Housing affordability, Ipswich’s thriving arts community and the future location of a synthetic athletics track are among the issues being highlighted by Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard.
Speaking on West Bremer Radio’s State of Play, Ms Howard encouraged residents struggling with housing costs or trying to enter the property market to have their say at an upcoming community housing forum.
The Ipswich Housing Affordability Forum will be held at Brothers Leagues Club on Tuesday, September 8 from 6pm, bringing together residents with Shadow Housing Minister Nathan Scanlon and Opposition Leader Steven Miles.
Ms Howard said the forum was designed to hear directly from people experiencing the realities of Queensland’s housing pressures.
“We know there’s not one single solution,” she said.
“But we know that there’s a lot of people out there who are actually living every day with problems around housing, and we want to make sure that their experiences shape future policy.”
The discussion is expected to cover issues including helping younger Queenslanders into their first home, increasing housing supply, improving affordability and addressing pressures facing renters and homeowners.
Residents wishing to attend are being asked to register through Ms Howard’s Facebook page.
Ipswich Little Theatre celebrates 70-year milestone
Ipswich’s arts community has also been celebrating an impressive milestone, with Ipswich Little Theatre’s One Act Play Festival marking 70 years.
Ms Howard praised the long-running festival and the opportunities it provides for performers and theatre groups.
Held at the historic Incinerator Theatre, the festival attracts participants from beyond Ipswich and gives audiences the chance to experience a diverse collection of short productions.
“There is so much talent out there, so much fun and such a supportive environment for these upcoming artists,” Ms Howard said.
She encouraged residents who had never experienced the festival or an Ipswich Little Theatre production to support the organisation and discover the city’s local performing arts scene.
Portrait project captures faces of Ipswich
Local photographer Amanda Waschevski is also putting the people of Ipswich in the spotlight through a community portrait project.
The exhibition officially opens at the Ipswich Community Gallery on Saturday at 4pm and features portraits of local identities.
Ms Howard said the project went beyond simply photographing its subjects, with Waschevski capturing something of their personalities and connection to Ipswich.
“She’s got this really unique way of capturing people,” Ms Howard said.
“It’s a lot more than just a simple photograph. She manages to capture something really special in everyone’s lives and tell the story of the people who make our community fantastic.”
Greyhound racing petition launched
Ms Howard is also sponsoring a Queensland Parliament e-petition calling for the greyhound racing industry to be phased out in Queensland.
The issue has been a longstanding concern for the Ipswich MP, particularly following the construction of The Q greyhound racing facility within her electorate.
Ms Howard said the facility had been promoted as addressing safety concerns and providing a safer racing environment, but she argued serious injuries and deaths continued to demonstrate broader problems with the sport.
She said greyhounds could reach speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour, meaning injuries suffered during racing could be catastrophic.
During the interview, figures were cited claiming 10,700 greyhounds were injured and 287 were killed last year.
Ms Howard said she would ultimately like to see The Q site used for another purpose that delivered benefits to the Ipswich community.
The parliamentary petition is expected to remain open until the end of the year and can be found through the Queensland Parliament petitions system.
Howard questions school-based synthetic track
The continuing debate over a synthetic athletics track for Ipswich was also raised, with Ms Howard expressing concerns about Ipswich City Council’s decision to pursue government funding for a facility at Ripley Valley State Secondary College.
Ms Howard stressed she supported schools having high-quality sporting facilities and remained strongly supportive of establishing a synthetic athletics track in Ipswich.
However, she questioned whether a school was the best location for infrastructure intended to serve the broader community.
She said issues could potentially arise around public access during school events, athletics carnivals, exams or if arrangements changed in the future.
“I want to see a synthetic track, as everyone in Ipswich knows, but I want to see it at a genuine community facility,” Ms Howard said.
She argued Ipswich District Athletics and other local athletics experts should have a central role in discussions about the design and location of any future facility.
Residents wanting to raise the athletics track, housing or other local issues directly with Ms Howard will also have an opportunity at her next mobile office.
She will be at Cafe 63 at Winston Glades, 259 Ash Street, Flinders View, from 10am until noon on Saturday, with residents invited to drop in for a conversation — and, according to Ms Howard, the coffee will be on her.
0 Comments