MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
The 4405 meeting of the Brisbane City Council,
held at City Hall, Brisbane
on Tuesday 28 May 2013
at 2pm
Prepared by:
Council and Committees Support
Chief Executive’s Office
Office of the Lord Mayor and the Chief Executive Officer
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THE 4405 MEETING OF THE BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL,
HELD AT CITY HALL, BRISBANE,
ON TUESDAY 28 MAY 2013
Dedicated to a better Brisbane
AT 2PM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS _____________________________________________________________ i
PRESENT: ______________________________________________________________________ 1
MINUTES: _____________________________________________________________________ 1
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: __________________________________________________________ 1
QUESTION TIME: ________________________________________________________________ 3
CONSIDERATION OF COMMITTEE REPORTS: _________________________________________ 14
ESTABLISHMENT AND COORDINATION COMMITTEE _________________________________________ 14
A AGREEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF ROMA STREET PARKLAND MANAGEMENT TO COUNCIL __ 53
B AGREEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF SOUTH BANK PARKLANDS MANAGEMENT TO COUNCIL. __ 55
C BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL - REVENUE POLICY 2013/2014 _________________________________ 58
D ANNUAL OPERATIONAL PLAN PROGRESS AND QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD
ENDED MARCH 2013 ______________________________________________________________ 61
E 2012-13 BUDGET – THIRD REVIEW___________________________________________________ 62
F
QUEENSLAND URBAN UTILITIES 2013 SHAREHOLDER LOAN AGREEMENT ___________________ 64
H OVERSEAS TRAVEL – LORD MAYOR’S BUSINESS MISSION TO MAINLAND CHINA AND TAIWAN FOR
THE 2013 ASIA PACIFIC CITIES SUMMIT _______________________________________________ 66
INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ___________________________________________________________ 68
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – WALTER TAYLOR BRIDGE – CABLE REHABILITATION PROJECT AND
RESURFACING PROJECT ___________________________________________________________ 68
B PETITION – REQUESTING COUNCIL TO INSTALL A ZEBRA CROSSING ON HARRIES ROAD, NEAR THE
INTERSECTION WITH HOLDSWORTH STREET, COORPAROO _______________________________ 69
C TWO PETITIONS – REQUESTING TRAFFIC CALMING IN THE THYNNE AVENUE, NORMAN PARK,
TRAFFIC PRECINCT _______________________________________________________________ 70
PUBLIC AND ACTIVE TRANSPORT COMMITTEE ______________________________________________ 72
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – HISTORY OF THE BRISBANE FERRY NETWORK – MOTORISED FERRIES
_______________________________________________________________________________ 73
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE ___________________ 74
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – GRATTAN INSTITUTE REPORT: PRODUCTIVE CITIES –
OPPORTUNITIES IN A CHANGING ECONOMY __________________________________________ 75
ENVIRONMENT, PARKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ____________________________________ 76
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – WORLD MIGRATORY BIRDS _______________________________ 76
B COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – BRISBANE’S BEETLES ____________________________________ 77
FIELD SERVICES COMMITTEE _____________________________________________________________ 78
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – TRAFFIC NETWORK SERVICES UPDATE ______________________ 78
BRISBANE LIFESTYLE COMMITTEE _________________________________________________________ 79
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – CREATIVE COMMUNITIES ARTS PROGRAMS__________________ 80
FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE ______________________ 82
A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – 2013-14 FEDERAL BUDGET _______________________________ 85
PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS:____________________________________________________ 86
GENERAL BUSINESS: ____________________________________________________________ 87
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OF WHICH DUE NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN: _____________________ 88
[4405 (Ordinary) Meeting – 28 May 2013]
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THE 4405 MEETING OF THE BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL,
HELD AT CITY HALL, BRISBANE,
ON TUESDAY 28 MAY 2013
Dedicated to a better Brisbane
AT 2PM
PRESENT:
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR (Councillor Graham QUIRK) – LNP
The Chairman of Council, Councillor Margaret de WIT (Pullenvale Ward) – LNP
LNP Councillors (and Wards)
Krista ADAMS (Wishart)
Matthew BOURKE (Jamboree)
Amanda COOPER (Bracken Ridge)
Vicki HOWARD (Central)
Steven HUANG (Macgregor)
Fiona KING (Marchant)
Geraldine KNAPP (The Gap)
Kim MARX (Karawatha)
Peter MATIC (Toowong)
Ian McKENZIE (Holland Park)
David McLACHLAN (Hamilton)
Ryan MURPHY (Doboy)
Angela OWEN-TAYLOR (Parkinson) (Deputy
Chairman of Council)
Adrian SCHRINNER (Chandler) (Deputy Mayor)
Julian SIMMONDS (Walter Taylor)
Norm WYNDHAM (McDowall)
Andrew WINES (Enoggera)
ALP Councillors (and Wards)
Milton DICK (Richlands) (The Leader of the
Opposition)
Helen ABRAHAMS (The Gabba) (Deputy Leader of
the Opposition)
Peter CUMMING (Wynnum Manly)
Kim FLESSER (Northgate)
Steve GRIFFITHS (Moorooka)
Victoria NEWTON (Deagon)
Shayne SUTTON (Morningside)
Independent Councillor (and Ward)
Councillor Nicole JOHNSTON (Tennyson)
OPENING OF MEETING:
The Chairman, Councillor Margaret de WIT, opened the meeting with prayer, and then proceeded with the
business set out in the Agenda.
MINUTES:
633/2012-13
The Minutes of the 4404 meeting of Council held on 21 May 2013, copies of which had been forwarded to each
councillor, were presented, taken as read and confirmed on the motion of Councillor Ryan MURPHY, seconded
by Councillor Kim MARX.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
Chairman:
I would like to call on Mr Andrew Sinclair who will address the Chamber on the
proposed development in Lambert Street, Kangaroo Point and the impact on
local residents. Orderly, please show Mr Sinclair in.
Please proceed, Mr Sinclair, you have five minutes.
Mr Andrew Sinclair
Reference: CA13/329968
Mr Andrew Sinclair:
Thank you, Madam Chairman. Madam Chairman, LORD MAYOR and
councillors, good afternoon and thank you for providing me with this
[4405 (Ordinary) Meeting – 28 May 2013]
-2opportunity to address the Council this afternoon. I've come here today to talk
about the unit development proposed for the land that fronts Lambert and Cairns
Street, Kangaroo Point. I've been a resident and/or investor in Kangaroo Point
for the past 10 years. Currently my family and I live at Camp Hill, we'll be
returning to live in Cairns Street, Kangaroo Point in the next two years, thus my
interest in this matter.
My association with and love of Kangaroo Point goes back to my teenage years
when I worked for my brother who had the Kangaroo Point milk run] in the late
'70s. My family's ties to this part of the city go back to my great, great
grandfather, Duncan Sinclair who was a councillor on the then South Brisbane
Town Council and who resided at Mowbray Town, in the area now known as
East Brisbane.
Never in my association with Kangaroo Point have I seen a single issue resonate
so strongly with the Kangaroo Point community. The concern and anxiety
generated by this proposal is held by many people because the proposed
development impacts a lot of people. Within 100 metres of the development site
live more than 1000 people. Whilst I and local residents have been saddened to
see historic houses, beautiful trees and birdlife disappear, most of us accept the
need to shoulder some of the burden when it comes to accommodating those that
want to move to Brisbane.
What I and others struggle with is that if this development gets the green light,
you'll be asking this small, civic-minded pocket of Kangaroo Point to shoulder
an unreasonable load. Why do I say this? The five houses recently demolished
accommodated about 20 people. On the same land, by my calculations, the
developer is asking you to allow 20 times that number, a whopping 400 people.
Four hundred people on such a small plot makes no sense.
I'm struggling to understand why I am here today. I say this because I can't
fathom why a property developer would put forward a proposal that shows a
complete disregard for the requirements under the current Kangaroo Point
Peninsula Local Plan. The developer purchased the land on the basis of having a
clear understanding of what the land could be used for and now he or she is
asking Council staff, the CEO, councillors, and you Mayor, to approve what
most people would consider an unreasonable development that is non-compliant.
On the BCC's PDOnline website, the property details are shown, these include
the address, the real plan number, the area, the planning numbers, the zoning and
the constraints for the land. In this case, the constraint listed is the Kangaroo
Point Peninsula Local Plan. Surely the developer knew this when purchasing the
land. This part of Kangaroo Point is home to low to mid-rise apartments. In
keeping with the local area, this site is suitable for about 50 one, two and three
bedroom apartments spread over six to 10 floors. Anything more is inappropriate
in this part of Brisbane.
If it was 50 units and then accommodated 80 people, we'd be increasing our
share of the population load by a factor of four. So 20 people up to 80 people,
which is incredibly, I think, very, very generous in terms of the local community
taking on board that number of people. The BCC's PDOnline website has many
factual and passionate submissions from local residents about this development.
I would encourage each of you to read their submissions. They make sense
because they come from locals who know the area and who know what is and
isn't a sustainable development.
I would also encourage Council staff, the CEO, councillors and the MAYOR to
walk the streets of this precinct to chat to local people. Again, many of us are
willing to share the Brisbane population load, however, this is unequitable in its
current state. I ask that you, our councillors and MAYOR, be the voices of
reason for the people of Kangaroo Point and for the other suburbs of Brisbane.
Chairman:
Thank you, Mr Sinclair. Councillor COOPER, do you wish to respond?
Councillor COOPER:
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and I think Mr Sinclair for coming in to
address Council today. I appreciate you making the effort to come in. This
particular application is for multi-unit dwellings, I believe that it's 253 that have
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-3been proposed with 14 of those actually fronting Lambert Street. So the
application is for 22 storeys at Lambert Street in Kangaroo Point and is, as you
said, an impact assessable application. It was lodged on 20 December last year
and Council's actually gone back and raised a number of concerns and requested
further information from the applicant in February of this year.
In particular, Council has actually asked for information seeking some 3D
modelling to be undertaken to understand what any impacts of this proposal
would be. So that takes into consideration the height and the scale and it has also
sought more information about issues like traffic impacts, compliance with our
requirements for car parking, pedestrian safety and infrastructure requirements.
The applicant has actually come back to Council and they have proposed some
amendments to this particular proposal and they have been out for advertising
for the application.
So that went out from 20 March to 12 April and I understand during that public
notification period we were made aware that not all adjoining land owners had
been contacted as per the requirements under legislation and that was actually
then extended through to 19 April. So at the moment we're reviewing those
submissions, I believe that there's 140 valid submissions that Council has
received currently including, I believe, yourself, and they have been noted by
Council to be formal submitters with appeal rights based on whatever decision
Council is to make in relation to that application.
So there has been no decision at this point in time and Council officers are in
what is called the decision stage and they have the opportunity to extend that and
they are believing, at this point in time, they may need to extend it in order to be
able to go through all of those submissions and see exactly what the issues are
and determine whether they can satisfy Council's requirements. So we are at that
point in time right now.
I just would like to note that this is an area that is a high density area and has in
fact pre-dated the current City Plan 2000 and there is actually, I understand,
already an approval on this site for a—it was 114 unit, 20 storey tower that was
approved some years ago on that site currently. So just to be aware that that is in
place and Council officers are currently assessing the application and thank you
very much for coming in. We will be carefully looking at all of the information
that's been provided. Thank you.
Andrew Sinclair:
Thank you.
Chairman:
Thank you, Mr Sinclair. Orderly, thank you.
QUESTION TIME:
Chairman:
Are there any questions of the LORD MAYOR or a chairman of any of the
standing committees? Councillor WINES?
Question 1
Councillor WINES:
Thank you, Madam Chairman. My question is to LORD MAYOR and noted
Norths Juniors front rower Graham Quirk. LORD MAYOR, noting that sporting
tourism and in particular football is extremely valuable to our city, can you
please outline what coming footie events across the winter football codes will
mean to our local economy?
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Well the first thing I must do in responding to Councillor WINES, Madam
Chairman, is to correct him. I was in fact the winger for Northern Suburbs, but
front rower for Hendra High School.
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
That's right, that's the one. So, Madam Chairman, I thank Councillor WINES for
the question, however, and what he has said is absolutely correct, June is going
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-4to be a bonanza when it comes to what will be footie fever in the city of
Brisbane. Madam Chairman, that's good for a number of reasons. It's good
because it adds to the energy and excitement and atmosphere in our city and
also, Madam Chairman, it's important from the point of view that it will also
include a significant injection into our economy.
We are expecting, over the course of June with these events to see 70,000
additional visitors to Brisbane. That will come at an estimated economic benefit
to our local economy of around $17.7 million. Madam Chairman, there is a
plethora of football occurring. If you look at 1 June, straight up we've got the
Queensland Reds versus the Melbourne Rebels, a weekend event, Queensland
Reds versus the British and Irish Lions on 8 June, another weekend event,
Madam Chairman. We then have two games. We have the Broncos versus the
New Zealand Warriors on 3 June and then, of course, against the West Tigers on
17 June.
Importantly, on 22 June, the British and Irish Lions against the Qantas
Wallabies, Madam Chairman That's a 22 June weekend event. Then the Lions
and the Geelong Cats will line up on 23 June, a weekend event. Then, of course,
State of Origin caps that off mid-week on 26 June. So, Madam Chairman, why
have I said weekend in several case? I've said weekend because it is well known,
Madam Chairman, that I have been seeking additional hotel accommodation in
this city. We've seen over the last year a 20 per cent rise in the number of
business meetings that we are holding in our city and our hotels are doing
extremely well Monday to Friday.
It is important that, as a city, we continue to look to weekend events and so I am
pleased that in this month of June there will be many opportunities for people to
come to our city, to soak up the atmosphere and to be a part of footie fever in
that month. That, of course, comes on top of the Winter Racing Carnival and the
running of the richest open handicap sprint race in the southern hemisphere, the
Stradbroke Handicap, which will be on the afternoon of the clash between the
British and Irish Lions and that of the Qantas Wallabies, 22 June.
But, Madam Chairman, what we are calling on people to do is to show their
colours. It doesn't matter what colour they may be following, what football team
people might be supporting. We are asking businesses and individuals and hotels
and restaurants to get into the atmosphere and the spirit of this event. Those
opposite might even want to put on some red, I don't know. But, Madam
Chairman, it doesn't matter. What is important here is that we do create
atmosphere and excitement in our city, that we get people, those visitors that are
coming to our city to have an opportunity to engage and be a part of what will be
a great month in our city.
So, Councillor WINES, I trust that you'll be out there with some colours, not just
a pale blue, but something a little bit more lively. Certainly, I don't want blue on
State of Origin day, but, Madam Chairman, if people really have to then I
suppose we'll accept that too. But the important thing is to be a part of it, to get
the atmosphere going and to show that Brisbane is a city that loves its sport,
loves its football and, Madam Chairman, June is what it's all about.
Chairman:
Councillor DICK.
Question 2
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chairman. Talk about tackling the tough issues. LORD
MAYOR, today you are trying to quietly roll over $100 million of Council
projects you announced with great fanfare in last year's budget. Aren't you doing
this so that you can trick rate payers by re-announcing them in your budget on 12
June? LORD MAYOR, why are these projects being delayed and why are you
treating rate payers with such contempt?
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Well thank you very much, Councillor DICK, for the question. Madam
Chairman, can I firstly say that there will be no tricks in relation to the budget.
The budget will be one which was formed in tight economic circumstances, as
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-5the Federal Government and state governments are finding as well. But, Madam
Chairman, can I just say that the budget will not be about re-announcements.
They will not headline anything that I will announce in the budget.
Will there be continuation of projects? Of course there will be, Councillor
DICK. Projects, for example, like the Geebung and Robinson Road open level
crossing. There has been a start to that project and there will be ongoing work
done in this coming financial year, a significant amount of the work, in fact, will
be done over the coming financial year. The same applies to Telegraph Road. So
these are significant projects. They're projects that this Council had been trying
to get up for a considerable period of time, Madam Chairman, and as you well
know and others know that we were not able to get the 50 per cent support
required from the state government around those two projects until a change of
government one year ago.
Now those two projects are happening in our city. So, Madam Chairman, in
relation to the budget, again, I say it's done in tight financial circumstances. No
question about that. I'm not going to deny that for one moment. When you say,
why, councillor, there are some big projects happening in this city right now.
There have been disasters in this city that have occurred in January 2011 and
then January 2013. We can't ignore that fact as much as—
Chairman:
Councillor FLESSER.
LORD MAYOR:
—as much as councillors opposite might want to ignore it, Madam Chairman. So
the reality is that we have got—we have got, Madam Chairman, a budget which
will come down on the second Wednesday of June. It will be a responsible
budget. It will be a budget, Madam Chairman, which also continues on the good
work of this city over many years. It will be a budget which continues to add to
the infrastructure needs of this city. The finalising of the Legacy Way Project,
Madam Chairman, won't be complete in the next financial year, but it will be a
substantial piece of work that will be undertaken.
There are also, Madam Chairman, significant jobs that have got to be done in
terms of the internal aspects of this Council and this budget will reflect that and I
won't say any more about that at this time. But councillors will be aware of what
those projects are. So, Madam Chairman, there won't be any trickery about the
budget, if that's what Councillor DICK is inferring. It will be there for all to see,
Madam Chairman. I won't be running as the highlights, things that we have
already commenced. They are an important part, we're not going to deny the
fact, Madam Chairman, that we are getting on with important projects. That is
the case.
But, Madam Chairman, what there won't be, there won't be an enormous black
hole like we saw from the Labor Party leading into the last election, where they
made promises of hundreds of millions of dollars which they could not fund.
Until today, they have not told me, Madam Chairman, who authorised the
announcements around their promises which would not be funded and which left
gaping black holes, Madam Chairman. So when it comes to budget questions,
I'm happy to answer them but I do so, Madam Chairman, against—
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
—a background of an opposition whose reputation is in tatters when it comes to
financial affairs.
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
They showed, Madam Chairman—they had to go to Sydney to have their
numbers audited. They couldn't get anybody in this city who would sign off on
their numbers. So, Madam Chairman, Councillor DICK comes to this Chamber
with no credibility on budget matters. They have never owned up as to who on
their side signed off on those amounts. If it wasn't the Leader of the Opposition,
Councillor SUTTON, was it Councillor DICK as deputy or was it the guru of
economics, Councillor FLESSER?
Councillors interjecting.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-6LORD MAYOR:
We've all had our own bets in relation to who that might have been but, Madam
Chairman, we're guessing until one of them declares who it was that signed off
on that gaping black hole. Until that time, Madam Chairman—
Chairman:
Order. Councillor ABRAHAMS.
LORD MAYOR:
—the Opposition can ask all the questions it likes. Its reputation is in tatters.
Chairman:
Further questions, Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR.
Question 3
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: Thank you, Madam Chairman. My question this afternoon is to the Chairman of
Finance, Economic Development and Administration Committee, Councillor
SIMMONDS. Councillor SIMMONDS, Council is continuing to face significant
financial challenges that are beyond our control, can you please outline to the
Chamber how this Administration—
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: —is dealing with those challenges and are you aware of any alternate policies?
Chairman:
Councillor SIMMONDS.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Thank you very much, Madam Chairman, and thank you to Councillor OWENTAYLOR for the question. Nobody can doubt that all levels of government are
facing challenging financial circumstances. Recently, we have seen Labor
Treasurer Wayne Swan announce a $17 billion write down in Federal revenue
and a subsequent $19 billion deficit for '13-'14 budget.
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
At the State level, I know that Treasurer Nicholls yesterday announced revenue
falls of $4.5 billion since coming to office.
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
This comes on top of the $65 billion debt left by the previous state Labor
Government.
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
The challenges are no less acute at the Council level. Here I note our colleague,
Mayor Pisasale from Ipswich who was last week quoted in a Queensland Times
story entitled, city facing rates pain. The article notes that the council faces a
horrid budget unless councillors can counteract the effects of two major floods
and slow economic growth. Without making changes to their budgets, Mayor
Pisasale said rates increase would be more than four per cent - more than eight
per cent, sorry, more than eight per cent.
So in the 3BR (third budget review) documents to be considered today, you can
see that this Council likewise faces our own pressures, although we are in a
much better situation to deal with them. We have maintained, as you can see in
third budget review, a strong accumulated surplus, but with a total reduction in
anticipated revenue of just over $94 million. As outlined in the—well,
Councillor FLESSER, if you'd care to listen because you asked why we were in
challenging financial circumstances, if you'd actually read your documents in
page 7; you would have seen the reduction in anticipated revenue.
That's, of course, primarily due to a $72 million reduction in anticipated QRA
(Queensland Reconstruction Authority) revenue which has previously been
foreshadowed by the DEPUTY MAYOR. Work we would have liked to have
done following the 2011 flood but now cannot be completed or is delayed. But
there was also anticipated reductions for contributed assets and a reduction in
anticipated fees and charges. It is against this challenging backdrop that the
LORD MAYOR and the finance team are currently preparing this year's budget.
While I won't indulge in budget speculation, I think it's important to note that
faced with these challenges, the opposing approaches of this Administration
versus that of the Labor councillors opposite. Firstly, this Administration, as the
LORD MAYOR has pointed out, is about cutting its cloth to fit. For example, in
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-7today's budget documents, you can see that this Council and this Council's
Administration has realised its target of saving $30 million in procurement
savings this financial year. This is projects that have been delivered or
equipment that have been procured with savings that can then be reinvested back
for the people of Brisbane.
That is good financial management. In contrast, it was just over a year ago that
the Labor councillors opposite went on a $1.4 billion spending spree at the last
election. This Administration believes in focussing its resources on important,
long term civic infrastructure such as the refurbishment of the People's Place,
Legacy Way and open level crossings. In contrast, the Labor councillors
opposite would have lifted rates to pay for promises like free sunscreen in parks,
Madam Chairman. This Administration believes in sustainable borrowing to
delivery key long term and economically beneficial infrastructure for this city.
The Labor councillors opposite, Madam Chairman, would have had to borrow to
fund their $257 million black hole in their costings, Madam Chairman, and
simply to keep the lights on as recorded in the Brisbane Times at the time,
Madam Chairman. I'm pleased, thought, with Brisbane City Council, that due to
the strong and responsible fiscal management of this Administration we are
much better placed to deal with these kind of fiscal challenges and there's no
better example of that than in the documents before the Council today. The most
significant challenge, of course, over the last financial year has been the
Australia Day long weekend, with over $30 million in work completed so far, or
currently underway.
The third budget review and quarterly report before us today includes some
significant expenditure outlined as part of that work, including $950,000 for
damaged parks, $250,000 on damaged jetties and pontoons, $600,000 to repair
sea and river walls, $2.2 million on enclosed drains, $1 million on roads and
roads-related assets and $15.3 million on the initial clean up and debris removal
following the storm. Despite this, through strong financial management, we
maintain a strong accumulated surplus position.
In addition, Council has committed to continue with ongoing capital works and
infrastructure program and a number of projects as part of these financial
documents are ahead of schedule. Projects such as Legacy Way—
Chairman:
Councillor SIMMONDS, your time has expired. Thank you.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Councillor DICK.
Question 4
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair, my question is to the LORD MAYOR. LORD
MAYOR, unlike the state and Federal governments, the Council's quarterly
report today shows you have increased Council's rates by $46 million the last 12
months. How can you justify these huge rate increases while at the same time
you're cutting back on valuable front line services like Compliance and
Regulatory Services.
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Well, Madam Chairman, I thank Councillor DICK for his question, again.
Madam Chairman, I would have dealt with it later on within the report, but I
refer Councillor DICK to the third budget review. If you look there, all the
answers to his questions, Madam Chairman, are on page 6 and page 7. If you
look at the revenue that this Council anticipated receiving by the end of March
versus what we have, we are down $94.8 million, Madam Chairman. That is the
reality—
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Yes, point or order against you, LORD MAYOR. Yes, Councillor JOHNSTON?
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, as I understood the question from the Leader of the
Opposition, it was about the increase in rates revenue. The LORD MAYOR is
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-8now referring to general revenue which includes charges, fees, subsidies and
grants. The issue at question was the increase in rates revenue, Madam
Chairman, and I would ask that you direct the LORD MAYOR back to that
question.
Chairman:
Thank you Councillor JOHNSTON, the LORD MAYOR has five minutes to
answer the question. LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Madam Chairman, the question was very clear, it was: given an apparent
increase in rates revenue, why are services in decline? Why are services in
decline? Now I refute the fact, firstly, Madam Chairman, that services are in
decline. What I'm trying to do is address—
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
—initially the whole issue of revenue to this Council. Rates is one component of
the revenue we receive, Madam Chairman, in terms of the way in which we
balance our budget. In fact, a cursory glance, Madam Chairman, shows that we
are down on our anticipated rates revenue and utility charges to the tune of $1.76
million. Madam Chairman, what it also shows is that, in an overall context, we
are down $94.8 million in revenue. $82.2 million of that is surrounding
donations, contributions, subsidies and grants. Further, we are down $13.3
million on fees and charges and further, Madam Chairman, we are down $9
million in relation to public transport.
So, Councillor DICK, it is as simple as this; the revenue receipts of this
organisation are feeling the effects in the same way as they are being felt at the
Federal and at the state levels. Now we're right on the back, Madam Chairman,
we're right on the back of understanding that revenue receipts at the Federal level
were down around $17 billion. Leading to a nearly $19 billion deficit within the
Federal budget. They are facts that cannot be walked away from, Madam
Chairman, and so it is that there was an announcement and a reference earlier to
a reduction in revenues at the state level.
This Council is not immune, as much as the Opposition would like us to be, and
we would—
Chairman:
Councillor ABRAHAMS. LORD MAYOR, just a moment. If you continue to
interject and interrupt this meeting, you will be warned. Thank you, LORD
MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Yes, thanks, Madam Chairman, and, Madam Chairman, I will always cut the
cloth to measure. There is a limit to what we can do by way of increases on
people, Madam Chairman, and we need to make sure that we live within our
means. We provide a balanced budget in this place.
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
This government, Madam Chairman, this city government is the only one in
Australia that has seen a credit upgrade in the last two years running, against a
background of a global financial downturn.
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
That has only come about through prudent financial management. Now,
Councillor SIMMONDS earlier, Madam Chairman, made it clear that there has
been a very significant impact on our budget through the QRA. That is a reality,
Madam Chairman. We again, can only spend what we receive and it would be
irresponsible to do otherwise, Madam Chairman, we provide a balanced budget
outcome.
So, Madam Chairman, again, later today we can debate the various components
of these expenditures but I would just say this, that we will always continue to
provide the basic services that are needed. Councillor DICK, in his question,
referred to Compliance and Regulatory Services, Madam Chairman, I said here
last week that we would continue to provide a good level of service to the people
of this city in the area of compliance and regulatory service issues. We will
continue to do that but they, on the opposite side, will be the first to complain if
we are out there over-fining people, in their words, Madam Chairman.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
-9You will see, Madam Chairman, from these documents today that we have not,
indeed, been doing that. That we have been responsible in the area, Madam
Chairman, to make sure that we are fair and firm and friendly and reasonable
towards the people of this city.
Chairman:
Thank you, LORD MAYOR, time has expired.
LORD MAYOR:
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, I seek your advice on a statement made by the LORD
MAYOR and then the accuracy of the Council papers today. I refer you to the
annual operational plan progress and quarterly financial report. On page 5 of that
report, it states—there's a graph at the bottom of the page which clearly shows
that rates and utility charges have gone up on the previous year. The LORD
MAYOR has just told us that in fact rates have gone down.
LORD MAYOR:
No I did not.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Can you please advise us whether the document we have here today is an
accurate document and we have the correct information for debate today?
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON, I recall the LORD MAYOR referring to the third
budget review. The third budget review on page 6 and 7. If you look at those
figures there, you will see that they exactly match what the LORD MAYOR
said. Councillor—
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Well if then—point of order—-
Chairman:
Just—yes, Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Well thank you, Madam Chairman, that gives rise to even further and greater
concern, Madam Chairman. Why is it then the statements in the annual financial
plan and quarterly report are different from this in the third budget review?
Chairman:
Look, Councillor JOHNSTON, you know that it's not my role to answer those
questions. These reports are each coming up for debate further on in the meeting.
Now we can waste question time now and get you those answers, and I'll call an
adjournment to do that, or we can wait until the actual reports are debated.
However, under the rules of procedure, since you have asked the question, I have
no choice but to call an adjournment to get the information for you.
ADJOURNMENT:
634/2012-13
At that time, 2.33pm, it was resolved on the motion of the DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian
SCHRINNER, seconded by Councillor Ryan MURPHY that the meeting adjourn for a period of five minutes,
to commence only when all councillors had vacated the chamber and the doors have been locked.
UPON RESUMPTION:
Chairman:
Councillors, the response to Councillor JOHNSTON's question about why the
figures are different, in the annual operational plan quarterly financial report as
at March 2013, compared to the third review of the budget which, of course,
goes to the end of June 2013, the answer is that they are two different periods of
time that are being referred to. The quarterly report is the situation as at the end
of March 2013, the budget financial statements, the third budget review, is the
situation that we are likely to have as at the end of June 2013. So that is the
answer to Councillor JOHNSTON's question.
Councillor DICK:
Just a point of order, Madam Chair, for further clarification.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
Because I started this debate. The $46 million that we're up refers to page 12 of
this document, the LORD MAYOR was talking from the wrong document when
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 10 he was giving his answer today and you only need to look at page 12 to see that
we are indeed $46 million up on rates this year.
Chairman:
Councillor DICK, I don't think that was a point of order, but anyway—
Councillors interjecting.
Chairman:
Order. Order. Further questions, Councillor HOWARD.
Question 5
Councillor HOWARD:
Thank you, Madam Chairman. Madam Chairman, my question is to the
Chairman of the Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, Councillor
BOURKE. Councillor BOURKE, can you please detail for the Chamber what
this Administration is doing to reduce the impact of future flooding for local
residents and businesses along Enoggera Creek?
Chairman:
Councillor BOURKE.
Councillor BOURKE:
Thanks very much, Madam Chairman. Madam Chairman, I'd like to thank
Councillor HOWARD for her question. I know that Councillor HOWARD and
Councillor MATIC both take a very, very keen interest in Enoggera Creek
because it goes through their wards and obviously over a number of years has
caused some problems with flooding down there for their residents and some of
the other groups, Madam Chairman.
I understand, Madam Chairman, the commitment that we have on this side of the
Chamber when it comes to flooding across the city, Madam Chairman. I thought
just a brief little outline of what we're doing. It's a jigsaw puzzle, Madam
Chairman, when it comes to tackling the issue of flooding across our city,
Madam Chairman. No one piece of work that we do as a Council will solve the
problem in and of itself, Madam Chairman. We need to have a suite of different
things that we do with the residents, in conjunction with our residents, to help
protect them from flooding, Madam Chairman, but also to help keep them
informed and to help them make decisions about planning matters, they might be
dealing with, Madam Chairman, or indeed the way that they go about their daily
lives.
So, Madam Chairman, obviously we have our Flood Flag Maps, Madam
Chairman, that useful tool in identifying overland flow paths, creek flooding,
like in the case of Enoggera Creek, Madam Chairman, where it suffers from
significant creek flooding events, Madam Chairman, as well as river floods and
tidal floods. So Enoggera Creek, or Breakfast Creek in the lower reaches, can
also be susceptible to creek flooding events down into Councillor
McLACHLAN's part of the world, down there, Madam Chairman.
So Flood Flag Maps is one of the tools that residents can use living along
Enoggera Creek and indeed any of our creeks, Madam Chairman, to help
identify their potential risk of the impacts that their property might have. On top
of that, Madam Chairman, you have the Flood Flag Property Report. Madam
Chairman, that is an individualistic document that can be prepared for your
actual address and it is even more detailed about what sort of flooding might
affect your property and will give you the depth and the detail around that
particular risk for your property, Madam Chairman.
Those two items are available on the Council website and there's a large amount
of work that we continue to do to improve and enhance that information. Madam
Chairman, it would be remiss of me not to mention the flood code maps that are
contained within the draft new City Plan and the level of detail and the
information that's contained therein available, open and transparent for the
people of Brisbane to see for one and all there, Madam Chairman.
On top of that, obviously our commitment to deliver $10 million worth of
backflow devices, Madam Chairman, go a long way to helping to protect the
residents of Brisbane when it comes to flooding, particularly river flooding,
Madam Chairman, and tidal flooding into people's properties. But all of that,
Madam Chairman, is, I guess, targeted at various aspects of the flooding, but
particularly with relation to what Councillor HOWARD was requesting, the
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 11 dredging schedule and the works that we're doing in de-silting Enoggera Creek,
Madam Chairman, at the moment—and I know the LORD MAYOR was down
there today having a look at how the work was progressing.
The work that we're doing at the moment between Bowen Bridge Road, in
Finsbury Park, Wilston and Downey Park, Madam Chairman, in Windsor, will
go a long way to helping to alleviate some of the flooding issues that the
residents down there are being affected by. Madam Chairman, it was only May
2009 when the residents down there experienced what was close to a 10 year
ARI (average recurrence interval) event, Madam Chairman. Obviously, the
impacts of that flooding event and subsequent flooding events have dealt a level
of concern to the residents and this is some of the work that we're able to do as a
Council in a physical way to help alleviate and deal with those flooding issues,
Madam Chairman.
This is stage 2 that we're doing at the moment, we've already completed stage 1
of the works in Enoggera Creek which included some de-silting works as well as
some mangrove management works upstream of Bowen Bridge Road at
Windsor. The aim, Madam Chairman, of the current works is to further improve
the flood immunity of the surrounding properties by removing silt, sand and
gravel, Madam Chairman, and mangrove regrowth from the creek bed.
We need to do this, obviously in an environmentally sensitive way, Madam
Chairman, and our communication with residents and communication with
interested stakeholders and indeed the local councillor, Madam Chairman, has
only received positive feedback so far. Madam Chairman, this is just another
way that we as an Administration on this side are continuing to deliver works to
help protect and inform the residents of the city of Brisbane about their flooding
risk.
As we've said a number of times in this place, Madam Chairman, Brisbane is
built on a flood plain. We will always have a flooding risk across the city,
Madam Chairman, be it from the creeks, the rivers, overland flow or tidal, and
there's a number of projects that we have to do. There is no silver bullet, but rest
assured, Madam Chairman, to those in the gallery and the media here, we, on
this side of the Chamber, remain committed to getting on with the job and
continuing to deliver these important works to help protect the residents of
Brisbane.
Chairman:
Further questions, Councillor DICK.
Question 6
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chairman. My question is to the LORD MAYOR. LORD
MAYOR, last week Councillor Amanda COOPER advised a committee that the
State Government had recommended changes to your draft City Plan prior to
going out on public display. Can you please provide details as to what those
changes are?
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Madam Chairman, the State Government have had a first state interest check in
relation to the City Plan. And, Madam Chairman, they will be incorporated as
part of the City Plan when it comes back for full debate in this Council Chamber,
I anticipate later this year. But, Madam Chairman, I want to wait and hear what
the people of Brisbane have to say in relation to City Plan and to incorporate any
changes that might come about as a result of the submissions that we are
currently receiving and will continue to receive through to the end of July.
During that—
Councillor DICK:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Just a moment, LORD MAYOR, point of order against you. Yes, Councillor
DICK?
Councillor DICK:
My question—the LORD MAYOR has confirmed the State Government had
made changes, my question was, will he release those and will he update the
Chamber on what those changes are, not keep them secret.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 12 Councillors interjecting.
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Madam Chairman, I would recommend that the Opposition Leader does some
work himself. It is important—
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
It is important—there's no secrets. There's no secrets, Madam Chairman. What
the Leader of the Opposition has to do is what I did for years, read the files,
Madam Chairman.
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
Read the files.
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON.
LORD MAYOR:
No, Madam Chairman, I have here a letter from Councillor David Hinchliffe in
response to a councillor from opposition in my days. Councillor Hinchliffe's
reply was simply this; I suggest you check the relevant files.
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
Signed, Councillor David Hinchliffe.
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
Now, Madam Chairman—
Chairman:
Order. Councillor SUTTON.
LORD MAYOR:
My simple advice to the Opposition Leader is, do the work. Madam Chairman, it
is character building, it is also important if an Opposition—
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
If an Opposition wishes to get into administration, it is important to undertake
the work, Madam Chairman, to do the research and to establish your positions
and your policies from that research. So, Madam Chairman, I don't want to tell
the Opposition Leader how to suck eggs, but if he keeps asking me questions
along these lines where information is available, Madam Chairman—
Councillor FLESSER:
Point of order, Madam Chair.
Chairman:
Point of order against you, LORD MAYOR. Yes, Councillor FLESSER?
Councillor FLESSER:
Madam Chair, it's my understanding of the rules that the LORD MAYOR
doesn't have a choice as to whether he answers the question or not, he should
answer the question. If he doesn't have the information to hand, well then he
should say that he'll bring it to Council at some further date. Just to say he's not
going to provide it, Madam Chair, I don't believe that that is in the spirit of the
rules. I'd ask you to ask the LORD MAYOR to answer the question.
Chairman:
Thank you, Councillor FLESSER. The rules require that a question is answered.
Now the LORD MAYOR has given the answer that he intends to give on this
matter and that is that Councillor DICK should go and have a look at the files.
LORD MAYOR, my apology if I haven't quite got that right.
LORD MAYOR:
No, well—sorry, well, Madam Chairman, I—again, I want to make this clear
though, that there are certainly no significant showstoppers in anything that the
State Government have had to say—
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
—in terms of their response.
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
Now I'm giving you some hints here, councillors opposite, so you might want to
listen as we go. So, Madam Chairman, the interest check was a fairly
comprehensive look at the City Plan. Madam Chairman, something the
Opposition perhaps themselves ought to have been doing over the last six
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 13 months, now, that it has been online, Madam Chairman. So it looks—and of
course we debated it for a week in the Chamber where people were intently—
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
It wasn't a debate? Well that's not my problem, I would think that's your
problem.
Councillors interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
As the Opposition within the Brisbane City Council it is your job, I would have
thought—
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
—in the same way you've just suggested it's my job to answer the question, it's
your job to take the debate to the administration of the day. That's why we—we
don't come here as an administration to have fun, this is your day in the sun. So,
Madam Chairman, it is the Opposition's opportunity to present their views and—
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
—bring us to account, Madam Chairman, where they see fit. So, Madam
Chairman, I just say this to you, Councillor DICK, that the information is
available. It will be made available to you, but I just ask you to look at it. Do I
have the document here today? No I don't have the document here today, Madam
Chairman, but I want to assure you of one thing, that there is no showstoppers
within the things that the State Government have come back. They are fairly
minor amendments, changes in terminology, maybe some accuracy issues from
here and there in terms of smaller aspects of the plan, Madam Chairman. Things
that you could have raised during that week long debate.
So, Madam Chairman, they're the sorts of things that our State have come back
with, but there is nothing of great significance or consequence, nothing that will
require us to change the thrust of the plan in any way, shape or form. But,
Madam Chairman, what is important for me is not so much what the State have
to say but what the people of this city have to say. That is, Madam Chairman,
where I will be keen to look at those submissions as they come in over the next
60 business days—or what is it, about 50, 45 business days left now, I guess,
doubling, of course, our legal requirement of the 30 business day submission
period to 60 days.
So, Madam Chairman, Councillor DICK, the opportunity is there for you to look
at it.
Chairman:
Further questions, Councillor MURPHY.
Question 7
Councillor MURPHY:
Yes, Madam Chairman, my question is to the Chairman of the Lifestyle
Committee, Councillor ADAMS. As the only councillors on Council that this
policy directly applies to, I take a keen interest in Council's Draft Strategy for
Young People 2013 to '18. Councillor ADAMS, can you detail the innovative
approaches that this Council is taking to gain feedback on this policy from
Brisbane's youth?
Chairman:
Councillor ADAMS.
Councillor ADAMS:
Thank you, Madam Chair, and I thank the youngest councillor, a very high
achieving young person, Councillor Ryan MURPHY, for the question on the
Draft Strategy for Young People. We did have a presentation in committee this
morning but I felt it was very important that we were able to convey to the
councillors the importance of getting our young people engaged and involved in
this consultation of this strategy going forward for the youth of our city from
2013 to 2018.
It was launched on 5 April in National Youth Week and what we are trying to do
is develop a vision based on young people's feedback, not what we think young
people want, about healthy, resilient and confident young citizens who actively
contribute to a better Brisbane. So far our feedback has been very positive
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 14 through social media channels. We've heard from many young people that they
want more creative arts workshops, more venues to rehearse and perform. We've
had over 1200 unique visits to our corporate website and 65 responses to our
online survey so far.
The idea of this strategy is to have a whole-council integrated approach so we
continue to use the values of the young people and organise them across Council
and how we can extend our 88 programs we deliver already for young people
and bring in new initiatives based on their feedback as well. So we're inviting all
people, especially those aged 12 to 25, to have their say before 15 July, but as I
said in committee this morning, it doesn't matter if you don't fit into the 12 to 25
age group, please have your say on how we are going to move forward.
Difficulty, of course, if you are a parent of a person in that age group, or an exteacher, like myself, or Councillor WYNDHAM, that it is quite difficult to
engage young people in workshops and programs that we're doing in city
Council. So we are really trying to attend as many events as we possibly can,
leveraging off our current Council events, attending youth and community
events that are out there already, trying to involve families and carers and
advocates in that space and really trying to get them online, rather than the hard
written copy. I don't think they want to read the documents like we saw for the
senior strategy.
We've also got the old incentive to encourage their participation by having a
competition for those aged between 13 and 25 to take photos that may be
featured in our finished document, as well as a prize - a money prize, so we can
get people that are particularly in that creative space developing some great
photos of how they see Brisbane in their age and their space as well. We can use
some of those photos in our document and the winner will definitely be,
hopefully, on the front page of our vision as we go forward.
So, so far we've been at events like the Wynnum National Youth Week, Lord
Mayor's Youth Advisory Council alumni, all ages venues, Albert Park Flexi
School, intercultural youth working groups, the Ideas Fiesta with Councillor
COOPER's teams, the Lord Mayor's International Friendship ceremonies and
this weekend at Zillmere Multicultural Festival. So we've got 22 other events
we're going out to over the next couple of months, we've got specific, Your City
Your Say online surveys that we encourage you to get your local young people
involved as well.
Please, promote this strategy through your own networks, identify groups who
should be involved and get them online so we can make sure that we are actually
addressing the needs of our young people. Madam Chairman, Council is serious
about meeting the challenges of engaging with these young people, recognising
the difficulties that this presents, but we are utilizing our many resources
available to us and are really confident that we can deliver a youth strategy with
the input of the youth of Brisbane to take us forward through the next five years.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Councillors, that ends question time.
CONSIDERATION OF COMMITTEE REPORTS:
ESTABLISHMENT AND COORDINATION COMMITTEE
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR (Councillor Graham QUIRK), Chairman of the Establishment and
Coordination Committee, moved, seconded by the DEPUTY MAYOR (Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER), that
the report of the meeting of that Committee held on 20 May 2013, be adopted.
Chairman:
Is there any debate?
Councillor DICK:
Point of order.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor DICK?
Councillor DICK:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 15 Seriatim for debate and voting - Clauses D and E
At that time Councillor Milton DICK rose and requested that Clause D, ANNUAL OPERATIONAL PLAN
PROGRESS AND QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED MARCH 2013, and
Clause E, 2012-13 BUDGET – THIRD REVIEW be taken seriatim en bloc for debating and voting purposes.
Chairman:
Okay, thank you. Yes, DEPUTY MAYOR.
Seriatim – All Clauses
The DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER requested that all Clauses be taken seriatim for
voting purposes.
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Okay, so, Madam Chairman, at this stage, do you want me to just leave D and E
out?
Chairman:
Yes.
LORD MAYOR:
Okay, very good. Madam Chairman, just to give a few things prior to coming to
the report itself. This week, we have seen the United Nations' World Day for
Cultural Diversity and Dialogue and Development, Madam Chairman, that was
celebrated on 21st. Madam Chairman, the Cancer Council, Australia's Biggest
Morning Tea, I had the opportunity to participate with Councillor WYNDHAM
this year. At that event, Madam Chairman, events held around Australia. I also,
Madam Chairman, note national Walk Safely to School Day on 24th, that's a
program that encourages all primary school students to walk safely and commute
actively to school.
National Sorry Day, Madam Chairman, I thank those councillors that
participated in that event this year. We had Councillor WYNDHAM, Councillor
HOWARD, Councillor NEWTON participating in the King George Square
ceremony and I know Councillor ABRAHAMS and others were participating
elsewhere. I thank Councillor ADAMS for representing me at Stylin' Up Day
this year as well. Madam Chairman—and I've got your letter, Councillor
ABRAHAMS. I've got her letter which I am dealing with.
Madam Chairman, also today is a significant day, I guess, with the
announcement of the end of the era of analogue TV. It's been moved over to
digital and I just think it's a timely reminder for all councillors, if you are out and
about on the highways of this city, to remind people that if they do have old
analogue TV sets, we will take those free of charge at our e-waste disposal
points at the four transfer stations around Brisbane. Of course, Ferny Grove,
Nudgee, Willawong and Chandler, and they are open from 6.30am to 5.45pm. So
just a reminder to people, you might want to get your messages out there on your
Facebooks or your Twitters or whatever ways in which you communicate with
your residents across the city about that opportunity.
Madam Chairman, item A—just go to my report here—is the agreement for the
transfer—oh just two other quick things, if I may. Firstly, Madam Chairman, in
relation to the high tides that we've had this week, if there is anybody that is still
wanting, of course, to get sandbags, they are is available. Newmarket, Balmoral,
Darra and Virginia have depots, Madam Chairman, they have sandbags available
for people. I guess people that are in those low-lying areas affected by high tides
are familiar with their needs, but none the less, there are always new residents, I
guess, coming into those locations and just a reminder, councillors, that those
sandbag opportunities are there for them.
Finally, Madam Chairman, before moving to the report proper, by way of
feedback, we this year anticipated a cost of around $60.5 million in terms of the
January event, the storm or wind event and rain event that followed. Madam
Chairman, at this stage, we expect those costs will be down to around $47.2
million. Now much of this, of course, is covered by Federal and state
governments but Council still is impacted financially and so—but that $60.5
million we expect to be around $47.2 million in terms of final outcome. That's
out best estimate at this stage and I'll update Council from time to time as we
progress through that recovery period.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 16 So item A and item B, Madam Chairman, if I may, I'll take these together, they
relate to Roma Street and South Bank Parklands. Together, Madam Chairman,
we are asked to approve today the entering into an agreement with Queensland
Government for the transfer of the operation and management of those two
parklands. A year ago, the Premier indicated that he was keen for local
government to undertake the management of those facilities. In December of last
year, the Premier and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding to agree toward
a 10-year lease of transfer of operational management responsibilities.
The details around that have been worked through and so, Madam Chairman,
before us today we have the opportunity to seek the confirmation of that transfer
on 1 July and for the details around what it involves. But of course, if you look at
the document, it involves the lease of the parkland, the license of reserve land,
sub-leasing of commercial premises, licensing of intellectual property, transfer
of assets and funding. They're the details contained within that particular
document.
So, Madam Chairman, essentially what it means is the funding of some
$22 million will be provided in regards to the parklands, both South Bank and
Roma Street. A transfer of staff will also occur. There are some 30 staff in Roma
Street Parkland and about 80, I think it is, 80 full time equivalents at South
Bank. Those employees will be transferred into the South Bank employing
officer—or Transition Services Proprietary Limited, Madam Chairman, which
will be a holding position for them, prior to coming over to be Council staff
members at some future time.
Madam Chairman, this agreement has taken some time to work through but we
are now in a position where we have an arrangement in place, there'll be CPI
increases and an open book in relation to the operations and again, it will be for a
10 year period of operations. So I commend that proposal to the Chamber. Also,
it comes on the back of, Madam Chairman, a situation where this Council will
now be collecting rates from certain entities. We are able to, by way of a
resolution in this Chamber earlier in the year, obtain some $811,000 from the
South Bank Corporation in terms of back rates to 2007.
Madam Chairman, item C is the Revenue Policy. The Revenue Policy is
something that we do annually. It is a matter with outlining a number of things,
the principles behind which the budget operates. The principles behind the
levying of rates and charges. The granting of concessions for rates and charges.
In other words, Madam Chairman, it might be a pensioner discount rate, that
type of concession. It sets out the principles behind our decisions that we'll hand
down on budget day.
Recovering overdue rates and charges, cost recovery methods and that of
infrastructure charges. So again, it's an annual thing, we are required by law to
provide that and it is there for the observation and comment of councillors and
indeed their support or otherwise today for that particular document. Item D,
Madam Chairman, is the annual operation plan. We don't do that one at the
moment. We'll move to the Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) 2013 shareholder
loan agreement.
The shareholder loan agreement, Madam Chairman, is something that each of
the five councils in the QUU area will be undertaking a resolution within their
councils. As Brisbane City Council, we currently have a loan to QUU amounting
to $1.241 billion. So we loaned that money to QUU on the basis of an interest
rate return of 4.2 per cent which returns a dividend of some $52 million to this
Council. So that's a $1.24 billion, of course, which goes against our own loan
borrowing indebtedness as a city and it's by way of a loan to QUU.
So that is there, Madam Chairman, also for the consideration of our Council, but
again, it's also going to be debated at Scenic Rim, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley and
that of the Somerset Regional councils as well, before such time as those funds
are made available. Madam Chairman, the other two issues relate to our overseas
travel. First of those relates to Councillor Julian SIMMONDS, visiting
Kaohsiung for the Asia Pacific Cities Summit.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 17 Madam Chairman, the other one relates to a business mission that I will be
anticipating going on in September in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Cities
Summit, also a visitation to Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu and Hong Kong,
Madam Chairman, as a business mission leading up to the Asia Pacific Cities
Summit event. I—
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR, just before you continue, your time has expired.
635/2012-13
The LORD MAYOR was granted an extension of time on the motion of the DEPUTY MAYOR (Councillor
Adrian SCHRINNER), seconded by Councillor Ryan MURPHY.
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Madam Chairman, of course it's been known for some time that the Asia Pacific
Cities Summit is being held and to date there are over 60 businesses in Brisbane
that have expressed an interest in attending that summit and it's early days. So I
would anticipate that that number will grow. What I can say at this stage is
that—and I report back as the Secretariat for the Asia Pacific Cities Summit, but
Kaohsiung are doing a good job. I am in regular contact with them, they have so
far some 23 cities signed up for participation in that summit. Many mayors going
and, Madam Chairman, the organisational detail around that summit are coming
together very, very well.
They have in place the keynote speakers for the event in the form of Ken
Livingston, Cher Wang who is the Chairperson of the HTC Corporation and Via
Technologies. Also, Gunther Hawley and Michael Bernhardt, Madam Chairman,
they are also going to be addressing the issue of a green and blue economy and
the effect, implications and roadmap for Asia Pacific cities. But importantly, as
we know, these events are also about business matching. They are about the
opportunity to create jobs in our respective cities. To that extent, we have to date
some 60 of the 94 booths proposed that are billed.
Madam Chairman, apart from myself I know of several other mayors from South
East Queensland that will be attending this summit. They will be going to form
part of the Council of Mayors display as well. The Brisbane region and all that
we have to offer as a regional area in South East Queensland. So, Madam
Chairman, there is more detail here that I can provide, but suffice to say that the
planning is well underway, we are satisfied with where Kaohsiung is at this time.
They have done a good job with it and—a long way to go still and three months
to do it as well. They are anticipating and hoping to see 100 cities signed up by
the time of the summit and I'd say at this stage they are well and truly on track to
achieve that, which would make it commensurate with the type of summit that
we held here in June of 2011. Madam Chairman, with that, obviously, again I
just want to indicate that the mission into China is very much about business. It
will be about a business delegation coming to those cities, two sister cities, in
Shenzhen and Chongqing, Chengdu is just down the road, it's part of the Sichuan
Province from Chongqing and, Madam Chairman, where we have a number of
significant opportunities in that city.
The last time I took somebody to Chengdu, Madam Chairman, that was Sealy,
the bed manufacturers, and that is now their largest selling outlet. They set up a
retail outlet following that visit and that is now their largest selling retail outlet
in the Asia Pacific. So it does show there are opportunities here for our local
businesses to engage in the wonderful opportunities that emerge in these
developing nations in the Asia Pacific region.
Chairman:
Before I call for further debate, I'd like to welcome Councillor Cameron
O'NEILL who is in the public gallery. Councillor O'Neill is from the Maranoa
Regional Council. Welcome councillor. Further debate.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, last week the LORD MAYOR took a question on notice from
me regarding whether garden beds in Annerley and Graceville would be - sorry,
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 18 re-established, that's the right word, and he has not answered. My understanding
is he is required to do so today. Could you please ensure, Madam Chairman, that
that occurs?
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON, I will have the minutes checked, I do not recall that it
was taken on notice, but I will have the minutes checked. Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair, and I rise to speak on the items before us today of the
E and C report. Let me say, it is good to see more than one item on the E and C
paper.
Councillor interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
Of course, when there's bad news this administration always puts as much
together as quickly as can to bury as much —
Chairman:
Sorry, Councillor DICK, did you - I might have missed it, which items are you
talking on?
Councillor DICK:
I said all items.
Chairman:
All items, thank you.
Councillor DICK:
What's funny about that, I said all items? Keep up. Madam Chair, look, the fact
is, when you look at these items today - and I'll probably start with the overseas
travel first because it's telling. Last week I asked a direct question to the LORD
MAYOR with respect to overseas travel, a pretty straightforward question, and I
was a bit surprised by the answer. But then again, never be surprised by anything
this LNP Council does because he knew there was overseas travel coming down
the line. That's why he wouldn't rule it out because once again we're seeing, as
the LORD MAYOR says, a cloth to fit the times.
But the cloth is going to be luxuriously sitting in business class, sipping
champagne as the LORD MAYOR and Councillor SIMMONDS, for good
measure, jet overseas. With Mr Greg Bowden, of course, on the delegation. So and the reason that Councillor SIMMONDS is travelling overseas is because he
is the Chairman of the APCS (Asia Pacific Cities Summit) steering committee.
Well quite frankly, I don't think that's a good enough reason for a councillor to
be travelling overseas.
Now the LORD MAYOR, I'm sure, in his own justification, will once again
come up with his trickiness as to why he wants to travel overseas, but for
Councillor SIMMONDS, it simply doesn't cut it. It simply does not stack up that
we are seeing the person who is cutting services and the person who is delaying
front line services and presiding over $100 million of rollovers is then - no
wonder we're saving so much money, so that Councillor SIMMONDS can go
overseas.
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
The Chairman of Finance, it is disgraceful. A junket for Councillor SIMMONDS
on one day, the same day he is cutting front line services and pushing the money
over so he can have an easy ride when the budget comes down. Well the jig is up
and we will be exposing that later today. We will be exposing that later today. So
we won't be supporting yet more travel overseas, particularly when the LORD
MAYOR says we are in tough economic times. When we —
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
Well not according to the document which says we're not - we're not missing out
on the rates revenue, because that's going through the roof - but when it comes to
overseas travel, that is always quarantined by this administration. Whatever it
takes to get overseas. Well, Madam Chair, you need to look at the report a little
later today which we will go into some detail.
Now I want to focus now on items A and B. Now I've had a good look at these
documents and I had a good look at the files that were provided one hour before
the Council met, in true form. In true form, one hour before the meeting and I
thought —
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 19 Councillor interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
— oh a couple of thousand. A couple of thousand documents, worth the read.
Worth the read, stand by everyone, stand by. Because reading the documents, I
thought, there would be reports on - what do you think with South Bank and
Roma Street come along, maintenance, on running costs, maybe capital
investments, the water treatment, very important thing. Who's going to do the
security, who's going to look after the joint when we take it over? But what's the
guiding document in all of the thousands of files? What's the one single thing
that this administration has focussed on?
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
Oh, no, no, no. You - Councillor JOHNSTON, you're talking about the project
action items for communications. How to make the Council look good. That's in
the document. That's in the document. But more importantly, you know the big
issue? The massive issue we've got to focus on? Wait for it, an 87 page
document about Brisbane Marketing staff handbook. About the perks and
entitlements of the Brisbane marketing division which will be rolling in to South
Bank, rolling into Roma Street Parklands.
To include such things as marketing collateral, travel overseas - what a thing
today - but domestic for officers but business class for CEO and board directors.
Rolling right along into staff work farewells and functions. Gift purchase for
staff departing through their - either resignation or maternity leave. We'll be able
to have an allowance of $70 per occasion. Oh it goes on, it goes on. It reads on,
it reads on and this is all in the files today about how we are going to transition,
not the maintenance, not the scheduling, all about how Brisbane Marketing —
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
— don't worry, they'll be getting their snouts in the trough, don't worry about
that. Absolutely. Tips on what to avoid, avoid putting your clients on
speakerphone. This is a document prepared today with the pinnacle being - wait
for it, wait for it - on the last page, a group fitness timetable for the staff that are
coming in.
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
Oh absolutely, absolutely. So what we're seeing is yet again such the wrong
priorities from this Council.
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
I would have thought they would have spent more time, rather than how the
Council will look good. That's in the document, how the Council will look good.
As opposed to the ongoing maintenance and running of this important business.
Now Councillor COOPER has been the guiding chair over this, so what a
surprise. What a surprise that Councillor COOPER has had her hands in this as
well.
Councillor SIMMONDS has kept an eye on it as well, he's kept an eye on it. He
likes a bit of marketing, he likes a bit of collateral. Oh and —
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
If I get the time and a bit of overseas travel, tick. Tick overseas travel, tick,
business class travel, tick, Brisbane Marketing. Because that's what this is all
about, not the actual running of important investment in infrastructure for our
city, not how the Council has a long term plan. But let's remember, we have this
for 10 years with money coming in from the state because Campbell Newman
offloaded it onto us. What happens after the next 10 years and the 10 years after
that?
Who funds the ongoing capital maintenance and investment for this project? Has
any work be done on it, in all seriousness, has any work done? There's been a lot
of work done on project management groups about marketing and launches and
how we can position ourselves and how the Council can look good, but not
enough detail on how the on - your LORD MAYOR's right, there's been a lot of
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 20 work done on this. There's been a lot of work on how the Council will look good
and how he will look good. We know, from the documents today, the big launch
with the Premier on 1 July. Parties, celebration, recognition. That's what this is
all about, painting Newman and Lord Mayor QUIRK in the most positive lights
for a media launch.
Meanwhile, the rate payers of Brisbane will be getting - and the LORD
MAYOR's asking for information from his advisor, I'm not sure what that's
about but I've got plenty of data here, if the LORD MAYOR needs it, about the
transition project, about the marketing budget, about future events, about how not about the costs of the maintenance for the next 25 years, how we’re going to
handle that because they're listed as well. They’re listed about all the costs, but
no funding to match it. No funding to match it.
I'm sure the LORD MAYOR will be jumping on the horse, or on a business class
ticket, out of here within the next 10 years, but you know what? What happens to
the bill after that? So I'm sorry, not enough work has been done. You may want
to pat yourselves on the back, you may want to be able to have a relaunch and
have a big celebration, but not enough detail has been provided. It is appalling, it
is shameful with a significant investment like this that we're being left with, from
the state government. We know Newman has had it in for South Bank and Roma
Street Parklands for all these years, of course this Council just rolls along, just
rolls along without any care, whatever you want Newman, yes sir. Because this
Council is fast becoming an arm or, as I like to call it, a department of the state
government.
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
With the minister for Brisbane, no the LORD MAYOR of this city. So, Madam
Chair, we won't be supporting the travel overseas and we have serious, serious
concerns regarding the so-called deal about Roma Street Parklands and South
Bank.
Chairman:
Before we continue debate, Councillor DICK, I have heard you the last two
weeks claim that the files were only made available and hour before the meeting.
That is simply not correct, I have checked with the clerks, the files were all
available from Friday morning and you were provided with a CD. So I would
ask you to perhaps not mislead the chamber in relation to that matter.
Councillor DICK:
Point of order, Madam Chair.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
An email received from my office at 12:46 approximately today regarding the
file request I put under information request. They were available on two USB
sticks which I arrived up on floor 17 at 1pm today.
Chairman:
Well I will check with the clerks because that is not the information the clerks
have just told me and if that's the case I would be concerned. But I understand
that the files relating to this report were available, as they always are, from
Friday morning. I will check your claims that's not correct, thank you.
Councillor DICK:
Madam Chair, I can confirm those files were available.
Chairman:
Well that's not what you were saying before.
Councillor DICK:
The —
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
Calm down. Calm down. The substantive files under the City of Brisbane Act
which we're requested to do, which I filled in a form on Friday lunchtime,
became available one hour before this. Not the files that are available on level 26
which I —
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor DICK:
Which I inspected on Friday, the request that I made via information request —
Councillors interjecting.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 21 Councillor DICK:
— under the City of Brisbane Act, with the required form, was lodged on Friday.
Those files, correctly, were available at - one hour before today's meeting.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor DICK, and they were not the files directly relating to this, they
were further associated files that you had requested under - that you have to fill
in a form. You don't fill in a form to go and view the files for this meeting, so I
would ask, in future - no, sit down Councillor SUTTON. Councillor DICK, I
would ask in future that you not mislead the Chamber in relation to the files that
directly relate to the items in these reports. Thank you.
Yes, Councillor SUTTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
No, Councillor SUTTON was next, resume your seat.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Okay.
Chairman:
Councillor SUTTON.
Councillor SUTTON:
Point of order, Madam Chair. I was only attempting to assist but it's okay —
Chairman:
I don't think we need any assistance.
Councillor SUTTON:
— in terms of the content - in terms of the content of both types of files.
Chairman:
Thank you. Councillor JOHNSTON was next. Thank you, Councillor FLESSER.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, thank you, Madam Chairman. Just to confirm then, Madam Chairman,
because this does happen, are you saying that all files will be made available to
us relating to the meeting when we go and view them up at —
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON, don't distort and twist my words. I said, and I will say
again, the files that directly relate to the items on this report, not every other file,
associated file that might go back for donkeys' years, they are available from
Friday morning, before a Council meeting, as they always have been. Do not
misuse my words. Councillor FLESSER.
Councillor FLESSER:
Thank you, Madam Chair, I was talking about item F, Madam Chair.
Councillor DICK:
Point of order, Madam Chair.
Chairman:
Just a moment. Just a moment, Councillor FLESSER. Yes, Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
To correct the record, I will table today an email from records information
regarding - titled, call for files Roma Street.
Chairman:
Further debate, it goes side to side. Is there anybody on this side wishing to
debate at this point in time? No, Councillor FLESSER.
Councillor FLESSER:
Madam Chair, I'd like to speak about item F, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this
Council is using the Queensland Urban Utilities organisation —
Chairman:
Sorry, Councillor FLESSER. If I can just - resume your seat and you can start
again, but just to finalise. Something else - claim that Councillor JOHNSTON
made that the LORD MAYOR had taken a question on notice. The minutes do
not say that he has taken the question on notice, he said he would need to secure
further details and respond in due course. That was not taken on notice.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order —
Chairman:
Thank you Councillor —
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chair.
Chairman:
Yes, Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, under the rules of procedure, in due course is coming back
the next week to provide the answer. I don't have my rules in front of me but
there is a specific rule on that, Madam Chairman, and if he can't answer he is
required to do so the following week. If someone has the rules, I'm happy to give
you the relevant section.
Chairman:
Thank you, Councillor JOHNSTON, I have the rules, I know the rules. The
LORD MAYOR will provide the answer when he has it. Councillor FLESSER.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 22 Councillor FLESSER:
Thank you, Madam Chair. To item F, Madam Chair, this Council is using
Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) as a cash cow. Madam Chair, that's what
they're using it for, a cash cow. This item that's been brought to the Chamber
today proves it, Madam Chair. You look at paragraph 65, Madam Chair, and it
talks about what's really going on here, Madam Chair, it's about the Council's
doing a deal with QUU to make sure that they keep getting the interest payments
on the debt that was saddled on them at the time when this - when the state
government fully compensated the councils for the loss of their water assets and
the councils, Madam Chair, still loading QUU with a huge amount of debt.
The case of QUU, as far as Council's debt is concerned, as LORD MAYOR
stated, is over $1.2 billion. So, Madam Chair, a reasonable person would think
that when you pay your water rates, Madam Chair, what you're paying for is the
cost of the water, the cost of the water - to get the water there, the cost of
sewerage pipes, the cost of treating the sewerage. But, Madam Chair, that's not
what is happening with QUU. No, Madam Chair, QUU is being used as a cash
cow by this Council and other councils, to raise revenue that's spent on other
things, things other than water and sewerage, Madam Chair.
The interest charge is one of three components that this Council is ripping out of
QUU unnecessarily to get revenue out of them, Madam Chair. And Madam
Chair, I don't believe that what's going on is reasonable, as far as rate payers are
concerned. Because we look at what's happened here, this item has come to
secure high levels of interest that QUU pay this Council into the future. That
money is not being used on water and sewerage, Madam Chair, it's being used
on other things, mainly covering Council's tunnel debts.
So, Madam Chair, there are three items of revenue that come from QUU to this
Council that I believe are unfair, Madam Chair. The first one is the interest being
charged on that $1.2 billion notional loan, Madam Chair, because this Council
doesn't owe any money on water assets. In 2008, the state government fully
compensated this Council for the loss of those water assets, Madam Chair.
Absolutely the whole lot, as a matter of fact I think there was an extra $50
million paid to Council at that time.
The other part - another - the second part of revenue that this Council is ripping
out of QUU is the dividends, Madam Chair. QUU are paying dividends to this
Council, the last financial year $54 million in the annual report last year. $54
million QUU are paying to this Council in dividends. Why? Why, Madam
Chair? That money should be spent on upgrading water and sewerage systems in
South East Queensland and the QUU area, Madam Chair. The third are where
Council is ripping off money from QUU is the tax equivalent payments. Madam
Chair, last year this Council ripped $42.8 million out of QUU under the tax
equivalent payments.
So, Madam Chair, this Council doesn't have to take that money out of QUU, it
doesn't have to take the money for tax equivalent payments, doesn't have to take
the money for the dividends and certainly doesn't have to take the money for the
notional debt that this Council is supposed to be - or that QUU is supposed to be
owed to this Council. So, Madam Chair, what this document does, it locks in to
make sure that QUU will continue to be a cash cow to raise revenue for this
Council, revenue that should be going into water and sewerage, but, Madam
Chair, is not. It's going into other things like stupid CityCycle scheme, tunnel
debts and overseas travel and executive bonuses of more than 10 per cent in one
year.
Councillors interjecting.
Chairman:
Further debate, Councillor SIMMONDS.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. Well look, I rise to speak on all the
items in front of us today, other than, obviously, the two that are seriatim. Could
I firstly deal with the South Bank and Roma Street Parklands, so item A and B.
This is a very exciting item, I am particularly - items - I am particularly pleased
to see it come to fruition. It was —
Councillors interjecting.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 23 Councillor SIMMONDS:
Yes. Sorry, Madam Chairman, I won't be distracted by the interjections of
Councillor COOPER who did all the work for this particular item. This was not
an easy process, Madam Chairman, there was a great meeting of minds between
the LORD MAYOR and the Premier to achieve this, which has been an excellent
outcome, but it is not easy to - was not easy to unravel the Labor set up South
Bank Corporation and their finances, Madam Chairman. So that is why - and it
has taken some time to get through that, Madam Chairman. It's been a process of
going through.
That meeting of the minds between the LORD MAYOR and the Premier was
around Council taking over the management for South Bank and Roma Street,
but to be duly compensated to keep it up to the current standards. So we have
spent quite some time going through the finances of South Bank Corporate,
itemising individual expenditure and talking to the state government in an open
book process to establish what it will cost Council to facilitate South Bank and
Roma Street. We are very pleased that we have got to the stage where we have
these leases.
I just want to deal with a couple of issues, firstly from Councillor DICK. What is
the financial implications to Council after 10 years, I will bring a dictionary next
time with me, Madam Chairman, so that I can read him out the definition of a
lease. Anyone who has taken out a lease for their car or perhaps a premises, a
business location, knows that if you take out a lease for a business location, for
example, once the lease is over, that space does not become your responsibility.
It is still the responsibility of the asset owner.
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
I know there's - I know, we're turning the world on its head here, Madam
Chairman, but that is how a lease works. So the state government is still the
owner of these assets. I would have thought that would be clear in the title of a
lease, but I'm more than happy to clarify that for Councillor DICK. There is a
couple of hundred pages of lease documents over there on the table, I take it he
hasn't even read the title if he didn't realise that, Madam Chairman.
At that time, 3.31pm, the Deputy Chairman, Councillor Angela OWEN-TAYLOR, assumed the Chair.
So at the end of 10 years, it will become - either a new lease will be negotiated
or it will go back to the asset owner. It is simple as this. We will - when - we are
managing the parklands, so with the management - when we receive a
management fee from the state government, we will be managing the parklands
and that's how this deal works. I'm very disappointed that Councillor DICK
cherry picked what he did out of the files. I want to set the record straight, as
Councillor de WIT said, when she was in the Chair, they were additional files
that Councillor DICK sought, that he received despite earlier claims this
morning that they never receive files and that they're always secret. In fact, he
did have them and he did read them.
On those - as he said, volumous files, two full USB sticks, there are copious
amounts of invoices, itemised invoices, for the costs, Madam Chairman. So it is
all clearly up front, because we are being - it is an open book process with the
state government. I'm disappointed that he's cherry picked the document that he
has about Brisbane Marketing staff. I thought, as the chair pin of the workers,
they would be in favour of these new staff, who were previously employed by
South Bank Corporation and will now be part of Council and Brisbane
Marketing, knowing what organisation they're going into. Is that unfair?
Is that unfair when you go to these staff and say, you are transitioning to Council
and Brisbane Marketing, would you like to know the organisation that you're
working for? Would you like to understand what your roles and responsibilities
in that organisation are? Madam Chair, I think it's highly irregular to expect staff
to want to come over to a new organisation on the basis of no knowledge at all,
having no information provided, Madam Chairman.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 24 So that is the reason for that particular item, we provided that in good faith to the
staff and I'm sorry that Councillor DICK has chosen to politic on that particular
issue because there are significant HR issues to do with this item that have been
appropriately managed. I'm very - we are very, very pleased to welcome some
110 staff from South Bank and Roma Street into Council and Brisbane
Marketing. They are very diligent staff, they do a wonderful, wonderful job. I've
been over there myself, I've inspected the water management facilities, for
example, I've inspected the plant room, the assets. I've spoken to these staff,
Madam Chairman, and they will be a credit to our asset - a credit to our
organisation and we're very pleased that this could come about.
I would have hoped that the Opposition would have supported these two items as
iconic parklands that should and will now be managed by Council as other iconic
parklands in Brisbane are. Madam Chairman, I wanted to also touch on items G
and H which are the travel proposals for the APCS (Asia Pacific Cities Summit)
summit. This is obviously one of - a key economic development item, and
opportunity that this administration undertakes. It was, of course, originally a
Labor initiative and we acknowledge that and we have been very keen to carry it
on because of the benefits it does provide to Brisbane businesses.
In that spirit, I'd like to read you out, having just heard that the Labor councillors
will oppose this item today, I'd just like to read from the Hansard just last week,
actually, 14 May 2013. Councillor ABRAHAMS, so Labor councillors do not
oppose the Asia Pacific conference, she said. In fact, Jim Soorley and Labor
brought it to this city and we have seen it grow. And is appropriate for this
conference in this region of the world, with our support, and without it ever, ever
- no, without it ever being opposed by Labor councillors.
At that time, 3.36pm, the Chairman, Councillor Margaret de WIT, resumed the Chair.
So just a week from her words, Madam Chairman, they'll break them. That, as
well - that was well before there was a bipartisan support for a strong
relationship, the Asia Pacific, Madam Chairman. So just a week after Councillor
ABRAHAMS' words that it has never been opposed by the Labor councillors
opposite, here they are opposing it, Madam Chairman. What incredible
hypocrisy from the Labor councillors opposite. They can't even hold their word.
Imagine, imagine the —
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Imagine the people of Brisbane who voted for these people at the last election, if
they can't even hold their word for a week, how can they hold it for a four year
term, Madam Chairman? What an embarrassment. What an embarrassment.
Madam Chairman, I —
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Madam Chairman —
Chairman:
Councillor FLESSER.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
This administration has run a number of APCSs now, and we have always been
up front, always been very up front about the no, about the business benefits that
they yield. We have spoken in depth about the millions of dollars of individual
contracts that have been borne out of the APCS. With the 2013 conference, the
LORD MAYOR will accompany an expected 100 business and young delegates
from Brisbane, Madam Chairman. So I do not think it unreasonable that those
100 or so people that will pay their good money to go across and be part of the
Brisbane delegation have both the LORD MAYOR and myself there to
accompany them and to promote Brisbane and to promote their interests.
Because that's what it's all about, Madam Chairman, it's about the interests of
Brisbane businesses and the important inroads into the Asia Pacific economy
that this summit provides. Finally, I'd just like to talk on item F, the QUU loan.
A - particularly to - personally, I think this item is quite straight forward. We had
previously a loan agreement, this is an extension of that loan agreement that is
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 25 entered into by all the participating councils, as the LORD MAYOR said. It is
my understand that most of the other participating councils have already passed
this particular document through their council. If they haven't, they are certainly
well underway to do it.
But being a straightforward item, I just wanted to address some of the
misconceptions from Councillor FLESSER, particularly that QUU is some kind
of cash cow. For a start, Madam Chairman, he does not understand this item.
This item—
636/2012-13
Councillor Julian SIMMONDS was granted an extension of time on the motion of Councillor Ryan MURPHY,
seconded by Councillor Andrew WINES.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Madam Chairman, thank you. Councillor FLESSER does not understand this
item. This is a loan that we provide to QUU, they pay interest on that loan as we
in turn pay interest for the borrowings that we have leant them. So if the
residents of Brisbane have to pay interest, Madam Chairman, is it not reasonable
to expect QUU to pay that interest in turn, Madam Chairman, given that they are
the beneficiaries of the funds.
But Councillor FLESSER has tried to use this myth before, that QUU is some
kind of cash cow. As we know, it's nothing in comparison to the money that they
were making when they had water, Madam Chairman, that they were making off
Brisbane residents. The profit they were making, Labor councillors, the previous
Labor administration were making when they had water within Council, Madam
Chairman, the profits they were using to cross-subsidise other programs, Madam
Chairman.
Now unfortunately I couldn't find the figures in time, I'm sure Councillor
McLACHLAN has them, because we've talked - spoken about them before,
Madam Chairman, but don't be fooled when Councillor FLESSER stands up and
pretends that this is a sacrosanct cow, Madam Chairman, when he himself was
the chief pillager of water when he was in Labor administration, Madam
Chairman. Thank you.
Chairman:
Further debate. Councillor ABRAHAMS.
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I wish to speak on item A, B, C and I
fear I have to speak on item G after the last comment from Councillor
SIMMONDS. Councillor SIMMONDS, Labor supports the Asia Pacific
conference, Councillor SIMMONDS, Labor does not support your trip as
business class travel to that conference. They are two different things. This is
hard economic times, Councillor SIMMONDS, when Labor councillors travelled
to Japan as part of the Ramsar Convention, we always went economy class and
with the other part of the fare —
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
— took a member of the community as well. So, Councillor SIMMONDS, you
could have done that and really supported the Asia Pacific conference, or,
Councillor SIMMONDS, you could have just gone by yourself economy class.
So let's be quite clear, in your defence, being just a little bit sensitive at sitting up
the front of the plane, be quite clear that you make sure you don't verbal Labor
support for the Asia Pacific conference.
Madam Chair, the other issue I wish to speak about was the staff arrangements
with the transfer and agreements of Roma Street Parkland and the South Bank
Parklands. Madam Chair, the total number of staff to be transferred is a total of
110. Thirty – that is 30 full time equivalents. Thirty full time staff are in the
Roma Street Parklands, they have been forced by a state cabinet decision to
transfer over to the CPTS Proprietary Limited. They have no choice, they have
been forced to transfer.
I understand that the 80 full time equivalent staff in the South Bank Parkland
were offered transfers but weren't forced to come into the new company.
Therefore, the issues and the conditions on which they are employed are
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 26 important, as they are, being forced upon them. That is why it must be so
insulting for them to have Brisbane Marketing, not industrial agreements, not
where you're actually really looking what terms and conditions they come
through, but a marketing exercise on how to look good and how to have the
benefits within a marketing environment, that is one of promotion, it's not one of
getting your hands dirty, making sure the weeds are looked after, making sure
the mulch is looked after and even the toilets are kept to the same standard as
which they currently are.
That is the issue where it comes to the agreement and the priority that we have
found in an hour out of thousands of pages of agreements relating to this
administration to the transfer. Madam Chair, the next issue I would like to speak
to is item C, and that is the policy for the—let me get the words right—the
Revenue Policy. Madam Chair, I thought it might be worth my while looking at
what the Revenue Policy last year, 2012 to 2013, said. Because I would have
expected it would have been exactly the same. It's the same policy, nothing's
changed.
Oh but no, there is one vital little part missing and that is paragraph D. Paragraph
D in the last year's Revenue Policy read, “Funding reserves. The amount held
aside in reserves to cover anticipated and future financial components is
determined annually by Council, it’s part of Council's budget and may be
amended through the course of the financial year. That amount - this is the
important amount - that amount held in each reserve is published quarterly.”
There are a few other paragraphs, but the whole point is, Madam Chair, all of
that section is absent from this policy. Madam Chair, what do we think may be
the reason? Could it be an error? Unlikely, it transfers pretty easy, you'd know if
you left one paragraph out. Could it be that there are never going to be any more
reserves in our budget? Hmm, highly unlikely, I'm sure when Labor gets back in
we will have reserves. Or could it be that the issue is simply secrecy and that we
have here what is happening in reserves will not be revealed, it will remain a
secret.
LORD MAYOR, you need to get up and confess up why there is this change in
the revenue. But LORD MAYOR, there's another issue that interests me more
and as many of you would know, the one thing I think we should do with our
revenue is spend it in an appropriate time.
MOTION FOR AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE C:
/2011-12
It was moved by Councillor Helen ABRAHAMS, seconded by Councillor Milton DICK that Clause CBRISBANE CITY COUNCIL – REVENUE POLICY 2013/2013, of the report be amended as follows:
a. Amend section “(c) Infrastructure Cost Recovery”
–
“…
by
a
Council
resolution
made
under
the
b.
At the end of paragraph after
Sustainable Planning Act 2009.”
c.
Insert a new sentence “Council will ensure the timely expenditure of those adopted infrastructure
charges.”
(Chairman:
Debate, Councillor ABRAHAMS.
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
Madam Chair, I'll be quick. If you've got the money and spend it straight away, it
keeps its value at when it was raised. Madam Chair, that is what I have always
argued and that is something that I believe passionately. But, Madam Chair,
there are two other arguments and that is, in a budget where we have just seen
$99 million of capital and expense and is not spent, in the time that this
administration said it would be. It behoves us to put into our policy that we
spend the funds judiciously.
In the face of them just moving backward the expenditure or not spending it at
all, it is important that we give a commitment to all of the developers, all the
mums and dads that buy those developments, all the collected funds, that their
money will be used judiciously. And, Madam Chair, there's another point. We've
just heard the LNP tell us of what hard economic times there are. I think the
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 27 LORD MAYOR may have said it four times at least in the beginning of our
debate today.
If it's hard economic times, do you know who the mum and dads look for and the
small businesses and the development industry look for, they look to
governments to spend and keep spending because that's some way where they
can have some revenue coming in and keeping their businesses alive and
keeping cash turnover. So again, there is a very clear argument that in these hard
economic times, we shouldn't be putting into reserves that we're not going to see,
because that's in the policy, or just pushing it out, not this year, next year or the
year after. This is what is happening as the one project that is dear to my heart
that we are collecting money for in the Gabba ward, pushing off the Riverwalk
to 2027 to 2031, even though we're collecting funds now.
So, Madam Chair, I urge everyone to support this amendment.
Chairman:
Councillor ABRAHAMS, there were insufficient copies of that amendment, are
there any - do you have any more copies there? There's at least four short on this
side, I believe. There are 26 councillors and the LORD MAYOR. I've got one,
we're right. No, it's taken care of, thank you Councillor ABRAHAMS.
Further debate on the amendment, LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Yes, Madam Chairman, this is an absolute furphy. Madam Chairman, the Deputy
Leader of the Opposition is standing here today through this amendment, trying
to suggest that we don't spend the infrastructure charges that we receive as a
Council. Now, Madam Chairman, you've only got to look —
Chairman:
Order.
LORD MAYOR:
You've only got to look at the budget document, Madam Chairman, to see that
the expected infrastructure charges this year was $86 million. By reference,
Madam Chairman, the capitalised expenses - in other words the money that we
are spending on capital over this year - is $1.29 billion. Madam Chairman, for
the life of me I - I've seen some attempts at smoke screens in my day, but this
one would have to take the cake. Every year, Madam Chairman, the Labor Party
seem compelled to want to debate the Revenue Policy. It is the Revenue Policy.
It is a requirement by law, Madam Chairman. It used to be Councillor John
Campbell, he was a little more sophisticated in his attempts to debate the
Revenue Policy.
In his absence, Madam Chairman, we've now got Councillor ABRAHAMS
having a crack and because it's an area of development which she knows a little
more about than the general budget, marginal - I'm giving the benefit of the
doubt, Councillor ABRAHAMS, please settle down. So, Madam Chairman, the
reality is that $86 million in revenue on infrastructure costs, infrastructure
charges, Madam Chairman, and against that at $1.29 billion spent on capitalised
expenses.
So look, it's just a nonsense, Madam Chairman, it won't - this amendment won't
be supported.
Chairman:
Further debate, Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, Madam Chairman, I rise to speak on the amendment as it's been put
forward today. I think in starting to speak to the amendment, Madam Chairman,
I'll say how disingenuous the LORD MAYOR's statements have just been. Week
after week after week in this place he criticises the Opposition for failing to put
forward alternatives on what they would do. Madam Chairman, we hear it, it's a
standard line from the LORD MAYOR. Today, the Opposition has put forward
an amendment to the Revenue Policy. It's a very reasonable amendment. It says,
essentially that we will spend any money that is received through developer
infrastructure charges in a timely way.
We know, Madam Chairman, there is a massive lag between the revenue coming
in from developers and then the expenditure of that money in the community.
There is a massive gap and that is the issue, that this amendment is attempting to
address today, is to narrow that gap and make sure that when money comes in
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 28 from developers, it goes out and it is spent in local communities. Now we know,
Madam Chairman, that the previous Lord Mayor decided to mess around with
this. Previously, we knew that developer funds would come into our local parks
funding and councillors could go out and spend money in a very responsive way,
locally.
Now, the former Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman stopped that and he took all
that money back into central revenue in - I think it was about 2009. Madam
Chairman, I remember it was Councillor MATIC and I who were critical of that
decision, back when he had a little bit of backbone, Madam Chairman. And,
Madam Chairman, it was a poor decision because it immediately, said, we're
going to take it into the central revenue, it's going to sit there so we can maybe
raise a bit of revenue off it or whatever they're going to do, offset it against
something else, that shouldn't happen.
If developers - and we know the developers are pretty cranky at the moment out
there, they're doing it tough like everybody else. I'm sure every councillor in this
place gets the letters from developers saying the $60,000 in infrastructure
charges for my little coffee shop are outrageous. Well, Madam Chairman, I can't
even go to them and say, your funding will go into good local asset development
or fixing up our drainage, which is desperately needed. Desperately needed out
in Tennyson Ward.
We can't do that because there is this massive lag between when this Council
gets the revenue in and when it actually spends it. As we can see in the third
budget review here today, we know that they keep rolling it over and rolling it
over and rolling it over. Cut —
Chairman:
To the chair, please Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
— this Council - yes, Madam Chairman.
Chairman:
Not to the public gallery.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes thank you, it's illustrative, Madam Chairman. That's what this Council is
doing. They are broadening the gap between when the revenue comes in and
when they spend it. Madam Chairman, I think as a matter of policy this is a very
good amendment. I would like to see the funds that come in from developers in
my ward making sure that money is spent as soon as possible and drainage is the
key issue out there in my ward. It's on the never, never list on the Long Term
Infrastructure Plan of this Council at some 25 years away. That's not good
enough. That is not good enough.
Right around our city we have got old infrastructure that we are asking
developers to contribute towards but there is absolutely lengthy timeframes
between when that money comes in and when it will be spent. Now the LORD
MAYOR keeps calling for the Opposition to put up good ideas about how things
can be improved in this city, I actually think this is a good one and I think it - if
the LORD MAYOR says there's no problem with it, it's happening now, then
there is no reason that he cannot support the insertion of this sentence into the
Revenue Policy.
This is where, Madam Chairman, we need to know that what he says and what
he does are the same thing and they're not two different things, Madam
Chairman, because that's what's happening now. All this amendment will do will
make sure that that money is spent effectively, quickly and in a timely way. It's a
very good amendment and I support it.
Chairman:
Further debate, Councillor FLESSER.
Councillor FLESSER:
Yes, Madam Chair, just rising briefly to support the amendment. Madam Chair,
if you look in the current budget, Madam Chair, it is riddled with places where
Council is collecting infrastructure charges and, Madam Chair, not spending
them in a timely manner. This amendment will address that matter. And, Madam
Chair, I will direct Council to a couple of pages in the budget. The first one is
page 57, if we look at the - this is under water smart city, Madam Chair, well
look at the storm water ICP(Infrastructure Charging Plan) infrastructure charges
that we're collecting this year and over the next four years, compare it, Madam
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 29 Chair, to what we're spending compared to the revenue. There is a huge
difference, Madam Chair.
I don't have enough time to add it up, but just - this year, for instance, we're
collecting $14 million in revenue, spending $6 million. Next year, $16 million,
spending $6.9 million. The year after, $18 million, spending $7 million. That's in
the water smart city. If we go to page 76 of the budget, Madam Chair, moving
Brisbane. Transport and traffic ICP revenue project, Madam Chair. This is the
revenue collecting from developers and they're out there doing developments,
out in the suburbs, Madam Chair, they're paying money to Council,
infrastructure charges that they think should be spent in that area to address those
traffic and transport issues. The local residents expect should be spent in that
area where the actual development's going on.
What did we collect in revenue this year? $34 million, next year, $39 million,
year after, $45 million. What capital expenses have we got against those
revenues, Madam Chair? Zero, nothing. Nothing, nothing in the budget, Madam
Chair. So - then if we go to - I'll go further, to page 94, and we go to program 4,
future Brisbane, Madam Chair. The BCC managed water supply and sewerage
ICPs. Look at the revenues there; this year $9.4 million, next year $5.4 million,
Madam Chair, and what capital are we spending against those - that revenue,
Madam Chair? Zero.
Madam Chair, this amendment addresses that matter, it says we should be
spending the money we're picking up from developers in a timely manner, in the
area where the developments are going on. That's what the developers expect,
that's what rate payers expect and that's what this Council should be doing.
Chairman:
Councillor MURPHY.
ADJOURNMENT:
637/2012-13
At that time, 3.58pm, it was resolved on the motion of Councillor Ryan MURPHY, seconded by Councillor
Kim MARX, that the meeting adjourn for a period of 15 minutes, to commence only when all councillors had
vacated the chamber and the doors locked.
Council stood adjourned at 4.04pm.
UPON RESUMPTION:
Chairman:
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Further debate on the amendment? Councillor ABRAHAMS—oh sorry
Councillor SIMMONDS?
No worries, thank you, Madam Chairman, just a couple of quick points. I just
wanted to say that clearly any reading of the budget book would point out that
any suggestion we don’t spend the infrastructure charges we receive is
manifestly false. I’m happy to use exactly the same examples that were used by
Councillor FLESSER. Page 57 for example you see $14 million in ‘12/’13 for
stormwater ICP (Infrastructure Charging Plan) revenue. You’ve got $6.6 million
there for stormwater ICP infrastructure. You’ve then got $11.8 million on major
drainage construction, $4.7 million on voluntary purchase scheme, $3 million on
backflow construction, $4.7 on local drainage construction, another $6.8 million
to maintain or for enclosed drains and the list goes on and on. Stormwater
drainage $5.4 million, the list goes on and on.
I don’t know where they think this money is spent, Madam Chairman, if not in
the suburbs where there is development. We don’t spend it on the moon. We
clearly - we clearly go out there and prioritise the projects in this city on an as
need basis.
The other point I would make is that many of the projects that we do enable
development. They are preceding projects, they are large expensive projects that
have a long life. They are investments in our future that then take time to recoup.
It is a warped logic that they use, a warped logic, that if they cared to follow
through from beginning to end they would find manifestly disadvantages to
some parts of the city. If their argument in this place here today is that - well it’s
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 30 either one of two arguments: either this is the money you get for infrastructure
charges and that is what you are to spend. Well, Madam Chairman, following
that logic we would spend manifestly less than what we do at the moment.
One of the examples that Councillor FLESSER used was the transport ICP
which amounts to $30 million in revenue. Well I think our transport capital
expenditure for this year was around $600 million, $650 million. That clearly
isn’t going to work. Perhaps their argument now is to try to think how to follow
it through. Perhaps their argument is then that if they get the infrastructure
charges, that that has to be spent within a certain square kilometres of that
development.
Well by that logic it would only be wards like mine for example where there are
lots of developments that would ever have upgrade in infrastructure. The
constituents of Walter Taylor would be incredibly pleased with the level of
infrastructure, but there will be many wards around this city, like yourself,
Madam Chairman, like Councillor KNAPP, which are more established suburbs.
I think perhaps even of Tennyson where you have a local councillor who
opposes every development. How will see ever - how would they ever have
upgraded infrastructure in those kind of wards if this was the logic that was to be
followed through? But somehow you shouldn’t prioritise jobs in this city based
on need, based on economic benefit, based on cost, that you can only apportion
jobs in this city based on where the development is that the money was received
from. It is a total furphy with very little logic.
Frankly I think we’re doing them a favour by opposing this motion. I think it
would be a great disadvantage to their residents if it got up, Madam Chairman,
but of course they’re only interested in politics for politics’ sake.
Chairman:
Further debate on the amendment? Councillor DICK?
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair. Look I’ll speak briefly on this amendment which I
support and listening to Councillor SIMMONDS, he is indicating that this in
some ways is redundant, that this motion is already happening, that we’re
already spending the infrastructure funds that we obtain.
Well if it’s already happening, what’s the problem with it being in our revenue
policy? If it’s already occurring and this is standard practise, as the LNP Council
say, well why would you object to this being in the policy? As the LORD
MAYOR said this is a standard operating procedure this policy, it’s what we do
every year, it’s what - before the budget comes forward, standard set of
procedures.
Well the only reason I can suggest that they don’t want to support this today is
because this is not happening, that this is not occurring and we’re not saying any
of the nonsense that Councillor SIMMONDS was suggesting. This is a very
straightforward amendment which he was trying to oppose but doing a bad job at
it - was basically at odds with actually what he said here. It’s simply that a new
sentence Council will ensure the timely expenditure of those adopted
infrastructure charges.
Well Councillor SIMMONDS we’re not talking about development in a certain
location, we’re not talking about jobs, and we’re not talking about anything of
the sort. We’re simply saying that when we receive the revenue, that that money
is spent in a timely - we’re not setting any firm parameters and it’s got to be
spent the next week or within a certain - you know, even within a month, we’re
saying it’s timely and I think this gives clarity to the ratepayers, the ratepayers
who are impacted by development.
As you said there’s a lot of development that the LNP Council support that local
residents don’t want. There’s a lot of development in our community that locals
don’t support in their suburbs that the LNP ran through without any respect to
their own views.
So I’m at a loss as to why the LNP are so hostile or so prickly about this. The
only thing I can deduct is that they simply know that this will provide
transparency. This will provide openness to the developers as well. I mean at the
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 31 end of the day they have a right to know when, where, how their money will be
spent, but we know one thing, when it comes to transparency and it comes to
open and accountable government, those opposite will oppose every day of the
week.
Chairman:
Further debate on the amendment? Councillor ABRAHAMS?
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
Thank you, Madam Chair, I’ll be very quick. The arguments against supporting
this from the LORD MAYOR was an attack the messenger, from Councillor
SIMMONDS was in short that I don’t understand that infrastructure charges are
not full cost recovery. Councillor SIMMONDS I do understand that, it has
nothing to do with this motion, as Councillor DICK has said, so clearly it is
simply the timely expenditure when those funds raised keep their value.
The third point I’d like to say is if they’re so convinced that in fact they are
spending the infrastructure in a timely manner that they didn’t need to even
debate the word timely. If they did think they were spending the infrastructure
appropriately, why not support this motion?
Madam Chair, this motion was linked to transparency and I’m still waiting to see
whether later in the debate we’ll get anything about the reserves being dropped
from this section.
Amendment put:
The Chairman put the motion for the amendment to Clause C to the Chamber resulting in its being declared lost
on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Helen ABRAHAMS and Victoria NEWTON immediately rose and called for a
division, which resulted in the motion being declared lost.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 8 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER,
Steve GRIFFITHS, Victoria NEWTON, and Nicole JOHNSTON.
NOES: 19 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP, Kim MARX, Peter
MATIC,
Ian McKENZIE,
David
McLACHLAN,
Ryan
MURPHY,
Angela OWEN-TAYLOR,
Julian SIMMONDS,
Andrew
WINES,
and
Norm WYNDHAM.
Is there further debate on Items A to C and F to H? Yes Councillor
JOHNSTON?
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes thank you, Madam Chairman.
Councillors interjecting.
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
I rise to speak on Items A, B – well not C we sorted that – F, G and H.
Firstly—and I’ll be as brief as I can—with respect to Items A and B, I guess
I’m—
Chairman:
Order.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
I guess I’m disappointed, Madam Chairman, at what I’ve heard in the chamber
today with respect to the arrangements that are going to be put in place for the
ongoing financial and operational maintenance of both Southbank and Roma
Street.
I heard what the Leader of the Opposition said, and I take his point, but there
seems to be a focus on the nice-to-haves rather than the necessaries with respect
to the focus of maintenance in these two iconic parklands. The bigger concern
that I have though is that I have zero confidence that the amount of money being
put aside to manage these parklands will be adequate and I base that concern on
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 32 the great meeting of the minds, as it was put by Councillor SIMMONDS,
between the LORD MAYOR and the Premier.
Madam Chairman, we know that when it comes to looking after the ratepayers of
Brisbane, this LORD MAYOR will simply kowtow to what the Premier of this
state wants. Far from being a positive for the residents of Brisbane, the election
of an LNP government, both at Council and State Government level, is not
leading necessarily to good outcomes on the ground and unfortunately, in that
debate it seems the residents and ratepayers of Brisbane are the ones who are
coming off second best.
So I won’t be voting against A and B, but I’ll put on the record my substantial
and serious concerns about the adequacy of the amount of money that the State
Government is putting aside for the management of these parklands.
I’ll finish on that issue by saying that Councillor SIMMONDS hopped up and
sort of ridiculed the idea that other speakers didn’t understand the nature of a
lease when they questioned the 10-year timeframe for the management of these
two parklands. What I will say is the private sector, a superannuation company,
seems to have negotiated a better outcome on its lease of William Street—a
99-year lease with the State Government—than this LORD MAYOR can do
with the Premier of Queensland. He could only manage to get a 10 year lease. So
what I would like to know certainly is why this LORD MAYOR can’t enter into
financial arrangements in as an effective way as the private sector.
Why is it that we’ve just got this very short-term lease that I think, quite rightly,
Councillor DICK made mention of the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any
accountability for the capital maintenance that is required rather than recurrent
maintenance. That is hugely problematic because if this lease is rolled over in 10
years who is going to be responsible for the 10 years of neglect under the current
lease because we know that the Premier has washed his hands of this matter.
So I think it’s appalling that the Premier of this state has negotiated a lease
arrangement that seems to be better off for the private sector than a lease
arrangement with the City of Brisbane and that’s very disappointing.
With respect to the overseas travel items at G and H, Madam Chairman, I am
very disappointed to see that on the same budget where we have massive cuts
and delays to Council’s basic operations and maintenance. We are also being
asked to approve expenditure for overseas travel for Councillor SIMMONDS,
the LORD MAYOR and a number of Council officers. That to me, when we
hear week after week from the LORD MAYOR and Councillor SIMMONDS
how tight finances are, seems to be an unnecessary expenditure.
Here is my suggestion and again I’m happy to put suggestions on the record
about how things could be done differently and better and I do quite frequently.
As far as I understand, Councillor SIMMONDS has available to him a $17,000
discretionary allowance by virtue of his position as the chairman of Council. I
think it would be a much better idea to spend that money paying for his own
overseas travel and I think that that would be a much better way for the LORD
MAYOR to spend his discretionary allowance. We don’t hear much about those
allowances, Madam Chairman, there’s no real accounting for them, and they’re
not out in the public sphere—
Chairman:
And they’re not in this item Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
No that’s right, but, Madam Chairman, I’m simply saying I believe that that
would be a much better way for these costs to be handled, rather than taking
money out of Council’s budget that could otherwise be spent on maintenance
activities.
So never let it be said, Madam Chairman, that I don’t come to this place with
ideas of how things can be done better. $17,000 – he’d only have to spend I
think it’s $4300—
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON back to the item.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
I am.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 33 Chairman:
No you’re not and don’t argue with me.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
$4100 is Councillor SIMMONDS. He’s got plenty of money to do that, Madam
Chairman, and the LORD MAYOR and his staff member, that’d be almost
$20,000, so he might not have enough, but at least he could put some of that
discretionary allowance towards these costs. I think that would be a much better
way to do it.
Chairman:
Further debate on the—yes Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR?
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: Thank you, Madam Chairman. I rise to speak on Items G and H and can I start by
saying that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, how those on the
opposite of this chamber seem to have a selective memory when it comes to
items such as this.
Madam Chairman, let me first start with Councillor ABRAHAMS’ comments.
Last week in this very place she said and I quote, “so Labor councillors do not
oppose the Asia Pacific Conference”. The comments that have come from those
on the opposite of the chamber today show a very stark difference to those that
have come from this side. It proves that those on the other side are not truly
behind the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) because part of the process of the
APCS is the whole concept of business-to-business, business-to-government and
government-to-government interaction. It is not possible to undertake those
interactions if you don’t have the respective parties from the different cities, and
the different countries in this case, attending the Summit.
Now, Madam Chairman, having seen the benefits that have been derived for this
city from the last onshore APCS, I can assure you that there are certainly many
opportunities that are out there in the global sphere. Brisbane is a global city, it is
not a local city anymore and when those on the opposite side of the chamber
start realising that they might get into the right headspace to really understand
the benefits that APCS brings for our city.
Madam Chairman, on the hypocrisy from those on the other side, it was the
Labor Party in this place that brought in the business class air travel policy. They
brought it in for overseas travel for Councillors and Council officers and that
was around the time when there were issues around deep vein thrombosis.
The comments from those on the other side also amount to insulting the many
business leaders of our city who go on these business missions and to attend
APCS—
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chairman?
Chairman:
Yes
Councillor
JOHNSTON?
Point
of
order
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR. Yes Councillor JOHNSTON?
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, I spoke on this matter and then one of the councillors that
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR’s referring to. I didn’t insult anybody—
Chairman:
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR didn’t name you Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
But, Madam Chairman, she’s clearly referring to me—
Chairman:
And you’re arguing with me Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
—and I would ask, Madam Chairman, that if she is referring to a previous
speaker that she does so clearly otherwise I’ve been misrepresented—
Chairman:
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR did not say she was referring to the previous
speaker specifically. She did not call you by name. Councillor
OWEN-TAYLOR? I dismiss your point of order.
against
you
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: Thank you, Madam Chairman. The comments that they make about members of
this Council chamber travelling to the APCS are in essence an insult to the
business people who go to the APCS and also to the Kaohsiung city government
who are inviting Councillor SIMMONDS and also bearing a significant
proportion of the cost of Councillor SIMMONDS’ travel which obviously those
on the other side neglect to mention. They fail to acknowledge it but it’s there
black and white in the papers, but again they have selective memory, they have
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 34 selective positioning when it comes to matters like this and – that’s right
Councillor KING they don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Madam Chairman, those on the other side it’s all about hypocrisy for them
because of their comments today, well let’s go back a little bit. In 2005 they had
Councillor Hinchliffe, who was a councillor at that time and Councillor Kevin
Bianchi travelling business class to the 2005 APCS in Chongqing. That was one
of the most recent ones, but let’s also go back to—well Councillor NEWTON
she went to Naoshima with Councillor KNAPP and yes, they travelled business
class because it is Council policy. Let me go back one step further. I’ve got an
article here, Madam Chairman, from the Sunday Mail, 2 June 2002, page 3 and I
quote, “Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley will take his partner and his chief spin
doctor on a $50,000 rate payer funded around the world trip.” $50,000, Madam
Chairman—
Chairman:
Yes, back to this item thanks Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR.
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: Thank you, Madam Chairman; I am drawing the parallels and hypocrisy—
Chairman:
I realise what you're doing but please get back to this item.
Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: Thank you. The LORD MAYOR is not taking his wife, the Lady Mayoress and
neither is Councillor SIMMONDS. This APCS and business mission is all about
interacting with business, with government and bringing about economic
benefits for our city.
Just focusing on the economic benefits for our city, and over the past few years
since the APCS was overseen by the former Lord Mayor and the current LORD
MAYOR and the respective chairmen, we have generated over $500 million for
the economy and that is since 2009. This represents a 10,600 per cent return on
investment and under any financial assessment that is well beyond what could
have been anticipated when it was first advocated. It has generated over 200
business leads for Brisbane businesses. We have got to look at the benefits. Now
that’s just 2009 APCS. The 2011 APCS—around $20 million was injected into
the Brisbane economy and the figure continues to grow.
Memorandums of understanding were entered into and they totalled over
$3 million. There have been further ongoing linkages between the business to
business matching and there are certainly many different opportunities that have
come up, particularly for potential infrastructure agreements, for potential
business linkages where they are actually forming into joint venture
opportunities and, Madam Chairman, that is what those on the other side fail to
recognise. We are about making sure that the Asia Pacific Cities Summit is
beneficial to all delegates who go, whether they are business representatives,
whether they are government representatives and it is very important that we as a
council have appropriate representation at APCS and at an administration level
to ensure that appropriate respect is paid to the other governments and the other
representatives who are there.
Madam Chairman, I commend these items to the chamber.
Chairman:
Further debate on this part of the E&C? Councillor HUANG?
Councillor HUANG:
Thank you, Madam Chair. I rise to speak on Items G and H of the E&C report.
In September this year, the Lord Mayor will lead a delegation of this city’s
business and civic leaders to visit our sister cities in China and attend the 2013
Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This will be the first official
visit by the LORD MAYOR to our sister cities in China. During this trip the
LORD MAYOR will be visiting cities of Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hong
Kong and then attending the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Kaohsiung.
Over the last two years, Brisbane has received numerous official delegations
from Shenzhen, Chongqing and Chengdu and these cities have always been
strong supporters of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit. It is appropriate and timely
for the LORD MAYOR to make his first official visit just before attending this
year’s Summit to strengthen the strong cultural and economic ties between
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 35 Brisbane and these cities and later Councillor SIMMONDS will join the LORD
MAYOR and his delegation at the Summit to represent our city.
Madam Chairman, the Asia Pacific Cities Summit is a biannual event with the
objective of promoting economic growth in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
It is a platform for attendees to communicate and exchange their viewpoints and
knowledge regarding business growth, investment and economic outcomes.
The Summit has also become a medium for global business to enter the growing
Asia Pacific markets. This year’s Summit will build upon the success of eight
prior summits and is expected to attract over 1000 delegates from over 100
global cities with outstanding high profile speakers. The Summit will aim to
discuss the city-state phenomenon and its relationship with the people, as well as
strategies that accentuate positive mutual advantage and regenerate business
opportunities between cities.
This year’s Summit will also be a green paperless convention, featuring
advanced green technologies and environmentally friendly goods and services.
Madam Chairman, the theme of this year’s Summit is “Reshaping the
Urbanomics of Cities” and the meeting agenda is heavily focused on economic
developments of cities and how this network of cities will provide maximum
benefits for the good of the entire region.
I joined the LORD MAYOR’s business mission last October while I was in
Taiwan visiting relatives. In the four days I spent with the business mission, we
always started the day with breakfast briefings on the day’s schedule, followed
by meetings, visits, seminars and most days we finished the day with a business
networking dinner. It is not an easy task in leading an international business
mission like this. Our LORD MAYOR takes these trips seriously and we always
try to attend as many meetings and meet as many businesses as possible to
explore business opportunities for our city.
I can recall I was sitting a few seats away from the LORD MAYOR in a
business-matching seminar and see the LORD MAYOR nodding his head. I’m
sure he was just agreeing with what the guest speaker had to say.
Madam Chairman, it may be difficult for the opposition to understand the
importance of a visit like this and how it will benefit our city because if we look
at the composition of the opposition we will see the opposition benches consist
of former political staffers, trade unionists and government employees and
there’s hardly anyone of them have any experiences in running a business in the
real world and how international businesses are conducted.
Councillor DICK earlier was talking about the hard economic times this city is
facing, but I think he has no idea how to improve our economy through
promoting our city and generate business opportunities in this globalised age. He
has no idea how valuable these business opportunities are and how much capital
it’s going to bring to our city and how many jobs it’s going to create. I think it is
a pity because Councillor DICK and almost all of his Labor councillors have
never had an opportunity to work in the real business world. I understand he has
spent all his working life in Labor politics so he has no knowledge of how
businesses are conducted and he has argued an economic issue using his political
logic.
Madam Chairman, the economic benefits of leading such a business delegation
to our sister cities and attending an international conference like APCS should
not be underestimated. I believe any opportunity to showcase Brisbane in the
international arena deserves bipartisan support.
After the LORD MAYOR’s business trip last year, I have received increasing
numbers of enquiries about doing business with Brisbane. I look forward to
seeing more business interactions and opportunities coming out of this year's
summit.
I'd like to conclude by encouraging all councillors to participate in this year's
summit. That could be by way of attending the summit or encouraging your local
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 36 businesses to join LORD MAYOR's business mission or invite your overseas
business and government contacts to attend this summit.
The more people attending this Summit the more business opportunities it is
going to generate and I'm sure it will be a fruitful trip for the LORD MAYOR
and his business mission. I commend this report to the chamber.
Chairman:
Further debate on the E&C, first part? LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Thanks very much, Madam Chairman. Well, Madam Chairman, just to cover off
on some of those points. Look, the Roma Street Parkland and South Bank
Parklands management lease, Madam Chairman, it is what it is. It's a 10 year
lease and any question marks around what might happen after that time, Madam
Chairman, let me just say that the lease comes to an end. It will need to be
renegotiated at the end of that lease
So, Madam Chairman, we have got an adequate amount of money to do the
things that we need to do to make sure that those parklands, and this is my first
priority, to make sure those parklands are maintained and at least as good a
standard as they are currently. I've often referred to South Bank being an icon on
this city, Madam Chairman. So it is that this lease agreement puts out the
responsibility upon us but there is sufficient funding there to do it and to do it
well.
There is also the responsibility of event management, Madam Chairman, and
there are some, I think, additional opportunities that we can explore as part of
that, Madam Chairman, and I'm looking forward to engaging with others around
the city to see what we can do to expand the opportunities at those two venues,
Madam Chairman, into the future.
In relation to the revenue policy, well, Madam Chairman, again I think it was
much to do about nothing today. The revenue policies are there as a background
document to the framing of the budget, Madam Chairman. The budget, of
course, will come down in the second week of June and it will be the content of
that budget that will be the relevant theme to debate, Madam Chairman, rather
than any principles that drive it or the policies behind it. It will be what is
contained in the budget and the relevance of that budget to the people of
Brisbane that will be the subject of the debate at that time.
As far as the Annual Operation Plan that comes next, Queensland Urban Utilities
(QUU), Madam Chairman. I couldn't quite work out what Councillor FLESSER
was on about there. It is a loan borrowing that we provide to QUU. We get an
amount of money back in relation to that. If we did not have that loan borrowing
then, Madam Chairman, that is money that we wouldn't have to pay to
Queensland Treasury Corporation in terms of that borrowing.
So it evens itself out around that, Madam Chairman, and so I don't quite
understand what Councillor FLESSER was driving at. So it's money in, money
out, and there's no $52 million windfall like Councillor FLESSER was trying to
suggest. That's just a nonsense argument that will never, ever fly.
Madam Chairman, item G and item H. I just want to make reference, Madam
Chairman, if I may to thank all the speakers that made a contribution to this but I
just want to make reference to item H there in paragraph 95. It says, Madam
Chairman, these costs will also be offset by an administration fee to be paid by
participating delegates, as well as subsidies on air fare and accommodation
provided by Kaohsiung City Government expected to be no less than $8,200.
Now, Madam Chairman, the reality is that given the high level of interest that we
are seeing in this trade mission, I would be very surprised if there is much by
way of public cost at all out of this event. Madam Chairman, the reality is also
that businesses would only pay an administration fee over and above their own
costs on these missions, if they felt that there was something worthwhile for
those businesses in these trips. That's the reality.
Why would you put your hard cash up in addition to your own costs if that was
not the case? So I say here today, Madam Chairman, that there will be very little,
if any, costs on the public purse in association to those four entities that are
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 37 travelling as part of that business mission. I thank Councillor HUANG for your
recollections of the visitation to Taipei and Kaohsiung and Kobe and Daejeon
and Hong Kong on the last occasion where you took in part of that mission
yourself.
But the reality is and, Madam Chairman, I might just say that with respect to the
Asia Pacific City Summit, I did make an offer to Councillor DICK to participate
in a bipartisan way on this trip.
Councillor interjecting.
LORD MAYOR:
No, I didn't, Councillor JOHNSTON, but today, Madam Chairman—
Chairman:
Order!
LORD MAYOR:
—today, Madam Chairman, I want to extend an offer to Councillor
ABRAHAMS. Councillor ABRAHAMS last week very clearly indicated so
Labor councillors do not oppose the Asia Pacific conference. In fact,
Jim Soorley and Labor brought it to this city.
Madam Chairman, I make the point that there has been a bipartisan approach to
the Asia Pacific City Summit since the 1990s. That is the reality. It was the case
when Jim Soorley was Lord Mayor. It was the case when Campbell Newman
was Lord Mayor and it remains the same today, in terms of my attitude towards
it. That's why I made that offer to Councillor DICK. It's his call whether he
accepts it but given that he's not prepared to accept it, I make the offer available
today to Councillor ABRAHAMS to come along in the spirit of bipartisanship.
Well, no, it's there, it's on the table and there's nothing more about that. I'm just
saying that's available.
Madam Chairman, that's basically it. That covers, I think, all of those items so
I'm happy to move the report.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause A of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and Helen ABRAHAMS immediately rose and called for a division,
which resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 20 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Nicole JOHNSTON, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP,
Kim MARX, Peter MATIC, Ian McKENZIE, David McLACHLAN, Ryan
MURPHY, Angela OWEN-TAYLOR, Julian SIMMONDS, Andrew WINES, and
Norm WYNDHAM.
ABSTENTIONS: 6 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, and
Victoria NEWTON.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause B of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and the LORD MAYOR immediately rose and called for a division,
which resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 20 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Nicole JOHNSTON, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP,
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 38 Kim MARX, Peter MATIC, Ian McKENZIE, David McLACHLAN, Ryan
MURPHY, Angela OWEN-TAYLOR, Julian SIMMONDS, Andrew WINES, and
Norm WYNDHAM.
NOES: 6 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, and
Victoria NEWTON.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause C of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Helen ABRAHAMS and Milton DICK immediately rose and called for a division,
which resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 20 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Nicole JOHNSTON, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP,
Kim MARX, Peter MATIC, Ian McKENZIE, David McLACHLAN, Ryan
MURPHY, Angela OWEN-TAYLOR, Julian SIMMONDS, Andrew WINES, and
Norm WYNDHAM.
NOES: 6 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, and
Victoria NEWTON.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause F of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and Helen ABRAHAMS immediately rose and called for a division,
which resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 20 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Nicole JOHNSTON, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP,
Kim MARX, Peter MATIC, Ian McKENZIE, David McLACHLAN, Ryan
MURPHY, Angela OWEN-TAYLOR, Julian SIMMONDS, Andrew WINES, and
Norm WYNDHAM.
NOES: 6 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, and
Victoria NEWTON.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause G of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and Victoria NEWTON immediately rose and called for a division, which
resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 19 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP, Kim MARX, Peter
MATIC,
Ian McKENZIE,
David
McLACHLAN,
Ryan
MURPHY,
Angela OWEN-TAYLOR,
Julian SIMMONDS,
Andrew
WINES,
and
Norm WYNDHAM.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 39 -
NOES: 7 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, Victoria
NEWTON and Nicole JOHNSTON.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause H of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and Victoria NEWTON immediately rose and called for a division, which
resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 19 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP, Kim MARX, Peter
MATIC,
Ian McKENZIE,
David
McLACHLAN,
Ryan
MURPHY,
Angela OWEN-TAYLOR,
Julian SIMMONDS,
Andrew
WINES,
and
Norm WYNDHAM.
NOES: 7 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, Victoria
NEWTON and Nicole JOHNSTON.
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR, Establish and Coordination Committee report, items D and E.
LORD MAYOR:
Yes, thanks very much, Madam Chairman. Madam Chairman, just prior to
coming to those items, last week in the Council chamber, Madam Chairman,
Councillor JOHNSTON asked if I would intervene to stop the removal of mature
healthy garden beds in Annerley and Graceville. That has now occurred. Madam
Chairman, in responding to that, would I be directing people? The answer is no.
Madam Chairman, the two items before us, item D and item E. Firstly, Madam
Chairman, item D is the Annual Operational Plan. It is the quarterly financial
report for March. The critical things, Madam Chairman, in this report and the
first sign of the budget are in relation to the ratios. Madam Chairman, in that
respect, with interest coverage, we look for a number lower than 10 per cent. The
financial report shows that we are year to date at 5.38 per cent.
In terms of debt servicing, as a component of total income, we seek a percentage
less than 33 per cent and that percentage at the moment is 7.9 per cent. As far as
a net debt to total income we seek a figure less than 150 per cent and that is
currently at 102.16 per cent. Madam Chairman, in respect to working capital, we
seek a number greater than 1 per cent and that is at 1.33 per cent. The total assets
to total liabilities, we seek a figure higher than 3 per cent and that is currently at
8.39 per cent. In terms of the average debt maturity, we seek a figure less than 15
years and that is currently at 13.94 years.
So with regards to our ratios, Madam Chairman, indicating the financial health
of the organisation, Madam Chairman, it does show that we are meeting those
ratios at each and every phase on each line item. In regard to the March review,
the quarterly financial report overall, it shows, Madam Chairman, that our
revenues there are down $46.2 million. It shows also that our expenses, the
variations there, are up $68.1 million, Madam Chairman. The budget variations
in relation to capital are varying by $108 million. That's, Madam Chairman,
what I suspect Councillor DICK was making reference to a little earlier.
Now, Madam Chairman, the various line items surrounding that, we see under
Moving Brisbane there is $15 million there as a loss decommissioning roads and
road related assets, partly offset by higher revenue received for Boundary Road's
rehabilitation and a $9.7 million amount there for contributed assets received
from developers.
In addition to that, we have a loss of disposal of assets no longer in use. That was
an amount of $13.9 million and $2.9 million, or basically $3 million, which was
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 40 a later receipt of revenue from the Federal Government for the purchase of the
Moorooka Community Hub. Revenue from development asset applications,
Madam Chairman, a variation there of $3.125 million. That's down on
expectations. We also see a later receipt of flood insurance claims, some $3.3
million there that was later than expected and $34 million on a lower receipt of
January 2011 flood grants.
Now, this is the amount, $34.5 million, this is the amount, Madam Chairman,
before roads and we'll come to that figure a little bit later as well. That's
contained also within the third review of the budget. The other areas there,
Madam Chairman, we see as the variation in terms of lower revenues in the
business units and that is an amount thereof some $5.651 million in
Field Services and $1.9 million up in City Projects Office, making a net result
for the business units of a decline in revenue of $3.5 million.
Madam Chairman, on the expenses side, we see the corporate voluntary
redundancies fund, Madam Chairman, $8 million less than anticipated, Madam
Chairman. We've got expenditure on various information services branch items
and projects down $5.3 million. Expenditure primarily in cleaning and the
removal of debris associated with the response to the Australia Day event. That's
actually up. That's moneys, $15.3 million for that line item. $4.9 million, of
course that was an unexpected expense in our budget, Madam Chairman that
came along that we had to deal with.
Parks and recreation, we are down some $4.9 million in terms of maintenance
activities. Again that's simply because we couldn't get to a lot of those parks
during that event and then the clean-up period that ensued where we moved 300
people from our operations over to engage in the kerbside clean up, the
Greenways clean up, Madam Chairman, that occurred in this city over several
weeks.
Madam Chairman, $1.3 million of expenditure on bushland management
maintenance at conservation reserves. That's an amount that we were down. Also
if you look at the savings and depreciation costs, there's an amount less there of
$1.9 million. A further $2.4 million on expenditure relating to the January 2011
flood event where we're still undertaking the works associated with that. That
related to creek remediation and Bert Saint Clair Oval projects, Madam
Chairman, a temporary change, of course, for the $2.4 million variation there.
Then we see later than anticipated payments for ferry operations, a $2.6 million
variation there and $11 million against late depreciation on road and expenditure
on road-related maintenance activities. We are up $12 million, Madam
Chairman, when it comes to E-toll enforcement costs and that is partly offset by
some other revenues. So, Madam Chairman, that gives an idea, in fact it's not
just partly - I think a fair bit of that is offset. So, Madam Chairman, that covers
most of those.
In the business units, where expenditures are varied, down by $4.6 million in
terms of savings and operations in Field Services and we've got lower fuel costs
and some efficiencies in bus maintenance costs leading to a $4 million reduction
in expenditure there on Brisbane Transport services so leaving a total of $68
million in expenditure.
Madam Chairman, if I move to item E, once again, Madam Chairman, if I can
reiterate what I was saying earlier. We see here a decline in revenue of
$94 million on what we anticipated in the budget. So the approved budget was
$2.004 million in revenue. We are now anticipating a total end of year budget
receipt of $94 million. The rates revenue on the other hand that I was referring
to—and I talked about anticipated rates earlier in my response in question
time—yes, you can work that out now.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
No, I knew.
LORD MAYOR:
You knew? Well, why were you questioning me if you knew—?
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 41 LORD MAYOR:
—because I very clearly said a reduction in anticipated rates and it was
$1.76 million that we expect to receive less in the rates that were set out in the
budget document, Madam Chairman. So again, it just does show that the aspect
of rates, they form only a part of the total revenues of our budget. We talk about
a budget being around a $3 billion budget, Madam Chairman, and the rates and
utility charges component of that budget is around the $870 million mark.
Madam Chairman, also in that budget we see donations, contributed subsidies
and grants down by $82 million, a reduction of fees and charges of
$13.3 million, reduction in public transport revenues of some $9 million, leaving
a total revenue reduction of $94.869 million. Madam Chairman, we also see a
transfer from reserves of some $18 million as part and parcel of this budget
review.
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR, before you continue, your time has expired.
638/2012-13
The LORD MAYOR was granted an extension of time on the motion of Councillor Ryan MURPHY, seconded
by the DEPUTY MAYOR (Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER).
Chairman:
LORD MAYOR.
LORD MAYOR:
Thank you, Madam Chairman. So, Madam Chairman, in terms of the details
around the $100 million, approximately $100 million variation, again to balance
out the reduced expected revenues in this budget we see, Madam Chairman, on
page 13 there, Bulimba Creek acquisition, a $3.8 million variation. That's a
carryover of $1.4 million in capital to the 2013-14 year and $2.4 million we've
achieved in project savings.
Madam Chairman, the next significant item over on page 18 is the January 2011
flood damage of the ferry terminals. Madam Chairman, you might recall that
there was a debate that occurred with the federal and state governments. It was
around the design. We indicated that we believe we could save the federal and
state government’s significant money by reverting to a different design. That
took some time to reach an agreement. We've now got that agreement in place
but as a result, there is a slower delivery of that because of those discussions and
later agreement.
So, Madam Chairman, that's a $13.6 million variation, a rephrasing of the
budget. The work doesn't go away. It will have to be done obviously but it's a
rephrasing, in terms of the timing. Legacy Way on page 19, Madam Chairman,
this is a carryover amount that will go into the fourth budget review. It is $14.5
million and that is an allocation to contingency but an allocation which we have
not used. It's not to say that that contingency will not be required into the future.
So that is why, Madam Chairman that will be rolled forward.
The next item, the $3.2 million variation on page 20; this is the carryover to
capital of developer contributions, the Council contributions to developer
constructed works. So again this is—we were talking earlier about developer
contributions—this is actually where Council makes a contribution to developer
constructed works. In other words, we don't require the developer to do all of the
works. They are required to do a proportion of the works, that extent to which
that development has an impact and Council meets the rest of those costs. But in
this case, we have a $3.2 million variation, Madam Chairman, in terms of
reduced capital expenditure.
January 2011 floods on page 21. We've got a $35 million variation. This was a
big chunk of that $100 million figure. This is in relation to a decrease in capital.
We had expected when we brought this budget down last year, Madam
Chairman, that there would be recognition of the deterioration of the road
network as a direct result of the January 2011 flood event. We have been in
discussions and negotiations with the Reconstruction Authority around these
funds.
Madam Chairman, it is not a fight that we are winning. It is an amount, Madam
Chairman, where we established that the road network had been impacted in
flood-affected areas to the tune of seven and a half years. That is the loss of life
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 42 in the road surface of what is an average 20-year road surface life and so that
particular component, Madam Chairman, that money is not coming through and
that represents a significant portion of that approximately $100 million figure.
Madam Chairman, the next item is the carryover of capital and expense to 201314 for the St Lucia SCIP (Suburban Centre Improvement Projects) construction
and future SCIP projects. That's a matter, Madam Chairman, of that variation.
The next item relates to the All Abilities Playground equipment, Madam
Chairman. This is a project, $2 million on page 23, one we're very keen to get up
and running. There are issues and we have been, Madam Chairman, now in
negotiation with the Department of Heritage or whatever it's now called down at
the—Environment and Heritage, thank you, Councillor BOURKE, for some time
over the heritage issues in the Botanic Gardens.
We are working through those—they relate to the nature of the structures
proposed. So, Madam Chairman, there is some work being done. We are hoping
to be at a conclusion very soon. We are keen to get on with that project and we
will, as soon as we possibly can, reach agreement around that.
The next item, Madam Chairman, is that of a carryover on page 24. This is
timing for the construction of two new public pools. We've committed in this
term of office to two new pools and there is a $1.7 million variation there,
Madam Chairman. It will not in any way change the fact that we will deliver
those pools in this term but there a variation of that amount at this time.
Madam Chairman, I think that just about gets us through the big ticket items.
There's one other I just would like to point out and Councillor SIMMONDS did
make reference to it a little earlier and that is there is one further carryover.
There's a carryover of Brisbane Transport tools of trade. That is a capital to
match project delivery timetables. So again, those tools of trade are being
purchased. It's just a timing issue and variation in our third budget review at this
time.
Finally, I was going to make mention—and I can't find it here, Councillor
SIMMONDS—there it is page 28 of the $30 million. It's there, it’s the Securing
2026 Capital Sourcing Program, a realisation of capital savings, Madam
Chairman, with strategic procurement, decrease in expense due to project
savings. So, Madam Chairman, I commend the Quarterly Financial Report and
the third budget review to the chamber.
Chairman:
Further debate? Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
Well, thank you, Madam Chair, and I rise to speak on both of the items. Madam
Chair, there can be no clearer example in reflection of the poor state of this city's
finances by looking at these documents today. Without a doubt, these documents
prove one thing. This Council is incapable of delivering projects or it's incapable
of balancing the books. That's the reality of this because today the LORD
MAYOR of our city has confirmed that we are rolling over $99 million worth of
projects, either because this Council hasn't been able to manage the projects or,
as I suspect, they've been caught out today.
This is a matter of a week before the budget and they are going to pop this
money in to the 2013-14 budget to pay for core services or their budget 'nicetohaves.' I will go through and demonstrate my case today because the
LORD MAYOR reads through the documents and reads out the carryovers but
doesn’t give an explanation as to why we're in this situation about it. So I'm not
surprised that the LORD MAYOR would just ramble on, rabbit on, about this,
that, this, that, without giving any explanation because the real explanation, the
real reason, is because the city's finances are in trouble and they are in dire
trouble.
Madam Chair, I want to dispel this QRAA myth that the LNP are running around
in. You know what? The Federal Government has contributed $4.1billion worth
of recovery efforts that are sitting in the bank, that are sitting in the bank. You
know what? If there are problems with the QRAA, well, you know what? What
has the LORD MAYOR done about it? Could you imagine —step back in
time—could you imagine if Campbell Newman was still here and the former
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 43 State Government were sitting on the money, they had $4.1 billion sitting in the
bank account. Campbell Newman would've gone that's okay with the delay; take
your time because we're in no rush.
I mean, isn't that now just demonstrating how impotent and how out of touch this
administration is, that the LORD MAYOR of our city hasn't even picked up the
phone to the Premier, or the Infrastructure Minister, and said get on with it,
where is our money? Hasn't done the press conference, going out there, banging
on about the issue, hasn't briefed the media, and hasn’t got the Council out there
running a campaign. No, no, sit back, wait and say well, they're not going to pay
up so there's not much we can do about it. So we'll cut our services and we'll cut
our frontline services.
I mean, how ridiculous is that? Looking through why we are going into a deep,
dark black hole, you only need to have a cursory glance at the documents and
listening to the LORD MAYOR we're in the same boat as the Federal
Government, we're in the same boat as the State Government, because revenues
are down. You know, revenues are down, the money markets, you know, all
those excuses. You know what? Revenue isn't down. This time last year, which
no one on that side is disputing, we’re$46 million up in rates. We've got more
money than we did last year.
Not like the Federal Government which has an income and revenue downstream
problem, not at all, not like the Federal Government, that taxes are down, you
heard all those excuses by that fool of a Treasurer, Tim Nicholls. What we've
heard today is rates are up, rates have gone up; we are spending more on rates,
around $46 million, than we did this time last year.
Council's debt now has reached $2.1 billion because before the LNP took over,
Council was absolutely debt-free in 2008. Now, to avoid unsustainable intergenerational debt for Brisbane ratepayers, the LORD MAYOR says well, it's all
too hard. Well, we are in a black hole and it's time a light was found through to
get through that tunnel that those opposite are burying us in.
Now, a good start would be to analyse why we are in this position and looking at
the - I want to just focus on this $100 million that the Council is rolling over into
next year's budget and there's just a couple of highlights here. When you look at
core business of our organisation, local drainage, local drainage, a carryover, and
I like this term. You know, each budget review comes in, there's a new term. It
was rephasing last time. Remember that? They scrubbed that out. This time it's
to meet agreed project timeframes. A new one, a new one.
So we're losing, under page 17, Water Smart City, $360,000. We're losing major
drainage construction, a decrease in capital of $650,000 due to project savings
and a $200,000 carryover. How many times, how many times, have we heard
lectures about back flow valves? How many times have we heard lectures about
how this administration is getting on with the job and delivering back flow
valves? Except not an issue. We heard it in last year's budget speech by the
LORD MAYOR. Did the LORD MAYOR say no, we reserve the right to cut
half a million dollars and not spend it this year? Course not, of course not.
He went out and said I'm spending all this money, then sneaking in weeks before
the budget is due, takes a little half a million dollars out so he can roll that over
to next year and go out to the media and say, look what I'm spending on back
flow valves. Well, the jig is up. Everyone is on to what this is about. I've got no
doubt whatsoever the political hacks in the LORD MAYOR's office gave the
directive, suggested to the organisation, guys, we need to find $100 million so
we can roll that over in to next year's budget, go for it, and go for it.
Stormwater drain rehab. Bikeway construction. How many times have we heard
about bikeways? We're rolling over $1.4 million. The CityCat stop in Milton and
on it goes. Interestingly, when you look at public transport, the LORD MAYOR
didn't talk about the Maroon CityGlider. He didn't touch on that. It was all the
big announcement last year in the budget where we're delivering this ‘you-beaut’
great project but he didn't say well, there's going to be a decrease in expenses
and revenue because revenue is down by $1.5 million, didn't mention that at all.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 44 My poor area misses out, the southwest of Brisbane. Well, that's the easy cut
when the axe always comes out, public transport. Inala Avenue – King Avenue
Stage one, Blunder Road to Sherwood, decrease in capital due to - and a carry
over for 2013-13. In the newsletters that went out in my area, did the LORD
MAYOR say, look, we're going to spend the money but we reserve the right to
roll it over for next year? Of course not.
Progress Road and Boundary Road, I don't think we've started on that. Kerb and
channel contributed assets, a decrease in revenue, in capital and expenditure
there, roads and bikeways down, revenue has been down on that one, Howard
Smith Wharves. What else have we got? The Wolston Creek bridge upgrade in
my area, that's another carryover. Paradise Road upgrade, that's a carryover,
Tilley Road extension and all those LNP councillors on the other side say yes,
that's fine, don't worry about my local residents, roll over, roll over. But E-toll
management, increase in expense due to the provision for E-toll doubtful debts
of an expense of $15.326 million.
Now, I want to spend a little bit of time on Councillor COOPER's area. Well
look, in this budget review, there's two chairs who have completely rolled over
and said quick, take the money out of all of Councillor BOURKE and Councillor
COOPER, the lightweights who they simply can push around and take the
money over. Not if the new chair coming in was a chairperson or people of
substance like Councillor MARX or Councillor HOWARD. They'd be in there
fighting and stopping this but no Councillor COOPER and Councillor
BOURKE, just completing rolling over.
At that time, 5.30pm, the Deputy Chairman, Councillor Angela OWEN-TAYLOR, assumed the Chair.
We've got a little expense here of $370,000. Remember the LORD MAYOR said
today in question time, minor changes to city plans, just a bit of tinkering around
at a cost of $370,000, external legal fees, though there are not enough lawyers in
Brisbane City Legal Practice. Then, of course, there’s the great flagship
enterprise for this administration under Councillor COOPER's watch; Vibrant
Laneways. Not so vibrant today with $642,000 rolling over. That will be another
announcement after the budget to say look how much we're spending on Vibrant
Laneways.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor DICK, your time has expired. Further debate?
639/2012-13
Councillor Milton DICK was granted an extension of time on the motion of Councillor Victoria NEWTON,
seconded by Councillor Helen ABRAHAMS.
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair. Where was I? The SCIP project. The LORD MAYOR
sort of read out and said yes, look, we're moving a bit of money around there. I
think his words were, and that's about it. That's what he said about that because
what are we spending on Vibrant Laneways this year? Two million, three
million, four million, the six million that we promised to spend that Councillor
COOPER said that she promised to spend on SCIPs? No, no, because we're
rolling over $5.15 million.
Then I thought I'd have a look at some of the media clipping surrounding this
because the local councillor for Walter Taylor went out and said more than
$2.5—in the Brisbane Westside News—a total of $2.5 million has been allocated
to enhance the village and improve the shopping experience. Well, it's now June
and we're now ripping out $5 million from the project. So my question to
Councillor COOPER is, for the first time in this city's history, we're ripping
money out of the SCIP project, we're not funding what we said we would, we get
the lectures from Councillor COOPER, through you, Madam Acting Chair,
throughout the budget talking about how great they are and weeks before the
next budget wheeling in here and cutting out millions and millions of dollars
from this project.
It's either because the incompetence of managing that portfolio or simply not
being able to deliver the most basic of projects. Other chairs have delivered it;
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 45 other chairs have got on with the job, not this chair, not this chair. So you only
need to look at a handful of projects and back to Councillor BOURKE's area, the
amount of parks that they're ripping out, funding that they're ripping out of, not a
peep out of Councillor BOURKE. It'd be interesting what he has to say about
this, or the projects—in my own area, the Pooh Corner environment centre. This
was a big election announcement. Plenty of media on this one, lots of media
coverage, all over the place, in the Satellite it was a major election commitment,
Lord Mayor makes green pledge, LNP accused of election bribery.
So you've got all of these headlines, these great announcements, Councillor
BOURKE out there saying we're going to deliver this, we're getting on with it
but weeks before the budget, when the death knell sounds, they roll the money
over for next year. What's the bet they're going to go out and say getting on with
the job, delivering more than you think, getting the funds in there. We know and
the people of Brisbane know and the media who are listening know that this is a
big fat con. This is an absolute con, rolling all the money out to save because
they have maxed our credit card and we are on borrowed time.
Madam Acting Chair, looking at some of the other projects and there are so
many, there are so many I'm not going to get through $99 million worth. What
were some of the other issues that were raised in the budget speech? The new
pools in your own ward and Councillor COOPER's ward again. We're rolling
over $1.7 million, well, a little bit of money, a lot of money, due to the timing
and this one. I can remember Councillor ADAMS going on about this.
The Southside Performing Arts Centre, carrying over almost $1 million on that
one. Remember the mysterious Southside Performing Arts Centre that no one on
that side will actually say where it's being built? We'll go out and actually
announce—it's true, I'll take an interjection—where it's being built, anyone?
Anyone? No, not a word. Still don't know, still mysterious, still a mystery
because we're rolling over $1 million. Why? Because in the LORD MAYOR's
budget speech, he goes on to say our network of community hubs is also
growing with $1 million allocated for the new Forest Lake community hall and
$1 million to begin planning a new performing arts complex or with $1 million
going over this [unclear] needs a lot of planning going on.
I don't think there's a lot of planning at all for $1 million. What's the bet? In the
budget in a couple of weeks, we want to be congratulated because we're
spending $1 million on a new performing arts complex. And even small money,
like the SES accommodation. You know, talk about incompetence, talk about
absolute incompetence. So we get all of this media, all this - actually Living in
Brisbane. Here's the document. Getting behind the SES, the Council including
more than $1 million to build a new SES depot and what are we doing? We're
ripping out $200,000 next year.
So the LORD MAYOR goes out, announces it in the budget, wants a pat on the
back, puts it in writing to every resident in Brisbane which, mind you, costs $1
million in itself. We're not cutting back there, absolutely not, not the marketing
department. Then we go out and we reel in, a couple of weeks before the budget
and say you know what, I know we said we're spending that money but actually
we need it to prop up the budget in a couple of weeks so sorry. I wonder if that
will be in the next Living in Brisbane edition? I don't think so, absolutely not.
Another flag - how many lectures have we heard about the taskforce against
graffiti? Absolutely all the time, lectures, all the time, absolutely, the important
joint media announcements with the state police minister—
Deputy Chairman:
To the report, Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
Sure. I refer you to public health and safety on page 25, Madam Acting Chair,
because we're not spending what we should on this project, around half a million
dollars. The expense was budgeted at $3.123 million. The LORD MAYOR's
own speech, it includes $3.1 million in funding for graffiti removal and ground
breaking taskforce against graffiti, our joint graffiti fighting initiative with the
State Government.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 46 Not a mention there that we won't be spending all the money. We'll actually go
out and promise to spend and then a couple of weeks before the budget, roll it
back and then roll it in again for the next budget for 2013-14. So you can see
time and time again, right throughout the document, you cannot trust what the
LNP says at budget time, you cannot trust what they say in a couple of weeks
when the budget comes down because there is a pattern.
The pattern goes like this; first budget review, they play low. Second budget
review, it all starts up, the wheels start churning and the third one, pack it in with
a full E&C agenda, bring only one item to the Council meetings in the lead up,
ram it through, roll out, get $100 million together so we can roll it in to the next
budget. Well, it's been exposed today. We all know it, the people of Brisbane are
waking up to it and it's time that the LNP were upfront and honest with the
people of Brisbane. These documents today clearly show that is not the case.
Deputy Chairman:
Further debate? Councillor FLESSER.
Councillor FLESSER:
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I want to talk about the quarterly
financial report. Madam Chair, there's been a bit of discussion today about the
black holes, Madam Chair.
Well, I can tell you, Madam Chair that this Council is on the event arising of a
black hole, Madam Chair. That's where we're sitting, about to fall in to the abyss.
Madam Chair, this document just shows how poorly the Council's finances have
been managed over the last few years. I want to take issue with something that
the LORD MAYOR has mentioned a couple of times today and he said that the
Council is not immune to revenue downturns.
Madam Chair, that is not true. That is not true. Sure, the Council can do some
poor budgeting at budget time, which makes it look like revenue is not coming in
as fast as they predicted, Madam Chair, but that's because of poor budgeting.
This Council is actually immune to revenue downturns, Madam Chair, because it
doesn’t matter what the economy is doing out there, it doesn’t matter whether
businesses are doing well or ratepayers are in a job, Madam Chairman, because
they get charged rates based on the value of their property. Not whether the
market is going up and down, they get rates charged on the value of the property
and, Madam Chair, if they can't pay you know what happens? We just sell them
up, we well them up, Madam Chair.
This Council is immune to those downturns of revenue, Madam Chair, unlike the
state and federal governments where their revenue is clearly related to the state
of the economy. So, Madam Chair, let's have a look at this quarterly financial
report. I want to focus on the ratios, on the financial ratios.
Madam Chair, if we look at the ratios, we see every single one of them going
backwards, Madam Chair, every single one of them and why are they going
backwards? Because of the massive debt that Councillor DICK spoke about
before, the $2.1 billion, and we know, Madam Chair, from the Council meeting
on 26 March when the CEO admitted that every man, woman and child in
Brisbane now owes $1,934 in debt, Madam Chair, every single man, woman and
child in Brisbane, $1,934.
Let's look at those financial ratios. The first one, Madam Chair, the Council's
interest coverage. Madam Chair, since 12 months ago, it is now 34 per cent
worse than what it was then, 34 per cent worse, gone from 3.99 per cent to 5.38
per cent. For debt servicing to total income ratio is 43 per cent worse than what it
was 12 months ago, going from 5.5 per cent to 7.9 per cent. This is the
interesting one. The net debt to total income ratio is 41 per cent worse, going
from 72.2 per cent to 102.1 per cent.
Now, Madam Chair, this is the ratio that Peter Costello is most interested in
when he reviewed the state's finances and what did he say? He said that
government should have a ratio which should always been less than 60 per cent.
But where is this Council's ratio, Madam Chair? It's 102.16 per cent. So Peter
Costello says that that ratio for governments should be less than 6 per cent but
what is it sitting here now today? 102.16 per cent, Madam Chair.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 47 So it'd be interesting to see Peter Costello come and do a review of the Council's
books, the books that have been managed by Campbell Newman and LORD
MAYOR Graham QUIRK over the last eight years, Madam Chair. Keep going
through the ratios and I'll be looking forward to Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR
going through them with me as well.
The working capital ratio is 8.2 per cent worse. I'd like to see her put a spin on
that so it's gone from 1.44 times to 1.33 times. Our total assets, total liabilities
ratio is worse by 27.6 per cent, going from 10.71 times to 8.39 times. Council's
total wealth has decreased from $19.3 billion to $18.7 billion. Madam Chair, I
cannot remember a time ever in this Council's history when our total wealth has
decreased. Madam Chair, our total wealth has decreased.
So we're reaping in more and more rates, we know that if we go to page 12 of
the report that we've increased rates, we've collected an extra $46 million in rates
from the poor long-suffering Brisbane City Council ratepayers, Madam Chair, in
the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months. That's an increase of
7.21 per cent. So we're ripping 7.21 per cent out of ratepayers' pockets in the last
12 months compared to the 12 months before.
Now, Madam Chair, what are these falling financial strength indicators, what
can they be attributed to? Well, Madam Chair, it's absolutely clear it's because
the Council's debt is out of control and this report show on page 4 that our debt
in just the last 12 months has increased by $494 million. Twelve months
Council's debt has increased by 494 million and, Madam Chair, as Councillor
DICK said, back in 2008 this Council was absolutely debt free.
We didn't owe any money for any water assets, we didn't owe any money for any
sewerage assets, we didn't owe any money for any roads or transport, we didn't
even have any general borrowings from QTC, Madam Chair, because the State
Government paid Council for all of its water assets, reduced our debt to zero. As
a matter of fact, Madam Chair, I believe the State Government contributed an
extra $50 million which we spent on the Go Between Bridge.
So, Madam Chair, this Council is now sitting at a debt of $2.1 billion, $1,934 for
every single man, woman and child in Brisbane, Madam Chair. No wonder these
financial ratios are going backwards and getting worse. Madam Chair, we're
clearly heading towards that deep, dark, black hole and it's about time that this
Council's administration started doing something about it.
Madam Chair, they can start doing things like stop wasting so much money on
the CityCycle scheme, getting those tunnel debts under control and certainly stop
increasing Council fat cats' bonuses by 10 per cent a year.
Deputy Chairman:
Further debate? Councillor SIMMONDS.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. That was a fairly weak effort; I have
to say, from the opposition councillors. It's a good study, I think, in politics
about what you do when you don't have much to go on and that is resort to over
the top rhetoric because I think if you can classify a budget that has an
accumulated surplus, it's meeting its metrics and it has a per capita debt almost
half that of the previous Labor administration, Madam Chairman, if that's dire
trouble, I'd love to see a good budget, Madam Chairman.
Moreover, if that's dire trouble, what on earth would have happened if they put
in their $1.4 billion worth of election promises that not just a year ago they put to
the people of Brisbane, Madam Chairman? What an incredible claim, what an
incredible claim for a budget that as I said has an accumulated surplus, that
expenditure is going in the right direction, you can see from page 7 that
employee costs are under control, Madam Chairman, and they're not escalating
and that we are continuing to deliver projects, many of them ahead of time,
Madam Chairman. It is just an incredible, incredible claim.
What I find amazing, what I find amazing, Madam Chairman, is that Councillor
DICK can talk about carry overs. I mean, we know that they're flood deniers.
They talk about carry overs but they totally ignore the fact, ignore the fact, that
there is some $30 million in extra work already in this budget review and
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 48 undergoing for the Australia Day storms, Madam Chairman. This is extra work
that wasn't in the budget that is already underway.
Things like, for example, Councillor DICK talked about a carryover of some
$500,000 in enclosed drains. Well, there's $2.2 million extra to repair enclosed
drains after the Australia Day storms. There's an extra $600,000 to repair sea and
river walls. There's $240,000 on damaged eddies and pontoons, $940,000 to
repair damaged parks, $1 million on roads and roads related assets. Of course,
$15.3 million on the initial clean up and debris removal activities.
That's just the dollars, that's not factoring in the fact that we had every Council
officer for a great number of weeks undertaking that clean up and green waste
collection for the benefit of the residents of Brisbane, Madam Chairman, who
were there for, not on their normal duties. An opposition which absolutely cared
about results in their area and their residents would congratulate the
administration and the Council officers on the fine work that they've done,
cleaning up after the Australia Day storms, instead of bleating about how they
could not be in two places at one time.
What an insult to those Council officers who have worked so very hard to
somehow insinuate, to somehow insinuate, that they haven't completed the jobs
that they should have, Madam Chairman, when of course they were working
incredibly hard for many, many weeks on the Australia Day clean up. So if you
accept that, and I hear them muttering over there saying well, that's not what
they said, well, fine. If you accept that, if you accept that they did some 30
million extra in work over a number of weeks, then how can you be offended
when they're not in two places at one time, Madam Chairman.
It is hypocritical in the absolute extreme, the absolute extreme. Well I’ll take the
interjection from Councillor DICK, he did say that. He did say that because he
was bleating about the carryovers, Madam Chairman. He was bleating about the
carryovers and insinuating that these projects weren’t done. Well there’s a
reason that many of them haven’t been completed or aren’t up to time and one of
them will be completed but there’s a reason that many of them aren’t up to time
because remember these documents are a snapshot in time - was because of that
significant event where many of the officers who were doing those projects were
taken off for the disaster recovery and subsequent work that was vitally
important for this city.
But, of course, a great amount of selective reading of the documents again from
Councillor DICK. For example, I look on page 25 and I see $1.1 million in early
expenditure for the street lights retrofit program. I look on page 25 and I see $3.3
million in savings from the Bulimba Creek—who’s doing the work Councillor
DICK? It’s all well and good for them to say oh well it’s Federal Government
funding, but we’re doing the work, it’s the Council officers who are doing the
work, Madam Chairman. $3.3 million in savings from the Bulimba Creek
acquisition program so this is where the project has been completed underbudget. $486,000 for earlier progress on the restoration for recreation, so these
are landfills that need to be restored for community use, so there’s $486,000 in
work ahead of schedule there on page 26. $287,000 in early progress for gully
reconstructions on page 33. $1.148 million in earlier than anticipated progress on
the DDA Act compliance ferry terminals project. Congratulations to the ferry
team. Then on page 38 $7.7 million in earlier than anticipated progress on
important congestion-busting projects like Legacy Way, the road action plan
projects including Kingsford Smith Drive future upgrade and the railway
crossings.
There’s an extra $1.6 million in early payments to grants to cut club costs on
page 48. I wish Councillor ADAMS was in the chamber at the moment so I
could congratulate her on getting that $1.6 million early to the club who need it
so they can get on with the good work that they do, Madam Chairman.
So there is plenty of examples in this document that despite the significant work
that officers have had to do following the Australia Day event, they are ahead of
schedule. Then you combine that with, as we said, the reduction in anticipated
revenue that I spoke about earlier today and this incredible claim from
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 49 Councillor FLESSER that Council is completely immune from the revenue
downturn. Well what a load of hogwash. We just spent earlier today some
significant time talking about infrastructure charges revenue. Well that is
fundamentally tied to the success of the economy, fundamentally. What about
the many fees and charges that rely on - the number of fees and charges that rely
on business growth, businesses taking out new advertising signs for example.
That only comes when you have an economy that is doing very well, Madam
Chairman, and while we are doing everything we can to encourage it, we are not
immune, and we are not immune.
This claim, this extraordinary claim, that oh well you get your rates and when
they don’t pay you just sell the block. Well they didn’t vote for that. They
opposed that last time it came through. So they say one thing and they do
something completely different and it’s very easy to pick holes because
Councillor DICK selectively quotes, he’s very easy to pick holes.
Take the skip line item for example. He quoted - was it a direct quote - he quoted
the Westside News about that project and that was certainly correct at the time.
The reason - oh it’s coming - the reason that construction has been - the reason
that construction has - you weren’t asking the question, you were insinuating that
we hadn’t done the work deliberately and the facts of the matter are that the only
reason that it’s been delayed is at the request of the businesses who all signed a
petition and didn’t want the construction to start until their low season in
November. Well aren’t we a terrible bad Council for not forcing that work upon
them, for not hurting their business at a high time. Aren’t we a terrible Council
for not ignoring their wishes and pursuing on blindly with that project.
Councillors interjecting.
Deputy Chairman:
Order.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Madam Chairman, I’ll take the interjection - I didn’t say that to the media
because that quote was taken prior to the businesses approaching us about that
change in timing. It’s as simple as that—
Councillor interjecting.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor DICK.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
It’s as simple as that, Madam Chairman. It’s as simple as that. That was the
quote that was given at the time before the businesses asked us to change the
construction date and doesn’t he whine when he’s caught out. Doesn’t he whine
and bleat when he’s caught out. Oh he likes to dabble and play in other people’s
wards; we’ve seen it all before. He likes to dabble at other levels of government,
oh but doesn’t he hate it when he’s caught out and there’s a reasonable
explanation for everything and isn’t this bad terrible administration, Madam
Chairman.
What about the vibrant laneways project that he made such a fuss about. Do you
know what the problem there is, Madam Chairman? A delay because asbestos
was found. Oh damn this administration for not going into an asbestos building
and doing the work anyway. What an irresponsible administration. This is the
kind of guff that Councillor DICK would have us believe.
Councillor interjecting.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
It is a shame. It is a shame Councillor WYNDHAM and it’s because he has so
little to go on that he falls into this over-the-top rhetoric and it catches him every
time.
I’m out of time, thank you very much.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor SIMMONDS your time has expired. Further debate? Councillor
JOHNSTON:
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes thank you, Madam Deputy Chairman. What an interesting debate we’ve had
so far this evening and I rise to speak to both items; the third budget review and
the Annual Operational Plan and Quarterly Financial Report.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 50 Firstly, can I place on the record the facts with respect to the state of rates
revenue. It’s very clear from page 5 of the Quarterly Financial Report that rates
revenue is up compared to this time last year. We’ve heard the LORD MAYOR
dissembling earlier today and he was caught out attempting to mislead the
people of Brisbane and the journalists about the state of rates in this city. There
is no question, it’s here in black and white, rates revenue is up compared with
this time last year. That is a fact, page 5 black and white, in the quarterly
financial reports.
Now rates make up to 50 per cent of the revenue from this Council and certainly
we can see that there are other areas where there are some pressures and there
are other areas that have also gone up like public transport, but I think it’s
important that we have the facts of this debate and that was not forthcoming
from the LORD MAYOR this morning.
Now I would like to start by a quote and it’s a quote from about this time last
year and if anyone can guess—I’ll take the interjection—‘…in the coming year,
Madam Chairman, we will continue to stick with our financial plan.’ Would
anybody like to guess who that was?
Councillors interjecting.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
No? That was our LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham Quirk. I’ll say it again:
‘…in the coming year, Madam Chairman, we will continue to stick to our
financial plan.’ Almost 12 months ago he stood up in this place and he handed
down what I said at the time was one of the most disgraceful budgets this
Council has ever seen and what he said at that time was, we will stick to our
financial plan. Yet what do we see every single time the finances of this city are
put up for scrutiny, we see cuts, we see delays, we see carryover and we see
incompetence from the LNP councillors opposite.
It gets worse. Here’s another great quote from the same speech of the
LORD MAYOR’s 12 months ago: ‘My administration is getting on with the job
and delivering long overdue investment in Brisbane’s essential infrastructure.’ It
was long overdue last year. It’s still long overdue this year because the LNP
administration cannot stick to their promises. They came forward to the city of
Brisbane last year, they put a budget on the table and since that time they have
slashed it, slashed it and they have slashed it in the places where it hurts the
residents of this city most—in basic services and maintenance out in our suburbs
and I will give some examples of this in just a moment.
But the worst quote in my view, the worst quote by the LORD MAYOR—
Councillor MURPHY:
Point of order, Madam Chairman?
Deputy Chairman:
Point of order against you Councillor JOHNSTON. Councillor MURPHY can
you wait to be called please?
Councillor MURPHY:
Yes.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor MURPHY?
Councillor MURPHY:
Madam Chairman, it’s all well and good to listen to Councillor JOHNSTON
quote herself and quote the LORD MAYOR but none of that is in the report.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor MURPHY, Councillor JOHNSTON is referring to budget and I ask
you to confine your reports as much as possible to the third budget review, as
opposed to last year’s budget hand down.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, Madam Chairman, and I’m simply quoting the LORD MAYOR here, these
are his words and these are cuts that this LNP administration is making to the
budget. This is the worst one and I will illustrate it: ‘…my budget this year
contains significant funding to identify and mitigate future flood risks.’ Now that
was a quote from this LORD MAYOR 12 months ago and I would like to just
highlight some of the things that this LORD MAYOR is doing in this third
budget review. He’s done it last year and he’s done it this year and this third
budget review is a disgraceful document.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 51 It cuts $2.4 million from flood recovery works around the city. That includes
$1.1 million for Oxley Creek taskforce and general creek remediation. That
includes almost $1 million for flood catchment studies that are promised as part
of the glossy documents this LORD MAYOR puts out and it includes almost a
quarter of a million dollars to implement the recommendations of the
Queensland Royal Commission into flooding. Now these have been cut from this
year’s budget and on a promise maybe they’ll be rolled over in a few weeks’
time to next year’s budget.
I don’t believe the LORD MAYOR will stick to his commitments. Talk is cheap;
that is also another quote from the LORD MAYOR last year. Talk is cheap. We
can see that this LORD MAYOR is not prepared to stick to his promises and
cutting flood recovery money is not good enough. The LORD MAYOR has also
cut in a number of other areas. As I said, I would outline in general basic
maintenance and one of the most shameful cuts is $1.8 million to park
operations. Now that’s basic maintenance. He has cut $1.8 million out of basic
parks’ maintenance. It is extremely clear to me that that is having an impact on
the ground and I’ve been telling the LORD MAYOR this for months now. It is
not good enough that funding is being ripped out of basic maintenance
operations.
What does the finance chairman do? He hops up, Madam Chairman, and says a
number of things—flood deniers. I’m not a flood denier. Just about every time I
stand up in this chamber and speak it’s about putting more money - more money
- into flood mitigation works, flood recovery works in this city. This
administration has had the gall to cut $125,000 from the flood marker initiative.
Now you’ve heard me speak on that several times in here. They’ve gone out and
told the residents of Brisbane they’ve done it, now they’re cutting funding. They
haven’t done it and the truth is in this budget review; cut, cut, cut. Safety fences,
cut. There are massive cuts right across this city to the basics and what do we get
as an explanation from Councillor SIMMONDS? Oh but it’s all okay because
we’re bringing forward the funding in other areas and it’s okay, don’t attack our
Council officers. They’re all working really hard on the floods, but it’s okay
because we’re bringing forward funding in other areas.
Well clearly, Madam Chairman, clearly the priorities in this area are wrong and
it is a tale of two cities. The finance chairman wants congratulations for bringing
forward funding for Telegraph Road upgrade and open level rail crossing that
was supposed to be two years away while he’s cutting basic maintenance
funding. It’s not good enough and if all the resources were being put into flood
recovery, why on earth are all these other projects that are nice to haves being
brought forward? It’s not good enough, the priorities are wrong, absolutely
wrong and the impacts of those wrong priorities are seen every single day out on
the ground.
Before they hop up again, Madam Chairman, and say oh she’s attacking Council
officers, no I’m not. It is clear now that the funding is not there for those officers
to do their jobs. That has been my concern for months now, absolutely months.
They’ve been taken away from their ordinary duties, they’ve had funding for
their ordinary duties cut and we are not keeping up with the basic maintenance
work needed and expected by the residents of this city. It is simply not good
enough that the LORD MAYOR stands up year after year and makes promises
like: in the coming year, Madam Chairman, we will continue to stick to our
financial plans. Talk is cheap LORD MAYOR and in your own words you’ve
proven it here today.
Deputy Chairman:
To the report please Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Thank you, Madam Chairman, and in his own words he’s proven it here today
because the financial incompetence of the LNP councillors opposite is on clear
display for everybody here today in this third budget review.
Now Councillor DICK has an interesting take on what will happen and I’m
certain the LORD MAYOR will be re-announcing things in future as all
governments tend to do, but what we will see again in the year coming ahead is
cuts. I see the way that this LORD MAYOR goes about it. It’s a big splash
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 52 upfront and then each budget review is cut, cut, cut, delay, delay, delay. It is
simply not good enough LORD MAYOR. If you make a promise to the residents
of this city you must be accountable for it. I’ve spoken some of your words here
today in the chamber and I hope you take them on board LORD MAYOR
because talk is cheap as you’ve so ably-demonstrated to the residents of
Brisbane.
In my view it’s not good enough. I will come in here every single day and fight
to ensure that residents in my area get the services, get the basic maintenance
and get all of the respect they deserve. They pay rates, they pay their rates and
they deserve to have their trees trimmed, not in 12 months’ time. They deserve
to have parks cleaned up, not in six months’ time. They don’t deserve to have to
wait to get basic issues like pot holes fixed—
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON your time has expired. Further debate? No further
debate? LORD MAYOR?
LORD MAYOR:
Well thanks very much, Madam Chairman, just in relation to firstly Councillor
FLESSER. Councillor FLESSER talked about the amount of gross debt per
capita indicating that it was forecasted of $1934 per person. What he, of course,
failed to advise the chamber was that in the last two years of Labor that debt was
$2531 per person and $2774 per person respectively. So it’s one thing to come in
and make a hullaballoo, Madam Chairman, but you need to recount the history
of where the Labor Party was in relation to gross debt.
Councillor JOHNSTON just indicated a concern about $1.8 million in parks
maintenance reduction. That’s not our choice to reduce that park maintenance
either, but the reality is we diverted $950,000 into the repair of damaged parks
and also we were faced with a $15.3 million initial clean up and debris removal
activities.
I want to make this point also, for those of you that haven’t noticed, the first
three months of this year saw our city riddled with rain. Nearly every day or
second day we were experiencing rain and the first people jumping up and down
when we send the big machinery in and create roughs throughout our parkland
would be those on my right.
So, Madam Chairman, let’s make it clear—well perhaps not all of you, but
certainly that person, that councillor that raised the issue of park maintenance.
That is one of the primary reasons that we are down in expenditure. There’s no
point in destroying those parks with heavy machinery during periods of
significant rainfall, but it has been another challenging half year. Nobody wants
to see these natural disasters, but we have to adjust in accordance with them and
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause D of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and Helen ABRAHAMS immediately rose and called for a division,
which resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 19 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP, Kim MARX, Peter
MATIC,
Ian McKENZIE,
David
McLACHLAN,
Ryan
MURPHY,
Angela OWEN-TAYLOR,
Julian SIMMONDS,
Andrew
WINES,
and
Norm WYNDHAM.
NOES: 7 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, Victoria
NEWTON and Nicole JOHNSTON.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 53 Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of Clause E of the report of the
Establishment and Coordination Committee was declared carried on the voices.
Thereupon, Councillors Milton DICK and Helen ABRAHAMS immediately rose and called for a division,
which resulted in the motion being declared carried.
The voting was as follows:
AYES: 19 -
The Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, Councillor Graham QUIRK,
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, and Councillors Krista
ADAMS, Matthew BOURKE, Amanda COOPER, Margaret de WIT, Vicki
HOWARD, Steven HUANG, Fiona KING, Geraldine KNAPP, Kim MARX, Peter
MATIC,
Ian McKENZIE,
David
McLACHLAN,
Ryan
MURPHY,
Angela OWEN-TAYLOR,
Julian SIMMONDS,
Andrew
WINES,
and
Norm WYNDHAM.
NOES: 7 -
The Leader of the OPPOSITION, Councillor Milton DICK, and Councillors
Helen ABRAHAMS, Shayne SUTTON, Peter CUMMING, Kim FLESSER, Victoria
NEWTON and Nicole JOHNSTON.
The report read as follows
ATTENDANCE:
The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor (Councillor Graham Quirk) (Chairman), Deputy Mayor
(Councillor Adrian Schrinner) (Deputy Chairman), and Councillors Krista Adams, Matthew Bourke,
Amanda Cooper, Peter Matic, David McLachlan and Julian Simmonds.
A
AGREEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF ROMA STREET PARKLAND
MANAGEMENT TO COUNCIL
112/20/439/372
640/2012-13
1.
Vicki Pethybridge, Divisional Manager, City Planning and Sustainability Division, provided
the information below.
2.
On 11 December 2012, the Queensland Premier and the Lord Mayor signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU). The MoU is a 10-year lease agreement for the transfer of
operational management responsibilities of South Bank Parklands and Roma Street Parkland,
with the transfer to be finalised by 30 June 2013.
3.
This submission deals with the arrangements necessary to transfer management responsibility
of the Roma Street Parkland.
4.
Council and the State of Queensland have negotiated a series of agreements necessary to
effect the transfer of the management obligations to Council including:the lease of the Parkland
licence of reserve land
subleasing of commercial premises
licensing of intellectual property
transfer of assets
funding.
These agreements are set out in detail as per Schedule 1 of Attachment A, hereunder.
5.
It is therefore recommended that Council approves the draft resolution set out in
Attachment A.
Implications of proposal
6.
Approval of the agreements will facilitate the transfer of the operation and management
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 54 -
functions of the Roma Street Parkland to Council and will transfer employees of Roma Street
Parkland to City Parklands Transition Services Pty Ltd (a wholly owned Council subsidiary).
Financial impact
7.
Funding of approximately $22 million per year (plus CPI and allowable adjustments) will be
provided by the State of Queensland to Council for the management of both South Bank
Parklands and Roma Street Parkland.
8.
The Management Fee will be the net actual cost for Council to manage and operate both
parklands.
9.
One-off costs associated with transitioning Roma Street Parkland management to Council are
to be paid for by the State of Queensland.
Human resource impact
10.
It is intended that staff will be transferred in the first instance to City Parklands Transition
Services Pty Ltd, a wholly owned Council subsidiary. It is intended that staff will transition to
Council employment agreements in the future.
11.
Approximately 30 Full Time Equivalent employees from the State of Queensland (represented
by the Department of Housing and Public Works) will be transferred to City Parklands
Transition Services (CPTS) Pty Ltd effective from 1 July 2013 subject to approval and
execution of the agreements.
12.
The Divisional Manager therefore recommends as follows and the Committee agrees.
13.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL RESOLVE AS PER THE DRAFT RESOLUTION OUTLINED IN
ATTACHMENT A, HEREUNDER.
Draft Resolution
Attachment A
TO APPROVE ENTERING INTO AGREEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE
OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ROMA STREET PARKLAND TO
COUNCIL
THAT:
AS
1.
COUNCIL:(a)
APPROVES THE ENTRY INTO THE AGREEMENTS AS SET OUT IN
SCHEDULE 1 and tabled generally in accordance with the terms specified in those
tabled documents and otherwise to the satisfaction of the Divisional Manager City
Planning and Sustainability and the Chief Legal Counsel
(b)
authorises the Divisional Manager City Planning and Sustainability to:(i)
take all such actions and decisions necessary to give effect to this resolution
(ii)
negotiate and sign such additional contracts and or documents as may be
necessary to give effect to this resolution to the satisfaction of the Chief
Legal Counsel
(c)
approves Council entering into back to back subleases and sublicenses generally on
the same terms and conditions (except one day less in term) as the documents
approved in (a) and otherwise to the satisfaction of the Divisional Manager City
Planning and Sustainability and the Chief Legal Counsel.
Schedule 1
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 55 -
1
Roma Street Parkland Management Agreement between the State of Queensland (represented
by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning), Council and CPTS a
copy of which is attached and marked Attachment B, submitted on file.
Roma Street Parkland Lease between the State of Queensland (represented by the Department
of Housing and Public Works) as owner of the Parkland and Council a copy of which is
attached and marked Attachment C, submitted on file.
Roma Street Parkland – Parkland Licence Lot 60 between the State of Queensland (represented
by the Department of Housing and Public Works) as owner of the Parkland and Council
attached and marked Attachment D, submitted on file.
Trustee Lease for Deed of Grant in Trust Land for Lot 41 between the State of Queensland
(represented by the Department of Housing and Public Works) as owner of that part of the
Parkland and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment E, submitted on file
Trustee Lease for Deed of Grant in Trust Land for Lot 42 between the State of Queensland
(represented by the Department of Housing and Public Works) as owner of that part of the
Parkland and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment F, submitted on file
Roma Street Parkland Commercial Building (the Carriage Shed) Lease between the State of
Queensland (represented by the Department of Housing and Public Works) as owner of the
leased area and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment G; submitted on
file
Pillar Sublease between the State of Queensland (represented by the Department of Housing
and Public Works) as owner of the leased area and Council a copy of which is attached and
marked Attachment H, submitted on file
Roma Street Parkland Intellectual Property Licence Deed between the State of Queensland
(represented by the Department of Housing and Public Works), Council and CPTS a copy of
which is attached and marked Attachment I, submitted on file
Roma Street Parkland Asset Transfer Agreement between the State of Queensland (represented
by the Department of Housing and Public Works), Council and CPTS a copy of which is
attached and marked Attachment J, submitted on file.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
ADOPTED
B
AGREEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF SOUTH BANK PARKLANDS
MANAGEMENT TO COUNCIL.
112/20/439/372
641/2012-13
14.
Vicki Pethybridge, Divisional Manager, City Planning and Sustainability Division, provided
the information below.
15.
On 11 December 2012, the Queensland Premier and the Lord Mayor signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU). The MoU is a 10-year lease agreement for the transfer of
operational management responsibilities of South Bank Parklands and Roma Street Parkland,
with the transfer to be finalised by 30 June 2013.
16.
This submission deals with the arrangements necessary to transfer management responsibility
of the South Bank Parklands.
17.
Council and the State of Queensland have negotiated a series of agreements necessary to
effect the transfer of the management obligations to Council including:the lease of the Parklands
licence of reserve land
subleasing of commercial premises
licensing of intellectual property
transfer of assets
funding.
These agreements are set out in detail as per Schedule 1 of Attachment A, hereunder.
18.
In addition, at the Riverside Green, the River Quay and the Picnic Island Green areas within
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 56 -
the South Bank Parklands alcohol consumption is currently approved under the
Liquor Act 1992.
19.
When these areas are transferred to Council it will be necessary for them to be designated as
“wet areas”. To facilitate this designation and any other areas to be designated in the future it
is proposed to delegate to the Chief Executive Officer the power to set these designations.
20.
It is therefore recommended that Council approves the draft resolution set out in
Attachment A.
Implications of proposal
21.
Approval of the agreements will facilitate the transfer of the operation and management
functions of the South Bank Parkland to Council and will transfer employees of South Bank
Parklands to City Parklands Transition Services Pty Ltd (a wholly owned Council subsidiary).
Financial impact
22.
Funding of approximately $22 million per year (plus CPI and allowable adjustments) will be
provided by the State of Queensland to Council for the management of both South Bank
Parklands and Roma Street Parkland.
23.
The Management Fee will be the net actual cost for Council to manage and operate both
parklands.
24.
One-off costs associated with transitioning South Bank Parklands management to Council are
to be paid for by the State of Queensland.
Human resource impact
25.
It is intended that staff will be transferred in the first instance to City Parklands Transition
Services Pty Ltd, a wholly owned Council subsidiary. It is intended that staff will transition to
Council employment agreements in the future.
26.
Approximately 80 Full Time Equivalent employees will be transferred from the South Bank
Employing Officer to City Parklands Transition Services Pty Ltd effective from 1 July 2013
subject to approval and execution of the agreements.
27.
The Divisional Manager therefore recommends as follows and the Committee agrees.
28.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL RESOLVE AS PER THE DRAFT RESOLUTION OUTLINED IN
ATTACHMENT A, HEREUNDER.
Draft Resolution
Attachment A
TO APPROVE ENTERING INTO AGREEMENTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE
OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SOUTH BANK PARKLANDS TO
COUNCIL
THAT:
AS
1.
COUNCIL:(a)
APPROVES THE ENTRY INTO THE AGREEMENTS AS SET OUT IN
SCHEDULE 1 and tabled generally in accordance with the terms specified in those
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 57 -
(b)
(c)
(d)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
tabled documents and otherwise to the satisfaction of the Divisional Manager City
Planning and Sustainability and the Chief Legal Counsel
authorises the Divisional Manager City Planning and Sustainability to:(i)
take all such actions and decisions necessary to give effect to this resolution
(ii)
negotiate and sign such additional contracts and or documents as may be
necessary to give effect to this resolution to the satisfaction of the Chief
Legal Counsel
approves Council entering into back to back subleases and sublicenses generally on
the same terms and conditions (except one day less in term) as the documents
approved in (a) and otherwise to the satisfaction of the Divisional Manager City
Planning and Sustainability and the Chief Legal Counsel
delegates to the Chief Executive Officer all of its powers, functions and duties under
the Liquor Act 1992 in respect of the designation of a public place for the
consumption of liquor in the South Bank Parkland, including the making, amendment
and repeal of a designation on the following conditions:(i)
Each of the functions and powers delegated in this Resolution includes:(a)
doing any act and making any decision
(b)
giving or causing to be given any notice, notification, statement of
reasons
(c)
issuing or causing to be issued, and endorsing, any certificate, permit
or other instrument of authorisation, and any copy thereof
(d)
if doing so, is incidental to or entailed by the exercise of the
functions and powers.
(ii)
A reference to a law includes a reference to:(a)
the law as originally made, and as amended from time to time since it
was originally made
(b)
if the law has been repealed and remade (with or without
modification) since the reference was made— the law as remade, and
as amended from time to time since it was remade
(c)
if a provision of the law has been omitted and remade (with or
without modification and whether in the law or another law) since the
reference was made—the provision as remade
(d)
the law as renumbered or amended from time to time.
Schedule 1
South Bank Parklands Management Agreement between the State of Queensland (represented
by the Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning), South Bank
Corporation, Council and CPTS a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment B,
submitted on file.
South Bank Parklands Lease between South Bank Corporation as owner of the Parklands and
Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment C, submitted on file.
Licence to Occupy the Cultural Forecourt between South Bank Corporation as owner of the
Parklands and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment D, submitted on
file.
Licence to Occupy the Piazza between South Bank Corporation as owner of the Parklands and
Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment E, submitted on file.
Licence to Occupy the other Licence Areas between South Bank Corporation as owner of the
Parklands and Council attached and marked Attachment F, submitted on file.
Permit to Occupy for the Marine Facility between the State of Queensland (represented by the
Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning) as land owner and Council a
copy of which is attached and marked Attachment G, submitted on file.
Lease of Deed of Grant in Trust between the State of Queensland (represented by the
Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning) as land owner and Council a
copy of which is attached and marked Attachment H, submitted on file.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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8
Lease of Vested Land between the State of Queensland (represented by the Department of State
Development, Infrastructure and Planning) as land owner and Council a copy of which is
attached and marked Attachment I, submitted on file.
South Bank House Office Lease between South Bank Corporation as owner of the leased area
and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment J, submitted on file.
South Bank House Retail Lease between South Bank Corporation as owner of the leased area
and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment K, submitted on file.
Allgas House Lease for the Ground Floor between South Bank Corporation as owner of the
leased area and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment L, submitted on
file.
Allgas House Lease for the Basement between South Bank Corporation as owner of the leased
area and Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment M, submitted on file.
Abigroup House Lease between South Bank Corporation as owner of the leased area and
Council a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment N, submitted on file.
South Bank Parklands Intellectual Property Licence Deed between South Bank Corporation,
Council and CPTS a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment O, submitted on file.
South Bank Parklands State Step in Deed between State of Queensland (represented by the
Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning), South Bank Corporation,
Council and CPTS a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment P, submitted on file.
South Bank Parklands Asset Transfer Agreement between the State of Queensland (represented
by the Department of State Development Infrastructure and Planning), South Bank
Corporation, Council and CPTS a copy of which is attached and marked Attachment Q,
submitted on file.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
ADOPTED
C
BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL - REVENUE POLICY 2013/2014
134/800/286/3
642/2012-13
29.
Greg Evans, Divisional Manager, Organisational Services, provided the information below.
30.
Section 185 of the City of Brisbane Regulation 2012 (“the regulation”) requires Council to
review its revenue policy annually. The revenue policy must be reviewed in sufficient time to
allow an annual budget that is consistent with the revenue policy to be adopted for the next
financial year.
31.
The regulation specifies the contents of the revenue policy, and requires that it be included in
Council’s budget.
32.
The Revenue Policy 2013/2014 will be made available on Council's internet site as part of
Council’s budget, in accordance with requirements in the regulation.
33.
It is therefore recommended that Council approves the draft resolution set out in
Attachment A, hereunder.
Implications
34.
Review of the Revenue Policy is in accordance with the requirements of the City of Brisbane
Act 2010 and City of Brisbane Regulation 2012.
Policy impact
35.
The Revenue Policy 2013/2014 is effective from the date of adoption by Council for the
financial year from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014.
36.
Council's budget for 2013/2014 will be consistent with this revenue policy.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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37.
The Divisional Manager therefore recommends as follows and the Committee agrees.
38.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL RESOLVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ATTACHMENT A,
HEREUNDER.
Draft Resolution
TO ADOPT COUNCILS REVENUE POLICY 2013-14
Attachment A
THAT:
AS(a)
Council is required by section 185 of City of Brisbane Regulation 2012 (“the
regulation”) to review its revenue policy annually
(b)
Council has undertaken an annual review of its revenue policy for the 2013-14
financial year in accordance with the requirements of the regulation
THEN:
COUNCIL RESOLVES TO ADOPT the Revenue Policy 2013-2014 as set out in
Attachment B, hereunder.
Attachment B
Brisbane City Council
Revenue Policy 2013/2014
Authority:
Section 185 of the City of Brisbane Regulation 2012 requires that Council annually review its
revenue policy for each financial year.
Overview:
The purpose of this revenue policy is to state:
(a)
the principles that Council intends to apply in the 2013-2014 financial year for –
(i)
levying rates and charges
(ii)
granting concessions for rates and charges
(iii)
recovering overdue rates and charges
(iiii) cost-recovery methods.
(b)
if Council intends to grant concessions for rates and charges—the purpose for the
concessions
(c)
the extent to which physical and social infrastructure costs for a new development are
to be funded by charges for the development.
Applicability:
This revenue policy is effective from the date of Council’s resolution and will apply to the
financial year from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014.
The revenue policy contains principles to be used in preparing the budget. It will also be used
when reviewing, preparing and applying related policies, procedures and guidelines effective
in 2013-2014.
The revenue policy is part of Council’s budget; and the budget will be available free of charge
from Council’s public office and at its web site at;
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-publications/.
Policy:
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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The following principles apply:
(a)
Revenue Raising Principles
(i)
Levying Rates and Charges
In making and levying rates and charges, Council is required to comply with the
requirements of State and Federal legislation.
Where appropriate, the principle of user pays will be applied in the making of charges
so as to minimise the impact of these charges on the local economy.
Council will also have regard to the principles of:
equity by reference to the value or quality of land
transparency in the making and levying of rates and charges
clarity in terms of responsibilities (Council’s and ratepayers) in regard to the
rating process
assisting the smooth running of the local economy by timing the levy of rates
to take into account the financial cycle of local economic activity
National Competition Policy legislation where applicable
having in place a rating regime that is efficient to administer.
(ii)
Granting Concessions for Rates and Charges
In considering the application of concessions, Council will be guided by the
principles of:
equity by reference to the value or quality of land within the local community
equality by providing the same treatment for ratepayers with similar
circumstances
transparency by making clear the requirements necessary to receive
concessions
flexibility to allow Council to respond to local economic issues
responsiveness to community expectations of what activities should attract
assistance from Council.
(iii)
Recovering Overdue Rates and Charges
Council will exercise its rate recovery powers pursuant to the provisions of Part 12 of
Chapter 4 of the City of Brisbane Regulation 2012 in order to reduce the overall rate
burden on ratepayers. It will be guided by the principles of:
transparency by making clear the obligations of ratepayers and the processes
used by Council in assisting them meet their financial obligations
clarity and cost effectiveness in the processes used to recover overdue rates
and charges
equity by determining appropriate arrangements for different sectors of the
community
equality by providing the same treatment for ratepayers with similar
circumstances
flexibility by responding where necessary to changes in the local economy.
(iv)
Cost-Recovery Fees
Pursuant to the provisions of section 99 of the City of Brisbane Act 2010, Council
will establish fees to recover costs associated with the provision of certain activities
or services.
Council will be guided by the principles of:
clarity in the identification of cost drivers
neutrality in that the fee will represent no more than the full cost to Council
of taking the action for which the fee is charged.
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Council will make publicly available a register of cost-recovery fees.
(b)
Purpose of Concessions for Rates and Charges
Council provides rates and charges concessions for:
(i)
pensioners who comply with eligibility criteria set out in its Revenue Policy:
Partial Remission of Rates and Charges (Pensioners)
(ii)
not-for-profit organisations which comply with eligibility criteria set out in
its Revenue Policy: Partial Remission of General Rates (Not-for-profit
Organisations).
These concessions have been made available in accordance with the provisions of
Part 10 of Chapter 4 of the City of Brisbane Regulation 2012.
The purpose of these provisions is to:
(iii)
acknowledge that approved pensioners have a limited financial capacity
and/or
(iv)
support the social benefit of the principal activities of qualifying not-forprofit organisations.
(c)
Infrastructure Cost Recovery
The Council will levy adopted infrastructure charges for development infrastructure
with development approvals for new development. The amounts of those adopted
infrastructure charges are determined by a Council resolution made under the
Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
Policy Owner:
Chief Financial Officer, Organisational Services Division
Further Assistance:
For further information, please refer to the “About Council - Publications” page on
Council’s website at:
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-publications/
Related Information:
This policy is Council's strategic revenue policy.
There are various administrative policies and arrangements that make up the total
Council response to revenue management.
Review Date:
The revenue policy must be reviewed annually and in sufficient time to allow an
annual budget that is consistent with the revenue policy to be adopted for the next
financial year.
ADOPTED
D
ANNUAL OPERATIONAL PLAN PROGRESS AND QUARTERLY
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED MARCH 2013
134/695/317/101
643/2012-13
39.
Greg Evans, Divisional Manager, Organisational Services, provided the information below.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 62 -
40.
The City of Brisbane Regulation 2012, sections 196(2) and (3), state that the Chief Executive
Officer must present financial reports to Council at least quarterly. The reports are to state the
progress that has been made in relation to Council’s budget.
41.
The attached financial report separately identifies and reports the financial results of Brisbane
City Council Core Services (that is Council excluding business units) and Brisbane City
Council Business Units. The written commentaries provide explanation of the figures.
42.
Section 166(3), City of Brisbane Regulation 2012, states that the Chief Executive Officer
must present a written assessment of the Council’s progress towards implementing the Annual
Operational Plan to Council at least quarterly.
43.
The previous financial report for the period ended 31 December 2012 was presented to
Council on 26 March 2013. The current report relates to the period ended 31 March 2013. It
is not practicable for the current report to include results to a later date due to the length of the
process required to gather explanations of those results from across the organisation.
44.
The Divisional Manager recommends that the Annual Operational Plan Progress and
Quarterly Financial Report for the period ending March 2013, submitted on file be tabled in
the Council Chamber and the Committee agrees.
45.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT THE ANNUAL OPERATIONAL PLAN PROGRESS AND QUARTERLY
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 2013, BE TABLED IN
THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
ADOPTED
E
2012-13 BUDGET – THIRD REVIEW
134/135/86/82
644/2012-13
46.
Greg Evans, Divisional Manager, Organisational Services, provided the information below.
47.
Section 162 (2) of City of Brisbane Regulation 2012 states that Council’s budget may be
amended in the course of the year only by a resolution of Council.
48.
Attachment B, submitted on file, recommends amendments to the approved budget for
2012-13, including:
Part A: summary of changes by program
Part B: changes of services by program
Part C: requested changes to 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
49.
This budget review considers emerging issues such as:
funding requirements
additional revenue
expenditure for 2012-13
requests to carryover project funding from 2012-13 to future years
the bringing forward of project funding to 2012-13
other forward year budget adjustments as detailed in Part C, submitted on file.
50.
It is proposed that Council amend budget allocations for the operations and the projects for
the services provided by the Council for the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 financial
years, as required by the section 162 (2) of City of Brisbane Regulation 2012 and in
accordance with the budgeted financial statements and the recommendations as set out in
Attachment B.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 63 -
51.
It is recommended that Council resolve in accordance with Attachment A to accept the
recommended amendments to the budget for 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Financial impact
52.
The anticipated accumulated surplus at 30 June 2013 for the budget approved by Council is
$0.51 million.
53.
The sum of the proposed adjustments to the budget for 2012-13 will decrease the anticipated
accumulated surplus at 30 June 2013 to $0.46 million after adjustments for transfers to/from
Reserves.
Changes to 2012-13 Budget:
54.
Total Change
$million
Revised Budget
$million
Expenses
+35.2
1,846.3
Operating Capability
-130.1
62.9
Non-current Asset Acquisition
-126.0
1,173.3
The net impact of this review on 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 is listed in Part C and
summarised below:
Year
Forward Year Budget Commitments $million
2013-14
-0.8
2014-15
-1.6
2015-16
+14.97
55.
Proposed adjustments to the budgets for programs and business units and funds for the
2012-13 year will result in a budgeted accumulated surplus of $0.46 million at 30 June 2013.
This budget review, if approved, will alter budget commitments as follows:
decrease $0.8 million in 2013-14
decrease $1.6 million in 2014-15
increase $14.97 million in 2015-16.
56.
The Divisional Manager therefore recommends as follows and the Committee agrees.
57.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL RESOLVE AS PER THE DRAFT RESOLUTION OUTLINED IN
ATTACHMENT A, HEREUNDER.
Draft Resolution
Attachment A
DRAFT RESOLUTION TO PROPOSE TO ADOPT THE AMENDED BUDGET
THAT:
COUNCIL ADOPTS THE AMENDED BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR THE
OPERATIONS AND THE PROJECTS FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY
COUNCIL FOR 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 AND 2015-16 in accordance with the Budgeted
Financial Statements and the recommendations as set out in Attachment B, submitted on file.
ADOPTED
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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F
QUEENSLAND
AGREEMENT
134/800/286/12
URBAN
UTILITIES
2013
SHAREHOLDER
LOAN
645/2012-13
58.
Greg Evans, Divisional Manager, Organisational Services, provided the information below.
59.
Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Lockyer Valley
Regional Council and Somerset Regional Council (collectively known as the participating
councils) entered into a shareholder loan agreement on 1 July 2010 with Queensland Urban
Utilities (QUU) as part of an arrangement to transfer their assets to the new water entity.
60.
The shareholder loan agreement was originally to run for three years to 30 June 2013. A
variation was approved by all of the participating councils in May 2012, providing the option
to extend the term of the shareholder by a further year, to minimise the treatment of the loan
on QUU’s balance sheet.
61.
The option was to be exercised in the event the participating councils and QUU could not
come to an agreement on a new loan by 30 June 2013.
62.
Officers from the five participating councils and QUU have negotiated a proposed new
shareholder loan agreement for Council’s approval.
63.
The key elements of the loan agreement are:
a proposed loan term of 10 years, with an expiry date of 30 June 2023
a proposed option extending the loan up to five years, with prior notice, subject to all
parties agreeing
a proposed interest rate methodology calculated quarterly based on a combination of
notional loans with terms from one to 10 years, with interest payable monthly
a requirement for QUU to meet its credit metrics and report to councils on a regular
basis
continuation of the standard terms and conditions found in the current shareholder
loan arrangement, including continuation of the contractual relationship with the
Queensland Treasury Corporation as the other lender under the Intercreditor Deed
(amongst other things, the Intercreditor Deeds, cedes authority to Queensland
Treasury Corporation to direct the participating councils to change their debt/equity
mix in QUU in the event QUU does not achieve its set credit metrics).
64.
The drafting of the loan is in the form of an extension. As a result, there will be no
requirement for QUU to repay the current loan and borrow afresh.
65.
As interest rates have fallen since 1 July 2010 when the last rate set occurred, participating
councils and QUU have worked together to come up with a solution that did not lock councils
into lower rates, but at the same time provided for a smoothing of future interest costs for the
water entity.
66.
In addition, because participating councils receive tax revenue and dividends as well as the
interest from QUU, any changes to interest income would be partially offset by changes in
income received from the other two revenue lines, all else being equal.
67.
Council is requested to resolve in accordance with the draft resolution in Attachment A,
hereunder.
Implications of proposal
68.
Approving the proposal will enable a new shareholder loan arrangement to be executed
between BCC and QUU. If the proposed shareholder loan agreement is not executed, the
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 65 -
existing shareholder loan agreement will be automatically extended for a further 12 months to
30 June 2014.
Financial impact
69.
Council has shareholder loans to QUU amounting to $1.241 billion. Based on a projected loan
interest rate of 4.20 per cent, entering into the proposed loan agreement will generate in
excess of $52 million annually in interest income. Any change to interest income arising from
the proposed agreement is partially offset with commensurate, compensating adjustments in
tax revenues and dividends from QUU.
70.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL RESOLVE AS PER THE DRAFT RESOLUTION OUTLINED IN
ATTACHMENT A, HEREUNDER.
Draft Resolution
Attachment A
THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A SHAREHOLDER LOAN TO QUEENSLAND URBAN
UTILITIES
THAT:
(1)
Council approve the entry into the Shareholder Loan Agreement with
Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) generally as set out in Attachment B,
submitted on file, and otherwise on terms and conditions acceptable to the
Divisional Manager Organisational Services and the Chief Legal Counsel
subject to:
(a)
Ipswich City Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Lockyer Valley
Regional Council and Somerset Regional Council, each executing a
shareholder loan agreement with QUU identical in terms and
conditions to the proposed Council shareholder loan agreement with
QUU
(b)
QTC’s consent under the Intercreditor Deed
(c)
The State Treasurer’s (or Treasurer’s delegate) approval to enter into
the shareholder loan agreement be obtained under the requirement of
the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act.
ADOPTED
G
OVERSEAS TRAVEL FOR COUNCILLOR JULIAN SIMMONDS–
KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN
112/465/925/10
646/2012-13
71.
The Chief Executive Officer, provided the information below.
72.
An initiative of Brisbane City Council, the three-day Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS)
drives economic growth for Brisbane, South East Queensland, Queensland and the wider Asia
Pacific region.
73.
Held biennially, the host city alternates between Brisbane and bidding international cities. The
2011 APCS was held in Brisbane, and in 2013 the Summit will be held in Kaohsiung from
Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 September 2013.
74.
In its 16-year history, the APCS has become one of the region’s premier business and civic
forums. In recent years the Summit has been used as a springboard for businesses and global
cities to gain entry into the rapidly growing Asia Pacific markets.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 66 -
75.
Under the theme ‘Reshaping the Urbanomics of Cities – City Challenges and City Solutions’,
the 2013 APCS will focus on business growth, trade, investment and economic outcomes for
participating delegates and sponsors.
76.
Attendees will gain access to a wide range of international business and civic leaders and
experience a diverse program including tailor made business matching and presentations from
internationally recognised leaders.
77.
Councillor Julian Simmonds is the Chairman of the APCS Steering Committee.
78.
It is recommended that approval is granted for Councillor Julian Simmonds, Chairman,
Finance, Economic Development & Administration Committee and Chairman of the APCS
Steering Committee to travel to Kaohsiung, Taiwan from 6 to 13 September, 2013 to attend
the 2013 Asia Pacific Cities Summit at a total cost to Council of $1,200.
Implications of proposal
79.
The presence of senior delegates in the Lord Mayor’s delegation will ensure that Brisbane’s
flagship event is supported by substantial Brisbane representation which will promote the
return of the event to Brisbane in 2015.
80.
The inclusion of a sizeable business delegation will deliver economic opportunities to the city
and business opportunities for attending Brisbane delegates.
Financial impact
81.
It is proposed that travel costs will be funded from the International Relations vote code
1.01.1512.226.945.000.628.000.00. These costs will be offset by subsidies on airfare and
accommodation provided by Kaohsiung City Government, expected to be no less than $2900.
82.
The estimated costing for Councillor Julian Simmonds is $4,100.
83.
The Chief Executive Officer therefore recommends as follows and the Committee agrees.
84.
RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVAL IS GRANTED FOR COUNCILLOR JULIAN SIMMONDS, Chairman,
Finance, Economic Development and Administration Committee and Chairman of the APCS
Steering Committee TO TRAVEL TO KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN FROM 6 TO 13
SEPTEMBER, 2013 TO ATTEND THE 2013 ASIA PACIFIC CITIES SUMMIT at a
total cost to Council of $1,200.
ADOPTED
H
OVERSEAS TRAVEL – LORD MAYOR’S BUSINESS MISSION TO
MAINLAND CHINA AND TAIWAN FOR THE 2013 ASIA PACIFIC CITIES
SUMMIT
122/465/925/9
647/2012-13
85.
Peter Rule, Executive Manager, Office of the Lord Mayor and Chief Executive, provided the
information below.
86.
The Lord Mayor will lead a delegation of Brisbane business and civic delegates, including
young professionals to the 2013 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) and the associated
business program.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 67 -
87.
Prior to the 2013 APCS the Lord Mayor will also lead a business delegation to mainland
China. This will be the Lord Mayor’s first official visit to Shenzhen, Chongqing and Chengdu
as Lord Mayor of Brisbane.
88.
Brisbane has received numerous official delegations from Shenzhen, Chongqing and
Chengdu. Most recently the Mayor of Shenzhen visited in September last year and the Vice
Mayor of Shenzhen in February this year. Shenzhen, Chongqing and Chengdu have always
been strong supporters of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit.
89.
It is appropriate and timely for the Lord Mayor to make his first official visit to our Chinese
sister cities of Shenzhen and Chongqing, as well as to Chengdu.
90.
The visit to Chengdu and Hong Kong will further reinforce the strong business ties that
Brisbane already shares with Chengdu and Hong Kong and build on the economic
opportunities that were initiated during the October business mission last year.
91.
It is recommended that approval be granted for Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and supporting
staff to travel to mainland China (Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing and Hong Kong) and
Taiwan from 3 to 12 September 2013. Costs will be offset by an administration fee to be paid
by participating delegates.
Implications of proposal
92.
This official visit would further cement the business connections, opportunities and
relationships between Brisbane and the international business communities and provide a
platform for strong business growth, particularly during the 2013 APCS in Kaohsiung.
93.
The business mission and APCS will also enable individual Brisbane companies to explore
business and investment opportunities internationally as well as facilitate investment
opportunities in Brisbane.
Financial impact
94.
It is proposed that travel costs will be funded from the International Relations vote code:
1.01.1510.226.000.000.628.000.00.
95.
These costs will also be offset by an administration fee to be paid by participating delegates as
well as subsidies on airfare and accommodation provided by Kaohsiung City Government,
expected to be no less than $8,200. Costs will apply to the following delegates:
96.
Detailed estimated costing is as follows:
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk
Mr Greg Bowden,
Director of Strategy, Communication and Economic Development
Mr Barry Hancock, International Relations Manager
Ms Patty Hsiao, Senior International Project Officer
$9,350
$9,350
$9,350
$9,350
97.
The Executive Manager therefore recommends as follows and the Committee agrees.
98.
RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVAL BE GRANTED FOR LORD MAYOR GRAHAM QUIRK AND
SUPPORTING STAFF TO TRAVEL TO MAINLAND CHINA (SHENZHEN,
CHENGDU, CHONGQING AND HONG KONG) AND TAIWAN FROM
3 TO 12 SEPTEMBER. Costs will be offset by an administration fee to be paid by
participating delegates.
ADOPTED
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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Deputy Chairman:
DEPUTY MAYOR, Infrastructure Committee, please.
INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
DEPUTY MAYOR, Councillor Adrian SCHRINNER, Chairman of the Infrastructure Committee, moved,
seconded by Councillor Ryan MURPHY, that the report of the meeting of that Committee held on 21 May 2013,
be adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
DEPUTY MAYOR. No comment. Any further debate?
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of the report of the Infrastructure Committee
was declared carried on the voices.
The report read as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Adrian Schrinner (Chairman), Councillor Ian McKenzie (Deputy
Chairman), and Councillors Margaret de Wit, Milton Dick, Victoria Newton and Norm Wyndham.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – WALTER TAYLOR BRIDGE – CABLE
REHABILITATION PROJECT AND RESURFACING PROJECT
648/2012-13
1.
Tim Wright, Manager Asset Services, Field Services Group, and Phil Cutler, Senior Engineer
Structures, Asset Services, Field Services Group, attended the Committee to provide a
presentation on the Walter Taylor Bridge Cable Rehabilitation Project, which ran from
2007 to 2011, and the Resurfacing Project carried out this year. Mr Cutler provided the
information below.
2.
The four year Cable Rehabilitation project involved the rehabilitation of the bridge’s 30 cable
nodes and strengthening of its 64 members. The suspension cables were originally purchased
second hand from Sydney Harbour Bridge. Diagrams displaying the anchoring arrangements
for the cables were displayed. Attachment to the cables is via a large clamp at each node and
these clamp arrangements provide an environment where corrosion can occur.
3.
The method for rehabilitation of the cables and nodes involved dismantling the node clamps,
blasting clean the cables, repairing any broken strands, applying protective coatings to the
cables, reassembling the node and painting the completed node.
4.
Photographs of various aspects of the rehabilitation work were displayed. Because the Walter
Taylor Bridge is a critical river crossing for the traffic network, the project had to be carried
out while maintain the traffic flow.
5.
Deck resurfacing was completed on 21 April 2013. Ninety lightweight concrete deck slabs
were installed on the bridge in 1993, replacing the original timber deck. After stripping the
old asphalt it was discovered that many of these slabs had cracking at the joints. The asphalt
was progressively stripped over a period of two months, and slab repairs and joint sealing
were undertaken during night works. The bridge was closed on the weekend of 20 and
21 April 2013 to lay new asphalt. Photographs of the slab repairs and the decking, before and
after the new surface was laid, were displayed.
6.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked the officers for
attending the meeting.
7.
RECOMMENDATION:
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
B
PETITION – REQUESTING COUNCIL TO INSTALL A ZEBRA CROSSING
ON HARRIES ROAD, NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH HOLDSWORTH
STREET, COORPAROO
CA12/425741
649/2012-13
8.
A petition from residents of Brisbane, requesting Council to install a zebra crossing on
Harries Road, Coorparoo, near the intersection of Holdsworth Street, was presented to the
meeting of Council held on 11 September 2012, by Councillor Helen Abrahams, and
received.
9.
The Manager, Transport Planning and Strategy, Brisbane Infrastructure Division, provided
the information below.
10.
The petitioners are concerned that there is no pedestrian crossing facility on Harries Road
providing access between the western side of Harries Road, and Woolworths and the
Coorparoo RSL, which are located on the eastern side of the road.
11.
The petition contains 77 signatures representing visitors to the Stepping Stone Clubhouse,
Coorparoo RSL and Woolworths.
12.
A review of Council’s files in relation to this intersection does not show any previous requests
for the installation of a pedestrian crossing at this location.
13.
The need for additional pedestrian crossing facilities, including zebra crossings, pedestrian
refuges and signalised crossings, is assessed in accordance with Queensland Government
guidelines. These guidelines take into consideration the number of pedestrians that cross
within 25 metres of the proposed crossing point, the number of vehicles pedestrians must
negotiate to cross the road, the location of alternative crossings, and other environmental and
geometric factors.
14.
Site observations indicate that pedestrians frequently cross at the intersection. The number of
pedestrians crossing at this location was confirmed as part of a traffic and pedestrian survey
undertaken in March 2013. The closest formal pedestrian facility is located approximately
90 metres south of Holdsworth Street on Harries Road, at the signalised intersection with Old
Cleveland Road. While it is acknowledged that the crossing is too far away to be convenient
for most pedestrians, those pedestrians who feel unsafe crossing Harries Road near
Holdsworth Street may wish to consider crossing at the traffic signals.
15.
Data from the recent traffic and pedestrian survey was used to complete the Department of
Transport and Main Roads Pedestrian Workbook to determine whether or not a pedestrian
facility is required at this location, and the type of facility required.
16.
Completing the workbook resulted in a recommendation for the installation of kerb build-outs
or a pedestrian refuge. The installation of a pedestrian refuge would offer the best potential
improvement to pedestrian crossing opportunities across Harries Road. However, due to the
current location of driveways on the western side of Harries Road, north of Holdsworth
Street, it would not be possible to install a refuge at this location while retaining the existing
driveway access. As such, further investigation and preliminary design would be need to be
undertaken to determine the most appropriate location for a pedestrian facility.
17.
Harries Road has also been identified by Council’s City Planning and Economic
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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Development Branch for future consideration under the Suburban Centre Improvement
Program (SCIP). As such it would be preferable to incorporate the construction of a
pedestrian facility (pedestrian refuge or kerb build-outs) at the intersection of Harries Road
and Holdsworth Street into any future SCIP works. Timing for this proposal is not known at
this stage as future works in Harries Road have been deferred pending a decision on the Old
Cleveland Road upgrade (bus lane) project.
18.
In the meantime, the construction of a kerb ramp on the western side of Harries Road would
help to improve pedestrian access across Harries Road at the intersection of Holdsworth
Street. Funding for the construction of the kerb ramp is available.
Funding
19.
Funding is available in the Moving Brisbane program for the construction of a kerb ramp on
the western side of Harries Road, near the intersection of Holdsworth Street.
Consultation
20.
The councillor for The Gabba Ward, Councillor Helen Abrahams, has been consulted and
does not support the recommendation below
Customer impact
21.
Installing a pedestrian facility at the intersection of Harries Road and Holdsworth Street
would address the concerns of the petitioners, but would adversely impact local businesses
due to the loss of on-street parking.
22.
Installing a kerb ramp on the western side of Harries Road at Holdsworth Street will improve
pedestrian connectivity in the area and assist pedestrians who cross Harries Road. There will
be no impact on parking availability.
Preferred option
23.
The preferred option is for Council to construct a kerb ramp on the western side of Harries
Road to improve pedestrian access across Harries Road. Also, Transport Planning and
Strategy Branch will continue to work with City Planning and Economic Development
Branch to ensure that improved pedestrian facilities are provided in Harries Road as part of
any future SCIP works in Harries Road.
24.
The Manager therefore submitted the following recommendation, with which the Committee
agrees, with Councillors Dick and Newton dissenting.
25.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT THE PETITIONERS BE ADVISED OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
IN THE ABOVE REPORT AND THAT COUNCIL ENDORSES THE PREFERRED
OPTION ABOVE.
ADOPTED
C
TWO PETITIONS – REQUESTING TRAFFIC CALMING IN THE THYNNE
AVENUE, NORMAN PARK, TRAFFIC PRECINCT
CA13/71282 AND CA13/187008
650/2012-13
26.
Two petitions have been received from residents of the Norman Park area, requesting funding
to be allocated in the budget for the installation of traffic calming in the Thynne Avenue,
Norman Park, traffic precinct. One petition was presented by Councillor Kim Flesser, on
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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behalf of Councillor Shane Sutton, at the meeting of Council held on 5 February 2013, and
the other was presented by Councillor Sutton to the meeting of Council held on 26 March
2013.
27.
The Manager, Transport Planning and Strategy Branch, Brisbane Infrastructure Division,
provided the information below.
28.
The petitions contain a total 102 signatures, representing 75 properties in Thynne Avenue,
Pattison Avenue, Ferguson Road, Morehead Avenue and a number of other local Norman
Park streets.
29.
The petitioners are concerned about the speed of traffic and would like traffic calming to be
installed to improve safety in the area. The Thynne Avenue traffic precinct is the area
bounded by Bennetts Road, Darcy Road, Ferguson Road and Morehead Avenue.
30.
Thynne Avenue is a 550-metre long, east-west street connecting Bennetts Road and Hume
Street. It operates under the default 50km/h urban speed limit. Transport Network Operations
has not received any recent requests from residents of the local area concerning the speed or
volume of traffic using Thynne Avenue or other nearby local streets. However a similar
request in mid-2008 resulted in a traffic survey being undertaken. The survey showed that the
number of vehicles using Thynne Avenue is within the limits expected for a street of this
nature.
31.
The survey recorded vehicle speeds of 53km/h eastbound and 59km/h westbound. While the
eastbound speeds are considered normal for this type of street, the westbound speeds are at
the upper limit for a residential street. Traffic surveys have not recently been undertaken in
other nearby streets within the precinct.
32.
Given that current traffic survey data is not available, new traffic surveys will be undertaken
at a number of locations to record the speed and volume of vehicles travelling through the
precinct. Should the surveys show that a large number of motorists are travelling above the
default 50km/h speed limit, this information will be forwarded to the Queensland Police
Service with a request to undertake enforcement of the speed limit. Data from the surveys will
also be used to assess whether or not traffic calming measures are required and to determine
the priority for such works for inclusion in a future works program.
Funding
33.
Funding is available under Program 3 – Moving Brisbane to undertake traffic surveys
throughout the precinct.
Consultation
34.
The councillor for Morningside Ward, Councillor Shayne Sutton, has been consulted and
supports the recommendation below.
Preferred option
35.
It is the preferred option that Council undertake traffic surveys to record the speed and
volume of vehicles currently travelling through the Thynne Avenue traffic precinct. Should
the surveys show that a large number of motorists are travelling above the default 50km/h
speed limit, this information will be forwarded to the Queensland Police Service with a
request to undertake enforcement of the speed limit. The survey data will also be used to
assess whether or not traffic calming measures are required and to determine the priority for
such works for inclusion in a future works program.
36.
The Manager therefore recommended as follows and the Committee agrees.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 72 -
37.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT THE PETITIONERS BE ADVISED OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
IN THE ABOVE REPORT AND THAT COUNCIL ENDORSES THE PREFERRED
OPTION.
ADOPTED
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor MATIC, Public and Active Transport Committee, please.
PUBLIC AND ACTIVE TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
Councillor Peter MATIC, Chairman of the Public and Active Transport Committee, moved, seconded by
Councillor Steven HUANG that the report of that Committee held on 21 May 2013, be adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor MATIC. Any other debate? Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, just briefly, Madam Chairman, we had a presentation last week on the
history of the Brisbane ferry network and motorised ferries. It was another
stunning example of the brains trust in at the LNP who are focused on the past
rather than the future.
Councillor MATIC:
Point of order, Madam Chairman.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor MATIC, your point of order.
Councillor MATIC:
Madam Chairman, the LNP isn’t in the report. If the councillor would like to
stick to it, thank you.
Deputy Chairman:
Thank you Councillor MATIC. Councillor JOHNSTON, please refrain your
comments to the report.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, I’ll start again then. Last week’s presentation was another
stunning example from the LNP administration and their inept—
Deputy Chairman:
Point of order. Councillor MATIC.
Councillor MATIC:
Once again, Madam Chairman, the LNP is not in the report. If the councillor
would like to stick to just the history of the presentation that would be fine.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON, I realise this is a party political chamber and there is no
reference to the LNP in this report. If you could confine your remarks to the
report and refer to the administration, please.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Just to check then, Madam Chairman, if that’s the same rule you’ll apply to all
other speakers, that they can’t mention the ALP going forward either; I’d be
happy to abide by that.
Councillor interjecting.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, just checking.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON, I don’t need to take instruction from you. Continue
your remarks—
Councillor JOHNSTON:
I’m speaking of—
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON, I don’t need instruction from you. Can you please
confine your remarks to the report as per the direction I have given you. Please
continue.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Point of order, Madam Chairman, then.
Deputy Chairman:
Point of order, Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Madam Chairman, I seek your ruling then that it is not acceptable to refer to the
name of any political party in this chamber. Can you please confirm your ruling?
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON that was not what the point of order was initially called
on. It was in reference to you making comments about the LNP being mentioned
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 73 in this report. It is not in this report. I have given you my direction. Confine your
remarks to the report and continue or sit down.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Well, Madam Chairman, thank you for that and I’ll look forward to enforcing
that ruling going forward. What I will say is that committee reports, as we are
told time and time again by members of the Public and Active Transport
Committee, in particular Councillor HUANG, are determined by the Chairman.
The Chairman of this committee is Councillor Peter MATIC. Councillor Peter
MATIC is an LNP councillor, Madam Chairman, and he is a member of the LNP
administration. Councillor Peter MATIC, the LNP councillor for the Towong
ward, certainly decided that we were going to have a presentation about the
history of the Brisbane ferry network and motorised ferries.
Councillor Peter MATIC, the Chairman of this committee, decided that was the
most important issue of the day last week for members of Brisbane’s Public and
Active Transport Committee to discuss. That committee included things like the
names of ferries, dating back 1912 and the types of ferries and so forth, Madam
Chairman. I don’t think that that is the best use of this committee’s time and I
think there are more important issues that we could be debating within this
committee and I am disappointed that Councillor Peter MATIC chose to give us
the history of motorised ferries rather than discuss this Council’s bus review
recommendation.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of the report of the Public and Active
Transport Committee was declared carried on the voices.
The report read as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Councillor Peter Matic (Chairman), Councillor Steven Huang (Deputy Chairman), Councillors Steve
Griffiths, Nicole Johnston, Kim Marx and Ryan Murphy.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – HISTORY OF THE BRISBANE FERRY
NETWORK – MOTORISED FERRIES
651/2012-13
1.
Brendan O’Keeffe, Principal Engineer, Policy and Strategy, Transport Planning and Strategy
Branch, Brisbane Infrastructure Division, attended the meeting to provide a presentation
entitled ‘History of Brisbane’s Ferry Network - Motorised Ferries.’ He provided the
information below.
2.
In 1912 the Madgee ferry launched on the Norman Park to New Farm route. At this time
motorised ferries tended to be rowboats with a motor fitted. Running costs made them an
expensive option for operators.
3.
Motor launches became more available and increasingly popular in the aftermath of World
War 1. By 1924 Balmoral Shire Council was running six motor ferries and the Brisbane
Council had four motor launches. By 1930 there were 12 motor launches, with most boats
capable of carrying between 60 and 70 passengers. They operated on routes including:
Edward Street to Kangaroo Point
Breakfast Creek to the abattoirs on the south river bank
Hamilton to Apollo Road
Hill End to Toowong
West End to St Lucia
Commercial Road to Bulimba
New Farm to Hawthorne
New Farm to Norman Park
Customs House to Kangaroo Point.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 74 -
4.
World War 2 led to another expansion of the motorised ferry fleet to service military
personnel. The first diesel-run boats were introduced in the 1940s, as well as two kerosenefuelled ferries. World War 2 also saw the licensing of the first female launch masters (by the
end of the war there were three female masters).
5.
In the mid-1960s many of the motorised boats were showing their age, with some having
been in operation since the end of World War 1. The introduction of the Golden Mile Service
and lessees ordering new boats allowed for the retirement of eight older boats. In 1967, in
addition to the Golden Mile ferries, the fleet consisted of 12 motorised boats. The Golden
Mile service would later introduce double-decker monohulls and a catamaran-style vessel that
could carry up to 200 passengers. Vehicular ferries also operated at Moggill and Queensport.
6.
In 1994 Council commissioned a ferry study that recommended changes to the ferry system
including a fast catamaran service run over 19 km of the river. Subsequently, the CityCats
were launched in 1996 and ran in conjunction with the monohull ferries. A successful trial of
bio-diesel was also conducted in 2006 for the monohull ferries.
7.
A number of the ferries have been built alongside the river by Brisbane family-owned
businesses, commencing with the Medora built by Ned Beattie at Norman Park in 1917. The
CityCats are built by Norman Wright and Sons, which has been constructing boats since
1909.
8.
The fleet currently consists of 19 CityCats and nine CityFerries. The CityCats are reducedwake catamarans, made of aluminium alloy, with a capacity of between 152 and 165
passengers. The CityFerries consist of six single-deck (capacity 53-54 passengers) and three
double-deck monohulls (capacity 78). All are constructed of timber with the exemption of one
steel vessel.
9.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked Mr O’Keeffe
for his informative presentation.
10.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor COOPER, Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment
Committee, please.
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT
COMMITTEE
Councillor Amanda COOPER, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment
Committee, moved, seconded by Councillor Vicki HOWARD, that the report of the meeting of that Committee
held on 2013, be adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor COOPER.
Councillor COOPER:
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair — Madam Deputy Chair rather, we had
a report last week on committee from the Grattan Institute. This is an
independent think tank which focuses on Australian public policy. I think there
was a lot of interesting information that was discussed as a consequence of that.
Thank you.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber by the Chairman, the motion for the adoption of the report of the
Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment Committee was declared carried on the voices.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 75 The report as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Councillor Amanda Cooper (Chairman), Councillor Vicki Howard (Deputy Chairman), and
Councillors Helen Abrahams, Geraldine Knapp, Shayne Sutton and Andrew Wines.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – GRATTAN INSTITUTE REPORT:
PRODUCTIVE CITIES – OPPORTUNITIES IN A CHANGING ECONOMY
652/2012-13
1.
Marcus Mulholland, Strategic Planning Manager, City Planning and Economic Development
Branch, attended the meeting to provide information from the Grattan Institute Report, on
opportunities for Brisbane in a changing economy. Mr Mulholland provided the information
below.
2.
The Grattan Institute was founded in November 2008. It is an independent, think-tank
organisation, with a particular focus on urban policy and development.
3.
The Grattan Institute Report examines the relationship of cities and the economy.
Mr Mulholland provided a high-level summary of the issues assessed in the report. The key
areas of the report focussed on people and economic activity in major cities, such as Sydney,
Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
4.
A series of graphs were displayed to illustrate some of the findings in the report.
5.
The results of the report for Brisbane have also calculated, based on data at the Statistical
Local Area (SLA) level of:
median incomes and income growth
median house prices
post-secondary education rates
labour force participation
travel time to jobs.
These results were then analysed and formed the basis of the recommendations in the report.
Two graphs, showing the median income of individuals working full time by distance from
the CBD, and the median house price gradients for Australian cities during 2009-10, were
shown.
6.
Further statistical graphs, showing the percentage of individuals with vocational qualifications
versus individuals with a university degree as well as the distance that these individual lived
from the city centre of Brisbane, were displayed. In addition, comparisons were made
between the labour force participation rates in Brisbane in 2011, and the percentage of
Brisbane jobs that can be reached within a one hour journey by public transport.
7.
Mr Mulholland advised that three key ideas could be identified from the Grattan Institute
Report. These were: bringing jobs closer to the people, enabling people to live closer to jobs
areas and improving transport links between people and jobs.
8.
The implications of these ideas were discussed. Mr Mulholland reiterated that the Grattan
Institute was an independent authority who’s recommendations such as: ensuring established
suburbs are not “locked down” by restrictive zoning and planning rules and using revenue
received from road pricing to expand public transport, in particular, buses are intended to
stimulate discussion by local governments.
9.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked Mr Mulholland
for his informative presentation.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 76 -
10.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor BOURKE, Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, please.
ENVIRONMENT, PARKS AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Councillor Matthew BOURKE, Chairman of the Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, moved,
seconded by Councillor Fiona KING, that the report of the meeting of that Committee held on 21 May 2013, be
adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor BOURKE.
Councillor BOURKE:
Madam Chairman, just very, very quickly, we had a presentation last week in the
committee on world migratory birds that come to Brisbane. It was World
Migratory Bird Week so the committee presentation outlined some of the bird
species, some of the spaces in the Brisbane local government that they visit and
also some of the detail around our RAMSAR partnership that we are involved in.
Also just on another point, I had the pleasure on the weekend of attending the
Habitat Brisbane Induction Day for new bush carers. There were 35 new bush
carers who got inducted and it was great to see three new bush care groups come
on board.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber by the Chairman, the motion for the adoption of the report of the
Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee was declared carried on the voices.
The report as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Councillor Matthew Bourke (Chairman), Councillor Fiona King (Deputy Chairman), and Councillors
Peter Cumming, Kim Flesser, Geraldine Knapp and Ryan Murphy.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – WORLD MIGRATORY BIRDS
653/2012-13
1.
Stacey McLean, Principal Program Officer, Biodiversity Planning, Natural Environment and
Sustainability Branch, City Planning and Sustainability Division, attended the meeting to
provide information on the world’s migratory birds that inhabit Brisbane. Mr McLean
provided the information below.
2.
An overview was given of the world’s migratory birds, in particular, shorebirds. There are
32 species of migratory shorebirds inhabiting Moreton Bay between September and April
each year. The approximate 40,000 birds visit from Siberia, Korea, China or Japan and settle
in Moreton Bay to feed and to roost.
3.
The migratory bird habitats are located in Brisbane’s wetlands, including; Tinchi Tamba,
North East Wetlands, Boondall Wetlands and parklands such as Tingalpa and Lota Creek
catchments. An image of these sites was shown.
4.
These sites in Moreton Bay were declared Ramsar wetlands on 22 October 1993. The
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ensure that Ramsar
wetlands and migratory shorebirds that inhabit these wetlands are protected.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 77 -
5.
The types of habitats that the shorebirds use for feeding and roosting were shown. As well as
Brisbane’s wetlands, the migratory shorebirds also inhabit places such as estuaries, tidal
mudflats, mangroves, sand dunes and saltmarsh.
6.
Images were shown of the main groups of shorebirds that migrate to Brisbane. Mr McLean
reiterated that there are at least 32 species of shorebirds that settle in Moreton Bay to feed and
to roost. Some of these species include; snipes, godwits, curlews, sandpipers, stilts, plovers,
dotterels and lapwings.
7.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked Mr McLean for
his informative presentation.
8.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
B
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – BRISBANE’S BEETLES
654/2012-13
9.
Stacey McLean, Principal Program Officer, Biodiversity Planning, Natural Environment and
Sustainability Branch, City Planning and Sustainability Division, attended the meeting to
provide information on Brisbane’s beetles, specifically the Coleoptera. Mr McLean provided
the information below.
10.
The Coleoptera, or “Sheathed wing” is the order of insects commonly known as beetles. They
make up 30 per cent of all animals on the planet, with over 300,000 species known
worldwide.
11.
The adult beetle features two pairs of wings, hardened forewings and membranous hind
wings, mandible mouthparts designed for biting and chewing, antennae and compound eyes.
The beetle larvae are grub-like with a well-defined head capsule, short antennae, chewing
mouthparts and present or absent legs. Images were shown of several adult beetles and beetle
larvae.
12.
Beetles can be found everywhere; they are the most successful group of organisms on the
planet. The major factors that contribute to the success of beetles are their compact body
design and hard forewings that provide them with a protective amour.
13.
In Brisbane, beetles are commonly found in parks, natural areas, suburban gardens, inside and
outside the homes, in water, on trees and plants and under the ground. Species of beetles
found in Brisbane include; the Australian carpet beetle, lyctine borers, Christmas beetles and
lady beetles. Images of these beetle species were shown.
14.
Mr McLean explained that beetles are an important part of Brisbane’s biodiversity and an
integral part of the food chain, being part-predator and part-prey for other fauna. Beetles also
provide other invaluable functions, including:
natural pest control
pollinators
cleaners of dung and dead animals
composters and soil builders.
15.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked Mr McLean for
his informative presentation.
16.
RECOMMENDATION:
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 78 -
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor McLACHLAN, Field Services Committee, please.
FIELD SERVICES COMMITTEE
Councillor David McLACHLAN, Chairman of the Field Services Committee, moved, seconded by Councillor
Norm WYNDHAM, that the report of that Committee held on 21 May 2013, be adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor McLACHLAN.
Councillor McLACHLAN:
Thank you Madam Deputy Chair. Just briefly at Item A, a committee
presentation from the Traffic Network Services branch of the Construction
branch of the Field Services group just outlining the terrific work undertaken by
this division to make sure our traffic signals are operational, and fantastic stats
within the report as a consequence of greater technology on reliability of traffic
signals across the Brisbane network. Thank you Madam Deputy Chair.
Deputy Chairman:
Thank you. Further debate. Councillor McLACHLAN, nothing further?
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of the report of the Field Services Committee
was declared carried on the voices.
The report read as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Councillor David McLachlan (Chairman), Councillor Norm Wyndham (Deputy Chairman), and
Councillors Peter Cumming, Nicole Johnston, Kim Marx and Ian McKenzie.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – TRAFFIC NETWORK SERVICES
UPDATE
655/2012-13
1.
Shane MacLeod, Construction Branch Manager, Field Services Group, Brisbane
Infrastructure Division, and Greg Van Ryt, Manager, Traffic Network Services, Construction
Branch, Field Services Group, attended the meeting to provide an update on Traffic Network
Services. Mr MacLeod provided the information below.
2.
Traffic Network Services, in Field Services Group, provides maintenance and support for
traffic signals and intelligent transport systems hardware 24 hours per day, seven days per
week. It services:
915 traffic signals, electronic traffic signs such as Valley variable speed signs, Gabba
and Lang Park regulatory parking signs and traveller information signs
170 traffic CCTV cameras
the connecting electronic data network including optical fibre, ethernet, ADSL,
wireless, and 3G/4G mobile technology.
3.
The software used by Traffic Network Services enables continual monitoring of fault levels,
spare parts usage, and support performance so that issues can be detected and addressed early
and overall performance improved.
4.
The traffic CCTV system has been significantly improved since 2009, prior to which
reliability issues had existed. Council has implemented a program to replace all existing
CCTVs with two standard types, reducing spare part requirements and allowing technicians to
provide consistent expert service. Also, as much as possible of the old copper cabling has
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
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been replaced with optical fibre connections to the network.
5.
Graphs outlining the large reduction in CCTV faults, achieved at the same time as the
network has expanded, were displayed.
6.
Prior to 2009, there were reliability issues with the traffic signals communication system.
System reliability has been improved by implementing a program to replace all existing
copper network connections and replacing some of the old copper cables connections with
optical fibre.
7.
The response time to fault reports has been monitored and improved, despite the number of
signals increasing. A graph showing the improved reliability and response times to faults was
displayed.
8.
To improve the reliability of the actual traffic signals, a program of upgrading the oldest
traffic signals installations was implemented. This program of continually upgrading traffic
signals hardware components has contributed to a decrease in traffic signal outage faults.
9.
A graph depicting the improvements in faults experienced per day was displayed along with
photographs of Council’s technicians at work.
10.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked the officers for
their contribution to the meeting.
11.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor ADAMS, Brisbane Lifestyle Committee, please.
BRISBANE LIFESTYLE COMMITTEE
Councillor Krista ADAMS, Chairman of the Brisbane Lifestyle Committee, moved, seconded by Councillor
Andrew WINES, that the report of that Committee held on 21 May 2013, be adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor ADAMS.
Councillor ADAMS:
Thank you, Madam Chair. Our committee presentation last week was about the
creative themes in Brisbane, Art Bites, BrisStyle I Heart Craft and BrisStyle
indie twilight markets, all of which are aimed at fostering Brisbane’s creative
craft communities.
Basically it was a rundown of all of the different workshops and presentations
that are held throughout the year in Brisbane. Our Saviours of the Lost Arts,
which foster the sharing of the age old craft traditions. Our BrisStyle I Heart
Craft, which is a professional group that gives developmental workshops, that
aims to give people the skills and knowledge to develop their own creative
businesses from inception right through to sustainable business practices and, of
course, our BrisStyle indie twilight markets that are held six times a year on
Friday nights in King George Square, which are a fantastic showcase of our local
handmade art.
Some beautiful opportunities coming out of our creative communities through
these programs and I’d encourage all councillors to advertise them throughout
their wards. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber by the Chairman, the motion for the adoption of the report of the
Brisbane Lifestyle Committee was declared carried on the voices.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 80 The report read as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Councillor Krista Adams (Chairman), Councillor Andrew Wines (Deputy Chairman), and Councillors
Vicki Howard, Steven Huang, Victoria Newton and Steve Griffiths.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – CREATIVE COMMUNITIES ARTS
PROGRAMS
656/2012-13
1.
Lorraine Gregory, Manager, Healthy and Vibrant Communities, Community Lifestyle
Branch, Brisbane Lifestyle Division, attended the meeting to provide a presentation on the
arts programs delivered by and through Council’s Creative Communities Branch in Brisbane
Lifestyle Division. She provided the information below.
Art Bites program
2.
Art Bites is a Council-run series of 10 free workshops run each quarter. The workshops are
designed for beginners of all ages and abilities with a wide range of arts and crafts on offer.
Every workshop is facilitated by an experienced, professional artist or performer.
3.
The current Arts Bites program is part of the BrisAsia Festival and for the first quarter of
2013 was focussed on Sri Lanka.
4.
While the program offers everyone the opportunity to have a go at something creative they
also create or renew enthusiasm amongst crafters and hobbyists for exchanging skills.
5.
Art Bites Connect is part of the Art Bites program that is featured at the annual Homeless
Connect event. It aims to make Council’s Art Bites program more accessible to people from
marginalised backgrounds. The strategic aims of Art Bites Connect are:
connecting people with art
connecting Council with the community
connecting artists with development opportunities
connecting services and artists
connecting Council’s Creative Communities programming with community events.
BrisStyle I Heart Craft series
6.
Council first funded BrisStyle in the 2011-12 financial year to deliver a series of professional
development workshops skilling crafters, artisans and creatives who wanted to establish
themselves in small business. BrisStyle had already been doing a small amount of
professional development prior to this but had realised the demand was greater than their
largely volunteer capacity could meet.
7.
This year Council has provided program funding to support a substantial series of
professional development workshops and a number of arts and craft markets. The aim is to
work towards a more sustainable arts and craft creative sector in the city.
8.
The workshops, called BrisStyle I Heart Craft, cover a range of specific business skills which
their research has shown was missing or inadequate in Brisbane’s craft/artisan/handmade
sector.
9.
The workshops provide participants with the opportunity to connect with and learn from
motivating guest speakers making invaluable networking opportunities with creative
entrepreneurs. Participants should emerge from the workshop series with the skills and
knowledge to develop their creative business from inception through to a sustainable business
model.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 81 -
10.
The BrisStyle I Heart Craft 2013 program from February to June includes:
Start Me Up: Online selling made easy
Get the Look: Top tips to stylish images
The Craft of Pricing: Product pricing demystified
Social Media Unearthed
Get Noticed: Marketing your signature style.
BrisStyle indie Twilight Market
11.
The BrisStyle indie Twilight Market is held on selected Friday nights in King George Square.
The markets showcase local handmade art, craft and design. Council provides in-kind funding
to the markets.
BrisStyle indie Co‐op
12.
The BrisStyle indie Co‐op is an initiative from BrisStyle to support creative enterprise in
Brisbane. The co‐op was established to encourage, nurture and support new members who are
emerging hobbyists or new marketeers. The BrisStyle indie Co‐op provides marketeers with:
half a shared trestle table space
table, chair and tablecloth
marquee space with up to 24 other co‐op participants (six by nine metre squared
space)
ambient lighting
a dedicated coordinator to meet and greet them on the night and support them
throughout the event.
Saviours of the Lost Arts
13.
The Saviours of the Lost Arts series is a part of Council’s Art Bites program. What
distinguishes it from Art Bites however, is that it includes less usual crafts. In 2013 there are
three key elements to the program:
hands-on skills development workshops
Suburban Networking Marketplaces professional development sessions set in a
marketplace format providing real-time learning for participants
Craft Group Discovery Days aiming to publicise the many smaller craft groups and
guilds already operating which are ready and willing to host open days for the public.
14.
Some of the hands-on skills development workshops include: fabric brooches, everyday
origami, rag rugs, rubber stamp making and recycled t-shirt craft. Half of the workshops are
run by the Brisbane Brown Owls, a craft group that meets once or twice a month in various
locations throughout Brisbane.
15.
The Suburban Networking Marketplaces are ‘old fashioned’ professional development
through demonstration sessions. The marketplaces include formal professional development
with presentations from crafters and craft/guild organisations.
16.
The Craft Group Discovery Days aim to develop and capture knowledge of the many smaller
craft groups and guilds currently operating in Brisbane. The aim is to gather this information
in one, accessible place and make it available to the public. Groups that are involved include:
Sisters of Stitch
Tangled Yarns Social Knitting and Crotchet
Southside Community Craft Circle
Art Appreciation Group
Bayside Stitchers Group
Qld Spinners and Weavers Fibre Arts.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 82 -
17.
Following a number of questions from the Committee, the Chairman thanked Ms Gregory for
her informative presentation.
18.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE
REPORT.
ADOPTED
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor SIMMONDS, Finance, Economic Development and Administration
Committee, please.
FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Councillor Julian SIMMONDS, Chairman of the Finance, Economic Development and Administration
Committee, moved, seconded by Councillor Ryan , that the report of that Committee held on 21 May 2013, be
adopted.
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor SIMMONDS. Nothing? Any further debate? Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair. I know my friends opposite would be disappointed if
I didn’t talk about the federal budget. Madam Acting Chair, there are a couple of
things I wanted to highlight on this and I was surprised that Councillor
SIMMONDS wanted to bring this item forward because there’s about four things
that I want to put on the record and want to state very clearly the impacts that
this federal budget will have on my local residents.
On dot point two, when the presentation included around—on 14 May the
federal budget was delivered, a brief summary of the budget included
$9.8 billion to be spent on education over six years. Now as someone who
represents a multicultural and socially diverse community, there can be nothing
more important than education.
I know everyone on this side of the Labor councillors, certainly on this side of
the chamber; support the investment of real money into our education system.
Councillor interjecting:
Councillor DICK:
Obviously, I’m referring also to the Gonski Review, real money, into our schools
for our students, for our teachers. I want to place on record my support for that
for my local schools in the Richlands Ward, an important forward-thinking step
not just in the forwards, but for the next 10 years that the Federal Government is
investing in.
We saw the former State Government invest heavily in my area. Now we’re
seeing the Federal Government. Disappointingly, and I’ll look forward to
Councillor SIMMONDS’ response on this, whether he supports the Gonski
Review and supports that investment to break away from what his party
supports.
The next point very quickly I want to talk about is Brisbane Cross River Rail.
Councillor interjecting:
Councillor DICK:
There can be nothing more important than moving our community from the
southern suburbs across into our city. This is bold thinking. We’ve had this
debate here. Former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman when he was Lord Mayor,
remember he used to bang on about it.
Councillor interjecting:
Deputy Chairman:
Councillor DICK, the former Lord Mayor is not mentioned in this report. Please
confine your remarks to the report.
Councillor DICK:
Sure. The Cross River Rail is, and giving some context about the potential for
creating jobs and increased economic—and I notice the word potential because if
there is a change of government there will be no Cross River Rail.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 83 Councillor interjecting:
Councillor DICK:
We know that and it will be interesting to see if those opposite and the relevant
Chair will endorse his own report today, which talks about the potential
economic benefit, the jobs and increased economic activity, as a result of Cross
River Rail.
Unfortunately, we saw at the Brisbane City Council offices last week the federal
Leader of the Opposition say we’re not going to spend a dollar on it, and we saw
the Premier of Queensland regarding this project, regarding jobs and increased
economic activity says we prefer no money than what the federal government is
actually putting into the 2013-2014 budget.
Councillor:
Shame—
Councillor DICK:
Have you ever heard a State Government say we prefer no money for a project
than $0.75 billion on the table?
Councillor interjecting:
Councillor DICK:
No, no, no we would prefer zero because that’s somehow going to get the project
delivered. Made the announcements in our Brisbane—I don’t know what the hell
they were doing in the Brisbane City Council—Brisbane Transport—no one
from the LNP was there and I’d duck for cover too if I was there. Not the LORD
MAYOR, not the DEPUTY MAYOR, not the Chairman of Public Transport,
certainly not the Finance Chair. Absolutely not, zilch. No one there.
The other issue I want to talk about in the report is about the lower amounts—
sorry, is the actual baby bonus replaced with a scheme that is tougher to qualify
for and pays less. I actually place on the record that I don’t agree with everything
that the federal government’s done here. There are a number of local residents in
my own community—oh, those opposite saying somehow always agree, I don’t.
There are members of my community who I know that this will have an impact
on. So I certainly hope there is some thought given by the federal government
regarding that transition and regarding those arrangements.
I know the Federal Government has introduced a fantastic paid maternity
scheme, however, I do know that there are concerns regarding that payment. So
we know that the budget revenue sources and expenditures were down, unlike
the Brisbane City Council, which has seen rates go up over the last 12 months.
We know that this Council relies on important revenue growth from our rates
and charges, and we’ve seen that go up over the last 12 months.
So in regards to the federal budget, I certainly want to place on record my
support for the significant health and education reforms that are coming down
the line. I certainly hope that those opposite will join—I also note in the federal
budget there was money allocated and appropriated for the constitutional
recognition local government referendum.
Councillor interjecting:
Councillor DICK:
Disappointingly, the federal Coalition will be voting against the budget so they
won’t be supporting funding for it. Well, certainly elements of the budget
they’ve said they’re not going to support so I certainly hope that’s one element
that they will be supporting the Shadow Minister Barnaby Joyce is, at best,
lukewarm about the proposition.
Back to the federal budget, we know that it is a visionary statement and a
document which particularly regarding education; regarding the Gonski reforms,
regarding Cross River Rail, regarding the Gateway upgrade—that’s another
important initiative as part of the infrastructure projects listed in project three.
We know that they’re at risk with a double toll if the LNP were elected, a toll on
a toll, toll on tolls, regarding their proposal. The Federal Government has
committed the funding right there, right now, to get on with the project.
I’ll certainly be looking forward to more presentations from Councillor
SIMMONDS who clearly is endorsing the federal government economic
strategy, he’s clearly endorsing the infrastructure plan for our city and I will
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 84 congratulate Councillor SIMMONDS for highlighting the achievements of the
federal Labor Government and bringing forward a presentation.
Councillor interjecting.
At that time, 6.23pm, the Chairman, Councillor Margaret de WIT, resumed the Chair.
Chairman:
Further debate. Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, Madam Chairman, I too can’t let this stunning topic of presentation in the
Finance, Economic Development and Administration Committee report pass
without brief comments.
Firstly, can I say how heart-warming it is to see the bromance between
Councillor for Walter Taylor, Julian SIMMONDS, and the Deputy Prime
Minister, Wayne Swan.
Now, Madam Chairman, two stranger bedfellows I don’t think you can find but
it is stunning today that we’ve heard an endorsement of the Deputy Prime
Minister’s financial acumen from the councillor for Finance, Councillor Julian
SIMMONDS. We heard that earlier today.
One can only presume that this is a theme. This is a theme that the Deputy Prime
Minister, Wayne Swan is going to be held up as the shining example of financial
management in this great country we call Australia.
Now that’s not my position. Now I’ve certainly, Madam Chairman, said a few
times in here that I think that the Deputy Prime Minister, Wayne Swan doesn’t
seem to have a good handle on the financial management of our country. I’m
quite disappointed to see that the councillor in charge of this area for Brisbane
City Council has now decided that he’s going to use him as the exemplar for
how Brisbane City Council should go about its financial goals and management
tasks.
That’s very disappointment, Madam Chairman. I prefer that Councillor
SIMMONDS perhaps took an example from the possibly incoming Prime
Minister, Tony Abbott.
Councillor interjecting.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
I think that might be a better example of how financial management can be
undertaken, Madam Chairman, than the disgraceful federal budget that was
handed down by the Deputy Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago.
I too have noticed the level of hypocrisy from the State Government with respect
to one of the projects that is listed here at dot point number three. That is the
Cross River Rail project. I too have noticed that the State Government seems to
be refusing, just flat out refusing, $715 million from the Federal Government.
There is no alternative on offer in this case so Tony Abbott is not offering any
further funding.
Now that’s not a position that I am particularly concerned about at this point,
because I do have serious concerns with the Cross River Rail project. In fact,
particularly because of the changes the Newman Government announced after it
came to office last year. The results of that will mean greater impact on
Yeerongpilly residents, because the new Premier has reduced the scale of the
project. As a result it will adversely impact on Yeerongpilly residents where the
tunnel portal will go in and there are no upgrades to rail stations, as part of the
revised scope of the project announced by the Premier.
So, in one sense I think it is a good thing because certainly we’re going to see
this project slip onto the never-never list and certainly I’ve seen some
encouraging debate in recent days that, in fact, there may be further
consideration of a new freight line being established along the Gateway
Motorway corridor rather than the Cross River Rail project being undertaken.
Can I say that I think that would be an excellent idea, Madam Chairman. That
would mean that freight can get to port a lot quicker than through the southern
suburbs of Brisbane, and it would be on a dedicated freight route, freeing-up the
suburban network for commuter traffic. Problem solved, Madam Chairman.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 85 So I’d like to see certainly further exploration of this matter in the new budget
handed down by the incoming Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. I would certainly
say to the Councillor for Finance Councillor SIMMONDS I think you should
give up on this bromance with Wayne Swan. I don’t think he’s a good role
model for you or for this Council. Certainly, I have serious concerns about his
financial management skills and I don’t think he’s a good example for this city
or the ratepayers of Brisbane.
Chairman:
Further debate. Councillor SIMMONDS.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. Ever so briefly, look, I am a
councillor who loves representing his ward. For that reason, my eyes are firmly
fixed on ensuring that this Council delivers for the Brisbane residents, so I’m
going to leave the wide ranging commentary about the Federal Government to
those who need to position themselves for a federal preselection.
Councillor interjecting.
Councillor SIMMONDS:
Suffice to say, Madam Chairman, that let it be known for the record that I
consider Wayne Swan an embarrassment of a Treasurer.
Upon being submitted to the Chamber, the motion for the adoption of the Finance, Economic Development and
Administration Committee was declared carried on the voices.
The report read as follows
ATTENDANCE:
Councillor Julian Simmonds (Chairman), Councillor Angela Owen-Taylor (Deputy Chairman), and
Councillors Fiona King, Ryan Murphy, Shayne Sutton and Kim Flesser.
A
COMMITTEE PRESENTATION – 2013-14 FEDERAL BUDGET
657/2012-13
1.
Jiri Arnost, Corporate Treasurer, Corporate Finance, Organisational Services, gave a
presentation on the 2013-14 Federal Budget.
2.
On 14 May 2013 the Federal Budget was delivered. A brief summary of the budget
includes:
a forecast deficit of $18 billion in 2013-14, but expecting to return to surplus
in 2015-16
a $60 billion write-down in revenue in 2013-14 and in pending years
$24 billion to be spent over next five years on urban public transport
infrastructure
$9.8 billion to be spent on education over six years
net debt to increase to $178.1 billion
Federal Assistance Grants to local governments will be lower for same period
last year
Queensland’s share of total revenue assistance up in 2013-14 compared to
2012-13.
3.
The potential impacts on the local community as a result of the budget include:
infrastructure projects like the Brisbane Cross River Rail potentially creating
jobs and increased economic activity
a deferral of personal income tax cuts until carbon tax price of $25.40 per
tonne is reached
education funding should contribute to long term economic benefit through a
better educated population
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 86 -
-
-
export dollar remains reliant on Asian growth (with weak growth forecast
elsewhere, the dollar is expected to remain high leading to constrained growth
locally)
lower amounts of Federal Assistance Grants over the next 12 months,
constraining Council and other local governments
the baby bonus replaced with a scheme that is tougher to qualify and pays less,
which may well place young couples under greater financial burden.
4.
Some slides were then presented that contained graphs and diagrams that displayed:
the impact on the Australian dollar as the budget was delivered
the budget revenue sources and expenditures
the government’s net financial worth and net debt to gross domestic product.
5.
Mr Arnost answered a number of question asked by members of the Committee. The
Chairman then thanked Mr Arnost for the informative presentation.
6.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT COUNCIL NOTE THE INFORMATION IN THE ABOVE REPORT.
ADOPTED
PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS:
Chairman:
Councillors, are there any petitions? Councillor NEWTON.
Councillor NEWTON:
Yes, Thank you, Madam Chair, I have a petition to present on behalf of
Councillor FLESSER, concerning the Banyo Memorial Bandstand.
Chairman:
Which memorial bandstand was that?
Councillor NEWTON:
Apologies. Banyo Memorial Bandstand.
Chairman:
Councillor DICK.
Councillor DICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair. I’ve got a petition regarding lighting at a bus stop and
petitions from residents in the Inala and Southwest district regarding bus services
being retained.
Chairman:
Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, Madam Chairman, I have two petitions. One is for the installation of lights
at the Fairfield Road dog-off-leash area. The second is for residents and business
owners in Shoebury Street to see backflow valves installed to prevent backflow
flooding in the future.
Chairman:
Councillor ABRAHAMS.
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a signature with many, many signatures on it
regarding—
Councillor interjecting.
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
What did I say?
Chairman:
Order. You have a petition.
Councillor ABRAHAMS:
I have a petition with signatures on it, many, many signatures on it, relating to a
permanent Sorry site at Hill End Terrace, West End.
Chairman:
Further petitions? Councillor COOPER.
Councillor COOPER:
Madam Chair, I have a petition relating to some parking at Aspley East State
School. Thank you.
Chairman:
Further petitions? Councillor MURPHY.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 87 -
658/2012-13
It was resolved on the motion of Councillor Ryan MURPHY, seconded by Councillor Victoria NEWTON, that
the petitions as presented be received and referred to the Committee concerned for consideration and report.
The petitions were summarised as follows:
File No.
CA13/359432
CA13/359638
Councillor
Victoria Newton
on behalf of
Kim Flesser
Milton Dick
CA13/359650
Milton Dick
CA13/359570
Milton Dick
CA13/359573
Nicole Johnston
CA13/359614
Nicole Johnston
CA13/359615
Helen Abrahams
CA13/359550
Amanda Cooper
Topic
Requesting the official naming of the Banyo Memorial
Bandstand
Requesting the installation of a light at a bus shelter on
Blunder Road, Durack
Requesting that bus services (100BUZ route, in particular)
be retained in south-west Brisbane
Requesting that bus services be retained in south-west
Brisbane
Requesting the installation of lights at the Fairfield Road
dog off-leash area
Requesting the installation of backflow valves in Shoebury
Street, Rocklea
Requesting a permanent Sorry Site Memorial at Hill End
Terrace, West End
Requesting the provision of a drop-off zone in Hopgood
Street, Aspley
GENERAL BUSINESS:
Chairman:
Are there any matters of general business? Councillor JOHNSTON.
Councillor JOHNSTON:
Yes, Madam Chairman, I didn’t get the opportunity to ask a question today again
but I would like to place on the record today my concern about the lack of
investment this Council is making in flood recovery activities in Tennyson
Ward.
Can I say that I was quite surprised to read in the Brisbane Times online today
that this Council was investing $860,000 in desilting and removal of mangroves
through the Enoggera Creek catchment; benefiting residents and businesses in
Wilston and Windsor. As I understand the report from the media today, the
LORD MAYOR was out there promoting that initiative. Over the past 18 months
the LORD MAYOR has categorically-refused to invest in any dredging and
desilting of Oxley Creek and the surrounding tributaries that feed into Oxley
Creek, like Moolabin Creek, the Rocky Waterholes, and Stable Swamp Creek.
I don’t think it's good enough that residents on the north side of Brisbane has
almost a million dollars spent in cleaning up their creek, whilst residents on the
south side of Brisbane, who’ve been requesting exactly the same thing, have
been repeatedly told that this Council will not invest in dredging. That is not
good enough.
It gets worse than that because on behalf of residents in Yeerongpilly, in
Moolabin Street and Allawah Street who are regularly subjected to flooding and
that includes sewerage overflow. I made a request approximately six months ago
to have the Rocky Waterholes tidied up and some work done with respect to
desilting and cleaning up, I guess, flood debris that has banked up in that area.
They are pools. The water doesn’t necessarily move through there as effectively
as it could to clean it out.
Now, this Council promised months ago that it would do it. It told us it would
have it done at Christmas, and then it told us it would have it done in March.
Then it told us it would have it done in May and it still has not been done. It is
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 88 simply not good enough that this Council is prepared to undertake flood
mitigation and clean-up work in one part of the city but refuses to do so in
another part of the city and then delays doing so after promising it would in that
part of the city as well. It is not good enough.
We’ve also seen here today cuts to the flood-marker program. We all know that
this Council has told the community it has delivered flood markers around the
city. We know that is not true. We know because the LORD MAYOR has
admitted it in this place.
I am appalled that the LORD MAYOR continues to claim that he is focused on
flood recovery in this city when clearly that is not true. His actions speak louder
than words in this case. I certainly will be telling residents out my way why he
has failed to fund creek recovery and creek clean up in Oxley Creek but is doing
so on the north side of the city. It is not good enough.
This approach has to stop and investment has to be made fairly in those
communities that have been impacted by the floods. That is clearly not occurring
and it’s not good enough.
Chairman:
Further general business? I declare the meeting closed.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS OF WHICH DUE NOTICE HAS BEEN
GIVEN:
(Answers to questions of which due notice has been given are printed as supplied and are not edited)
Submitted by Councillor Nicole Johnston (from the meeting on 7 May 2013)
Q3.
Does the CEO agree that the answer made by hin to a question on notice published on
26 March 2013 that “This question would need to be directed to the CEO” was actually
directed to the CEO by Councillor Johnston, through the processes set out by the CEO to all
Councillors, and published in the Council papers on 19 Febraury 2013?
A3.
The questions on notice process as outlined in the meetings subordinate local law 2005
states that the questions should be put in writing to the CEO.
No part of the Meetings subordinate local law 2005 outlines that the CEO will be
responsible for preparing, reviewing or providing the answer to a question on notice.
The CEO is not responsible for answering a question in the Council Chamber and likewise
he does not answer a question on notice. The CEO provides the mechanism in which
questions on notice are lodged and appear on the Council agenda.
Q4.
Would the CEO please advise whether he approves or reviews the answers to questions on
notice before publication?
A4.
The CEO does not review or approve responses to questions on notice.
Q5.
Would the CEO please advise to whom (no name is required - description by division or
office would be accpetable) he has delegated responsibility of answering and approving
questions on notice, if not done by him personally?
A5.
The premise of the question is false in that CEO does not review or approve question on
notice responses.
Submitted by Councillor Nicole Johnston (from the meeting on 21 May 2013)
Q1.
Would the CEO please advise how many rubbish bins have been removed from bus stops in
Tennyson Ward?
A1.
Information being compiled.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 89 -
Submitted by Councillor Victoria Newton (from the meeting on 21 May 2013)
Q1.
Would the CEO provide a breakdown for each Neighbourhood Plan of funds collected for
acquisition or upgrade of parkland since the introduction of each Neighbourhood Plan?
Q2.
Would the CEO provide a breakdown for each Neighbourhood Plan of the funds collected for
acquisition or upgrade of parkland since the introduction of each Neighbourhood Plan that
remain unspent at the end of March 2013?
Q3.
Would the CEO provide a breakdown for each Neighbourhood Plan of funds collected for
acquisition or upgrade of parkland that have been spent for the acquisition of parkland at the
end of March 2013?
Q4.
Would the CEO provide a breakdown for each Neighbourhood Plan of funds collected for the
bikeways since the introduction of each Neighbourhood Plan?
Q5.
Would the CEO provide a breakdown for each Neighbourhood Plan of funds collected for the
bikeways since the introduction of each Neighbourhood Plan that has been spent at the end of
March 2013??
Q6.
Can the CEO please advise of the locations of the top ten most used City Cycle stations?
Q7.
Can the CEO please advise of the locations of the ten least used City Cycle stations?
Q8 1. Could the CEO please advise the total amount of remuneration (including salary, allowances,
bonuses and superannuation) that was paid to the 73 executives who received executive
bonuses from Council, in the 2010/2011 financial year?
Q9.
Can the CEO please provide details of when leases will expire for Brisbane’s buses?
Q10.
Can the CEO please advise what the remaining lease time is for Willawong Bus Depot?
Q11.
Can the CEO please advise what the remaining lease time is for Sherwood Bus Depot?
Q12.
Can the CEO please advise what the remaining lease time is for the CityCats?
Q13.
Can the CEO please provide a breakdown of the type and numbers of library items were
acquired in 2009/10 financial year?
Q14.
Can the CEO please provide a breakdown of the type and numbers of library items were
acquired in 2010/11 financial year?
Q15.
Can the CEO please provide a breakdown of the type and numbers of library items were
acquired in 2011/12 financial year?
Q16.
Can the CEO please provide a breakdown of the type and numbers of library items will be
acquired in 2012/13 financial year?
A1 to A16.
Information being compiled.
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]
- 90 RISING OF COUNCIL:
6.47pm.
PRESENTED:
and CONFIRMED
CHAIRMAN
Council officers in attendance:
Andrew Langford (Team Leader, Council and Committees Support)
Stephanie Thompson (Council and Committees Support Officer)
Kate Morwood (Graduate, Corporate Governance and Executive Services)
Billy Peers (Personal Support Officer to the Lord Mayor and Council Orderly)
[4405 (Ordinary) meeting – 28 May 2013]