TOGETHER WITH

Ipswich’s Million Dollar Parks & Playgrounds

You ever wondered what your local park and playground cost?

Was it $1 million, $2 million or $10 million?

• Orion Mega Playground cost $1.5 million
• Colleges Crossing’s flood rebuild cost about $10 million
• Springfield Central’s entire sports complex cost $56 million.

Compare photos and prices for 19 parks and playgrounds across 15 suburbs. 

Each entry explains what the figure covers, with estimates clearly marked.

Show me the full list →

SPONSORED BY LOAN MARKET RIPLEY VALLEY

🏡 Has Your Home’s Value Jumped Since You Took Out Your Mortgage?

If it has, you could be paying more interest than you need to.

As your home’s value rises and you pay down your mortgage, your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) falls. You owe less compared with what the property is worth, which means less risk for the lender and can make you eligible for a better rate.

Our Insider Partner, Justin Hewitt at Loan Market Ripley Valley, can check whether your current loan is still competitive and work out how much you could save:

Email Justin for a home loan review →

Win a Halloween night out for 4 🎃

Ipswich Showgrounds’ Carnival of Screams takes over the Main Arena from 4pm to 9pm on Saturday 31 October, with trick-or-treating, a haunted house, spooky disco, rides, food trucks and a best-dressed competition.

Thanks to Ipswich Show Society, one Ipswich Insider reader will win:

• 4 general admission tickets

• $50 in food and beverage vouchers

• 4 single ride passes

To enter, just click the button below. I’ll draw one winner at random on Saturday 24 October and contact the winner by email.

Harrisville, $1.45m+, house beside the pub. We’re taking a short detour beyond Ipswich for this one: the house across from Harrisville’s Royal Hotel, sitting on almost two acres. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and parking for 12. Yup. Plenty of space, with the pub a short stroll away. Take a look inside →

Free Green Waste Weekend – Clear out the garden and drop off branches, leaves, grass clippings and palm fronds at Riverview or Rosewood Resource Recovery Centre on 24–25 October. For Ipswich residents with proof of address. Domestic green waste only, with load limits applying. More info →

Goodna Jacaranda Festival CANCELLED – This weekend’s festival at Evan Marginson Park has been cancelled after severe weather disrupted preparations. Organisers have announced the festival will return on 29–30 October 2027. View festival updates →

🗳️ Vote

🤔 Trivia

🧩 SWICHEROO

Unscramble the word to reveal your GuessWhere hint

Click the Swicheroo card to play on the gameboard, or have a go in your head!

Play Swicheroo #084

📍 GuessWhere

How to play: Look close at the photo, guess where it was taken from in Ipswich. Click the link and drop your pin to see how close you can get.

GuessWhere #084 →

🤖 Springfield’s $4.2 Million Surgical Robot Treats First Patient

Mater Private Hospital Springfield’s $4.2 million da Vinci 5 surgical robot assisted its first operation, a hysterectomy, on 21 September. The surgeon-controlled system enables complex keyhole procedures locally and can reduce pain, hospital stays and recovery times. Mater →

🌳 Federal Approval Granted for Springview Development in Woogaroo Forest

The federal government has approved Springview Villages 2 and 3 with conditions, allowing koala habitat in Woogaroo Forest to be cleared for a development of more than 1,800 homes. The project required federal assessment because of its impacts on protected wildlife and ecological communities, including koalas and threatened lowland rainforest. Stockland → | Save Woogaroo Forest →

🏟️ $340,000 Temporary Fix Proposed for Bill Paterson Oval

Council officers have proposed $340,000 in temporary repairs to Bill Paterson Oval, treating turf and topsoil and compacting the worst sunken areas. The proposed 13-week works aim to reduce trip hazards for local athletes and extend the oval’s usable life by up to two years. Ipswich Facts →

Quick-fire snippets—local buzz & chatter:

• 🎭 Ipswich Arts Groups Unite for Old Courthouse Exhibition Until 25 October →
• 🏉 Norths Ipswich Fifth in Courier-Mail’s Queensland Grassroots Rugby League Rankings (PAYWALL) →
• 🏏 Hornets Under-17s Beat Redlands by 217 Runs →
• 🎓 Ipswich Girls’ Grammar Students Launch Children’s Book About Domestic Violence →
• 🕊️ Llewellyn Motors Founder Ross Llewellyn Farewelled at Private Funeral →
• ⚖️ Bail Refused Over Alleged Sexual Assault of Girl at Blackstone →

Wednesday (21 October)

Thursday (22 October)

Friday (23 October)

Saturday (24 October)

💵 Leichhardt State School - Portrait Fundraiser 8am-7pm ($20) info 

🆓 Ipswich Art Workshop & Ipswich Community Gallery - The Big Draw Festival 10am-3pm info 

🆓 Queens Park Enviro Centre - Sustainable and resilient homes workshop 10am-12pm details

💵 Studio 188 - The Adaptation Game Ipswich first look 1-6pm info 

💵 Ipswich Civic Centre - Top of the Pops: British Hits of the 60s 2-4:30pm ($79.90 adults) tickets 

🍻🍽️ Stony Creek Brewing - Live music: Paco Wolfe 6pm info

💵 Cambrian Centre, Booval - Live music: Rat Pack 6:30-9:30pm tickets 

💵 Brothers Leagues Club - Girls Night Comedy Road Trip 7-8:30pm (doors 6:30pm, $55) tickets

💵 Racehorse Hotel - Comedy: Heath Franklin's Chopper 7:30pm tickets

Sunday (25 October)

Monday (26 October)

Tuesday (27 October)