Planning for Ipswich's Housing Needs
Ipswich is one of Queensland’s fastest growing local government areas currently home to 260,000 people and expected to more than double to a population of approximately 534,000 by 2046. Ipswich is experiencing a housing affordability, availability and diversity challenge combined with anticipated further sustained high growth rates. Approximately 50 homes are needed per week. The need is to be building greater than 90 homes a week to meet ShapingSEQ2023 dwelling targets at 2026.
A fact sheet on how council is responding to our city’s housing challenges and needs is available here.
Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP)
At its meeting of 12 December 2024, Ipswich City Council adopted the City of Ipswich Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP), which aims to meet the needs of everyone at each stage of life by providing housing diversity, choice and affordability in the right locations close to jobs, transport, centres, services, and the places that make an area a community.
City of Ipswich Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP)
The LHAP:
- Identifies factors impacting on housing in the Ipswich local government area and current and future housing needs.
- Identifies priority actions in response to immediate, emerging and longer-term housing challenges and needs.
- Assists to coordinate responses by council, state government, private and not-for-profit organisations.
- Supports housing for changing lifespan: housing that meets Ipswich's current and future household sizes and types.
- Supports affordable housing: housing to meet the requirements of different socio-economic circumstances.
- Supports accessible housing: housing that can be adapted across a household's change in life stages and personal circumstances.
- Promotes planning for housing in well serviced areas: considering the social infrastructure network available against the housing needs required in local areas, and the opportunity to maximise housing in proximity to well serviced areas.
New Ipswich City Plan 2025
The new Ipswich City Plan took effect on 1 July 2025 and has been developed with a line of sight and alignment from the strategic level to the on-ground outcomes in the form, height and density of the preferred housing typologies to meet future housing demand and drive housing choice. Areas suitable for a range of housing forms, styles and typologies have been identified within distinct local areas. View the Ipswich City Plan 2025 to find out more.