Other Issues / Announcements
Brisbane City Council Budget Update - 2020/21
July 08, 2020
Brisbane City Council’s annual budget looks a little different for the 2020/21 financial year, but in many respects, it embodies the same trends and values as previous council budgets. The budget includes a disproportionate...
Read More ShareFully Automated Luxury Colonialism
June 29, 2020
A couple of months ago, the Queensland Greens announced a campaign initiative to increase mining royalties, which would direct a much larger share of mining profits back into paying for public infrastructure and services....
Read More ShareRethinking the 40-Hour Work Week
June 09, 2020
Right now, many of us are forced to lead lives that are economically precarious and environmentally and socially unsustainable. We work long hours to pay the bills, while not having enough time to volunteer...
Read More ShareGabba Ward Shutdown Album 2020: The Art of Hibernation
May 22, 2020
We’ve produced a compilation album of songs recorded during the shutdown by bands and solo artists with strong connections to the Gabba Ward on Brisbane's inner-south side (i.e. the suburbs of West End, South Brisbane,...
Read More ShareWas Keneally’s migration diatribe fair dinkum racist?
May 09, 2020
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a few people have taken issue with my suggestion that Labor Senator Kristina Keneally’s opinion piece about immigration was advancing racist arguments. I shouldn’t need to start with this disclaimer, but: No,...
Read More ShareBuilding size, density, affordability and sustainability
April 30, 2020
Let’s compare these two buildings shall we? The tower on Scott St, Kangaroo Point in the first picture is over 15 storeys tall, and yet contains only 14 dwellings. They are large, high-end...
Read More ShareSo how much power does the leader of the Australian Greens actually have?
April 13, 2020
Greens members are currently deciding how we should select the leader of the Australian Greens. Should all members have a direct vote in choosing the leader, like in many other progressive parties around the...
Read More ShareLearning from the big Greens swing on Brisbane City Council
April 09, 2020
In the past few weeks, I’ve had quite a few Greens supporters – particularly from interstate – ask me how we pulled off such big swings in the Brisbane City Council election on 28 March,...
Read More ShareNew Park for Highgate Hill/South Brisbane
March 18, 2020
Here’s another innovative yet common-sense solution to create more public green space in the inner-city… Let’s cover over the stretch of train line near Gloucester St and Frith St in Highgate Hill to create...
Read More ShareGrey Street Park
March 10, 2020
We've had some important wins with the Brisbane Metro project, including convincing council to make sure the new vehicles run on electricity rather than diesel. As I've explained previously, Brisbane Metro isn't perfect, but...
Read More ShareRallies are great, but don't forget to reach beyond the bubble
February 01, 2020
Last Friday, I spoke at a massive climate justice rally in the city. Somewhere between 6000 and 7000 people took to the streets. There was a crackling energy in the crowd. It felt powerful...
Read More ShareTwo New CityGlider Routes for Inner-Brisbane
January 21, 2020
This week, I'm calling for the introduction of two new CityGlider routes to fill gaps in Brisbane’s public transport network. Getting from one suburb to another by bus or train is often a lot...
Read More ShareShort-Term Accommodation in Residential Buildings
January 10, 2020
For several years now, we've been concerned about the growing proportion of residential homes - both apartments and free-standing houses - being converted into short-term accommodation. Increasingly in Queensland, we’re seeing more and more...
Read More ShareRed Dawn for a New Decade
January 03, 2020
I kicked off 2020 by giving a morning talk at Woodford Folk Festival called ‘A Rough Work-in-Progress Blueprint for Revolution.’ Despite half the festival still being asleep or hungover from NYE celebrations, it was...
Read More ShareNot Just Any Old Council Election: Thinking Globally and Acting Locally in the Gabba Ward
December 04, 2019
Cities shape every aspect of our lives, but ordinary citizens have very little power to influence the design and governance of our cities. Any movement to fundamentally change society has to be able to...
Read More ShareCracks in the Concrete Speech (August 2016)
November 20, 2019
I gave this speech at our Cracks in the Concrete Ideas Fiesta on 27 August, 2016. It's interesting to look back on it now and think about how relevant these ideas still are three years...
Read More ShareFree Off-Peak Buses and Ferries for Everyone!
November 17, 2019
We believe we can and should have a city where getting around is cheap, convenient and sustainable for everyone. We’re working towards a world where everyone can afford to get where they need to...
Read More ShareMy current position on Dornoch Terrace Improvement plans
October 18, 2019
Dear residents, We’ve started receiving feedback in response to council’s first draft concept plans for Dornoch Terrace (thank you!). We’ve been passing this along to the council administration and asking further questions, including about...
Read More ShareOver-development in Kangaroo Point - 108 Lambert St
October 09, 2019
Here's the text of our first email update to residents concerned about the development application for 94 to 108 Lambert St.. Dear residents, Thanks for showing an interest in the campaign against unsustainable over-development...
Read More ShareMedia Release: Greens call for doubling of funding for community festivals and events
October 02, 2019
Today, the Greens will announce a multimillion-dollar policy commitment for the Brisbane City Council election campaign, calling for a doubling of council’s annual funding for festivals, events and cultural organisations. Council currently allocates just...
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