Advocacy Advisory Committee - 28 Jul 2026 3:00 PM

Decisions

• Synthetic athletics track report received
  The committee received and noted a confidential report on feasibility, site and technical investigations for a proposed new synthetic athletics facility in Ipswich. Further information was requested for the 4 August Councillor Briefing and Workshop.
  The facility’s preferred location and development pathway remain under consideration, but no site or project details were made public in this meeting.
• Regionally Significant Projects Update deferred
  Item 3 was deferred to a future Advocacy Advisory Committee meeting. The report concerned Council’s advocacy priorities and regionally significant projects.
  Residents will need to wait for a future meeting for public discussion of the region’s major advocacy priorities.
• State Budget Summary deferred
  Item 4, concerning State Budget 2026–2027 measures relevant to local government and the Ipswich region, was deferred to a future committee meeting.
  Potential implications of the State Budget for local services and the Ipswich region were not discussed publicly at this meeting.

Discussion

• Proposed synthetic athletics facility
  Confidential feasibility, site and technical investigations were discussed. The matter is scheduled for further discussion at the 4 August Councillor Briefing and Workshop.
  The project could affect local sporting facilities and residents who use athletics infrastructure, but the preferred site and development details are not yet public.
• State Budget implications
  The committee was due to consider a summary of State Budget 2026–2027 measures relevant to local government and the Ipswich region, but deferred the item.
  Any future local-government funding, service or infrastructure implications remain unreported pending a future meeting.

Impacts

• No new rates, fees, levies, services or infrastructure commitments were adopted in the extracted meeting text.
• Further information about the proposed synthetic athletics facility is expected to be considered at the 4 August Councillor Briefing and Workshop.
• Updates on regionally significant projects and State Budget measures affecting Ipswich are expected at a future committee meeting.

Places

• Ipswich (city/region)
  The proposed synthetic athletics facility and State Budget measures were discussed in relation to Ipswich.
• Ipswich region (regional area)
  The State Budget Summary was intended to cover measures relevant to the Ipswich region.

Next

• Provide further information on the Synthetic Athletics Track at the Councillor Briefing and Workshop.
  4 August 2026
• Bring the Regionally Significant Projects Update back to a future Advocacy Advisory Committee meeting.
  To be scheduled
• Bring the State Budget Summary back to a future Advocacy Advisory Committee meeting.
  To be scheduled
• Hold the next Advocacy Advisory Committee meeting.
  Tuesday, 6 October 2026 at 2:00 PM

Extract

28 JULY 2026 ADVOCACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE NO. 2026(03)] of 4 ADVOCACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE NO. 2026(03) 28 JULY 2026 REPORT ATTENDANCE: Mayor Teresa Harding (Chairperson); Councillors Marnie Doyle (Deputy Chairperson), Pye Augustine, David Martin, Deputy Mayor Nicole Jonic (via audio-link), Jacob Madsen and Andrew Antoniolli APOLOGIES: Nil OFFICERS’ ATTENDANCE: Chief Executive Officer (Sonia Cooper), General Manager Community, Cultural and Economic Development (Ben Pole), Economic Development Manager (Dan Heenan), Advocacy Lead (Kate Adams), Senior Project Officer – Major Projects (Sibel Gradinscak), Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor (Melissa Fitzgerald), Manager, Community and Cultural Serv...