Glowing report card for Community and Sport across Ipswich
Published on 06 November 2025
The huge growth in Ipswich’s population has seen an explosion in the number of people using council sports fields and facilities.
The annual Community and Sport Report Card 2024-2025 reveals a combined 500 hours of organised sport is played at council’s 47 locations every day of the year.
Community and Sport Committee Chairperson Councillor Jacob Madsen said the total 182,000 hours of play represented a 12.3 per cent increase on the previous year.
“It reflects the surge in population - the city continues to attract huge numbers of new residents as one of Australia’s fastest growing cities,” Cr Madsen said.
“Ipswich’s population grew by 3.5 per cent to 265,854 in the 12 months to 30 June as more than 9,000 people moved to Ipswich over the 2024-2025 financial year.
“We are seeing that translate to our sporting fields with tens of thousands of Ipswich residents representing more than 165 sport and recreation clubs across the region.”
Cr Madsen said Ipswich was well-known as a sports-mad city and the report card confirmed the huge grassroots participation and support of sport across the community.
“The annual Community and Sport Report Card highlights the goals, achievements and key deliverables for 2024-2025 and identifies the collaborative approach undertaken by council and the community to deliver great outcomes,” Cr Madsen said.
“Council is focussed on delivering projects and programs which build capacity and increase resilience, specifically within not-for-profit community and sporting organisations across the city.”
The report card reflects on new facilities and funded projects which came online in the past year, including the $3.5m Silver Jubilee Clubhouse at Spring Mountain, the Blue Gum Reserve canteen and change rooms, and the Redbank Plains Bears JRLFC scoreboard.
It noted the Goodna Community Centre was restored and renamed after 2022 flood damage, with the dedicated facility helping to improve community health outcomes.
Community and Sport Report Card 2024-2025 - by the numbers:
- 166 sport and recreation clubs across 41 codes
- 47 locations providing 287 playing spaces
- 101 courts with 91 per cent under lights
- 105 fields with 74 per cent under lights
- 91 other facilities, including practice nets, bowls, croquet and motorsport
- $1.87m in community funding delivered through 424 approved applications
- 1,953 activities delivered through Active and Healthy Program
- 31,397 instances of participation in program events
- 182,000 hours of organised sport at council sporting fields
Cr Madsen said the 12.3 per cent increase in use of council sporting fields and facilities was encouraging and could see the next generation of sports stars emerge in the build up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“From the dynamic athletics duo of Gout Gout and his coach Diane Sheppard to breakout Brisbane Broncos NRLW star Shalom Sauaso, and Olympic champion swimmer Molly O’Callaghan, Ipswich certainly punches above its weight in so many different sports,” Cr Madsen said.
“The dedication and hard work at all levels in sport is incredible. Athletes, coaches, volunteers and administrators continue to proudly represent Ipswich on the state, national and world stage.
“I am delighted to see our sports-loving city continue to use facilities and funding provided by council to achieve healthy outcomes and potentially gold, silver and bronze medals in the future.”