Speech to Chambers

Delivered by Councillor Seal Chong Wah, to the Debate on the E & C Report Clause B - Cross River Rail Land Exchange - Bowen Hills, 18th November 2025

This is a transfer of land from Council to the State government where Cross river rail assets have been constructed.

In return the State government is transferring some adjoining land back to Council.

While the State is receiving more land, it is true that the Council is receiving larger more usable blocks of land.

This land subject to the transfer is either in my Ward or immediately over the border.

I do not oppose the transfer of this land, either from or to council.

However I do strongly appeal that this transferred land be utilised as greenspace and natural vegetated areas that are suitable for flooding and wetlands. 

Some of the land is already adjacent to the Brisbane river’s wetland ecology and virtually all of it is in a flood zone.

I refer this Council Chambers to this LNP administration's recent amendment of the City Plan that will effectively remove 290 hectares of greenspace from the Brisbane council area by 2036, based on the desired standards of service for greenspace and the growing population.

290 hectares of greenspace that this city would otherwise have, not to mention the potential loss of 64 hectares of inner-city parkland at Barrambin. Although the fight is not over to save this precious greenspace! 

This administration has virtually ruled out any increase in greenspace - presumably because they will not allocate a budget to this vital investment in our cities' resilience.

If this council thinks they have NO available land that is cheap enough to increase greenspace, here are some easy low hanging fruits. 

Why not revert this land to natural vegetated areas, expanding on the Maiwar/Brisbane River’s natural wetland eco-system.