Ipswich: Retaining Walls and Ripley the hot topics at new UDIA forum with council
Retaining walls and an ideal future for Ripley Valley were among the hot topics at the first meeting with Institute Branch President Sam Burgess, CEO Kirsty Chessher-Brown, key Councillors and top council staff.
Preparations for the new Planning Scheme and insights from the Institute’s exclusive research findings of the impact of interstate migration were also on the table as the group planned out a program of work needing urgent attention over the upcoming two years.
Key actions to follow before Christmas include an exclusive workshop between Councillors, Institute representatives and high-level staff to address the retaining walls policy. Any member wanting to supply information and/or photographs to the workshop, please do so to martin on via email.
The Ipswich Branch’s Ripley Valley sub-committee will also submit a comprehensive list of local issues for council response prior to the next meeting early in the new year.
The new forum is being held under a Memorandum of Understanding recently signed between Council and the Institute, committing both parties to the highest levels of transparency and accountability in the discussion.
Mayor Theresa Harding will attend future meetings but was a last-minute apology due to post-storm demands.