South East Queensland — Council Development Profile

Ipswich City Council

Queensland's fastest-growing city, set to nearly double by 2046

Ipswich is Queensland's fastest-growing city, with its population set to roughly double to around 530,000 by 2046 and an estimated 100,000 new homes required. It combines large declared growth land — the 48,750-dwelling Ripley Valley PDA and master-planned Greater Springfield — with a brand-new, development-supportive planning scheme and relative affordability versus Brisbane.

Ipswich CBD skyline aerial

Photo: Kpravin2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Development Snapshot

Population
270,624 (Jan 2026)
Projected Population 2046
~530,000
Dwelling Target to 2046
~100,000 new homes over ~20 years
Planning Scheme
Ipswich City Plan 2025 (commenced 1 July 2025)
Land Area
~1,094 km²
Median House Price
~$650,000–700,000 LGA (2025)

ShapingSEQ 2023; QGSO 2023; forecast.id; CoreLogic 2025; Ipswich City Council; EDQ. Figures are indicative and should be verified before any transaction.

Planning & Zoning

The new Ipswich City Plan 2025 commenced on 1 July 2025, replacing the 2006 scheme with a 20-year horizon. Key growth land:

  • Ripley Valley PDA — ~4,680 ha; ultimately ~48,750 dwellings / ~131,000 people (the city's only declared PDA)
  • Greater Springfield — Australia's largest master-planned community (~2,860 ha; not a declared PDA)
  • Other fronts: Spring Mountain, White Rock, Deebing Heights and Redbank Plains, with gentle-density infill at Booval, Bundamba and Goodna

Growth & Demographics

Ipswich's population reached 270,624 in January 2026 — adding roughly 8,000–10,000 people a year — and is projected toward ~530,000 by 2046, nearly doubling. Council's aligned dwelling figure is approximately 100,000 new homes over about 20 years (a dwelling stock rising from ~92,700 toward ~192,400).

Development Pipeline & Approvals

Major catalysts include the Ipswich-to-Springfield (I2S) rail corridor (~24.6 km, up to nine stations), the Ipswich CBD redevelopment, the Norman Street second Bremer River crossing, Ripley Town Centre, highway upgrades and Inland Rail. In the December 2025 quarter alone the city determined 433 development applications and approved 877 new dwellings.

Investment Angle

As Queensland's fastest-growing city — with population set to roughly double to ~530,000 by 2046 and ~100,000 new homes required — Ipswich offers durable structural demand. It combines large declared growth land (the 48,750-dwelling Ripley Valley PDA and master-planned Greater Springfield) with a new, development-supportive planning scheme and relative affordability, while major transport catalysts (I2S rail, Inland Rail, Brisbane 2032) are poised to lift land values.

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