A new chapter was written on April 2 with the swearing in of Ipswich City Council’s mayor and councillors.
Following the Electoral Commissioner for Queensland declaring the results of the 16 March elections, Ipswich’s new council team now includes:
- Mayor: Teresa Harding,
- Division 1 Councillors: Jacob Madsen and Pye Augustine,
- Division 2 Councillors: Paul Tully and Nicole Jonic,
- Division 3 Councillors: Marnie Doyle and Andrew Antoniolli,
- Division 4 Councillors: Jim Madden and David Cullen.
The suburbs of Springfield, Springfield Central, Springfield Lakes, Brookwater, Spring Mountain, and Augustine Heights are included in Division 2 under Cr Paul Tully and Cr Nicole Jonic, who are both returning from previous terms as councillors.
“I was honoured to have been elected for the 14th time as a councillor representing the eastern suburbs of Ipswich,” Cr Paul Tully said.
“When I was first elected in 1979, Ipswich’s population was 80,000 and now exceeds 250,000 as the second fastest growing city in Queensland after Logan.
“There are many challenges ahead over the next 4 years.
“My commitment to the people of Division 2 is to maintain my support for open and transparent decision making, and to work with my local colleagues at state and federal level to continue to enhance the quality of living in the eastern sector of Ipswich.”
Cr Nicole Jonic was also elected as the council’s Deputy Mayor at the first Council meeting held on April 11.
“I am incredibly humbled and thankful for the opportunity to serve as Deputy Mayor,” she said.
It is a great honour, and I am committed to working hard to serve our community with dedication and compassion.”
Mayor Harding, the city’s 51st mayor, commences a second term, with four returning and four newly elected councillors.
“On behalf of all councillors, I want to thank the voters of Ipswich for putting your confidence in us,” Mayor Harding said.
“It is an incredible honour, and also very humbling, to be chosen to represent this city, and I congratulate my fellow councillors on their success.
“The city is growing at an unprecedented rate, and that will continue for the next decade or more.
“My goal in this second term as Mayor is to build on that growth and prosperity, working with councillors to move the city forward sustainably and to lead Ipswich with honesty and integrity.”
Mayor Harding said the Ipswich economy had boomed in the past four years, breaking through the $12 billion mark, and the council would work with the State Government and the Commonwealth Government to secure more funding and investment to complement that growth.
The first meeting of the new council was held on April 11, 2024.
