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Why Does This Matter?
The number of different leases in Davies Park severely limits improvements, because Council has given up control of these areas of the park. Tenants of Davies Park can play an important role in maintaining and managing facilities – but it’s a problem when over half the largest public greenspace in the area is not in the public’s hands, and some leased areas are only used a few times a year.
Having such a significant portion of our largest neighbourhood park off-limits to the public puts even more pressure on the rest of the limited greenspace around the Ward. The parks we do have see extremely high use, especially when it comes to dog owners.
Since Brisbane was colonised, Brisbane's parks have also been places of refuge for First Nations peoples, as well as for people looking for a safe and secluded place to sleep rough when they have nowhere else to go. [1] Parks have always been a safe space for unhoused people, but the limited availability of greenspace relative to our populations means homelessness is more visible now than ever. As Australia experiences its worst housing crisis in decades, and more and more people in cities across the continent finding themselves on the streets, our Ward is seeing its fair share of people rough sleeping in parks.
Constrained availability of greenspace means that use of parks by people sleeping rough, and other residents' recreational uses, compete for the same space. Until our governments build enough public and affordable housing for everyone, we will continue to see people sleeping rough in Brisbane parks - and until we have enough greenspace for all of us, recreational park users will necessarily coexist alongside park residents.
Democratising Green Space
During our 2023 community survey, 9 out of 10 residents told us they wanted more greenspace, more amenities, and separate spaces for public use including dog parks, playgrounds, and bush reserve.
West End and South Brisbane are two of the fastest-growing suburbs in Brisbane, but we have less greenspace per resident than New York City! We only have 1/5 the amount recommended by the Word Health Organisation, and 1/10 the amount of the average Brisbane suburb. With many residents living in apartments, access to quality parkland is essential. But skyrocketing property prices mean it’s becoming extremely expensive for Council to purchase new land for parks. Maximising the community utility of the spaces we have is therefore essential.
Open access to green space is also highly correlated with the life expectancy and productivity of the surrounding community in high-density urban areas. A 2008 study even found that the impacts of income inequality on health could be lessened when communities had greater exposure to greenspace, and that greenspace can actually reduce disease amongst poorer people. [2]
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[1] Aboriginal Campsites of Greater Brisbane. Dr. Ray Kerkhove, Boolarong Press, 2015.
[2] Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. Dr. Richard Mitchell and Frank Popham, Lancet, 2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18994663/