Claims bush levy diverted to park upgrade by cash-starved Brisbane City Council

Council has hit back at claims it diverted part of the $20m-a-year ratepayer-funded bushland levy to upgrade a Brisbane park, as it struggles to balance the books.

Brisbane City Council has hit back at claims it diverted part of the $20m-a-year, ratepayer-funded bushland levy to upgrade an Archerfield park as it struggles to fund all its commitments.

It is also facing a Planning & Environment Court appeal from a green group after controversially approving the subdivision of a key koala and wildlife corridor in Bridgeman Downs.

But Civic Cabinet was meanwhile set to debate the purchase of new properties under the bushland acquisition levy program at Moorooka, Rochedale, Wacol, Kholo and McDowall.

And it announced the release of the first koala to be released back into the wild after treatment paid for under its Koala Recovery and Resilience Project.

Labor Councillor Steve Griffiths accused the council of siphoning off money collected from the levy, which was set at 3.5 per cent of general rates, for purposes other than bushland purchases.

Archerfield Wetlands District Park. Picture Brisbane City Council

He said the Bushland Acquisition Levy was now called the Bushland Preservation Levy, disguising its original purpose.

More and more funds were being diverted to maintenance, rather than buying new properties with conservation value, as council battled to balance the books, he claimed.

Mr Griffiths told council’s meeting this week that about $10m of the levy had been earmarked for the Archerfield Wetlands District Park, part of the huge Oxley Creek Transformation project.

“Half of the funds was from the bushland acquisition (program), the other half was from (general) infrastructure funds,’’ he said. “They’re using the levy to pay for parks.’’

(L-R) Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham, wildlife researcher Amber, Councillor Steven Huang and Councillor Tracy David.

In 2019, Mr Griffiths referred the levy scheme to the Auditor-General after his analysis showed the LNP-dominated administration had approved only two properties in a Labor ward between 2016 and 2020, totalling 2ha and worth $3m, compared with 30 blocks worth $71m in LNP wards.

Parks committee chair Tracy Davis denied Mr Griffiths’ claim, saying the levy cash would be used to rehabilitate bush sections of the wetlands, an important refuge for birds.

“He’s (Mr Griffiths) peddling mistruths. He’s making things up,’’ she told the council chamber.

Ms Davis said the success of the levy, set up in 1990, was obvious to plane passengers who could see how green Brisbane was just by looking out their windows.

She said Brisbane was the most biodiverse capital city in the country.

Councillor Steve Griffiths. Picture: Liam Kidston

Since the levy began a total of 249 properties, covering 4400ha, had been bought.

About $369m had been spent on acquisition, plus demolition of on-site buildings or rehabilitation.

Areas saved included Karawatha Forest, Brisbane Koala Bushlands and Tinchi Tamba Wetlands.

The latest Bushland Preservation Levy report, released in September, said there was a “revenue deficit’’ of $3.1m due to an “accelerated four-year program of acquiring significant bushland properties from 2016-2020’’.

While only one new property in Aspley was bought in the 2024/25 financial year, next week’s Civic Cabinet agenda was understood to include the possible purchase of six more.

The stoush came as the North Brisbane Catchments (NBC) environment group lodged a notice of appeal in the Planning & Environment Court after council approved the subdivision of key habitat at 440 Beckett Rd, Bridgeman Downs, into 14 lots.

There was currently only one house on the 9613 sqm block, near Dawn Road Reserve in Albany Creek.

It contained koala food trees, was a vital wildlife corridor and next to two significant Mountains To Mangroves corridor areas.

It was also near known platypus colonies and was used by bats, birds and other fauna.

A town planner’s report said two of the lots would be set aside for a 20m-wide corridor, with environmental covenants on each of the lots.

The Beckett Rd property is a key wildlife corridor, according to environmental groups.

But NBC pointed out that a Wildlife Queensland submission had recommended that wildlife corridors be at least 50m wide.

There was also no guarantee the two lots would not be developed in future.

More than 40 formal objections were lodged against the rezoning plans.

Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham meanwhile announced the first success under council’s Koala Recovery and Resilience Project, an LNP election promise.

A koala found in November last year in Burbank which was suffering from chlamydia, an infection which has decimated the marsupials, was returned to the wild after treatment.

“Fudge’’ received two doses of chlamydia vaccine under a council-funded pilot vaccination program and was released last week into the Brisbane Koala Bushlands.

“These projects are helping our koala population grow, which is why we continue to work with leading researchers including major universities to protect our native animals,’’ Ms Cunningham said.

“Our plans to help our koalas recover and be more resilient ensures a biodiverse environment and supports a thriving koala population in Brisbane in the future.”

For more details on the Bridgeman Downs subdivision visit council’s online development application portal developmenti. Search for 440 Becket Rd or application A006225146

Originally published as Claims bush levy diverted to park upgrade by cash-starved Brisbane City Council