THERE is plenty of expectation ahead of the opening of a new school in Bellbird Park in less than a fortnight.

But that is not all that is happening this year in Cr Paul Tully's Division 2 by a long shot.

The new Bellbird Park State Secondary College will open on January 23 and in preparation Ipswich City Council has upgraded Jones Rd at Bellbird Park, adjacent to the school, at a cost of $3 million. The upgrade includes new traffic lights at the corner of Jones Rd and Harris St, adjacent to the school.

Cr Tully said the new school, which commences with an initial Grade 7 intake before adding grades up to Grade 12 in subsequent years, was "a tremendous addition to the local area". He said the road upgrades had made the immediate vicinity of the school safer for students and would enhance bus transport to and from the school.

Division 2 is set to become safer for the public with additional new security cameras to be installed at Old Logan Rd, Gailes near the shopping centre and at two sites on Augusta Pwy at Augustine Heights.

"These cameras will also have number plate recognition on them so we will be able to identify vehicles that are wanted and work with police in relation to that," Cr Tully said.

"They will be linked to the Safe City monitoring room in Ipswich and will be monitored 24/7."

Security cameras in Cr Tully's division recently played a key role in assisting police to respond to two robberies promptly. The extra cameras will be welcomed by both the public and police.

Cr Tully said he would install additional 'smiley face' signs across Division 2 to alert all drivers to their speed. The signs were first installed in Ipswich a year ago at Goodna, Gailes, Bellbird Park, Augustine Heights and Redbank.

"I am extending them because there has been very good feedback from the community," Cr Tully said.

"They have slowed traffic down and made people more aware. The feedback I am getting is that kids in cars are telling their parents to slow down or telling them what their speed is.

"The signs are engaging children who are making sure their parents drive safely.

"I pioneered those in Division 2 last year and other councillors are now planning to run them out in all the divisions."

The signs register the speed of each vehicle and will display a green smiley face if cars are below the speed limit or a red sad face if they are above the limit.