Brisbane City Council phasing out wood barbecues, claims numbers lowest since 1973

Brisbane City Council has been accused of killing off the great Aussie barbecue, with numbers at the lowest level since 1973 and wood-fired options to completely vanish. But Council administration says the claims are a “porky’’.

The great Aussie tradition of the wood-fired barbecue is set to become a fading memory after Brisbane councillors voted to phase them out in the city’s parks.

It comes as the Opposition claims electric replacements are not keeping up, resulting in total numbers flling to the lowest in 50 years.

Council’s Parks chair, Tracy Davis, said they made the decision to remove wood versions because people wanted the convenience of non-wood versions.

“Rather than lugging logs around a local park or attempting to try to keep a fire alight, the vast majority of residents prefer electric/gas barbecues and that’s why Council will continue rolling them out,’’ she said.

Independent Councillor Nicole Johnston said Tuesday’s vote, which was passed by the LNP majority, spelled the end of a much-loved cultural icon of the nation.

Council is phasing out its wood barbecues.

“A sausage always tastes better on a wood fired barbecue,’’ she said.

“The Lord Mayor (Adrian Shrinner) is killing off a great Aussie tradition and has no plans to replace the numerous wood-fired barbecues around Brisbane he keeps removing from local parks.

“You can’t toast a marshmallow on an electric barbecue.’’

Hidden World Playground Park in Fitzgibbon.

Labor Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy said the number of Council barbecues had plummeted to the lowest level since 1973 because too few electric replacements were being installed.

He claimed more than 300 wood versions had been removed in less than a decade while electric and gas replacements had not kept up.

In 2014 there were about 410 barbecues in Council parks, which had fallen to 288 four years ago, Cr Cassidy said.

The changes debated in Council on Tuesday (February 14).

But Council said that was a “porky’’ and the total number had actually risen since 2014.

Council’s website says there are more than 420 parks and nature reserves across the city with barbecue facilities, although some are out of action and very few are wood-fired.

SOME POPULAR BRISBANE PARKS WITH BBQS

Cr Davis said there were actually 734 barbecues and 1007 cooking plates.

“Just recently we have installed new barbecues at Ross Park Nundah, Hanlon Park Stones

Barbecue facilities at Simpsons Falls, Mt Coot-tha are hugely popular.

Corner and Grinstead Park, Alderley,’’ she said.

“The claim that the great Australian tradition of a park barbecue is going up in smoke isn’t just being greatly exaggerated, it’s a total porky.’’

Barbecues in the most popular city parks, where there are no bookings allowed, are often claimed by as early as 6am on Saturdays, including at Kurilpa Point Park (under the Story Bridge) and at South Bank.

Tennyson Councillor Nicole Johnston said the tradition of the wood-fired barbecue was being killed off. Picture: Steve Pohlner

But Cr Cassidy said there was “no way’’ those numbers were accurate and the decline in numbers was “un-Australian’’.

“I can’t possibly believe those numbers. In my ward (Deagon) alone in the last five years there have been only four or five new ones and all of those were paid for through my footpath fund,’’ he said.

“There was actually nothing in the budget for new barbecues in my ward, so I don’t know where all these ones are that the LNP is talking about.

“The Lord Mayor delivered a 284-page budget and a 35-page suburban works program and the word barbecue, or BBQ, doesn’t appear once.

“In most cases the only funding that’s available for new barbecues now is from the fund the Lord Mayor allocated for new footpaths, which in itself is a joke.’’

Cr Johnston queried how many wood-fired barbecues had been removed since 2014.

“Nundah, Stones Corner and Alderley are all LNP wards,’’ she said.

“If they have installed just three new barbecues ‘recently’, is that it for the year?

“I couldn’t tell you the last time one was built in my ward.

“I am supposed to get a replacement in Fairfield this year – it’s been on the waiting list for 12 years.’’

Originally published as Brisbane City Council phasing out wood barbecues, claims numbers lowest since 1973