Entries for the City of Ipswich Christmas Lights Competition open at 9am on Friday 30 October and close at 9am on 27 November. Entry is free. Mayor Teresa Harding says winners will share more than $11,000 in prizes and cash. All entrants go into a draw where 15 winners each receive a $100 cinema gift card. A People's Choice Award will be decided by online voting from 1 to 9 December. Winners will be announced at 6pm on Friday 11 December at the opening of St Nicholas Precinct.
Police fined a 25-year-old Raceview man $690 after he allegedly drove in the breakdown lane of the Ipswich Motorway near Wacol to pass congested traffic. Police allege a roadside drug test and a secondary test returned positive results, and he faces a drug driving charge at Ipswich Magistrates Court. Separately, a 17-year-old Ipswich boy received a $310 fine after driving on the wrong side of the road on Karrabin Rosewood Road, Karrabin, forcing a police motorcycle to swerve. Senior Sergeant Jarrad Tyne urged drivers to stay focused on the road.
Queensland Police allege a 22-year-old learner driver was carrying four unrestrained teenagers in a moving van in Ipswich on October 14. Officers reportedly spotted a teenage girl waving a flag from the vehicle on Redbank Plains Road, Redbank Plains, about 10.30pm. The driver was allegedly without a supervising driver and had no L plates displayed. She has been issued seven traffic infringement notices, totalling $6,077, and 25 demerit points. Senior Sergeant Jarrad Tyne said drivers are responsible for the safety of everyone in their vehicle.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
A man charged over the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl has been refused bail at Ipswich Magistrates Court. Police allege Ethan Bell, 41, assaulted the girl in bushland at Blackstone, near Ipswich, and drove off before officers arrived. Bell was found at a Bundamba home two days later and charged with indecent treatment of a child under 16 and supplying dangerous drugs to a minor. Magistrate Grace Kalhert said she could not be satisfied that any bail condition would reduce the risk of reoffending. Bell has been remanded in custody and will reappear in court tomorrow.
The Domestic Violence Action Centre has launched Homes for Hope, a housing initiative providing purpose-built modular accommodation for women and children escaping domestic and family violence in Ipswich and Toowoomba. The launch took place during the centre's 30th anniversary celebration at the Hotel Commonwealth in Ipswich, where its 2026 Impact Report was also released. Chief Executive Amie Carrington said the initiative is funded by the Australian Government, Ipswich City Council and private philanthropy. Community donations are sought to help bring the planned homes to life.
The Goodna Jacaranda Festival is set to return on 23 and 24 October, with jacaranda trees in bloom across Brisbane Terrace and Evan Marginson Park. Ipswich City Council has provided $7,500 in Community Events funding. Organisers expect about 11,000 people to attend, with live entertainment, carnival rides, market stalls, food and fireworks planned. Some trees along Brisbane Terrace and Woogaroo Street were planted in 1932 as Great Depression employment projects.
A 41-year-old man has been charged after police investigated the alleged assault of a 13-year-old girl in bushland on Thomas Street, Blackstone, on 14 October. Police were called around 11.30pm and found the alleged offender had already fled in a black Toyota Kluger. Officers located the man at a Cooneana Street address in Bundamba on 16 October. He faces one count each of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and supplying dangerous drugs to a minor under 16. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on 19 October.
A magistrate in Brisbane has refused bail to Awlad Hossain, a 50-year-old welder from Ipswich accused of trying to bribe officials investigating the death of his wife in Bangladesh. Prosecutors allege he sent more than $96,000 to stop police linking him and his family to her death. Hossain's lawyer argued he was unlikely to flee because he could face execution in Bangladesh and extradition is unlikely. The magistrate said no conditions could reduce the risk of him fleeing or offending. Hossain will now seek bail in Queensland's Supreme Court.
Ipswich's first monthly Country Fair and Produce Markets will be held at Nicholas Street Precinct on Sunday, 18 October, from 10am to 2pm. Mayor Teresa Harding says about 30 producers will sell fruit, vegetables, meat, honey, sauces, preserves, baked goods and chocolates. Councillor Marnie Doyle says the event will also feature live music, dancing and roaming entertainment. Market coordinator and farmer Kate Creasey says selling directly to customers means more of each dollar goes back to growers.
Two people have been charged after an alleged robbery and extortion in Ipswich on 13 October. Police allege a man and a woman threatened a 38-year-old man at a business on Brisbane Street, assaulted him and forced him to transfer money into a bank account. The victim suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital. Police tracked the vehicle to a bank in Springfield, where the pair were arrested while allegedly trying to withdraw funds. A 47-year-old Springfield Lakes woman and a 33-year-old Strathpine man each face one count of robbery and one count of extortion.
A 36-year-old woman has been fined $6,993 and charged with driving without a licence after police intercepted her speeding with five unrestrained children, including a baby held by a five-year-old, in Redbank, southwest of Brisbane. The woman, who was travelling at 77km/hr in a 60km zone, is due to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on October 29. Police released body cam footage showing an officer discovering the unrestrained children in the rear of a Hyundai iMax.
Ipswich City Council is encouraging residents to give feedback on an application to add the former Medical Superintendent's Residence at Ipswich Hospital to the Queensland Heritage Register. The 1941 building, on the corner of Court Street and Nicholas Street, is considered significant to the city's social and architectural history. Councillor Marnie Doyle said the state's Planning and Heritage Branch is considering the application. Submissions on the application are due by 19 October 2026.
Ipswich residents are being urged to dispose of batteries correctly before a hotter-than-average summer. Mayor Teresa Harding said batteries crushed in bins or collection trucks can short circuit and generate extreme heat. A fire at the Riverview Resource Recovery Centre in July caused about $120,000 in damage and closed its transfer pit for five days. Batteries can be dropped off for free at the e-waste sections of the Riverview and Rosewood centres, or at approved retailers.
Work to restore Ipswich's riverside walkway at River Heart Parklands is underway, with the park expected to reopen to the public early next year. Division 3 Councillor Marnie Doyle said about 20 metres of concrete footpath damaged by severe weather from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in 2025 is being rebuilt. Councillor Andrew Antoniolli said a landslip caused the embankment under part of the path to collapse. Bank stabilisation works, including piling, rock protection and minor re-vegetation, aim to make the site more flood resilient.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding has welcomed the Federal Government's decision not to proceed with proposed changes to disaster recovery funding arrangements. She thanked the Prime Minister for listening to concerns raised by Ipswich City Council and councils across Queensland. Preliminary analysis showed Ipswich would have faced a shortfall of $32.7 million across six disaster events between 2018 and 2026. For the 2022 floods alone, the city would have been more than $28 million worse off. Harding said the funding is critical for restoring roads and community infrastructure.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
A 42-year-old Wulkuraka man now faces multiple charges after police allegedly discovered a homemade firearm, ammunition, counterfeit currency, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia during a property search. The arrest followed a lengthy investigation by Ipswich Tactical Crime Squad and detectives from Ipswich Criminal Investigation Branch. The man appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on 6 October. Senior Sergeant Michelle Blaney emphasised the serious threat posed by illicit firearms and the police commitment to removing them from communities. Investigations into related activities continue.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder after his three-month-old son died in hospital from significant internal injuries. Uneeb Ullah, from the Ipswich area, was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in court on Wednesday. Police said the boy’s mother is struggling and receiving support. The investigation is ongoing, with detectives examining the parents’ relationship. Ullah was remanded in custody until 26 October.
A 28-year-old Ipswich man, Uneeb Ullah, has been charged with the murder of his three-month-old son, who died from severe internal injuries. The infant was initially treated at Ipswich Hospital before being transferred to Brisbane's Queensland Children's Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Police allege Ullah was the only other person present when the incident occurred. Detectives from the Ipswich Child Protection Investigation Unit arrested Ullah at his home, and he remains in custody. The investigation into the baby's death is ongoing, with further charges not ruled out.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder after his three-month-old son died from significant internal injuries in Queensland. Uneeb Ullah was arrested at his Ipswich home and charged with domestic violence murder. The baby was taken to hospital in Ipswich last Thursday before being transferred to Brisbane, where he died on Tuesday. Police said the boy's mother and father were in a relationship but had no other children. Ullah appeared in Brisbane Arrests Court on Wednesday and remains in custody.
