Ipswich celebrates boom times

IPSWICH has seen managed development and major growth in the region since the amalgamation of Moreton Shire and Ipswich City 20 years ago to the day.

An aerial view of Ipswich. . Picture: Rob Williams

IPSWICH has seen managed development and major growth in the region since the amalgamation of Moreton Shire and Ipswich City 20 years ago to the day.

The amalgamation of the Moreton Shire and Ipswich City took place on March 11, 1995 when the state government of the day decided to amalgamate a number of local councils across Queensland.

There was no referendum or vote taken.

Cr Paul Tully said that as a result it was "a fait accompli that Ipswich and Moreton would amalgamate".

"They said it would be more efficient and that the development opportunities would be better having one council represent the Ipswich region," he said.

"There was a lot of opposition in the Moreton Shire, where people liked their own council which met at Yamanto.

"It was a rural based council, but it had a lot of urban development particularly in that Camira and Redbank Plains area."

Moreton Shire had a population of 50,000 and Ipswich had 80,000 in 1995, and since that time there has been an increase of over 40% on the then combined population of 130,000.

"There are about 185,000 now, and it is set to go over 200,000 in the next couple of years," Cr Tully said.

"That growth has been easily managed and includes places like Springfield and now the Ripley Valley, which were in the Moreton Shire previously.

"That has been very well managed by having the one council represent the entire area of road networks... and provide sewerage and water, which is no longer a council issue but it was then.

"To be able to increase the population of the city by almost 50% in 20 years is something most councils would never achieve."

An impressive 99.9% of the city's urban areas has been sewered, which occurred after amalgamation.

"One thing I think we can be proud of after the amalgamation is when we introduced the enviroplan levy, and with that levy we have been able to buy 5500 hectares of land for conservation in Ipswich," Cr Tully said.

"That has been a remarkable achievement in 20 years and most of it is in, or on the edge of, environmental parks.

"That is set aside for future generations."

There is a much larger rate base now, and growing, so the council has been able to have a master plan for the CBD which includes the Icon Tower and across the river to Riverlink.

"We have got a strong commitment to the CBD and that is something has been achieved post the amalgamation," Cr Tully said.

"We have also seen the extension of the Centenary Hwy and the railway line to Springfield by the state government, with the co-operation of the council, and that has opened up the western corridor.

"The other thing we did four years after amalgamation was combine the Moreton Shire and Ipswich City town plan into one document across the new local government area.

"That was a real challenge, but it created one combined town plan which was a blueprint for the development of the entire area from Gailes to Grandchester."

The first Mayor of the new Ipswich council was John Nugent. He was the former Moreton Mayor who defeated Ipswich Mayor David Underwood at the 1995 election.

Two years earlier the name of shire chairman to 'Mayor'.

"John Nugent was the last chairman of the Moreton Shire, the first, last and only Mayor of the Moreton Shire and the first Mayor of the new Ipswich," Cr Tully said, no doubt a winning answer on a trivia night.

Key dates that establish the history of Ipswich are as follows:

In 1860 the Municipality of Ipswich was established, and then in 1904 the name was changed to the City of Ipswich City Council.

Then in 1916 the Shire of Ipswich was formed, around the City of Ipswich.

But a year later the name was changed from the Shire of Ipswich to Shire of Moreton, due to the confusion between the City of Ipswich and Shire of Ipswich.

In 1949 Ipswich City extended form Bundamba Creek at Bundamba to Gailes.

By the time of amalgamation in 1995 Ipswich City was 121 sq km, while Moreton Shire was over 1000 sq km

While there have been two slight change in boundaries since 1995, the total area of Ipswich is now 1090 sq km.