Dear neighbours,
What a week it’s been! Last week you would have received my printed newsletter, the vast majority of which was dedicated to local issues. It also included a human interest story about a Brisbane-based Palestinian refugee and information about the 76 year occupation of Palestine which the LNP weaponised to attack me in Chambers and create a small media frenzy.
In January 2024 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “found it plausible that Israel’s acts could amount to genocide”. In July 2024 the ICJ found “Israel's legislation and measures violate the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid.”
Every day I speak with residents of the ward who share their grief with me at watching this genocide livestreamed through their smart phones. They ask me to do anything I can to help put a stop to the destruction.
The LNP have been trying very hard to censor local residents and their political opponents, but along the way they’ve come up with some pretty outrageous misinformation. Despite what they’ve claimed, my team and I went through all the normal Council approval channels for this particular newsletter. You can read my statement here.
Thank you to all those who reached out to share their support. I will continue to stand firm against all forms of racism. As always I will continue to fight for the needs of Gabba Ward Residents, with many local updates included in this newsletter.
Vulture Street Bikeway Concept Designs
After years of advocacy from local residents, Bicycle User Groups, and our local representatives, we finally have draft concept designs for a protected bikeway connecting Woolloongabba to West End.
Several different options were assessed with the preferred option being:
- A protected bikeways running east-west along Vulture Street from Montague Road, West End to Main Street, Kangaroo Point
- A protected bikeway running north-south along Browning Street and Melbourne Street from Vulture Street, West End to Cordelia Street, South Brisbane
- A “green street” treatment and 30 km/hr speed limits on Boundary Street
You can have a look at all the draft concept designs here.
The total cost is estimated at $22.07 million. The State Government has committed “$9.6 million towards the “South Brisbane bike network” and Council has not confirmed that they will be contributing any money toward the project.
Amy MacMahon MP and I are working closely to pressure each respective government to fully fund the project. It would really help our advocacy if you could email Transport Minister Bart Mellish MP ([email protected]) and Transport Chair Cr Ryan Murphy ([email protected]).
New Draconian Planning Laws: HAAPOLA ACT 2024
Many residents are painfully aware that our current Planning Act is stacked in favour of developers; it prioritises developer profits over quality design and good local outcomes. Thanks to new legislation from the State Labor government, the situation is about to get a whole lot worse.
Some key changes to city planning include:
- Giving the Planning Minister the power to force Council to change the City Plan without notice and without consultation.
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Creation of a “State Facilitated Development” (SFD) process for developments that meet certain criteria, including a poorly defined minimum 15% of “affordable housing”. The SFD process:
- Gives the state full assessment powers
- Allows the state to decide whether to notify the public or not
- Provides no appeal rights for anyone (including Council)
- Does not need to comply with the City Plan
- Removes all application fees
- Allows the developer to apply for an “infrastructure conversion” which would make Council pay for infrastructure upgrades internal to the development site
The above is just a short summary and does not include the changes to heritage protections among others. Check out Amy MacMahon’s speech in parliament for more details.
If Labor truly cared about the housing crisis they would implement a vacancy levy, freeze rents for two years, create a public developer, and institute inclusionary zoning. This legislation is nothing but a thinly veiled power grab and dodgy deal with their big developer mates.
Are you happy with public access in Davies Park?
I’m running a short community survey to understand if residents are satisfied with how Davies Park is currently managed. Davies Park is the largest greenspace in West End, but much of the space is fenced off and inaccessible to the public. You can learn more about the past, present, and future of Davies Park at this link.
We also have two in person community consultation events planned at Davies Park. Meet in the park on the corner of Jane St and Montague Rd.
Upgrading the Orleigh Park Dog Park
Orleigh Park Dog Park is an important community asset for West End. However, the park’s natural landscape, slope, and location have made maintenance challenging since its implementation.
This short survey for dog park users and community members will inform and help guide future upgrades for Orleigh Dog Park.
The survey will run until 15 September, with a community workshop in October. Budget allocation and project confirmation will happen between December and February.
Save Kurilpa Commons!
Kurilpa Commons, on the corner of Boundary Street and Dudley Street, is a place for local connection, collective food production, and community building. Over many years, organically, Kurilpa Commons has become a very special place for locals, growers and neighbours.
This community spirit and the connection were evident when, back in 2021, property developers wanted to knock down affordable apartments at Rivera (next to the Commons) and threatened the Kurilpa Commons. Growing Forward gardeners, local community members and tenants fought hard, and the developers ended up selling the block of land.
Recently, McNab has bought the land and is going full throttle, issuing eviction notices to Rivera tenants and submitting change applications for the previously approved DA. In the firing line are the Kurilpa Commons and 14 affordable homes (in the middle of a housing crisis).
The community is organising again. I am super supportive of the local response. To show your support or get involved, please follow their page!! Growing Forward.
Tree Removals
- A fig tree in Musgrave Park near the South Brisbane federal band shed is going to be removed because it is 95% dead. A replacement of the same species, Ficus Benjamina, will be planted at the location, at a minimum size of 100L, though aiming for 200L if stock availability allows it.
- A tree is going to be removed at 111 Vulture Street, Kangaroo Point, due to its structure and unnatural lean, it has been in contact with multiple vehicles, and currently there is an insurance claim for a recent incident. Removal will be completed by November.
- A Brushbox tree is going to be removed at 39 Russell Street, South Brisbane, due to the tree being dead. Removal will be completed by November 2024. A replacement will be planted at the same location.
- A Bottlebrush tree is going to be removed at 18 Lamington Terrace, Dutton Park because it’s dead and has fallen over. Removal will be completed by November 2024. A replacement will be planted at the same location.