HERITAGE protection was back on the agenda in the recent round of Ipswich City Council meetings as a suite of amendments were introduced into the recently adopted planning scheme.
Division 3 Councillor Marnie Doyle raised concerns during committee discussions about the need for stronger protection of heritage places, with the number of modifications to character properties increasing as the city faced growing development pressures.
Cr Doyle said she had met with Council’s planners last week about her concerns on heritage matters and was happy to see amendments in the planning scheme to ensure greater protection for character properties.
“I am particularly pleased to see that we are tightening up some of our provisions to afford greater protection for some of the character properties that we know are being developed, certainly with regard to the property boom and the housing crisis, and they are being converted to share arrangements,” Cr Doyle said.
“This is wonderful to see. We need the housing – we just need to ensure that the improvements and changes on the exterior of properties within our character zones are sympathetic and respectful to the residents and properties around.”
In the amendments, Council identified two new places for heritage protection – the former Ipswich Baby Clinic at 16 Wharf St, and the medical superintendent’s residence at Court St.
Mayor Teresa Harding said she supported the new heritage listings and referred to the Council decision to allow the removal of historic Caroll House from its Goodna location to make way for a KFC outlet.
“Back in 2022, this Council unfortunately had to assess a matter with Caroll House in Goodna, which had no heritage protections whatsoever, so Council could not protect or preserve that house in situ,” Cr Harding said.
“I continue to encourage residents to identify areas and heritage buildings so we can make sure, as a Council, that we can put in the proper protection so our community doesn’t have to go through that again.”
Caroll House was listed as a Place of Interest in the 1991 Ipswich Heritage Study, featured on Ipswich City Council’s heritage trails and the Council unveiled a plaque in front of the home in 2012 noting its significance to Goodna.
Despite the listing, Division 2 Councillor Paul Tully was the only councillor to speak out and take a stand to protect Goodna heritage when the decision was made to allow the home to be relocated at the September 6 meeting.
Infrastructure, Planning and Assets Committee chairman Andrew Antoniolli said the suite of amendments addressed unintended consequences that had been identified with the new planning scheme.
“They’re only minor in nature,” he said. “However, if they’re not corrected and modified in the city plan, may have ramifications for residents in the future.
“So they have been identified and there is a package going forward to the Department of State Development for their consideration.”
Since the introduction of the Ipswich City Plan 2025 on July 1, more than 400 development applications have been received by Council.
The purpose of the Amendment Package adopted is to reduce the number of low-risk building applications triggered, make minor corrections and updates, ensure consistency with the planning regulations, enhance local heritage conservation and improve the usability of the new planning scheme.
