We can't wait campaign - White paper 3

The Evidence The evidence suggests that the western corridor is facing ‘crippling congestion’ without a major investment in public transport.

Population growth $ The Ipswich population is growing by 6,750 people each year. By 2046 the city will have grown by 127% (from 2021) to house 530,000 people. 3 $ More than 70 per cent of Ipswich population growth is predicted to occur along the Springfield and Ripley corridor. 4 $ In a 10-year period, the population in the corridor between Ipswich Central and Springfield Central is projected to grow from approximately 95,000 to more than 163,000. By 2036, this area is projected to have a total population of almost 259,000. 5 $ Ripley Valley is a Priority Development Area (PDA) and classified as a major regional activity centre, projected to grow from 4,767 people in 2016 to 45,153 people by 2026. This represents 8.8% of the total growth of Greater Brisbane over this time period. 6 $ The Greater Springfield population grew by 6.8% between 2011 and 2021 compared to growth of 1.5% across Queensland. 7 $ The Greater Springfield labour force grew by 44.8% between 2016 and 2022 compared with a national growth rate of 18%. 8

The transport need $ Without enhanced transport options, modelling shows that morning peak hour commuting times between Ipswich and the Brisbane CBDwill blowout well beyond two hours by 2036, with travel times up by 81% fromsome areas. 9 $ Ipswich City Council analysis shows that, without urgent action, by the 2030s Ipswich’s traffic system will fundamentally fail and become an ‘inefficient transport network that cannot cater for the growing demand’. 10 $ Currently in Ipswich 85% of trips are made by private vehicles, 54% of households have two or more cars, and the average vehicle trip has 1.2 people on board. 11 $ A community survey conducted by Ipswich City Council found that 43% of respondents found public transport not convenient or easy to use, 46% thought it took too long and 38% do not use it because there were no stops or stations near their home or travel destination. 12 $ Strategic transport modelling shows that, without a proper transport solution, the cost of congestion in the broader region will exceed $1 billion per annum by 2036. 13 $ Despite being the region’s fastest growing areas, in the 2023 State Budget Ipswich was ranked ninth in terms of infrastructure funding for local government areas. $ The Queensland Major Contractors Association Report 14 for 2023 identified a record $92 billion in identified infrastructure projects for the state over the next five years. The report says the Ipswich-Toowoomba-Logan region was the only area to see a reduction in both the funded and unfunded construction activity over the next five years.

3 Queensland Government population projections, 2023 edition; Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2021, and ABS, Census of Population and Housing 4 Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport Corridor Strategic Assessment 2020 5 The Ipswich Central to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor Report 6 Queensland Treasury (2018). Projected population (medium series), by SA2, SA3 and SA4, Queensland, 2016 to 2041 (cited in Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport Corridor Strategic Assessment KPMG Report 2020) 9 Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport Corridor Strategic Assessment 2020 10 Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport Corridor Strategic Assessment 2020 11 ICC (2016). iGO – City of Ipswich Transport Plan. 12 ICC (2017). iGO Community Public Transport Survey. Provided by Ipswich City Council 12 ICC (2016). (sample size = 934 people) 13 Ipswich to Springfield Public Transport Corridor Strategic Assessment 2020 14 Queensland Major Contractors Association Queensland Major Projects Pipeline Report for 2023 7 Econisis Drivers of Springfield Growth Report 2023 8 Econisis Drivers of Springfield Growth Report 2023