Speech by Councillor Seal Chong Wah, to full Brisbane City Council Meeting - Tues 5th Nov 2024

I rise to speak on greenspace, deep planting and development. 

It is possible we will see population increases of up to 400,000 people, in the next 20 years, for the Brisbane local government area, based on projections by the State government.  This means that long term planning for greenspace is crucial for our future Brisbane to have any chance of being a sustainable, healthy, livable city. One change making its way through the State government planning process is a City Plan amendment package - Major L.

This package includes a proposal to change ‘deep planting’ targets for multiple dwelling developments from 10% to 15%. This change was of course advocated for by The Greens and we were pleased to see this initiative. However, we are seeing so many developments being approved with 0% deep planting. And in the fastest growing part of my Ward, the high density part of Milton, we are only seeing an average of 4% deep planting being approved.

In this performance-based planning system, our targets are pointless if developers can find a way to trade them off, without any oversight from local Councillors. This LNP controlled council likes to suggest The Greens are opposing all new developments. 

Of course that is a manipulation of what is really happening - we could call them alternative facts. 

What Greens Councillors are really doing is advocating for more sustainable, greener and better development that is actually inline with our City Plan targets -  like the 10% deep planting. 

My question is - why are LNP Councillors not representing their communities?  Why are local LNP Councillors not advocating for better development outcomes, for more greenspace, for more deep planting, for buildings that integrate more harmoniously into the existing neighborhood.  

I have found that most residents, like The Greens, are not opposed to development - they just want better development outcomes than this council is delivering. We don’t have to accept concrete jungles to increase housing. We don’t have to reduce greenspace for population growth. This idea that allowing poorly designed, unsustainable development, that reduces greenspace and plantings, is the only way to resolve the housing crisis - is a lie. 

It’s a lie told to our residents in order to give developers more profit, more power to build whatever they want, wherever they want. 

Of course it’s not a surprise that the new LNP state government has already committed to changing the law to allow developers to make political donations.  While this LNP council gives developers discounts of up to 75% in infrastructure charges, the LNP state government will change legislation to enable developers to hand some of that back to the LNP in donations. Sounds like a slick deal, legalising corruption.

With good planning, with good management this city can provide sufficient housing for everyone, while also ensuring we have enough greenspace and vegetation.