It is with interest that we see both Liberal and Labour parties trying to outdo each other with a number of financial incentives for the SMBI community with the State election around the corner.
There are so many issues that the islands face that have been ignored by both parties and local government for decades. The SMBI population has grown by over 26% according to a recent study , and governments’ own population modelling indicates that the growth will continue. Yet no major infrastructure and planning masterplan plan for the islands have been disclosed by government leaders.
Based on our recent Islanders 4 Islanders parking survey, a significant problem clearly affecting most people is the lack of car parking spaces on the islands and on the mainland close to the ferry terminal. Housing construction and population has been allowed to grow at a very fast rate without consideration of its impact, or so it appears.
The current election carrots include ongoing 50 cents public transport, subsidised barge fees, free car share membership, funding for multi storey marina car parking with scant details on the real benefit to islanders. On the surface that all sounds pretty good, but not all of us are able to or want to use a car share company , not all of us want to and can use public transport and not all of us want to use the barge to transport our vehicles so that we may be mobile on the mainland. In this election cycle, to date , we have heard that millions of dollars from both parties will fund a multi storey car park with no specific detail on how many of the car spaces will be solely allocated to islanders and at what cost.
Parking issues for islanders are not new , over the years many have lobbied, protested and sat down with both political parties and council only to receive the token audience with no apparent intent to alleviate the problem long term. On the contrary, we have seen and continue to see the exacerbation of an old problem with no real will to solve it in the short term or the long term, only bandaid solutions. There has been no increase capacity for parking by government in spite of population growth, only increases in the issuance of parking fines by state police and council , while allowing private residential properties on the mainland to turn their yards into commercial car parking stations thus hiding the real extent of the problem.
Perhaps we have not been asking the right questions, there may well be a larger plan or agenda at play that islanders need to be aware of. Both political parties and council support the United Nations and the World Economic Forum (WEF) agenda to combat climate change through ‘sustainable living ‘ policies. The 2030 WEF agenda supports ‘liveable neighbourhoods’, ‘SMART cities’ and 15 or 20 minute cities. All these urban models, for a future way of life, don’t sound too innocuous but when you drill down to the detail it is about limiting people’s choices and freedoms, including reducing use of private cars and promoting “active transport ”through what Redland City council refers to as “ behaviour change programs” in its Corporate Plan 2026 (See Page 47. https://www.redland.qld.gov.au/download/downloads/id/3852/our_future_redlands_-_a_corporate_plan_to_2026_and_beyond.pdf)
The WEF 2030 agenda is not a conspiracy , already well underway in many cities globally. Oxford in England is one such city and the residents are not liking it.https://www.oxford.gov.uk/downloads/file/2121/preferred-options-bgp-14—15-minute-cities
In our own country, we can cast our attention to the city of Unley in South Australia where Liberal Senator Antic has voiced his concern about ‘SMART’ technology and its potential impact on our privacy and freedom of movement.
If the Liberal Party, the Labour Party and the Redland City Council support the WEF agenda for SMART cities, 15/20 minute cities and so called ‘liveable neighbourhoods’, this should be made transparent to the people who vote for them, as it would explain why increasing capacity for car parking for islanders will never be on the cards.
Major political parties and local government cannot deny their involvement and support for the UN/WEF agenda. In 2016, the Local Government Association (Qld) conference theme was “ The New World Order “ with keynote address on “New Economy New Politics” being delivered by WEF Young Global Leader Dr Farag Khanna , author of ‘Connectography: Mapping The Future of Global Civilization’.
Former Liberal MP and former mayoral candidate , Andrew Laming, has publicly stated that his vision for the SMBI was that of an “island city” where people won’t need cars and would work from home. State Labour MP Kim Richards has also confirmed to one of our members that she supports 15 minute cities .
We say to the political candidates , it is time to be transparent and treat the people who you expect to vote for you with respect , we therefore ask the following questions of both political candidates:
1 . Do you and your party support the WEF policy known as Agenda 30?
2. Do you and your party support the WEF policy of reducing use of private cars by 90% ?
3. Can you confirm that the funding for the multi-storey carpark will stipulate an agreed number of car spaces for islanders exclusive use? If so, what is that number and at what cost?
4. Will you support a moratorium on parking fines issued by both police and council due to the failure of both state and council in providing sufficient car parking capacity for islanders despite unprecedented population growth .
5. What infrastructure and planning development plans do you see as a priority for SMBI to sustain the current trajectory of population growth?
In order to solve a problem, it must be recognised that the problem exists , followed by the will to solve it supported by adequate resources.
We are seeking transparency , integrity and honesty from our prospective leaders and we look forward to having our questions answered during this election campaign period.