Ipswich City Council says the Federal Budget has missed a critical opportunity to invest in the city’s rapidly growing future, despite modest tax relief for households.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the 2026–27 Budget failed to deliver any new infrastructure commitments for Australia’s fastest-growing council area in Queensland.
“With a population of 270,000 projected to double over the next 20 years, Ipswich is at a critical juncture,” Mayor Harding said.
She warned that rising congestion across major roads and highways was already impacting daily travel, and said key transport projects had again been overlooked, including the Ipswich to Springfield Central public transport corridor, Centenary Highway duplication, and upgrades across key Cunningham Highway intersections.
Mayor Harding said funding for the Ipswich Central second river crossing, a new Amberley interchange, and major sporting and community precinct upgrades were also absent from the Budget.
“The community is asking how people are supposed to travel to work, school or sport without this investment,” she said.
While welcoming new competitive funding programs for local infrastructure and community projects, she said Ipswich would be competing with hundreds of councils nationwide for limited grants.
“As one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, we cannot continue to be overlooked,” she said.
Council has vowed to continue advocating for long-term, city-shaping investment to support Ipswich’s projected growth.
Image source: ipswich.qld.gov.au