Redland City Council will use October’s Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference to lobby the State Government for better transport planning and tighter regulations for facilities providing transitional and parole support services.
Deputy Mayor Wendy Boglary and Mayor Karen Williams will table their respective motions calling for better planning regulations after receiving unanimous support at today’s General Meeting.
Cr Williams said she would ask the LGAQ conference to lobby the State Government for improved governance and oversight of organisations providing transitional services such as parole support and drug rehabilitation.
“We recognise these services are needed but currently there appears to be a lack of oversight or monitoring and very little transparency when it comes to these services,” Cr Williams said.
“The community has raised a number of concerns regarding local facilities, particularly those in residential areas so we will be asking the LGAQ to request the State Government conduct an urgent review of these services.
“This review should include the referral mechanisms used. Organisations can receive referrals directly from police or courts, but there appear to be no mechanisms in place to ensure that those managing the services are qualified, experienced or suitable to do so.
“We are suggesting minimum qualifications and a permit or license required for service providers and an ethical standard board or similar body in place to oversee these types of facilities.
“We want to make sure any of these facilities have the appropriate controls in place to ensure they serve a need, while at the same time providing the necessary safeguards for the local community.”
Cr Boglary said her motion to the LGAQ conference would ask them to lobby the State Government to take responsibility for providing transport and vital infrastructure in areas they identify as growth regions.
“If the State Government identifies an area as a growth region they should support that decision by providing the infrastructure to support that growth,” Cr Boglary said.
“The State Government is responsible for planning in Queensland and a major part of that planning is determining growth projections; including where higher population growth is expected.
“I think residents would agree it is unfair for the State to decide an area can handle higher growth but then not provide the necessary transport and community infrastructure.”
Cr Boglary said the Council was increasingly being left holding the can when it came to planning.
“While Council plays an important role in planning for the future of our communities we cannot continue to fund infrastructure that has previously been the responsibility of the State Government,” she said.
“There are plenty of examples locally of State Government infrastructure that needs to be upgraded to support expected growth, but the State Government are not committing to these upgrades. This motion will put the pressure on the State to take responsibility for this planning rather than Council.”
Cr Williams said both motions were part of Council’s continued push for clearer planning regulations.
“We continue to lobby the State Government to improve planning across the state, including lifting the cap on infrastructure charges and moving away from the performance based planning model,” Cr Williams said.
“These motions are a continuation of that lobbying and as a Council we will continue to advocate for clearer planning regulations that are easier for residents to understand and better reflect their needs.”