AN ACTION plan to attract more hotels and short-term accommodation to Ipswich may progress a year on from initial discussion after being revisited at the last Council Ordinary Meeting.
After initial discussion in November last year, new initiatives as part of the Hotel and Short-Term Accommodation Action Plan to attract more hotel and short-term accommodation developments to the city are once again being promoted.
Residents have also discussed the option of building up rather than out, with high-rise living an option that would assist with the housing crisis that has a grip on the state.
The initiatives discussed in the plan included a reduction in infrastructure charges and the development of an investment prospectus to attract hotel industry investment to the city.
The opening of the Nicholas Street Entertainment Precinct should only heighten the need for greater accommodation options for visitors.
“One of things we hear regularly from investors is the need for certainty around the timeframes and requirements for the relevant approvals,” Mayor Teresa Harding said last year.
“We know that time means money for many developers.
“These initiatives are also supported by a reduction in infrastructure charges and an investment prospectus to ensure we are making Ipswich an attractive proposition for hotel investment.”
With the local Gross Regional Product surpassing $13 billion total, the first time in the city’s economy, and Ipswich tourism returning to post Covid levels and contributing $396 million to the economy, the time is now to get the ball rolling with greater accommodation levels.
During the ordinary meeting, the council agreed to move on the prospectus.
Mayor Harding said the city needed more than 310 new hotel rooms by 2033 to meet growing demand.
“The prospectus will turn the accommodation sector’s attention to Ipswich with its attractive benefits, including a 50% reduction on infrastructure charges and a streamlined application process, ensuring shorter timelines for applications,” she said.
“Our packed event schedule books out every available room in Ipswich 26 weekends of the year, proving our need for more hotels and short-term accommodation.
“Almost two million people visited our city last year, and we want to keep them here for longer to experience all Ipswich has to offer, from the Queensland Museum Railway Workshops to our in-demand school holiday programs; there’s plenty to see and explore.”
