Brisbane’s LNP Lord Mayor has dodged questions over his commitment to a trial for inclusionary zoning trial three years ago.
During question time yesterday, Brisbane Labor Opposition Leader, Cr. Jared Cassidy pressed Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner over an inclusionary zoning trial announced for Cassidy’s ward:
“In August 2022, you stood in this chamber and said you would be starting a trial of inclusionary zoning…you said “if you currently have, say five stories in the town centre, wouldn’t it be good if you could maybe go to six or seven if you provided a few levels of affordable housing. It’s been over three years since you announced this. Can you update the people of Brisbane on how your trial of inclusionary zoning is progressing?”
In response, Cr. Schrinner spoke of the experience of Sadiq Khan in the City of London, explaining that because targets were reduced there, Schrinner had license not to follow through on his previous commitment at all.
Labor rose several times on relevance, urging the Lord Mayor to address the substance of the question. However, the Chair of Council – also an LNP councillor, allowed the Lord Mayor to continue to speak about London.
Housing and homelessness is back in the spotlight over skyrocketing house and unit prices. Additionally, founder of Northwest Community Group Paul Slater announced last weekend that he was winding up the organisation citing concerns to his own mental health and wellbeing:
“After everything that’s happened this year – the evictions I stood in the middle of, the court battles, the tents ripped down, the late-night emergency callouts, the public attacks, the government stonewalling, the pressure to hold hundreds of people’s crises at once (10-15 texts/phone calls a day while holding a full time job) – it finally broke me.”
Two weeks ago, Cassidy launched a petition calling on the Lord Mayor and LNP Council to boost funding for the Pathways Out of Homelessness grants to $5 million a year over the next three years.
“Brisbane is in the midst of its worst housing and homelessness crisis in living memory”.
“Council’s role should be about supporting community organisations who work on the ground, supporting people who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, transition into stable, rental tenancies. “
“We’ve seen Council’s advertising budget rise, we’ve seen Council’s overseas travel budget rise, but we’ve seen no increase in the budget for the Pathways Out of Homelessness Grant Program.
You can view and sign the petition here .
