Ipswich ratepayers will pay on average an extra 3.8 per cent on their rates bill over the next year, or around $1.22 a week.
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That is below the average rates increase in Brisbane, but higher than the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast or the Scenic Rim councils.
Ipswich's 2016-17 $411 million budget includes major increases in roadwork and infrastructure spending, plus money for feasibility studies into two new arts facilities for the city.
The budget includes $400,000 to investigate the location and viability of a new Ipswich Performing Arts Centre to supplement the Ipswich Civic Centre, opened more than 40 years ago.
"We have been talking about this for some time," Mayor Paul Pisasale said.
"This budget allocates $400,000 for a business case investigation for IPAC," Cr Pisasale said.
This study will establish whether it is viable to update the existing Ipswich Civic Centre or choose a new location.
"But to make IPAC a reality we will need support from the Queensland and Australian governments," Cr Pisasale said.
It also includes $200,000 to reuse the heritage-listed Ipswich Woollen Mills at North Ipswich as a combined arts and community centre.
Plans are again underway to re-shape the Ipswich Mall and open it to the Bremer River, although this is an Ipswich City Properties project, not an Ipswich City Council project.
Although Ipswich City Council owns Ipswich City Properties there is no money in the 2016-17 Ipswich City Council budget for this project.
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale is one director of Ipswich City Properties.
The decades-old project to open Ipswich Square to the Bremer River is slowly being put together by Melbourne developers epcPacific and Ipswich City Properties.
It includes plans - announced earlier this year - to build a new riverside piazza looking towards Riverlink Shopping Centre on the opposite side of the Bremer River.
Ipswich City Council 2016-17 budget - where will your money go?
- Capital works infrastructure increases from $80m to $100m;
- Money to seal roads increases from $12m to $17m;
- $7.6 million to finish stage two of four-laning Redbank Plains Road;
- Borrowings at $10 million; down to $1299 per head;
- $4million towards a new library at Springfield Central;
- $300,000 to design a new library at Rosewood;
- $2.6 million for new timber bridge Hallets Road in Redbank Plains;
- $2.4 million for new roadworks at Marburg and Rosewood;
- $1million for a new flood detention basin at Sandra Nolan Park in Redbank Plains;
- $400,000 for solar heating at Bundamba Swim Pool; and
- $365,000 for better tourism at historic Blackstone Hill, which once was home to Brynhyfryd, the castle that was built by Welsh-born coal king Lewis Thomas in the 1880s.
