Ipswich Economic Update

March 2008
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Paul Pisasale Welcome to the March edition of Economic Update. On March 15, the voters of Ipswich re-elected all councillors and my sincere thanks go to the people of Ipswich for entrusting us to keep moving the city forward. Being Mayor of this fantastic part of the world is more than a title. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously. I look forward to continuing the successful journey of Ipswich in partnership with the community, business and all levels of government. It is my feeling that 2008 is year one of a new term as Mayor, not year five. It is the perfect chance to stop, reflect and take stock of where we’ve been and where we should be headed. An election campaign brings with it a sudden outpouring of feedback from all levels of the community about what they would like to see improved or enhanced in the city. I have taken all this on board and will have it in mind as I work with my fellow councillors and council staff in shaping Ipswich’s future. It is clear that Ipswich has a major part to play in the future growth of the western corridor. With the support of both the State and Federal governments, we are stepping up to the plate and meeting these challenges head on. It is an exciting time for the city and I feel immensely proud to lead its ongoing transformation. Mayor Paul Pisasale City of Ipswich ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTACTS Office of Economic Development Tel (07) 3810 6938 Fax (07) 3810 6644 ipswichcity@ipswich.qld.gov.au Ipswich Mayor Cr Paul Pisasale (07) 3810 6201 paulp@gil.com.au CEO of Ipswich City Council Carl Wulff (07) 3810 6203 cwulff@ipswich.qld.gov.au Chief Operating Officer Economic and Community Development Andrew Harvey (07) 3810 6620 aharvey@ipswich.qld.gov.au Business Development Manager Laurie Mundt (07) 3810 6627 lmundt@ipswich.qld.gov.au	In this issue... Bold New Plan for Ipswich Central Revitalisation New Business Openings And The Winners Are... Other News Websites of Interest Bold New Plan for Ipswich Central Revitalisation The State Government last month unveiled a bold new plan to revitalise Ipswich Central, including development of a fully integrated transit centre. Other proposed developments will potentially include community space and residential facilities as well as office space for more than 1200 government and other workers. The State Government will spend $5 million to kick-start detailed planning for the combined transport, business and residential precinct with a timeline Premier Anna Bligh described as "compact": The business case will be developed for Cabinet’s consideration in August; and Expressions of interest from the private sector to build the project will be called by November, with selection of the preferred developer to be made early in 2009. Speaking at The Workshops Railway Museum on March 3, the Premier said the funding would also help deliver the recently released Ipswich Integrated Strategy and Action Plan. A proposed State Development Area will allow the State Government to carry out master planning to fast-track this revitalisation of Ipswich Central. The proposed State Development Area will be bounded by the Bremer River, the existing car parking area at River Heart Parklands, the Queensland Rail-owned land on Ellenborough Street, Brisbane Street as far as Marsden Parade and the existing Ipswich rail station car parking area on Marsden Parade to the river bank. The Coordinator-General is currently seeking public comment on the boundaries of the proposed State Development Area and is expected to make a decision within the next few weeks. [ Back to Top ] New Business Openings Welcome to the following new businesses in Ipswich: Protocol 1 IT company Protocol 1 recently opened a computer training and business solutions centre in Brisbane St. The centre will complement the existing retail and service centre at Brassall and offer a range of specialist IT and professional development courses. Protocol 1 began as a one-person training consultancy in 2002 and has since grown to be one of the leading IT providers in Ipswich, offering solutions in sales and repairs, networking, remote access, software design and implementation, as well as training. Bliss Nightclub Ipswich’s newest nightclub opened last month at Hotel Metropole at the Top of Town. Bliss officially opened on February 8 in the upstairs section of the hotel and has proved to be a popular venue for the city’s young people in recent weeks. Manager Adam Wienke told the media Bliss was a great addition to Ipswich Central and meant young people no longer had to travel to Brisbane to enjoy the nightclub experience. Integrated Recruitment Formerly located at Goodna, Integrated Recruitment has made the move to Ipswich Central, officially opening its new branch office late last month. The publicly listed company specialises in sectors such as mining, construction and transport. Integrated Recruitment joins fellow tenants WorkCover on the ground floor of the refurbished office building at 225 Brisbane St. Branch manager Trent Mander told media the location was ideal to expand the company’s operations. KISS Market Info Launched by Merry Swan to meet the needs of businesses requiring daily information on exchange rates and interest rates, KISS Market Info aims to provide a service that is simple, smart, reliable and affordable. The business offers an Exchange Rate Service for businesses with foreign currency payables or receivables, as well as an Interest Rate Service aimed at commercial finance brokers. For more information, visit the website at www.kissmarketinfo.com [ Back to Top ]
And The Winners Are... Congratulations to the following local businesses that have recently been recognised with awards for their hard work and innovation… Fed Up Deli The Limestone St business has been honoured as the best deli in the State at the inaugural Queensland Lifestyle Awards. It’s the first award for the popular deli which opened in 2006. Owner Chris Jones told the media he believed excellent customer service was the key to the deli’s success. The awards were decided by public vote. The Workshops Rail Museum The museum has been recognised at a national level, named the nation’s best Heritage and Cultural Tourism Attraction at the recent Australian Tourism Awards in Canberra. The success follows on from the popular facility’s win in the same category at the Queensland Tourism Awards. Orion Springfield Town Centre The popular shopping destination was last month named Australia’s most environmentally sustainable shopping centre and the country’s first retail centre to score a six-star rating by the Green Building Council Australia. The centre was applauded for its energy and water conservation and indoor environmental quality. Ray White Ipswich The Ipswich Central real estate agency took top honours at the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Awards this month, named Business of the Year. Other award winners on the night were: Wade Llewellyn (Business Person of the Year), Michael Munt (Young Business Person of the Year), First Aid Action (Micro Business of the Year), Peppers Hidden Vale (Small Business of the Year), 7-Eleven Brassall (Customer Service), The Workshops Rail Museum (Ipswich Tourism), Goodna RSL (Community Involvement), Bruce Avery (Future Focused) and James Sturges (Presidents Award). [ Back to Top ] Other News New parklands, exporting workshops and movie stars are among the other economic development news items this month… $45M Parklands for Springfield Springfield will soon become home to world class parklands thanks to a solid partnership between Ipswich City Council and the State Government. The proposed parklands will become the centrepiece of the Springfield Town Centre, occupying a prime position between the Parkside Business Address – where the Springfield Towers and Polaris Data Centre are being built – and the Orion shopping centre. Meandering through to Education City and on towards the Greenbank Arterial, the parklands will be one of the largest public parks in south east Queensland, providing a lush, green, tropical oasis for all to enjoy. Smart Exporting Workshops on Offer The Ipswich Centre of the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is offering a program of four ‘smart exporting’ workshops between April and November. Attending the workshops will put local businesses on the right path to export success and give them the skills to avoid costly mistakes. The workshops are run by experts and will provide information on a range of topics including how to develop your own export plan, identifying the right overseas markets for you and your product and finding the right overseas partners and establishing business with them. For more information, telephone 3280 1943. Smart Energy Savings Fund (SESF) The SESF is a $50 million investment by the State Government to assist Queensland small and medium enterprise energy users to invest in commercial energy savings projects. The funding program provides support to Queensland businesses to implement energy efficient technologies in buildings, appliances and industrial processes. The SESF will be provided as secured concessional loans for up to 100 per cent of the project’s capital value or as a grant of up to 50 per cent of the project’s capital value. For more information on eligibility and application procedures, visit the website at www.dme.qld.gov.au Lights, Camera, Action – Ipswich Stars as Film Location Ipswich has been abuzz with talk of the silver screen in recent weeks as the city became home to the cast and crew working on new Australian movie Savages Crossing. Stars of the film including Craig McLachlan and John Jarratt have been seen out and about enjoying the sights and sounds of Ipswich while putting the city well and truly on the map in terms of an ideal film location. [ Back to Top ]
Websites Of Interest If you are aware of a funding program or funding website that we have not listed, please contact us at ipswichcity@ipswich.qld.gov.au Ipswich City Council - www.ipswich.qld.gov.au Details of Council Services, News and Events, Business Information, Community Services, Histoy and Library Services. Australian Local Government Association - www.alga.com.au Local Government Directory with links to all Councils with website addresses. Queensland Government Services - www.qld.gov.au Services provided by the Queensland Government. Queensland Government Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry - www.dtrdi.qld.gov.au Starting a Small Business, Expanding an Existing Business, Investment opportunities in Queensland, Export and Trade assistance, Queensland Regulations. Small Business Solutions - www.smallbusinesssolutions.qld.gov.au Commonwealth Government Services - www.australia.gov.au Services provided by the Australian Government Commonwealth Government Information - www.fed.gov.au Access to Australian Commonwealth Government. Information such as Benefits & Payments, Communications & IT, Defence, Employment, Finance & Taxation, International Relations, Sport & Recreation, Tourism & Travel. Australian Bureau of Statistics - www.abs.gov.au Statistics and Census Data online. Ipswich & Regional Area Consultative Committee - www.iracc.asn.au Link business, government and the community and provide assistance for access to Australian Government programs and services. Ipswich Chamber of Commerce & Industry - www.ipswichchamber.org.au Grants & Subsidies Funding Opportunities: These websites assist business and community to access government funding programs and associated guidelines:- Regional Development Program - Queensland Events Corporation - www.qldevents.com.au Gambling Community Benefit Fund - www.gcbf.qld.gov.au Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund - www.jccbf.org.au Show Societies Grant - www.lgp.qld.gov.au Department of Education, Training and the Arts - www.deta.qld.gov.au Ausindustry - www.ausindustry.gov.au Festivals Australia - www.dcita.gov.au Sport & Recreation Qld - www.sportrec.qld.gov.au Regional Partnerships Program - www.regionalpartnerships.gov.au Q150 Community Funding Program - www.q150.qld.gov.au [ Back to Top ]
IPSWICH CITY COUNCIL PO BOX 191, IPSWICH QLD 4305 PHONE (07) 3810 6627 www.ipswich.qld.gov.au