City ready for 43,000 more kids

IPSWICH is in line for at least 14 new schools in the next 20 years as projections show more than 43,000 extra students need to be accommodated.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek.

IPSWICH is in line for at least 14 new schools in the next 20 years as projections show more than 43,000 extra students need to be accommodated.

The Queensland Schools Planning Commission's mapping tool predicts there will be an extra 23,907 primary school students and 19,241 secondary school students by 2031.

The Ipswich hinterland is expected to experience the biggest boom with 15,254 new primary and 12,247 new secondary school students.

But the demand map has not specified the number of schools needed in the Rosewood area, noting development in the area is dependent on the timing of council infrastructure.

Projections show up to five new primary schools and up to three secondary schools will be needed to accommodate 27,501 extra students in the Ripley area alone.

It is anticipated at least five new primary schools will be needed in the Springfield-Redbank area to cope with an extra 8653 students.

Though an extra 7000 secondary school students are predicted, the demand map has only specified an extra school in the Bellbird Park or Brookwater area.

It does suggest, however, that new or expanded infrastructure may be needed in the Redbank Plains and Springfield Lakes area because existing capacity may not be sufficient.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said Ipswich was among the latest hotspots to come under analysis from the Queensland Government's statistician.

He said the schools infrastructure demand map would be presented in a new interactive format showing school population projections across the state on the Queensland Schools Planning Commission website.

"The maps show that up to 20 primary and up to eight secondary schools may be required by 2031 in areas of Ipswich, Springfield, Brisbane south, Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Gladstone and Rockhampton," he said.

"And those figures are expected to increase due to high school population growth projections for Ripley near Ipswich from 2021."

Visit education.qld.gov.au for more information about the projections.

Projections

Springfield-Redbank

• 8653 primary students
• 6994 secondary
• at least five new primary schools
• minimum one new secondary school

Ipswich Hinterland

• 15,254 primary students
• 12,247 secondary
• up to five new primary schools
• up to three secondary schools