Dear Neighbour, 

As we've experienced over the past couple of weeks, Brisbane’s summer storm season has already arrived with intense storms, heavy rainfall, and prolonged heat. This year is expected to be hotter than average, and with climate change making our weather increasingly unpredictable and extreme, it’s more important than ever to stay informed and prepared.

Heatwaves, severe storms, and flooding can escalate quickly, so now is a good time to check your emergency plans, update your contact information, and understand the health risks that come with extreme heat.

Here are some helpful resources to support you through the season:

I encourage you to check out the following resources:

• Brisbane Severe Weather Alerts: register for free severe weather alerts delivered by email, SMS or voice message,
• Bureau of Meteorology: download the weather app and register to receive warnings for upcoming events,
• Prepare an emergency kit and make an emergency plan,
• Follow the RSPCA’s tips on caring for your animals during summer,
• Explore Urban Utilities’ Get Set For Summer Checklist and Info,
• Check in with your friends and neighbours who might be at risk, and see if you can help each other prepare. For friends and family who have a disability, Queenslanders with Disability Network’s Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Workbook may be useful, and 
• More local tips on my website if you are interested!

If storms have affected you, your street or our parks, please contact the office so we can help. This may include liaising with Council or providing guidance on next steps.

Most importantly, let’s be prepared, stay connected, and look out for one another. A quick message or check-in can make a real difference during extreme weather.

Stay safe, stay cool, and as always, please reach out if you need any support this season.

Kind Regards, 

Trina

Read on to learn more about: 

• Save our 86 Campaign Update: Share your Story 
• Join Me: Pedestrian Safety Community Meetings in February
• Standing Up for Our Community: Visy Site Update
• Your Voice Needed: Help Save Brisbane’s Trees 

Save our 86 Campaign Update: Share your Story 

Almost a year ago, my office launched the Save Our 86 campaign after the LNP Council announced they would end the popular 86 Kurilpa bus loop. Since then, we've been fighting hard to keep this essential service running.

Here's what we've done:

• Secured 2 extensions of the trial (September 2023 and May 2024)
• Changes to timetable as suggested by community members to increase patronage
• Delivered a petition with 1,179 signatures to Council - one of the largest petitions ever submitted
• Applied consistent pressure through Council Chambers and direct meetings with transport planners (ongoing)
• Organised a community meeting and protest at City Hall in January 2025
• Challenged Council's questionable data revisions that downplayed the 86's popularity

Despite clear community need and overwhelming support, the LNP Council proceeded with cancelling the route on 27 January 2025.

I want to hear your stories of how the removal of the 86 route has impacted your lives. This information will be invaluable for advocacy moving forward and give me the opportunity to bring your stories and understanding of the true effect the removal of the 86 Bus has meant to our communities.

Your stories matter. Whether it's added travel time, difficulty getting to work or school, or losing access to essential services, we need to document the real impact of this decision.

Thank you for your continued support in this fight for accessible public transport for all in our community.

Join Me: Pedestrian Safety Community Meetings in February

Pedestrian safety has been one of my top priorities as your Councillor, and I'm committed to finding practical solutions by working directly with the community to address these issues and meet your needs.

After hearing from so many of you about safety concerns at Dornoch Terrace in Highgate Hill and Montague Road in West End, I've been able to secure final concept designs for pedestrian improvements at both sites. These designs are the result of investigations and planning I secured through the Gabba Ward Suburban Enhancement Fund in 2024, and now it's time for you to see them and have your say.

I'm inviting you to join me at community meetings where you can:

• Learn more about the proposed upgrades
• Ask questions about the design process
• Discuss the next steps to each project

Community Meeting: Pedestrian Safety Dornoch Terrace, Highgate Hill St Francis Hall, 47 Dornoch Terrace, Highgate Hill 10:30AM - 11:30AM 

Community Meeting: Pedestrian Safety Montague Road, West End Come to Daddy, 208 Montague Road, West End 12:30PM - 1:30PM 

These meetings are your chance to get informed, ask questions and discuss the next steps. Whether you walk, wheel, cycle through these areas or simply want safer streets for everyone in our community—your voice matters.

I hope to see you there. Keep an eye out for more updates on pedestrian safety projects at Nile Street, Woolloongabba and Main Street, Kangaroo Point in 2026!

Standing Up for Our Community: Visy Site Update

Since the State Government announced plans in October to sell the 7.1-hectare Visy site to private developers without consulting residents, our community has been fighting back. This is the last major publicly-owned site in South Brisbane and West End (Kurilpa), and it represents an incredible opportunity to create South Bank 2.0 a vibrant space with public parkland, community facilities, a local school, or much-needed social housing that delivers lasting benefits for generations.

Public land should stay public. And our community deserves a say.

My office has been working hard to ensure our community's voice is heard in the fight for this critical piece of public land:

April 2025 - We held a community town hall after it was announced that the international broadcasting station for the Olympics would not be placed at the site. To share information about the Visy site, the history of greenspace in Kurilpa and gather ideas from residents about what they wanted to see happen there.

May - October 2025 - We ran a community survey to collect data on what residents wanted the Government to do at the Visy site.

October 2025  - Following the State Government's announcement about the Expression of Interest for the Visy site on 17 October, I launched a campaign with a letter to the State Government and Lord Mayor, calling on them to keep this land in public hands for the benefit of our community.

October 2025  Present - I've been actively supporting community groups to organise and amplify their campaign efforts.

If you haven't already, please join me in showing the State Government and the Lord Mayor that our community will not be ignored. We need your voice to demand community consultation before sell-off.

It only takes 1 min to  add your voice to hundreds of residents who are standing up for transparency and to keep public land in public hands.

What’s in the Kurilpa Sustainable Precinct Plan?

There has been high suspicion that the Planning Minister and Deputy Premier, Jarrod Bleijie, acted alone in extending the Kurilpa Temporary Planning Instrument (TLPI) in October. That suspicion has now been confirmed. I’ve uncovered a media release from the Lord Mayor’s Office on the Sustainable Kurilpa Precinct Plan, dated just one day after the TLPI extension. Precinct Plans are more permanent amendments to the City Plan 2014, unlike TLPIs that are temporary. 

This reveals that Council was preparing to deliver City Plan amendments as soon as the TLPI ended. The urgent question now is: What's in the Precinct Plan and does it designate the Visy Glass Factory site as future parkland?

I’ve tabled this media release in Council to place it on the public record, and I’ll be pushing the full release of the Precinct Plan. Our community deserves full transparency on planning decisions that shape Kurilpa's future... our home.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Kurilpa Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) and its extension are undemocratic and remove the opportunity for community members to be consulted on development applications that far exceed community expectation. If you want to learn more about the Kurilpa TLPI, please check out our campaign to stop the TLPI back in 2023. 

As always, please reach out if you have any questions. 

Your Voice Needed: Help Save Brisbane’s Trees 

After years of community pressure, Brisbane City Council agreed in 2022 to increase deep planting requirements for new developments from 10 percent to 15 percent. It was meant to be a long-awaited win for our city.

Deep planting means real trees: large subtropical species planted directly into the ground, not overshadowed or placed above pipes and underground car parks. These trees cool our suburbs, provide shade, and help rebuild Brisbane’s tree cover, which has been declining for a decade.

In the Gabba Ward, where rapid densification continues, deep planting is critical. It keeps our streets liveable, supports local wildlife, and protects the subtropical character that makes our neighbourhoods special. The LNP State Government has now quietly stepped in to block Council’s increase. Instead, they have introduced changes that reduce genuine green space, allowing developments to provide as little as 6 percent real deep planting.

They also changed the definition of deep planting to include soil cells, which are small pockets of soil covered in concrete. This means developers can technically meet requirements while delivering far less greenery. In a suburb like Kangaroo Point, where densification is highly concentrated, limited public transport options, lack of sufficient greenspace and increasingly unpredictable weather, real trees and genuine shade are more important than ever for the liveability of current and future residents. The same of course can be said about Kurilpa.

All references to large subtropical trees have been removed and replaced with “trees of all sizes,” allowing developers to plant smaller species that do not provide meaningful shade or cooling.

For the Gabba Ward, this means fewer trees, less shade, hotter streets, and less habitat for wildlife. With ongoing densification, residents should expect new developments to contribute to increasing the tree canopy, not reducing it.

This City Plan amendment is up for public consultation until Monday 1st December. I'm asking you to take a moment to have your say and help us preserve Brisbane's tree cover. You can have your say here . Every voice counts in protecting our urban canopy and ensuring our community remains liveable as development continues.

Community Notices

• Weekend Road Closure in Kangaroo Point
  Due to a Tower Crane Dismantle, out-of-hours work will be required on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November from 6:00am to 6:00pm both days. For these dates, a southbound closure on River Terrace will be in place and signed detours to direct traffic. Please look out for road closure signage or avoid the area if you can! 
• Have Your Say: Fairfield Walking Network Plan
  Brisbane City Council is developing a Walking Network Plan for Fairfield and is asking for your feedback until 7 December. If you walk through Fairfield to access shops, schools, parks, and public transport from Dutton Park, your input matters. Share your walking experiences and ideas for improvement: whether it's new footpaths, wider paths, or better connections between our neighbourhoods. This planning project is supported by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, and while there won't be immediate capital works, your input will shape the Walking Network Plan and inform future investment in our area.

• The House of Soul – West End's Inclusive Choir
  The House of Soul is a West End choir open to everyone, including singers and non-singers alike. Born from a spirit of inclusion and music's healing power, this group creates a welcoming space for people facing social isolation to connect, sing, and rediscover their confidence. The choir writes its own songs drawn from the shared life stories of its members—First Nations people, refugees, locals, and those with special needs. They meet every Wednesday from 12:30pm-2:30pm during QLD school term at Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary Street, West End. For enquiries, email [email protected] or call 3510 2747.

• Baby Give Back – Clothing Donations Needed
  Baby Give Back is critically low on preloved clothing in sizes 0000, 000, 3, 4, and 5 (Boys and Girls). Since January, they have issued over 6,000 clothing boxes, more than the total given out in 2024. Donations of clothes can be dropped at the Gabba Ward Office to help families in need.
• Share the Dignity – Council Cares Initiative
  The Gabba Ward Office has partnered with Share the Dignity as part of their new Council Cares initiative. The program aims to increase awareness and understanding of menstruation and help break down barriers. Check out the resources and tools available on the menstruation education hub today: Share the Dignity Education Hub
• Council's Summer Reading Program Returns
  Council's Summer Reading program is back from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2026 at Brisbane libraries. Track your reading, complete challenges, and attend events to earn points for weekly $50 book voucher draws. For more info, visit brisbane.qld.gov.au/libraries or call 3403 8888.
• Metro South Health Advance Care Planning Service
  Learn how to plan for your future health care. Join a free monthly information session on advance care planning or book a one-on-one Telehealth session for support in completing Advance Health Directives, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Statement of Choices documents. Check this webpage for more information and call 1300 227 674 to book your place.
• Romero Centre Festive Food Drive
  The Romero Centre is seeking donations of rice, canned food, noodles, cooking oil, flour, tea & coffee, and supermarket vouchers. Your support keeps the weekly pantry open for people seeking asylum who cannot access social welfare. Every contribution helps provide essential groceries and a place where dignity and belonging are restored for families over the holiday season. The Gabba Ward Office will be a donation collection point until 18th December. 

Tree Removals

This month, Council outlined plans to remove 30 trees across the Gabba Ward. While most removals are attributed to legitimate concerns about tree health and structural integrity, a concerning pattern has emerged: several healthy trees are being removed simply because they "lack space to mature" or might potentially interfere with infrastructure in the future. Council has classified the location on Gloucester Street as "unsuitable for replanting" without adequate explanation, raising questions about their commitment to maintaining our urban canopy. Furthermore, for the majority of removals where replacement planting is promised, Council cannot confirm timelines or species selection, leaving our community with significant gaps in tree coverage for an extended period. This is particularly concerning given the critical role trees play in climate resilience, air quality, noise reduction, wildlife habitat, and the liveability of our city.

• 56 Gloucester Street, South Brisbane: One Callistemon (Bottlebrush) tree will be removed due to declining health. Removal work is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2025. This location is deemed unsuitable for replanting and an alternative will be investigated to maintain canopy coverage.
• 66 Ernest Street, South Brisbane: Four Lophostemon confertus (Brush Box) trees (including both sides of street and median strip) will be removed due to death or declining health. Removal work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. Replacement planting is possible at this location, but Council can't advise when it will occur.
• 11 Dock Street, South Brisbane: One Grevillea robusta (Silky Oak) tree will be removed as the tree lacks the space required to mature without potentially causing damage to surrounding infrastructure. Removal work is scheduled to be completed within days. Replacement planting is possible at this location, but Council can't advise the species or timing.
• 117 Holman Street, Kangaroo Point (Captain Burke Park): One Albizia lebbeck (Lebbeck) tree will be removed due to poor health and structural issues. Removal work is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. Replacement planting is possible at this location, but Council can't advise the species or timing.
• 25 Deighton Road, Dutton Park: One Corymbia ficifolia (Red Flowering Gum) tree will be removed due to tree death. Removal work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. A replacement Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) tree will be planted at this location, but Council can't advise when it will occur.
• 31 Drake Street, West End: One Spathodea campanulata (African Tulip) tree and one unidentified species street tree will be removed due to tree death. Removal work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. A replacement Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) tree will be planted at this location, but Council can't advise when it will occur.
• 42 Drake Street, West End: One unidentified species street tree will be removed due to tree death. Removal work is scheduled to be completed within 90 days. A replacement Tristaniopsis laurina (Water Gum) tree will be planted at this location, but Council can't advise when it will occur.
• 6 O'Connell Street, West End: One Handroanthus impetiginosus (Pink Trumpet Tree) will be removed due to a leader failure comprising the main trunk of the tree. Removal work is scheduled to be completed within 30 days. Replacement planting is possible at this location, but Council can't advise the species or timing.
• 87 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba (behind South Brisbane Day Hospital): 17 mature Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig) trees will be removed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) from land between the South East Busway and retaining wall. These works are being undertaken because the trees are a safety hazard to private property and are damaging busway infrastructure. TMR has advised that "revegetation with suitable species" will take place, but cannot advise when it will occur or which species will be used.