Brisbane City Council recently launched its ‘Brisbane App’.
On there are local guides as well as park, restaurant and shop locations.
But the development and promotion of the app has come at an “eye-watering” cost to Brisbane residents.
The cost included $285,000 to develop the app, more than $370,000 for ongoing support and development, $66,000 on advertising the app on buses, bus shelters and billboards, over $200,000 on stickers and letter box flyers, $206,000 on talent for the ad campaign, $420,000 on radio and television ads, more than $60,000 on social media ads and nearly $40,000 on social media influencers.
The LNP Council also budgeted another $3.2 million for more advertisement and promotion over this financial year.
Council Opposition Leader, Cr Jared Cassidy (Labor) said this was a complete waste of ratepayers’ money.
“The cost to produce and advertise the Brisbane App is absolutely eye-watering, but this kind of blatant misuse of residents’ money is what we’ve come to expect from the LNP Lord Mayor.”
“This Council should be spending $4.5 million on upgrading our community spaces, fixing our footpaths, making our streets safer and improving services for the suburbs, but instead Adrian Schrinner is blowing the budget on advertising.”
The App has also attracted some negative reviews online.
“Not sure what the point of this app is. Downloaded it but found it was pretty much Google.”
“The app has been crashing.”
“I’m very disturbed that there’s not enough money to fix footpaths, but there was $4.5 million for an app that does nothing more than google.”
“Search functions are poor.”
