32 and in the eastern suburbs to 29. "In recognition of the changing face of Ipswich, the council established the Ipswich Futures Board. The Board is determined that the next long-term plan will be based on extensive community engagement and implement a positive legacy for present and future generations." Cr Pisasale said south-east Queensland had to "share the load" in population growth. "Brisbane needs us more than we need Brisbane. If we don't take some of the population and job generators, congestion in Brisbane will get worse and the prices will go higher." Residents without the internet can access survey forms at council's Customer Service Centre 143 Brisbane Street, libraries or phone

64 Gov t projects to create 1500 Ipswich jobs Emma McBryde 14th Jul 2016 Treasurer Curtis Pitt has gone the whole hog for Ipswich in his first State Budget, with more than $67,000 in Queensland Government funding has been allocated to the Room for Wild Animals exhibition in Ipswich Wulkuraka rail maintenance centre. Photo: Rob Williams UPGRADES and a new State Rail rolling stock along with an Energex sub transmission are expected to generate 1500 jobs for the Ipswich region. The projects make up part of the State Budget handed down on Tuesday. More than $226 million will go to delivering new and upgrading existing rolling stock, including $51.6 million to constructing stabling facilities to accommodate the New Generation Rolling stock at Wulkuraka. About $26.2 million will go towards upgrading existing infrastructure to support the Wulkuraka Maintenance Centre. The region's winners include Borallon Correctional Centre and local councils. About $28 million in and $145.3 million over four years will go to the recommissioning and operation of the correctional centre to provide for additional prison capacity. The State Government has committed $73 million in capital grants for councils in the Ipswich region. Moreton Hospital and Health Service will receive more than $469 million from the health budget and $41.5 million over four years will go towards schools. About $484 million has been set aside in infrastructure improvements for the region, including $193.5 million for transport, $129.3 million for energy and water, $43.7 million for education and training, $35.2 million for infrastructure, local government and planning and $34 million for health.

65 Ipswich property market set for growth Brigid Simeoni 14th Dec 2016 IPSWICH's "buoyant" property market looks set to get stronger next year as the city's real estate leader predicts more buyers will head west to score a bargain. REIQ Ipswich zone chair Darren Boettcher's forecast for strong, steady growth in the region comes as the REIQ September quarter figures show sales activity is up 12%. "There's a lot more activity in the market, more listings, more buyers," Mr Boettcher said. "It's a good time for agents in the market and I can't see it stopping." The figures, released today as part of the Queensland Market Monitor report, showed Ipswich's median house price was $320,000 - up 1.6% on the previous quarter. Mr Boettcher said Ipswich properties were still being undervalued by about $50,000, so people could get great value for their money. "People are starting to realise that heading west makes good financial sense," he said. There were 718 house sales for the September quarter, with the highest number sold in Redbank Plains (69) and Springfield Lakes (54). Booval recorded the biggest median price rise on the previous quarter of 8.2% to $289,500, followed by Silkstone, which had a 7.1% increase to $287,000. The figures also showed there were 85 unit sales in Ipswich for the quarter. Mr Boettcher said the market had been strong this year and although the number of Sydney investors had dropped off slightly, there were more inquiries coming in. "Older people are selling and downsizing and young first home buyers are entering the market," he said. "The market is pretty buoyant." He also said the rental market in Ipswich was extremely competitive, bucking the state trend. "It's very competitive for tenants to rent house, townhouses and units at the moment," he said. Many are having to pay over the asking price to get the new properties.

66 Army relocation to usher in billion-dollar transformation for Amberley Base Ipswich Brian Bennion 11th Jan 2016 WORK has started on a $71.8 million infrastructure project for 17th Construction Squadron's new headquarters at RAAF Base Amberley. The works signal the start of a $1 billion investment at Amberley as more than 10 projects unfold at the base by Base redevelopment officer Group Captain Sheldon Kimber said the Base population would increase from under 6000 to 7000 by the end of the decade. "This underlies RAAF Amberley's position as the pre-eminent Air Force and arguably defence military establishment within Australia, deservedly giving rise to the nickname superbase," he said. Relocation of 17th Construction Squadron brings army numbers at the Base to about The construction project is expected to be completed by early November next year and will deliver purpose-built headquarters, offices and work areas, vehicle and equipment shelters, car parks and deployment area, expansion to 21 Construction Q store and workshops. The 140 personnel from 17th Construction Squadron are expected to be relocated from Holsworthy 17th Construction Squadron is a sub-unit of 6th Engineer Support Regiment, which provides construction and military engineering support to the wider Australian Defence Force. Col Chris Smith said the Amberley facilities would finally give the squadron a home that it deserves. Defence Minister Mal Brough said the project would have economic benefits in and around the Ipswich region, with significant opportunities for local industry during the construction period. Barracks in NSW to RAAF Base Amberley in January "There are 140 families that are going to find Amberley their home. That adds to the body of what is a wonderful community in Ipswich who do embrace the defence force," Mr Brough said. "Beyond what it is going to do to our military capacity, beyond what it is going to do to 17th Construction, it is going to do a lot for this region and it continues to cement this region as one of our most important military assets in the country."

67 Squadron brings 140 personnel to Amberley Brian Bennion 11th Jan 2016 Squadron and was originally based at Kingsford, NSW. RELOCATION of 17th Construction Squadron will bring about 140 more personnel on to the base. The Squadron will be relocated from Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney to Amberley in early The move will co-locate 17th Construction Squadron with its parent unit, the 6th Engineer Support Regiment, which already has its headquarters at Amberley. With more than 600 soldiers, 6 ESR is the largest of the Royal Australian Engineer regiments. The regiment's 21st Construction Squadron is also based at Amberley. Department of Defence said relocation of 17th Construction Squadron would provide opportunities to enhance the command and control of engineer units in south-east Queensland and to improve the overall operational and training effectiveness of 6 ESR. 17 Construction Squadron was originally formed in 1949 as an independent Operational achievements include the Vietnam War, Operation Slipper in Afghanistan and peacekeeping operations in Namibia and East Timor. The Squadron consists of plant operators, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other construction based trades. RAAF Base Amberley is one of the largest Defence sites in Australia and is home to RAAF's C17 strategic airlift fleet, Army's 9th Force Support Battalion and the Joint Logistics Unit. unit out of the then Eastern Command Maintenance

68 300 new jobs on the way for Ipswich Helen Spelitis 22nd Dec 2016 of interest from Ipswich commercial contractors. The hospital has been at capacity on several occasions in the past few years, as the city continues to grow on the way to hitting 200,000 residents. HEALTHY INVESTMENT: Mayor Paul Pisasale with St Andrews Private Hospital CEO Chris Went looking over the new wing building plans CONSTRUCTION is about to start on a $64 million hospital expansion in Ipswich that will create 300 new permanent jobs while keeping local construction workers busy for more than a year. On January 9 works will begin at St Andrew's Private Hospital to add a five-storey ward block extension and three-storey concrete car park. The development will also include a brand new private emergency centre, intensive care unit, a new maternity unit and 81 more private rooms. Artist's impression of the St Andrew's Hospital expansion from the the Pring St side. The major expansion, which will almost double the number of beds from 97 to 178, is expected to take until the end of 2018 to finish. It's a huge construction job headed up by John Holland, a leading engineering and contracting company, which has called for expressions When the project was announced in June, St Andrew's Private Hospital CEO Chris Went said the expansion would hopefully attract more specialists to the region, ultimately improving care for patients. There will be some disruptions during the development but some alternative parking will be available.

69 2000 new jobs at multi-million dollar Ipswich retirement and aged care facility Helen Spelitis 22nd Nov 2016 More than 2000 workers will be employed to build the new $15 million aged care facility at Eastern Heights. Bulimba based builders Badge have been awarded the contract to deliver the 100 residence precinct by early 2018 with work expected to start in the coming weeks, following today's official ground breaking and blessing ceremony. Badge construction manager Brett Smith said there will be about 120 workers on site each day at the height of the project, in March and April next year. "Throughout the construction we will have about 2000 people employed, including contractors, builders, trade workers and admin staff, and we're looking at hiring local subcontractors now," Mr Smith said. The new facility will replace the ageing home on Limestone St and the name Villa Maria will be carried across, along with the residents. While Catholic Healthcare has made every effort to preserve the legacy of its Limestone St site, first opened in 1952, there will be some major changes. For the first time ever, men will be allowed into Villa Maria. It means husband and wife will no longer have to be separated and there will be six rooms specifically designed with couples in mind. Villa Maria Manager Carol Nowak said there were often calls asking about accommodation for men which the women only facility couldn't accommodate - yet. Catholic Healthcare managing director David Maher said the project to replace Villa Maria had been in the pipeline for at least two and a half years; the demographics of Ipswich was evidence enough the community needed more aged care services. "It's very significant for us to be able to build a brand new service for the residents of Ipswich, but also to be able to make it two and half times bigger so we can provide a lot more services to more members of the community," Mr Maher said. 9.30AM: Construction starts today on a new $15 million aged care facility at Eastern Heights that will see Villa Maria in the Ipswich CBD emptied.

70 Huge population growth fuels 3700 jobs created for Ipswich in one year BBennion 29th Oct 2016 Peter and Stephanie Aylward opened their new Beaumont Tiles outlet in Ipswich GOOD news on the job front continues with the latest Queensland Treasury figures showing 3700 jobs have been created in the past year. While the state's employment growth was at 0.2%, Ipswich's growth was at 2.6%. However, the unemployment rate was at 6.6% in the Ipswich statistical region, compared with a statewide unemployment rate of 6.5%. The statistical boundaries for Ipswich now include the Brisbane suburbs of Inala and Forest Lake and rural areas of the Lockyer Valley. A change to the boundaries in January 2015 had the published unemployment rate for Ipswich increase from 6.3% to 8.3%. The 6.6% unemployment rate for the September figures was a decrease of 3 percentage points over the year. The participation rate in the Ipswich statistical region was 64.2%, a decrease of 1.9 percentage points over the year. Mayor Paul Pisasale said job creation had been in construction, logistics at TNT, Northline and DB Schenker, retail with the expansion of shopping centres, rail jobs lost at Redbank replaced at Bombardier, aerospace industry and new small business opening in the city, especially in hospitality. "We're on the right track. Unemployment is not something you fix overnight. What you are seeing now are the results of 15 years of hard work," Cr Pisasale said. "We are the envy of many cities around Australia. No one in Australia creates 3700 jobs in one year. "We are starting to get a good mix of jobs from aerospace to retail to hospitality and that is what makes a community because you need all jobs for all people."

71 Heart, soul will return to Ipswich CBD with $150 million project Joel Gould 3rd Feb 2016 the heart and soul back into Ipswich". THE HEART and soul of Ipswich is set to return. A $150 million redevelopment of the Ipswich CBD is set to start within 12 months after an historic deal struck between Ipswich City Properties (ICP) and leading developer epc.pacific. The new council administration headquarters and library will be relocated in a nine-storey building constructed to cutting edge environmental standards. The urban regeneration will also feature leisure and entertainment venues, cafes, restaurants and specialty stores in a threelevel retail and mixed-use centre. A new town square will see a strong focus on food, beverage and alfresco dining. Ipswich City Properties chairman Cr Paul Tully said the redevelopment would see Nicholas St mall opened to face the river for the first time since He said the existing Woolworths would be demolished and likely relocated to a prominent mall site adjoining Union Place. The shops between the rotunda and Bremer St will be removed and Nicholas St and Union Place reopened to one-way traffic from Brisbane St to Bell St. Cr Tully said the redevelopment would put " 0 "It is going to be a real hub of the city," he said. "Even though we are a city of centres, this is going to be the key centre in the entire city. "It is where people will want to come day and night with outdoor dining. "We have seen places around the world where they have attracted people from the suburbs right into the CBD. "We want to reverse a trend which has been a problem for a number of years. "We want to bring people in. There will be office space and residential space when it is fully completed." Cr Tully said malls at Orion, Springfield Central and Townsville were opened to traffic and that malls which weren't had historically been unsuccessful. He said there would also be a continuous pedestrian link which would open up towards the Bremer River and Riverlink.

72 Ipswich s CBD vision will bring it back to life Joel Gould 1st Feb 2016 Tomorrow Ipswich City Council will unveil the details of its much anticipated $150 million redevelopment of the CBD. Council's administrative offices, city library and civic centre will be relocated into a 5-Star Green Star multilevel building. Nicholas St mall will be opened up to face the river, with the existing Woolworths to be demolished. A new 3800sqm Woolworths will be relocated to a prominent mall site adjoining Union Place with up to 30 specialty market-style stores, public gardens, green space and the retention of existing multilevel car park. The development will feature a strong focus on food, beverage and alfresco dining options fronting a new town square. When the development is completed in , Ipswich residents will be able to stand at the top of the mall and see the river for the first time since The project will be realised thanks to council-owned company Ipswich City Properties partnering with a renowned Melbourne-based developer. The developer, to be announced tomorrow, has a 50-year track record of development in Australia and is a leader in urban regeneration. The new council building will see the digital smart city strategy of Ipswich City Council ramp up. Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the plans for the CBD would usher in a watershed moment in CBD history "We have looked at best practices around the world and tomorrow the people of Ipswich are going to see our vision for a magnificent CBD," he said "It will be entertainment based and a commercial hub. "We will not be competing against regional shopping centres. "We are creating a city heart of its own. "It will be Ipswich's version of a place that is activated for the people of the region. "It will be a destination. "One thing we have learned is that great cities embrace their rivers. "That is what we are doing. "The plans have been in place with River Heart and the Bradfield Bridge. This will finish it off."

73 Ipswich property market the standout performer REIQ president Antonia Mercorella 16th Jan 2016 Ipswich was the standout performer for sales activity and is the standout in the South West Queensland region. This comes as no surprise to local agents given the relative affordability of the region and the strong rental yields being achieved. Owner occupiers are starting to see good value for money in suburbs outside of metropolitan Brisbane. Over the year to September, the suburb of Yamanto recorded the highest increase in preliminary sales compared with the previous year. Interest in Ipswich's unit and townhouse market is evidently strong with average days on market and vendor discounting remaining relatively unchanged, despite a 12% increase in listings over the year to August. Investors are enjoying record low vacancy levels with a 1.3% vacancy rate at the end of September. This is the lowest rate of vacancy the region has recorded in the history of REIQ's rental survey. THE South West region market is looking promising with Toowoomba bouncing back in the September quarter and Ipswich a standout performer for sales. The outlook for the Toowoomba market remains positive with The Second Range Crossing project has started and the announcement the project's developer Nexus is required to employ only people living within a 70km radius bodes well for the region. A multimillion-dollar abattoir is also in the planning stage and the QIC redevelopment in the city centre will result in the net lettable area for retail increasing significantly. The number of cranes visible on the city's skyline is a clear representation of the momentum behind construction and is creating optimism for the market. several major projects under way and planned. Property price growth to the level seen over is not likely to be repeated any time soon and the coming year is expected to be more in line with the region's long-term trend of generally conservative growth. With Toowoomba forging ahead, the nearby Southern Downs property markets are starting to reap the benefits. While Toowoomba's property prices are affordable relative to Brisbane, areas such as Warwick and Stanthorpe are even more so.

74 Ipswich and University of Southern Queensland to grow large together 14th Sep 2016 BRIGHT FUTURE: Professor Jan Thomas, USQ Chancellor John Dornbusch, Mayor Paul Pisasale and Ipswich City Council CEO Jim Lindsay.David Nielsen THE University of Southern Queensland has strengthened its partnership with the Ipswich City Council with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at USQ Springfield. The MOU, signed last week, will help drive greater collaboration and cooperation between the university and council. USQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Jan Thomas said under the terms of the agreement, USQ and Ipswich City Council will work together to attract new business and industry to Ipswich and the surrounding region. "Our partnership with Ipswich council continues to grow and is indicative of the hard work being done to identify and develop opportunities around infrastructure, education and research, she said. "This agreement will provide many exciting possibilities for students by helping them develop a broad cross- section of experiences with one of Australia's most recognised local government councils. Professor Thomas said the MOU outlined a three year plan which identified several areas of possible future opportunities and collaboration between USQ and Ipswich City Council. "At a time when south-east Queensland's Western Corridor is experiencing significant growth, this agreement will strengthen our role in helping to meet the existing and future needs of the region, Prof Thomas said. "USQ will work with council on developing mutually beneficial projects such as community education and business training programs, as well as strategies to attract and pursue third party funding, including development of infrastructure. Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale said the MOU represented council working with USQ for development in the wider region.

75 Ipswich makes National Top 10 cities to invest with SEQ leading the way Aidan Devine APRIL 14, 2016 IPSWICH, QLD: A report by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport forecast 56,000 jobs will be created in Ipswich s central suburbs by The jobs growth, coupled with affordable prices, will fuel demand for housing, Hotspotting said. INVESTORS in search of properties that will deliver high capital growth in the years ahead may find southeast Queensland and certain Hobart suburbs safe bets. These regions accounted for the bulk of high growth property markets in Hotspotting.com.au s latest Top 10 Best Buys report, which forecasts the 10 best locations for property investors seeking capital growth. Queensland locations in the report included the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Logan, while the Melbourne regions included the City of Casey and Epping. Just one NSW location was nominated: Wagga Wagga. No property markets in South Australia or Western Australia made the cut, but Tasmania had a surprising addition in Hobart. The report said these locations have identifiable drivers of demand for real estate, which will place pressure on prices and rents we expect them to show growth not only in 2016 but well beyond. GOLD COAST, QLD Billions is being spent on infrastructure across the Gold Coast in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games in April 2018, which is expected to bring around 690,000 visitors to the city. LOGAN, QLD Logan City s combination of affordable property prices, good infrastructure and proximity to job hubs could boost home values. Many of the region s older suburbs have been revitalised through urban renewal projects and Logan is already one of the fastest growing municipalities in Australia.

76 Ipswich attracts record investors Simon Pressley MAY 25, 2016 headquarters for GE, $80m Mater hospital, $100m Brookwater resort, and plans to further extend the Orion shopping centre. significantly higher than the national industry averages of 9% and 4.8%, respectively. There is also a significant defence force component. Ipswich has been one of the fastest growing populations in Australia over the last decade. With a youthful demographic and affordable housing, the market is gaining a lot of interest from investors. Ipswich has been one of the fastest growing populations in Australia over the last decade. When a few marketing jazz words are combined with a low entry price and aboveaverage rental yields, it s never been difficult for the so-called property guru to attract property investors to Ipswich. But does the region really stack up? With its vast amounts of developable, cheap land available, Ipswich plays a key role in the state government s strategy to try and direct population growth away from the coast. Ipswich is quite a youthful demographic with an average household age of 32 (below Australia s average of 37). Household incomes are comparable to the Australian average however, housing is much more affordable. Highlighting the blue-collar demographic, as at the 2011 Census, 14.4% of all Ipswich jobs were in manufacturing and 6.8% in transport and warehousing Already with a new hospital, business park, and railway line, Springfield currently has several good projects in the pipeline. These include a $50m expansion of the University of Southern Queensland, $70m The Successive state governments and the Ipswich City Council have had to work hard to create sufficient jobs for its growing population. The award-winning Springfield master-planned community has been developed over the last decade as a satellite city (Brisbane s version of Parramatta). existing Amberley RAAF base has also been spoken about as an anchor tenant for a potential aeronautical precinct. Investors could do worse than Ipswich although it is far from Propertyology s first preference. With so much land flagged for development, expect to see significant new supply, mostly concentrated around Springfield, Ripley, and Redbank Plains.