The Ipswich Central Heart project is funded through the Australian Government's urban Precincts and Partnerships Program (uPPP). The project is focused on developing design plans and gathering community feedback to help shape the future of Ipswich Central. At this stage, funding is for planning and design activities only and the projects featured on these pages are not currently funded for construction.

The community is invited to provide feedback on the design progress between 7 July and 2 August 2026.

Use the interactive map to explore projects across the Ipswich Central Heart.

Hover to preview a project and click through to learn more.

Council has received $3.8million from the Australian Government as part of the Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program (uPPP) which seeks to support transformative investment in urban precincts based on the principles of unifying urban places, growing economies and serving communities. The uPPP focuses on a partnership approach, bringing together governments, businesses and communities to deliver multi-purpose precincts that are place-based, tailored to the local needs and positioned around a shared vision, need or theme.

Through this funding, council will be undertaking planning and design works for the Ipswich Central Heart project, which includes:

• expansion of Ipswich Art Gallery
• redevelopment of the Ipswich Civic Centre
• development of the Cultural Heart (d’Arcy Doyle Place and Nicholas Street)
• streetscape refresh of Brisbane Street (Top of Town)
• connection to the Ipswich City Centre Bikeway

Rather than starting over, we’ve integrated insights from past engagement on the Cultural Heart, Ipswich City Centre Bikeway, Arts and Cultural Vision, Economic Development Strategy and Ipswich Central Revitalisation to shape a more complete and connected precinct. This means your feedback hasn’t just been heard - it’s actively steering the project in the right direction.

Your feedback is now being sought on the concepts or the preliminary design direction for each of the Ipswich Central Heart projects. Have your say by 2 August 2026.

Have your say

The community is invited to provide feedback on the concept and preliminary design direction between 7 July and 2 August 2026 using the engagement channels below:

• Complete the online surveys available for each project
  • Brisbane Street Refresh
  • Ipswich Art Gallery
  • Ipswich Civic Centre
  • Cultural Heart
  • Ipswich City Centre Bikeway
• Complete a hard copy survey
• Attend an in person event and meet the project team
• Email us at business@ipswich.qld.gov.au
• Call our Contact Centre at 3810 6666

Partnerships are a key outcome for achieving great results and form part of the funding agreement with the Australian Government. Since August 2025, Council has been actively engaging with targeted user groups to help shape and refine the direction of each Ipswich Central Heart project.

Engagement has included:

• Brisbane Street Traders and Resident Working Group
• Ipswich Youth Advisory Council
• Ipswich Arts Advisory Group
• Ipswich Climate Action Group
• Ipswich Art Gallery Foundation Members, Donors and Friends
• Representatives from cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Arts Queensland, Empire Theatre, The Tivoli Group, QAGOMA and others
• Direct meetings with key geographical stakeholders, including St Paul’s Anglican Church Ipswich, Indian Mehfill, Ipswich RSL Sub‑Branch and West Moreton Health.

May 2026 - Brisbane Street Walkshops

For Brisbane Street specifically, four walkshops were conducted with key user groups:

• Women, Girls and Gender Diverse Walkshop Featuring local business representatives, members of Zonta International and Ipswich Central Partnership, focused on understanding experiences of Brisbane Street after dark.
• Youth Walkshop Involving 50 members of the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council, identifying what they valued on the street and where they saw opportunities for improvement.
• Heritage Walkshop Bringing together members of heritage groups from across the region to share stories and provide insight into the character and identity of iconic Brisbane Street.
• Brisbane Street Traders Walkshop Following presentation from the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council, traders walked the street at night to explore opportunities for strengthening the night‑time economy.

Project decision‑making has also considered themes identified through previous community engagements. See the sections below for outcomes from earlier engagement activities.