How Brisbane City Council should protect our lifestyle and environment

From funding to help save wildlife, to restoring the city’s natural creek network and improving social cohesion through intergenerational play, here’s what the experts say Brisbane City Council should do for our environment and lifestyle.

A furry critter at RSPCA Queensland’s Wildlife Hospital. Picture: Peter Wallis

BRISBANE is Australia’s most biodiverse capital city and residents expect exceptional community amenities, parks and nature reserves.

As residents cast early votes by post or by pre-poll ahead of this weekend, Quest News asked stakeholders how the council should protect the environment and residents’ lifestyles.

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Brisbane Catchment Network president Margie Milgate said mountain biking posed a real threat to habitats and the council needed to carefully consider how it opened up the city’s nature reserves for recreation.

“Our nature reserves need to be protected — it’s good to have recreational uses, but we can’t have all our nature reserves affected by this,” she said.

She said there needed to be more focus on environmental corridors and urged the council to continue its bushland acquisition program.

She said more awareness and litter programs to protect the waterways and Moreton Bay from rubbish were essential.

“We’d also like to see improved support for the Community Conservations Partnerships Program … there was reduced funding in the last budget that was reinstated, but we would like to see it continued and expanded,” she said.

Experts and advocates have outlined their priorities for protecting Brisbane’s environment, lifestyle and wildlife. Picture: AAP/Attila Csaszar

RSCPA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said desexing cats and dogs should be mandatory in Brisbane unless the animal was registered as a breeder.

He said there was an “urgent” need to increase its ambulance numbers and the charity “desperately” needed another City Inspector to cope with the ever-increasing workload.

“This would require financial input from the council,” he said.

He said RSPCA Queensland was the only state with a dedicated wildlife hospital but patient numbers escalated every year — and it needed “a major overhaul” with council and state support.

He added Brisbane’s animal management practices needed to be improved.

Playgroup Queensland acting chief executive office Michele Galagher wants Brisbane to be the leader in intergenerational relationships to improve social inclusion and connection.

She said the council should encourage the co-location of early childhood and aged care and retirement facilities at a planning level to facilitate that.

Playgroup Queensland also said funding support for their program Ageless Play, made famous by the ABC TV show Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds would be ideal.