Speech to BCC Chambers 27th August 2024
I rise to speak on Bardon Latrobe Football Club and the lack of sports fields in Brisbane.
As I raised in my Question to the Lord Mayor earlier, we have a serious shortage of greenspace and sports fields in the Paddington Ward, that means our children are not able to play the sports that they love.
Bardon Latrobe Football club, with over 900 members and a huge number of children wanting to play football, have outgrown the available grounds at Bowman Park.
However, I know this is not just a problem in the Paddington Ward. For many years, in The Gabba Ward of my colleague Councillor Massey, the West End football club have been desperate for ONE football pitch to play on that doesn’t injure its players. They play on a dangerous, uneven playing field, that is not even full length.
I know that members of The Gap football club, in the Ward of Councillor Steven Toomey, with over 800 members, are looking for additional fields, and are now having to train at other fields.
I have no doubt that this story is playing out right across Brisbane in many Wards of the Councillors in these chambers.
Why is this?
A lack of sports fields and greenspace is a problem that is created over decades. So we have to consider who has been managing the Brisbane City Council for the last 20 years?
Well it’s the LNP.
It is this one continuous management of Brisbane by ONE TIRED OLD political party over the last 20 years, that has seen a major under investment in sports fields.
However, this Brisbane City Council actually has ‘desired standards of service’. These are supposed to be benchmarks for what this council believes is their best practice. For sports grounds, this Council administration has set a target of 12,000 square meters of outdoor sports fields per 1,000 residents. That’s 12,000 square meters of outdoor sports fields per 1,000 residents.
The Qld Government, in their publication ‘Open Space for Sport and Recreation - Planning Principles and Implementation’, recommended a MINIMUM level of supply to be 20,000 square meters per 1000 residents for sporting land. Not 12,000 square meters but 20,000 square meters. That is not far off twice as much as what Brisbane’s target is for sports fields.
Perhaps this, actually quite old, Qld Government target is too much for cities to achieve? I don’t think so. That is, in fact, the exact target that the city of Cairns has adopted for sports grounds. 20,000 square meters per 1,000 residents. But not Brisbane. This Council administration have decided they can’t achieve that.
This council administration love to plan for mega Olympic stadiums, and fly off to Paris to enjoy the grandeur of believing they are promoting sports in this country. The truth is that this LNP administration is failing sports development where it really counts, at the community level.
To really promote and develop sport means focusing at the community level. It means ensuring our children get to play the sports they love in the first place. The Greens may not be promoting Billion dollar Olympic stadiums, but we have announced a Queensland election commitment to invest $200 million towards acquiring new sports fields and greenspace, across Queensland, so that every child can play sport, no matter where they live.
I shouldn’t have to remind this council administration that participation in sports has many physical and psychological benefits. These include physical health and wellbeing, learning motor skills, social engagement, a sense of belonging and building self-esteem.
Right now, we are seeing so many teenagers struggling with the challenges of our modern world. While, I have families and teenagers contacting me who can’t even get to play football at their local club, because this Schrinner Council has woefully under-invested in sports grounds over the last 20 years.