Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding has returned from her first overseas holiday in more than five years, refreshed and ready to tackle a busy agenda for the city.
During her three-week trip to the United Kingdom, Mayor Harding took the opportunity to lobby for Ipswich, hand-delivering an invitation to pub owner Damon Jeffrey for international superstar Ed Sheeran to visit Ipswich, Queensland. “He assured me the invitation would reach Ed within a fortnight,” she said, noting that Sheeran had already visited Ipswich in Massachusetts earlier this year.
While abroad, Harding also met with the Mayor and council leaders of Ipswich Borough in England, touring the historic riverside town and exchanging ideas about council operations. She capped off the trip with a visit to the Imperial War Museum’s Duxford Air Show, marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, describing the spectacle of 16 Spitfires, eight Hurricanes and a Lancaster bomber as “phenomenal.”
Back on home soil, the mayor is preparing for Thursday’s ordinary council meeting, where councillors will consider community Christmas pageants, the Tivoli Sporting Complex upgrade, Redbank Plains sporting facilities, and progress on the city’s Indigenous Accord.
Harding also welcomed new additions to the Nicholas Street Precinct, with burger bar Hello Harry and Italian restaurant Vapiano set to join the growing list of eateries. “The people of Ipswich were clear they wanted a vibrant CBD and a night-time economy, and that’s what we’re delivering,” she said.
With the school holidays underway, the mayor encouraged families to enjoy the popular Dinosaur Discovery program in the precinct, alongside library visits and shopping in the top of town and Riverlink. “The dinosaurs are always a hit with kids — and the big kids too,” Harding laughed.
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