IPSWICH has welcomed it’s 200,000th resident, cementing the city’s status as one of the fastest growing areas in Queensland.
Megan Sabburg, her partner Sam McMahon and their three-month-old son Jackson bumped the population over the 200,000 mark when they moved into their newly built South Ripley home before Christmas.
They were identified as the landmark residents by the Ipswich City Council’s world-first population tracking method, which looks at the number of wheelie bins issued to new residents.
Ipswich has grown its population by more than a quarter since 2006, increasing by 53,375 residents.
Just 15 months ago Ipswich celebrated cracking the 190,000 population mark.
Deputy Mayor Paul Tully said the city had an average annual growth rate of 3.5 per cent over 10 years — well above the Queensland average of 2 per cent.
Ms Sabburg said the proximity of her new home to Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and her hometown of Gatton had appealed to her.
She said there would be plenty of new parks and schools to choose from as Jackson grows up.
The draft South East Queensland Regional Plan predicts Ipswich will grow faster than any other city in the state over the next 25 years.
The plan forecasts a population of 520,000 by 2041.
Mayor Paul Pisasale put the city’s growth down to its appeal to families seeking a vibrant lifestyle.
“Based on our current rate we can say about an extra 165 people are calling Ipswich home each week,” he said.
“This ongoing strong growth is testament to the fact our city is top of mind for families when they are choosing where to live work and play.”
Cr Pisasale said the best was yet to come for Ipswich.
“The next phase of the redevelopment of Ipswich mall, construction of a new town centre at Ripley and a series of Smart City initiatives that will keep our city firmly at the forefront of the digital economy are still all ahead of us,” he said.
A master planned community in Ripley Valley is expected to eventually be home to more than 120,000 people and will spread to the city itself.
Originally Published: http://www.couriermail.com.au/