Schrinner V Condren: Full list of commitments

Still undecided about who to vote for in next weekend’s Brisbane City Council election? We’ve listed what both major parties are promising if you vote for them.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner with wife Nina. Picture: Liam Kidston

THE two major party candidates squaring off to be Brisbane’s lord mayor over the next four years have both insisted they’re equipped to lead the city as it prepares to stare down the threat of the coronavirus.

In interviews with The Sunday Mail, LNP incumbent Adrian Schrinner and Labor’s Patrick Condren have talked up their experience and vision for the city as hundreds of thousands of voters head to the ballot box.

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Cr Schrinner said COVID-19 had changed the nature of the campaign, forcing him to cancel events while working to address the crisis, but said experience was important in challenging times.

“There’s no better preparation for doing the job of lord mayor than actually doing the job of lord mayor,” Cr Schrinner said.

“That is what I have been doing for the past 11 months (since replacing Graham Quirk) and then before that eight years as deputy mayor and 14 years as a councillor.

“I understand how council works. I understand the absolute critical importance of strong and decisive leadership at a time like now. We are in challenging times and that makes experience even more important.”

SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL LIST OF COMMITMENTS

Pat Condren with his wife Margaret Little. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Mr Condren said “career politicians” did not have a “monopoly on good ideas” and pointed to his experience as a reporter – dismissing suggestions he was not experienced enough for the job because he did not have a political background.

“My 20 years of experience covering politics, making decisions quickly, being able to talk to people to get the best information and to distil it down I think stands me in good stead,” Mr Condren said.

“Career politicians do not have a monopoly on jobs like the lord mayoralty. What experience did Jim Soorley, a former priest, have when he came to the lord mayoralty?”

Mr Condren said there was obviously action that Brisbane City Council could take in the midst of the crisis, and said he would support the Lord Mayor’s decision to waive fees and charges for businesses.

“What we need is to listen to and act upon is the work of the authorities, and that is the State and the Federal governments,” he said. “They are taking the lead on this.”

In recent days, Cr Schrinner has taken a number of steps to address the crisis - including waiving fees for businesses, reducing paid parking and engaging with the federal government to fast-track funding for critical projects.

Cr Schrinner said he expected a period of city building to support the local economy as Brisbane steered its way through the challenging times.

“The Story Bridge was built for that exact reason. It was a job creation project during a very difficult economic period,” he said. “It’s been an incredible asset for our city for the long term. And there is an opportunity for us to have some significant city building infrastructure completed in the coming years with the support of other levels of government.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner with wife Nina and their children Petra, 2, Monash, 3, Wolfgang, 5, and Octavia, 7. Picture: Liam Kidston

Both candidates have committed to serving a full term if elected, and said they have no plans to pursue careers at other levels of government.

Mr Condren, who said this would be his only tilt for lord mayor, committed to having a woman as his deputy mayor and vowed to stay in the ALP if he loses.

“This is my one my shot … and that is why me and my family are giving it 110 per cent,” he said. “I’m not going to leave anything in the tank.”

Cr Schrinner said his vision for Brisbane in four years’ time would be for Brisbane Metro to be up and running, several of the planned green bridges finished or under construction, electric buses joining the city’s fleet, residents to be enjoying the first stage of Victoria Park and suburban shopping villages to be thriving.

Cr Schrinner, who committed to serving the full term as lord mayor, also acknowledged it was a “historic time”, saying the virus crisis was something the city had never seen.

“In four years’ time, that would be the most important thing looking back, if the people of Brisbane do support me in the election to know that I helped (guide) them through one of the most challenging times that the city has ever been through,”he said. “And we got through it, but we came together united and we came out the other end of it intact and getting stronger.”

Pat Condren, holding Jackie the dog, with his wife Margaret Little and children Maddy, 20, and Fin, 17. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Mr Condren will today hold a digital campaign launch, making the traditional speech to supporters over the internet instead of in person.

“The footpaths will be fixed, the level crossings will be done, people will be able to get around on better public transport,” Mr Condren said of his four-year vision for the city.

“There will be an increased focus on active transport. I’m unashamedly about the suburbs … and I think that’s what people like.

Mr Condren has spent a large part of his campaign taking aim at the lord mayoral expense of office allowance, something he says voters have brought up with him as well.

A recent independent review ruled against scrapping the allowance.

Voters are scheduled to head to the polls on March 28, but pre-polling is already under way.

SCHRINNER’S COMMITMENTS

RATEPAYERS

● Continue delivery of free off-peak travel for seniors on buses, CityCats and ferries

● Free dump vouchers for every household in the city, including renters

- Waiving the $30 yellow-bin fee for a free additional bin or a bigger bin

● Free compost starter kits or worm farm for every household

● Continue reducing 16 fees and charges unveiled in 2019/20 Budget

INFRASTRUCTURE

● $32 million on village precinct projects, with first stage to be rolled out in ten suburbs

● $10 million for access improvements at Whites Hill Reserve

● $500,000 to start planning on the Woolloongabba priority precinct as part of the Norman Creek Masterplan and continue works around Glindemann Creek

TRANSPORT

● An extra $50 million for road and intersection upgrades

● $2.8 million for 100 new Slow for SAM signs around schools

● $6.4 million investment in the safe paths to school program

● $1.6 million to boost pedestrian safety around aged care living

● $1.8 million towards the joint State and Council SafeST travel program

● Finish Brisbane Metro before end of term

LIFESTYLE

● $100 million for the biggest parks package in the city’s history. Includes: $35 million to transform Nudgee Recreation Reserve; $30 million for new car park at Downey Park; $3.25 million to build “signature” playgrounds; $14 million for upgrades at Wally Tate Park including sports fields.

● $15 million for pools upgrades – Chermside Pool and Newmarket Pool

● $12 million for libraries – rebuild the Everton Park Library, upgrade Zillmere and Inala library and extend hours at West End Library

● $6 million for City of Light decorative lighting

● $5.2 million for community halls

● Waive local event permit fees – approximately $1.2 million

● $8 million to seek a partnership to redevelop the School of Arts building into a community hub

● $3.3 million for cultural facility at Witton Barracks

● Over $3 million to deliver three new dog parks, expand three dog parks and upgrade a third of existing dog parks

● $2.1 million to improve Brisbane Powerhouse

Begin construction on the Victoria Park redevelopment

● $1.67 million to upgrade three scenic lookouts

● $200,000 for upgrades at the Brighton Bulldogs Football Club including more changerooms and sporting field.

● $1.2 million towards a $1.5 million joint upgrade with AFL Queensland and Cricket Queensland at the Chelmer Oval

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

● $9.1 million to embark on the biggest street tree planting drive in city’s history

● Build five new green bridges

● Free native plants for every household

GOVERNANCE

● $6.6 million to introduce
a webchat service between council contact centre and business

● Slash payment terms for small businesses supplying Council to seven days

● Deliver another four years of balanced budgets

CONDREN’S COMMITMENTS

RATEPAYERS

● $100 annual rates rebate for those who pay on time (would cost $30 million each year)

● Produce a “rate saver” report

INFRASTRUCTURE

● $11.2 million on a new planning policy, including redoing every neighbourhood plan

● $10 million to upgrade Brighton Foreshore

● $6.2 million for a rapid repair footpath fund

TRANSPORT

● $410 million to fix five level crossings

● $17 million for suburban intersections

● $1.7 million for extra bus services

● $1 million to complete Veloway at Birdwood Rd and $1 million planning study to fix eight other bikeway links

● An extra $1 million every year to fix potholes

● $500,000 for Hillbrook school crossing

● Look at introducing a CBD bike grid

LIFESTYLE

● $25.5 million to upgrade and deliver new libraries

● $25.3 million to boost suburban shopping and axe the footpath dining tax

● $6 million encouraging more women and girls into sport

● $2 million for Clem Jones Centre upgrade

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

● $27.5 million to make council “truly carbon neutral” and make Brisbane carbon net zero by 2050

● $5 million for greening King George Square

● Extra $1.8 million every year for tree planting

● $420,000 for an animal ambulance and increase to wildlife carers grants

GOVERNANCE

● Boost the number of
women on council boards to 50 per cent

● Introduce a public benefit test for advertising

● Scrapping expense of office allowance paid to the Lord Mayor worth almost $100,000

● Scrapping Qantas club memberships for councillors

● Appoint independent experts for bushland levy spend