Bragg stands out in Property Council Debate

While Newman and Rowell bickered, Greens Lord Mayoral Candidate Jo Bragg used her address to the Property Council to repeat her calls for a ban to developer donations, for unsustainable growth to stop and for Council's transport priorities to be put on public transport, walking and cycling. The need for a ban on developer donations is now crystal clear as information about corruption involving developers and Councillors at Woolongong Council in New South Wales are made public.

Speech by Greens’ Lord Mayoral Candidate Jo Bragg

To the Property Council Lord Mayoral debate

Thursday 6 March 2008

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the Brisbane area.  Good afternoon to the office bearers and staff of the Property Council, current councillors in the audience, Lord Mayor Newman, Greg Rowell and our Facilitator

Brisbane is heading in the wrong direction. That is why I am running for Lord Mayor  and why the  Greens are engaged in  a serious campaign with strong chances to win in three wards of Toowong, Central and the Gabba. We have a range of policies on our website greenupbrisbane.net

Both the Liberal and Labor Parties councillors vote together on anything that matters and support bloated growth. By bloated growth I mean population growth that is not sustainable economically, socially or ecologically. Cr Newman and Cr Hinchliffe and their teams talk about consulting the community but push through unsustainable plans and development, tens of thousands of extra residents in many inner-city areas such as West End, Albion, South Brisbane against the wishes of the local community. Have you seen the Kurilpa Structure Plan? It proposes up to 25 storeys in the Kurilpa area South Brisbane, introducing a commercial and residential population equivalent to Gympie. It’s the CBD-isation of that area with a few inches of open space instead of the hectares needed.

As Brisbane Lord Mayor, I  would stand up to the State government and say, Brisbane cannot take the population levels proposed under the SEQ Regional Plan without killing off those aspects of Brisbane that its people value. Room at the local park. Integrated communities. Our unique wildlife. Safe streets for kids to walk and ride in.  It is a myth to say that you cannot limit growth. Good planning is all about identifying and protecting values and assets for the benefit of citizens.

Greenhouse gas emissions from Brisbane are soaring at a time when we need to slash them. The sector where emissions are soaring most out of control are emissions from the Transport sector particularly from increasing numbers of single occupant cars. Building tunnels and bridges such as the NSBT and the Hale Street bridge at huge public expense is an outdated and discredited method of addressing congestion. It failed in New York and it will fail here, just encouraging motorists. The Greens have publicised detailed alternative proposals for a light rail costing between 1.2 and 3.7 billions dollars to be supplied by contributions from all levels of government. That is the sort of serious money we need put into public transport we need a public transport revolution, with $40 million per annum for cycling. Cancelling the T3 lane on Coronation Drive, Campbell Newman’s idea which Labor did not overturn is an example of how out of touch our politicians are.

We need wide footpaths for our kids to walk along, a top network of bikeways, excellent public transport.

Developer donations to political parties must end as the conflict of interest is too great. The Greens call for a ban on donations by developers to political parties and for Labor and Liberal and associated entities to voluntarily disclose all donations  over $1500 to the public before the election. The Greens say to Liberal and Labor Parties, tell the voters where the money comes from before the election. We need transparency and accountability not cosy relationship. We need an end to develop funded planning processes and an end to developers chairing planning committees.

Greens + Sustainable Growth

Our growth is not sustainable when judged against the triple bottom line:
•    An economy reliant on building fossil fuels
•    Communities challenged by congestion and rapid growth without facilities & parks
•    The environment is in a bad way - air quality, biodiversity and greenhouse emissions

The development industry needs take responsibility

Brisbane’s Mayor needs to say “Too much growth” not “how can we squash all those people in”

Our vision, which genuinely values sustainability means no to most growth in Brisbane

The SEQ Regional Plan has no bottom line. We have a feeding frenzy in the Urban Footprint and Neighbourhood Planning is a joke

Affordable Housing

Cheap infrastructure charges are not the answer to the crisis – this is backed up by the Local Government Association report

We’re tired of developers masquerading as Shelter Non-Government Organisations for housing

Public transport

Public transport is good example of how Labor and Liberal are stuffing up. Both Parties are the same. They’re adding hugely to greenhouse emission just via construction of the tunnels and Hale Strealone.

The majority of funding is poured into tunnels and bridges with Flea bite funding for public transport.

The Greens have different priorities.

And personally, compared to our Car Dependent Campbell Newman, I use Public transport or cycle to work. And our household owns just one 4 cylinder car for 5 people, including 2 teenagers.

Environment

We can’t have it all.

It is a modern myth that you can have all the development you want and also have environmental protection

Our Air Quality policy will clean up the mess created by Labor and Liberal’s under-funding of Council’s air quality section

Our Conservation Policy will protect the Oxley Wedge

Labor and Liberal are Greenwashing - like putting a small bucket of water on a raging fire

We need standards

Stop the bickering – Labor and Liberal vote the same on all the big decisions, but spend their time political point scoring

Developer donations lead to a massive conflict of interest for Council

I repeat my challenge for Labor and Liberal to disclose donations that have been made to them before the election

You can’t Greenwash us any longer