Once a quiet farming community, this Queensland town just outside of Brisbane is transforming into one of the state's fastest-growing urban areas.
Ripley Valley is set to be home to 131,000 residents as the area grows. Image: Economic Development Queensland
Ripley Valley, situated just 8km south of the city of Ipswich and within the Greater Brisbane area, is not a new name on the table for housing. The Queensland government declared Ripley Valley a Priority Development Area – one of Australia’s largest – in 2010 to meet further growth needs.
But recently, its come into greater focus as states and territories across Australia ramp up their attempts to get much-needed homes on the ground.
As at mid-2025 the area houses about 18,228 residents, but once fully developed, the population will swell to over 131,000.
For the local families who have occupied the land for more than 130 years, the shift will be dramatic – Ripley hasn’t even had its own pub.
But work is already underway in Ripley Valley, which includes suburbs Ripley, South Ripley, Whiterock and Deebing Heights. Several land estates have already popped up, such as Ripley Square, Amory Ripley, Bellevue Ripley and Cadence.
In total, 48,750 new dwellings are planned across 4,680 hectares, a massive undertaking Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding admits is “very ambitious”.
“Ripley Valley has transformed over the past 25 years. It was a quiet farming community, and you can still see parts of it that are like that, but it's now one of the fastest growing suburbs in Australia,” she said.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of change. I make sure I drive around at least once a fortnight, because new roads and houses are popping up all the time.”
One of the biggest challenges is balancing fragmented land ownership – there are over 20 different land owners – with rapid population growth and infrastructure needs.
“We work really hard with all levels of government and the developers to get that balance right. It won't be perfect, but we'll continue on,” Ms Harding said.
Bringing attention – and funding – to Ipswich
The 2025-26 Queensland Budget included $38 million for a Ripley police facility, and funds to expand the Ripley Satellite Health Centre and build a new primary school.
But the biggest need for the growing population is better public transport, roads and community facilities, Ms Harding said.
“Ripley's the fastest growing part of our city, and Ipswich is the fastest growing city in Queensland. Ipswich itself is the oldest provincial city in Queensland – it was going to be the capital until Brisbane stole it off us in the 1850s," she noted.
“It’s lovely to see people discovering Ipswich. We're seeing tremendous growth and anything we can do to encourage the state and federal governments to spend more money on transport out here would be great.”
Ripley Valley is just a 12 minute drive to downtown Ipswich, and a key growth area for delivering the homes the city needs. Image: Discover Ipswich
A potential rail line
Ipswich City Council and state and federal governments are funding a business case for the Ripley rail extension, connecting Ipswich Central to Springfield Central with Ripley Valley at its heart.
“We know 70% of our growth will be on that train line, so we're working very hard to get that funding,” Ms Harding said.
Multiple schools, emergency and health and community facilities are also on the cards and several major road upgrades are planned or underway.
To help shape Ripley Valley’s future, residents have been invited to make submissions on the plans, while developers are encouraged to seek community input before lodging applications.
Buying in before the boom
First home buyers, newcomers to Queensland, Brisbane residents and downsizing baby boomers have begun flocking to the area, Ms Harding said.
“We're getting a really great mix, and a lot of people from different countries as well. We've got quite a strong multicultural community out here, so it’s been really great."
Once fully developed, Ripley Valley is expected to generate about 200,000 jobs.
The Ripley town centre will support the rapid growth, serving as the primary retail, commercial and civic hub, designed around the idea people can meet most of their daily needs within a 20-minute walk.
Walkability at the core of development
DKO architect Kai Chua, who is involved in developing the Ripley Valley Town Centre project, said the precinct is designed to grow with the population.
“It’s really exciting to be able to work on a town centre that’s not just a money grab for developers, but about putting in all the critical pieces of infrastructure so it can become quite a successful city,” he said.
The town centre precinct will accommodate up to 3000 dwellings, and while there is an existing Coles supermarket there’s currently “not much else”.
“It’s almost a true blank slate,” Kai added.
Housing will be diverse, from compact homes to family dwellings and boutique apartments, to attract a range of residents. Building heights will increase towards the centre to ensure population density targets are met, unlocking government funds for infrastructure.
Ripley Square is a new townhome estate currently underway in the area. Image: realestate.com.au
The goal is to create a vibrant urban centre where people can live, work, and play, Kai said. Retail is also being designed to lure people in.
“Long gone are the days where you build a massive, enclosed Westfield or the like, where people drive in, park their car and just wander through the centre,” Kai said.
“We’re looking at opportunities to make a retail centre that embraces the subtropical climate and environment, so it’s open and inviting – not in a hermetic box, but somewhere you can experience the weather and changing of the times.”
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