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September 09
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Message from the Mayor
The city was selected as the Queensland finalist in the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards and received a visit on 10 September from judge Sean Rooney. Mr Rooney evaluated Ipswich using the eight categories of the national awards which include litter reduction and community action. He was assisted in that process by a surprise helicopter flight, offering a bird's eye view of some of the city's conservation estates and rural townships. Conducted by Keep Australia Beautiful, the Australian Sustainable Cities Awards are aimed at highlighting the efforts of urban communities in reducing their environmental impact. It is certainly a reminder of the importance of maintaining a 'green' outlook as our city continues to grow at such a rapid rate. While we all want to reap the rewards of a progressive, economically strong community, we can not lose sight of the need to maintain steadfast environmental values along the way. The Australian Sustainable Cities Awards, to be announced in Canberra on Friday 23 October, are one of the many national programs aimed at reminding cities such as ours of this absolute necessity to sustain a healthy environment for our future generations. It was great to receive a letter from Sekisui House CEO and chairman Isami Wada reaffirming the company's commitment to working with the city and Ipswich City Council. We look forward to working with Sekisui House on this exciting project. The Australian delegation which visited Japan recently reported that Sekisui House continues to share the city's vision for the Ripley Valley. It is all happening, believe it or not. I also met recently with SHD Services executive Stephen Williams and SHD Services' new General Manager for Land Development Mike Shaw and I wish Mike and his team all the best. I look forward to introducing Mike to readers in the next edition of the ED newsletter.
Mayor Paul Pisasale Economic Development ContactsOffice of Economic Development Ipswich Mayor CEO of Ipswich City Council Chief Operating Officer Economic and Community Development Business Development Manager Are you thinking of relocating your business or starting a new business?Contact us on (07) 3810 6938 or email us to see how we can assist you. |
>>>>> STOP PRESS <<<<<The results of an independent report will encourage economic confidence in Ipswich. The report "Benchmarking of Infrastructure Charges - Queensland High Growth Councils" from the AEC Group was commissioned by the Local Government Association of Australia and compares infrastructure charges across the 19 high growth council areas in Queensland with Ipswich at or below the average. For full details of the report click here In this issue...
Ipswich Named as Jobs |
Busy Times at CITISWICH Business Park
Walker Corporation has been very busy over the last few months at its CITISWICH Business Park, with the building of two major distribution centres well underway and a number of major roads now complete. Work commenced in June 2009 for a new 26,000sqm distribution centre for The Reject Shop (pictured). The new facility will be complete and operational by early 2010 and will have the capacity to service up to 200 stores throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales. The construction of the new 19,000sqm facility for Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) is ahead of schedule and is now just weeks from completion. The facility will be operational by Christmas this year. The Ashburn/Bognuda streets' works project is now complete and open to traffic and Walker Corporation would like to thank residents for their patience during this construction period. Works on the Hoepner Road extension are nearing completion, with the new road expected to be complete by early next year. The road will create a new link between Brisbane Road and the Warrego Highway, alleviating traffic from nearby River Road. For more information, visit www.citiswich.com.au or call 1800 WALKER. [ Back to Top ] Police Commissioner Applauds Safe City
Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson has applauded Ipswich City Council's Safe City program following a recent visit to the city. Commissioner Atkinson was in Ipswich to attend the inaugural K9-09 Service Dog Conference at Ipswich Civic Hall and accepted an invitation to tour the Safe City control room. He said the quality of the program was superb and he doubted there was any better in Australia. Safe City is a network of 185 cameras located across the city, linked to a control hub where security officers can view the images on more than a dozen large monitors. The cameras can rotate 360 degrees and capture images up to one kilometre away. Ipswich City Council statistics reveal Safe City has led to more than 5000 arrests since the program's inception in 1994. Pictured are Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson (right) with Assistant Commissioner Alan Davey and Mayor Paul Pisasale in the Safe City Control Room. [ Back to Top ] Ipswich Motorway UpdateThe upgrade of the interchange connecting the Ipswich and Logan Motorways and the upgrade to six lanes of 2.2km of the Ipswich Motorway in the vicinity of the interchange is nearing completion. The upgrade of the Dinmore to Goodna section is underway with completion expected in 2012. Commuters wanting up-to-date information on planned traffic changes in relation to the ongoing upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway can now subscribe to a free SMS update service. Simply visit www.westerncorridorsms.qld.gov.au , select the projects of interest and enter your details. Subscribers will receive free messages straight to their mobile phones about the projects of their choice in advance of scheduled traffic changes. [ Back to Top ] In Other NewsA major annual profit for the Ipswich Turf Club and plans for a new car repair business at Redbank Plaza are among the other news items this month. 
Turf Club Announces $100K ProfitThere was good news for Ipswich Turf Club members at the recent AGM with Chairman Wayne Patch announcing a $100,000 profit for the last financial year. The news followed Queensland Racing officially recognising the Ipswich Cup as the event with the highest attendance of any race meeting in the state. The club also won the media prize at the recent Queensland Racing awards for its marketing of the Ipswich Cup. It is the first time the award has gone to a race club. Big Dad's Back at YamantoBig Dad's Pies has reopened its Yamanto store after closing back in 2006. CEO Stephen Donnelly said the store was back for good and had been welcomed warmly by old and new customers. Having strong roots in Ipswich, the company is now expanding into central and northern Queensland. New Car Repair Shop for Redbank PlazaIpswich City Council has approved a development application for a motor vehicle repair workshop at Redbank Plaza. An area of the shopping centre's car park will be extended to accommodate the new business. Homestead Magazine Makes the MoveHomestead Magazine, a glossy, full-colour lifestyle, tourism and property market publication, has moved its office from Aratula to Rosewood/Thagoona. The new location gives the magazine's team a centralised location and the opportunity to expand into south east Queensland. As part of the planned expansion process, the free magazine will now cover townships in the greater Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gatton and Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions. Centenary Highway Completion Good News for OrionOrion Springfield retailers are reporting improved sales and increased customer traffic following the recent completion of the Centenary Highway extension. A steady growth in activity has been reported since the 18km stretch of road officially opened in June. Linking Springfield to Yamanto via Ripley, the new highway extension provides much improved access to Orion. Ipswich City Square EOIIpswich City Properties (ICP) is currently preparing an Expression of Interest for the redevelopment of Ipswich City Square which is expected to go to the market in the next four to six weeks. ICP's primary focus at this point in time is on securing new tenancies, with interest in the precinct remaining strong. Council Moves in to Springfield TowerIpswich City Council has opened an office in the new Springfield Tower to accommodate staff servicing the growing local community in the areas of planning and building. There is also space within the office to enable community and business meetings with Councillors and staff as required. Tower Central Nearing CompletionTower Central is expected to be completed and welcoming its first tenants by mid-October. This highly visible project in the heart of Ipswich Central has involved the restoration and redevelopment of the 100 year-old Post Office and London Pharmacy building, linked to a new six-storey office tower. The finished product will provide 1300sqm of retail space, 3000sqm of office space and feature an integrated shopping and café precinct. [ Back to Top ] Business ProfileDigiFrame
Lil and Scott Jolly recently moved their Sumner Park digital photo frame business DigiFrame Australia to West Ipswich and can now be found at 2/353 Brisbane Street (behind Town & Country). DigiFrame supplies a wide range of unique, high quality digital photo frame products suitable for both home and commercial applications. Ranging from key rings to wall mounted sizes, DigiFrame products are available from quality photographic retailers Australia wide, including Heritage City Photos at Riverlink. Products are also available online at www.digiframe.com.au , or simply call DigiFrame direct on 1300 559 881. Lil and Scott look forward to assisting Ipswich residents and businesses with their digital framing needs. [ Back to Top ] New Business OpeningsWelcome to the following new Ipswich businesses… Dhanush InfotechGlobal information technology solutions company Dhanush recently opened a new office in Springfield Tower. Dhanush's operations at Springfield will act as a regional support office for the company's Sydney head office. However, in time the company may look to growing their base at Springfield Central, possibly relocating its Australian operations there. Over the next few years, the company expects its staff numbers to grow to around 200 people. PRD Nationwide - YamantoReal estate agents PRD Nationwide opened a new office in Yamanto last month. Thanks to the growth of its Booval office, the business felt a second office in the western growth corridor would provide further service to its growing list of clients and customers. The new office employs five staff with plans to hire more. Mixed Spice on BrisbaneOne of the newest additions to the Top of Town precinct is Mixed Spice on Brisbane, a clothing store offering a wide range of fashion for all ages and sizes. Located next to Cactus Espresso Bar, the store has an African feel and stocks everything from swimwear and casual clothes to formal wear. Owner Trish Kelly also stocks shoes, hats, bags and jewellery. Go Gecko Property SalesGo Gecko, named as one of the top two fastest-growing franchises of 2008-09 by BRW magazine, has opened offices at Booval Fair and Winston Glades shopping centres. Prior to opening in Ipswich, Go Gecko was receiving 30 phone calls a week from Ipswich people wanting to list properties. The growing demand for its services, which include a capped sales commission of $5950, led to the business having a physical presence in the city. Harry Brown - YamantoHarry Brown Merchant Trader's sixth outlet has opened in Yamanto. The 800sqm liquor store at Yamanto Shopping Centre was opened by Yamanto Tavern owners Clive and Maryanne Johnson. The couple established the first Harry Brown's at the PA Hotel, Booval. Between the two hotels and two Harry Brown's in Ipswich, the couple employs 100 staff members. Amart All Sports - RiverlinkSporting business giant Amart All Sports opened its doors in Riverlink Shopping Centre late last month. Thirty staff were on hand for the opening which included a special sale on selected items. Amart All Sports is a one-stop-shop for sporting needs, stocking a wide range of clothing, footwear, accessories and sporting equipment. [ Back to Top ] Coming EventsChamber Luncheon
QIC Chief Executive Dr Doug McTaggart (pictured) will be guest speaker at next month's luncheon event hosted by the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Dr McTaggart has enjoyed a long and varied career which has included positions as an academic economist, university professor and Associate Dean. Prior to joining QIC, he was the Under Treasurer and Under Secretary of the Queensland Department of Treasury. He is currently a Councillor on the National Competition Council, a member of the COAG Reform Council and a Director of CEDA. Cost of the luncheon is $80 for Chamber members and $95 for non-members. The event will be held at the Ipswich Turf Club on Wednesday 21 October from noon until 2.30pm. RSVPs are required by 14 October and can be made by telephoning 3282 8688 or emailing eo@ipswichchamber.org.au. Retail Smart SessionThe next Retail Smart Session will be held on Wednesday 21 October 2009 - 6.00pm to 7.00pm, in the Barry Jones Auditorium, Ipswich City Council (near the Library). The title of this session is: Keeping you and your business safe – what are my rights as a retailer according to law? This will be your opportunity to speak to professional law enforcement officers about your current concerns. To book your place, or for further information please contact Stella from The Bremer Institute of TAFE on 0412 570 139 or email stella.musk@deta.qld.gov.au. Going Global - Exporting to the Americas - Featuring the Honourable Peter BeattieIpswich City Council, in partnership with Trade Queensland, invites you to attend a business seminar featuring Mayor Paul Pisasale and the Honourable Peter Beattie, Queensland Government Trade Commissioner for the Americas. There is no cost for this lunch time seminar, which will be held on Monday 19 October 2009 - 11.15am registration for 11.30am to 1.30pm at the Metro Hotel Ipswich International, 43 South Street, Ipswich. RSVP, by Monday 12 October 2009 to 07 3810 6938 or email ipswichcity@ipswich.qld.gov.au. [ Back to Top ] |
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Websites Of Interest
Grants & Subsidies Funding Opportunities:These websites assist business and community to access government funding programs and associated guidelines:-
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 [ Back to Top ] |
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IPSWICH CITY COUNCIL |
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Ipswich was judged this month - on the ground and in the air.
