By Angela Dorizas

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has announced a regionalisation strategy for the state to manage future growth.

In her closing remarks to the Queensland Growth Management Summit, Ms Bligh said the South East Queensland Plan had already demonstrated the benefits of regionalisation strategies.

“Recent ABS data has shown that the South East Queensland Plan, aimed at driving growth in and around Ipswich, is working,” she said.

“The data showed that Ipswich was the fastest growing local government area in Queensland, jumping from an average of 2.8 per cent per year ten years ago to 5 per cent growth in 2009.

“This very clearly shows that effective planning and infrastructure investment can influence where people live.”

Ms Bligh said  six of the top ten fastest growing local government areas in the state were outside South East Queensland (SEQ).

Held from the 30-31 March at the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Growth Management Summit explored new strategies and solutions for future population growth in Queensland.

Experts from the fields of planning, development, infrastructure and sustainability led discussions around three key themes of prosperity, sustainability and liveability.

A survey of summit participants found that 74 per cent believed growth in regions could relieve pressures in SEQ. Of those surveyed, 85 per cent said it was very important to encourage population growth in other regions.

Ms Bligh said the Government would respond to the ideas put forward at the summit within the next six weeks.