Sneaky LNP-led Council changed the feedback summary

Residents have told the LNP-controlled Brisbane City Council they want the former East Brisbane Bowls Club building to be upgraded, but the LNP Council wants to demolish it instead.

The Schrinner administration at Brisbane City Council cannot be trusted on this issue. Right to Information documents show that they have published misleading information about residents' feedback regarding the building.

After community engagement, the LNP-led Council was given a document summarising residents' views. The summary included "upgrade the bowls club site for community use – underutilised and unattractive".

But when the LNP Council administration published a document referring to the feedback, they removed the reference to residents wanting the building to be upgraded, and instead summarised it as "bowls club site underused and unattractive".

After altering community feedback to suit their own agenda, how does the Schrinner-led Council expect locals to trust that they won't ultimately allow development on the site in the future -- just like they wanted to do at the croquet club next door?

LNP-led Council's response to my open letter 

I sent an open letter to the Lord Mayor, the LNP's Adrian Schrinner, in August.

I did not receive a substantive response for a month and a half, and when it came, it wasn't from Lord Mayor Schrinner, but from one of his fellow LNP Councillors.

In my letter I had set out the community's views as I understood them, and had made clear my view that the LNP-led Council needs to stop stripping our community of valuable facilities that locals can use.

Having listened to our community, I asked that Lord Mayor Schrinner:

1. Publish:

a. information about the manner in which the community consultation was conducted;

b. all results of any consultation;

c. any considerations that informed the development of the Council's draft concept plan.

2. Allow Backbone more extensive use of the existing bowling greens, so they can better activate the space and increase the attractiveness of the space for community functions.

3. Work cooperatively with locals and Backbone to develop a plan to address concerns about the general aesthetics of the grounds.

4. Reconsider plans to remove Backbone, or to demolish this community facility.

5. Commit to ensuring that residents have the benefit of more publicly-owned, publicly-accessible community facilities, not fewer.

Council's response did not directly respond to my requests. Tellingly, the response says Council has "no intention" of allowing development on the site. These are weasel words that fall well short of a guarantee!

What do we know about the LNP Council's track record?

So, as locals we know that:

• Council is selling off land resumed for the widening of Lytton Rd, near Laidlaw Rd. 
• Council has previously tried to allow residential towers on Mowbray Park; 
• Council is using weasel words about not having an "intention" to allow the bowlo land to be developed, instead of giving a guarantee; and
• Council altered the sense and meaning of the community feedback, to represent community desire for the site to be upgraded as community appetite for its demolition.

Looking at Council's track record, I'm far from reassured.

Can we really trust Council with Mowbray Park?

I don't.

Regardless, I don't think we want to see the bulldozers at Backbone.