Ipswich City Council has secured more than $228,000 in state funding to help repair the historic Ipswich Soldiers Memorial Hall, in a major boost for one of the city’s best-known heritage buildings.
Mayor Teresa Harding said the grant, awarded through the Queensland Government’s Honouring Our Veterans program, would go towards critical works at the hall, which has experienced structural issues including subsidence on one side of the building.
The state heritage-listed hall, located beside the Ipswich Civic Centre, is home to the Ipswich RSL sub branch and is also used by community groups and bands. Repair costs are expected to be between $750,000 and $800,000, making the grant a significant contribution towards preserving the much-loved venue.
Mayor Harding said the funding was especially important for ratepayers and would help protect a building that plays a central role in Ipswich’s military and civic history.
The military focus continued last week with celebrations marking the Royal Australian Air Force’s 105th birthday at RAAF Base Amberley. The event included a ceremonial cake-cutting with the Governor of Queensland and the youngest airman on base, following traditional military custom.
Mayor Harding said the RAAF has been a major part of Ipswich life for more than 85 years, both economically and culturally, with current and former defence personnel heavily involved in community organisations across the city.
Meanwhile, demolition has begun at the flood-prone Myoora Grove townhouse complex in Brassall, following a lengthy process tied to the voluntary home buyback scheme. The site, which flooded multiple times in recent years, is now expected to be rehabilitated and turned into parkland or reserve space after consultation with local residents.
Mayor Harding described the process as bittersweet for former residents, many of whom had faced years of uncertainty, but said the eventual transformation of the site would provide a more positive outcome for the surrounding community.
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