People could face hefty fines for cutting too much off street trees, Opposition councillors warned at this week’s Brisbane City Council meeting.

“It is a poor law because it is not in simple language and anyone who reads this local law is still left without vital information as to what the law is achieving,” Cr Helen Abrahams said said.

Cr Abrahams said the information that the public needed to comply with was inaccessible.

“This law refers to two documents – the Australian Standard and the Brisbane City Council Standard for Valuing and Managing Trees. Neither of those are accessible, neither of those have been summarised in this law.

“To get that Australian Standard to work out how to prune a tree, you have to pay 80 dollars,” she said.

Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk said a total of 25mm would be allowed to be trimmed off street trees.

“It’s the two finger rule,” he said.

Cr Abrahams said despite the “two finger rule”, information on pruning correctly was scarce.

“[A] normal person looking at this local law will be in the situation of saying ‘pruning? Well I know what pruning is. I don’t need to find an Australian Standard’ and then they might be fined with a huge fine for doing what they understood this legislation is all about,” she said.

Cr Abrahams proposed amendments to the law.

“These amendments are to give a little more protection where it comes to access to information that is integral to this local law,” she said.

“At least we can give them access to learn how to do it properly.”

Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Labor’s proposed amendments were “policy on the run”.

“It’s not that the two items here are particularly outrageous or that we don’t support the Opposition’s suggestions, but this is policy on the run,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Milton Dick said “listening to Councillor Schrinner, the reason why the administration isn’t supporting this is not because it’s bad policy, it is not because it’s a bad idea, it’s because they didn’t think of it.”

Independent Nicole Johnston criticised the council’s lack of support for the proposed amendments.

“I think residents are going to need some more substantive information about how this trimming policy is going to work, because I just see a whole heap of pain ahead for residents,” she said.

Jarryd Hayne spun out from a tackle to score the first try of the night, putting the Blues in the lead within the first five minutes of the game. Maloney’s conversion put the score at 6-0.

A drop ball from NSW opened up an opportunity for Queensland but they weren’t able to break through the Blues’ defence.

The sea of blue supporters packed into Olympic Stadium cheered as time after time the Maroons failed to get to the New South Wales try line in the first half.

The 37th minute found the NSW team leading by a massive 14-0 after a try by Jennings, converted by Maloney who also kicked a penalty.

The 80,000-strong crowd roared when players started to fight, push and shove each just before half time, with NSW captain Paul Gallen put on report for punching Nate Myles. Gallen told referee Ashley Klein Myles had been twisting his knee after tackles.

Queensland skipper Cameron Smith appeared to have scored a try after a dazzling run five minutes into the second half, but the video referee judged it a double movement.

It wasn’t until Darius Boyd scored a try for Queensland around the 60-minute mark that the Maroons got points on the scoreboard. Smith’s kick hit the post but bounced in to give the conversion.

The last few minutes were devastating for the Queensland fans as the clock counted down until the 80th minute and the scoreboard remained 14-6.

NSW 14 (Hayne, Jennings tries, Maloney 2 conversions & 1 penalty) defeated Queensland 6 (Boyd try, Smith conversion).

Chairperson of the council’s Community and Cultural Development committee, Cr Bob La Castra, said the move was to show people that, “Hey, we’re serious about this issue”.

He wanted to make sure the spaces “are left accessible for people who need them”.

Doubling the fines sent a message to people who break the law – it’s “an incentive for people not to do it”, he said.

Councillors approved the fine increase at Tuesday’s meeting. They also decided extra revenue from the fines go to providing better access for the disability sector.

Cr La Castra said the decision was made in conjunction with the Freedom Social Justice Growth (FSG) to combat the abuse of disabled access parking.

He said there were two types of abuse of the system – offenders were able to have their fines waived either by displaying a permit even though there was not a disabled person in the vehicle at the time, or by using another person’s permit to have their fine waived.

A spokesperson from FSG, Amanda Hargreaves, welcomed the council’s tough stand.

“Perhaps the fines that the Gold Coast Council introduce will further deter people from abusing these car spaces and if that is the case, then it is a big win for the people we walk alongside,” she said.

The fee increase puts the Gold Coast fine above Brisbane and Logan’s current fine which is $225.

Opposition leader Milton Dick asked the Lord Mayor what changes were being made to the plan after chair of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment committee Cr Amanda Cooper revealed the State Government had made recommendations.

But Lord Mayor Graham Quirk implied the information was readily available.

“There’s no secret. What the Opposition has to do is read the files,” he said.

Independent Nicole Johnston shouted from across the chamber: “But you won’t release them!”

The Lord Mayor said the changes recommended by the State Government were minor.

“There is no show stopper. They are fairly minor…changes in terminology, maybe some accuracy issues from here or there . . . but there is nothing of great significance,” he said.

Opposition leader Milton Dick accused the Lord Mayor of tricking ratepayers by re-announcing existing projects in the budget.

“Why are you treating ratepayers with such contempt?” Cr Dick asked.

But Cr Quirk told today’s council meeting re-announcements of existing projects, such as the Open Level Crossing Projects at Robinson Road in Geebung and Telegraph Road in Bracken Ridge, would not headline the upcoming budget.

“It will be there for all to see, there will be no trickery. I won’t be running over the highlights of things that have already commenced,” Cr Quirk said.

“It will be a responsible budget and it will continue on the good work of this city over many years. It will be a budget that adds to the infrastructure of this city.”

Cr Quirk said the budget would be one which was formed in “tight economic circumstances”, which Cr Dick questioned.

The Lord Mayor responded by promising the council there would be no “enormous black hole” like the one left by the previous Labor administration.

“I answer questions from an Opposition whose reputation is in tatters when it comes to financial affairs. Cr Dick comes to the chamber with no credibility on budget matters,” Cr Quirk said.

The budget will be presented by the Lord Mayor on 12 June.

With the first State of Origin clash next Wednesday, Cr Quirk said Brisbane should embrace the month of June and the football season.

“What we are calling on people to do is to show their colours, and it doesn’t matter what colour they may be following, what football team they may be supporting, we are asking businesses, individuals, hotels, restaurants, to get into the atmosphere and spirit of this event,” he told today’s Brisbane City Council meeting.

The “footy-fever” month is expected to bring in an additional 70,000 visitors, injecting around $17.7 million into the city’s economy.

“It will be a many opportunity for people to come to our city to soak up the atmosphere and be a part of footy fever in that month,” Cr Quirk said.

Since last year, Brisbane has seen a 20 percent rise in business meetings bringing a steady business to hotels Monday to Friday.

Cr Quirk said even the Blues would be welcome on the State of Origin game day.

“What is important is that we create spirit and excitement in our city”.

Opposition leader Cr Dick criticised Cr Quirk’s concentration on football fever.

“Talk about tackling the tough issues,” he said.

Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek told parliament today the government would build 10 schools in “growth hot spots” including growth belts south of Ipswich and in Brisbane’s outer north.

The schools will be built in a public-private partnership, with companies invited to bid for the contracts.

There will be two secondary schools and eight primary schools.

Mr Langbroek said the schools would enrol more than 10,000 students and create 540 jobs for teachers and 130 non-teaching roles.

Jobs would be created in other industries as well.

“This project will also boost the construction industry, providing 1,700 jobs a year for the five year construction period,” he said.

This announcement comes as nine schools are being considered for closure across the state.

Mr Langbroek rejected Opposition interjections about the closures, calling those schools “unsustainable.”

Suburbs to gain schools are Burpengary, Bellbird Park, Pimpama, Pallara, Ripley Valley, Springfield, Griffin, Redbank Plains and Caboolture (to get two schools).

Schools already slated for closure under a government review process are Charlton State School,
Everton Park State High School, Fortitude Valley State School, Nyanda State High School, Old Yarranlea State School, Stuart State School, Toowoomba South State School and Wyreema State School, while Coorparoo Secondary College faces being merged with Brisbane State High School.

In an address to Brisbane City Council this week, spokesperson Jeanette Kirk spoke of the troubled past of the South Sea Island people, known as Kanakas.

When she asked for a show of hands from councillors as to who knew the significance of 2013 to her people, less than half in the chamber raised their hands.

“2013 is the commemoration of the first 67 young Kanaka men between the ages of 15 and 18 who came up the Brisbane River and landed at Redbank,” she said.

Between 1863 and 1907 62,000 Kanaka men, women and children were brought to Australia from 62 different Pacific Islands.

Though they were not afforded the same assistance available to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people, South Sea Islanders still played a significant role in the Queensland farming industry and other diverse roles.

“I was told when I was age 16 to forget about being a nurse by an education officer that came from Brisbane to our rural school, because they don’t take black people,” Mrs Kirk said.

“I’m glad my parents ignored that.”

Mrs Kirk went on to obtain three certificates and worked as an administration-nursing sister in south east Queensland.

“I am here today to request, on behalf of my proud Kanaka people, that all libraries and other educational facilities do something significant to promote awareness and recognise the contribution that my people made to the State of Queensland,” she said.

Mrs Kirk said the opportunity given her to speak to council was a positive step towards reconciliation. She asked the council to seriously consider the missing chapter of a history that needed to be told and respected.

Chair of the Brisbane lifestyle committee Cr Krista Adams thanked Mrs Kirk for speaking to council members.

“I think it is very important that everybody in this place recognises the significance of the event coming up in August that, of course, records the struggles of you and your people and your achievements,” Cr Adams said.

It was a part of domestic violence prevention month.

The Queen Street event, called “Out of the Shadows”, drew attention to the suffering of children and young adults as a result of abuse within families.

A variety of stalls provided fact sheets and information pamphlets and treats.

A member of a young women’s shelter group, Kate Bindley, said the typical “shock posters” of physically abused women didn’t seem to affect the public anymore.

“It’s been done. If they see a girl with a bruised eye they turn away. They don’t want to know about it.

“That girl might need some help, but most people just turn a blind eye to it, in a way they don’t care,” she said.

Her group’s stall stood out with its creative and light-hearted approach through witty, colourful hand-made artworks.

“We didn’t want photos of girls beaten up and things like that. We wanted them to be quirky so that when you go home you’ll remember them.”

A colourful, petite playhouse drew attention as a centre piece.

“The kids’ playhouse is to show on the outside it looks all nice and beautiful, like a perfect home. When you actually go inside, there’s writing on the walls and it’s saying how domestic violence happens behind closed doors.

“You don’t always know that it’s happening until you get in there,” she said.

The event had activities for everyone, and showcased talent from young people.

With tearful eyes, one young woman read a poem she had written about children affected by domestic violence.

“Our children? They don’t need to hear of such things. We don’t like the reality that these topics bring.

“Let’s skip the trauma; tell fairy tales about how the world is a beautiful place to live in, and how things like this won’t happen to people like them.

“Let’s perpetrate the myth of our choice in assault, so when it happens to them they’ll think it’s their fault,” she read.

“Then they’ll be so ashamed they won’t speak out, and we’ll watch another generation of ignorance bout.”

Similar events promoting domestic violence prevention are planned for later this month.

Opposition leader Milton Dick asked the Lord Mayor to guarantee that ratepayers would not be subject to increasing overseas travel costs for LNP councillors.

He said overseas trips were an extravagance the Brisbane City Council could not afford, given the council’s “difficult financial circumstances”.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said ratepayer-funded overseas trips were of “strategic importance” to Brisbane.

He defended what he called the small number of overseas trips to Brisbane’s sister cities as proper and fitting.

“I will guarantee that I will not be gallivanting around the world to places that are not of strategic interest to this city,” Cr Quirk said.

He said the trips were business missions, with the goal of generating further business for Brisbane and growing economic opportunities within established relationships with sister cities.

“I’m not going to be going off to all sorts of wondrous places that have nothing to do with our strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region or nothing to do with sister city relationships,” he said.

Cr Quirk also accused the Opposition of having a “head in the sand approach” when it came to sister city relationships, which were originally set up by Labor.

According to the council’s web site, sister city relationships have been set up with

Kobe (since July 1985)
Auckland (since August 1988)
Shenzhen (since June 1992)
Semarang (since January 1993)
Kaohsiung (since September 1997)
Daejeon (since June 2002)
Chongqing (since October 2005)
Abu Dhabi (since February 2009)
Hyderabad (since October 2010)