IT could be a baby now in an Ipswich mother’s womb.
It may well be a current resident of the United States about to immigrate to Springfield.
Or it might be a member of a family set to relocate from Brisbane to Ipswich for a better lifestyle and work opportunities.
Either way, planning boss Cr Andrew Antoniolli said the 200,000th resident of Ipswich was expected to be reached in late January through to March next year and there was a sense of expectation about who it may be.
“We’ll be watching it with interest and keeping our ears to the ground as to when the 200,00th person arrives,” he said.
“It could be a child born in the city at one of the hospitals so we will be paying particular attention to the maternity wards, or it might be a new resident who has moved in.
“It is a big deal and a major milestone. It took just over 150 years for the city to reach 150,000 and since then we have grown quite sharply.
“The growth rate has been up over 4% in recent years and currently it is at about 3.2%.
“That is expected to be maintained or potentially grow again.”
Cr Antoniolli has released the council’s latest Planning and Development Quarterly Activity Report which revealed how the suburbs of Redbank Plains, Bellbird Park and South Ripley led Ipswich to an equivalent annual population growth rate of 3.29% during the September quarter.
Close behind were Leichhardt and Springfield Lakes, with Ipswich’s overall population increasing from 196,026 to 197,656 between June 30 and September 30.
The report revealed dwellings across the city rose from 71,376 to 71,960 for the same period, representing an equivalent annual growth rate of 3.27%.
“Quarterly results showed significant interest in Redbank Plains with a population increase of 240 people leading Bellbird Park with 208 and South Ripley with 189,” Cr Antoniolli said.
“These suburbs are becoming increasingly popular with young families, first home buyers and investors as people look for affordable housing and quality infrastructure.
“I should mention too that Walloon is starting to become a growth area as well. Walloon got a mention in this quarterly report and we are expecting that to continue. I think it is going to be a popular choice for home owners.
“The South Ripley area will continue to spike and be in the top three growth areas and Leichhardt has had a fair bit of development, particularly around the golf course area.
“And the Greater Springfield area is always going to rate highly because it is a growth area.”
Cr Antoniolli said $254 million worth of building works were approved in the September quarter, up 3% on June figures.
He said investment in Ipswich continued to be high with council approving the creation of 1,127 new residential lots during the quarter.
“A total of 30,053 square metres of non-residential floor space was also approved, mainly for the retail sector which will benefit from the creation of 590 new jobs,” he said.
Originally Published: http://www.qt.com.au/