IPSWICH City Council has reaffirmed its commitment to building a Council-owned synthetic athletics track.
This comes as it pushes ahead with the long-awaited rehabilitation of Bill Paterson Oval, following weeks of controversy over the future of athletics infrastructure in the city.
The move comes after an extraordinary Council meeting on August 5, when councillors backed a separate proposal for a synthetic track at Ripley Valley State Secondary College and committed $2.5 million towards the project if it secured State Government funding.
That decision sparked a fierce community and political debate over whether Council had effectively abandoned plans for a Council-owned facility in central Ipswich.
But councillors have now sought to put that suggestion to bed, backing a motion from Cr Andrew Antoniolli, seconded by Cr Jacob Madsen, which establishes two parallel priorities in continuing planning for a future Council-owned synthetic track and progressing works at the historic Bill Paterson Oval.
Cr Antoniolli said Ipswich’s rapidly growing population meant Council needed to plan now for sporting infrastructure capable of serving the city for decades.
“Over the next 15 to 20 years Ipswich’s population is expected to exceed 500,000 residents,” he said.
“This growth will place increasing demand on Council to provide facilities that support active, healthy and connected communities.”
Cr Antoniolli described the attention following the August 5 meeting as “unfortunate, unnecessary and undignified”, arguing the positive opportunity presented by the Ripley proposal had been overshadowed by controversy.
He rejected suggestions councillors who supported Ripley had walked away from a Council-owned athletics facility.
The motion also calls for detailed costings and a scope of works for the rehabilitation of Bill Paterson Oval to come back to Council, along with consideration of the budget required to deliver those works.
