Dear residents,

It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks here in the Gabba Ward Office. There’s been some big developments in the campaign to save Raymond Park and East Brisbane State School. The community is closer than ever to winning, but I’m not going to rest until the Gabba demolition is cancelled for good.

But before I get into that, you may have heard by now that my good friend and colleague Amy MacMahon was in a serious car accident last Monday night. Amy is in a critical but stable condition and I am relieved to hear she is expected to make a full recovery. You can read a statement from Amy’s team here.

What you may not know is that I was in the car behind Amy and was one of the first people at the scene of the crash and made the call to emergency services. Witnessing such a horrific accident is traumatic for anyone and seeing my friend so badly hurt still haunts me.

It’s really important to me that I’m able to give our community my all and do the important job of being your Councillor to the absolute best of my abilities. So I’ve made the difficult decision to take some time off to process my own trauma and access the support I need to come back next week even stronger.

The Gabba Ward Office will continue to function as normal, so please reach out and speak with my staff. You can read my full statement here.

Image description: Trina and Amy in front of a community garden.

Gabba Demolition Update

After years of pressure from the local community and the Greens, the state Labor government has finally seen the writing on the wall and paused the $2.7 billion Gabba Demolition. Former LNP Mayor Graham Quirk has been tasked with conducting an “independent” review, the results of which won’t be released until two days after the Council elections.

That means people in Brisbane will be going to the polls not knowing if Labor will go ahead with blowing billions of dollars destroying East Brisbane State School and Raymond Park. 

I’m disappointed that neither Labor nor the LNP will firmly commit to scrapping this expensive, community-wrecking project. Residents deserve to have a clear position on the Gabba Demolition before they go to the polls in mid-March.

In positive news, the Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has come out publicly against the Gabba Demolition. They’ve recommended using Suncorp Stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies while holding the athletics at QSAC Stadium in Nathan.

We’re in a make or break moment of the campaign to stop the Gabba Demolition for good. Right now, Premier Steven Miles is leaving the door open to continuing with the Gabba demolition, if that’s what his review comes back with.

I need your help to keep the pressure up to stop the project for good. You can help by calling Steven Miles’s office on Monday on (07) 3719 7000. 

He needs to hear our community’s message loud and clear: Call off the Gabba rebuild now, save East Brisbane State School and Raymond Park.

Image description: Trina speaking at a recent community forum about the Labor’s Gabba Demolition project

Local Priorities for Gabba Ward

Over the past nine months as your Councillor, my team and I have had thousands of conversations with local residents about what issues matter to you. My office also ran a community consultation project in which we received over 1000 ideas for how to make our neighbourhoods even better. From what you told me I’ve developed five key priorities and I’d love to know what you think:

• Housing and Development for People, not Profit
• Free, Frequent and Reliable Public Transport
• Accessible, Quality Parklands
• Safer Streets for Cycling and Walking
• Investing in Arts, Culture and Community

Hampstead Road Redesign

My office is holding a workshop this coming Sunday to provide the Council with a list of community priorities for a redesign of Hampstead Road. The broad goals are to increase greenspace and improve active transport facilities without impacting traffic flow or car parking. Learn more and RSVP for the workshop here.

Image description: Trina standing on Hampstead Road with information about the Hampstead Road community forum. Four priorities listed: add bike lanes, improve pedestrian safety, create pocket parks, and green our streets to reverse the urban heat island effect.

Other local updates

• Victoria St Ferry Terminal: Amy MacMahon MP’s office is organising a public forum to update residents on the fight for a ferry terminal near Victoria St, West End. Saturday 2 March @ 9:30am under the fig trees in Davies Park. More info and RSVP here.
• Dockside Ferry Terminal: The Dockside Ferry Terminal upgrade is almost complete. It was on track to reopen in mid-March but I am now advised late-March is more likely. Mowbray Park Ferry Terminal will not close for upgrade works until Dockside reopens.
• Route 27 bus: With the Dockside close to reopening, the 27 bus in Kangaroo Point could be cut within a matter of months. Amy and I have written to both Brisbane City Council and the state government to call on them to work together to keep the 27 as a permanent service. Please consider emailing Minister Mellish ([email protected]) and Lord Mayor Schrinner ([email protected]) to call on them to permanently fund the 27.
• Raymond Park upgrades: I’ve secured funding for two new community noticeboards and a new water tap to be installed in Raymond Park. Construction starts on Monday 19 Feb and will run for roughly 6 weeks.
• Jane St seating and greenery: Residents may have noticed that the old CityCycle station on Jane St by Davies Park has been revamped. I allocated some of my Suburban Enhancement Fund to create the new seating and convert some concrete back into garden beds.
• Tree removals: 
  • Raymond Park: Council advises me that two brush box trees within the dog off leash area (DOLA) in Raymond Park are “in a state of irreversible decline” and will be removed. Replacement plantings will occur at the same location. The broader problem here is a lack of DOLAs within the ward leads to over-use which damages the tree roots. This is why accessible, quality parklands are one of my local priorities.
  • 25 Harriet St, West End: Council is going to remove a weeping fig because it is damaging a retaining wall and footpath. A more suitable replacement tree will be replanted.