Issues - Brisbane
Issues discussed by Cabinet including the redistribution of electoral wards within the City of Brisbane, flooding and the construction of freeways.
Cabinet discussed the redistribution of electoral districts within the City of Brisbane on 13th March, 4th July, 11th July, 7th August and 21st August. The original submission, discussed on 13th March, proposed increasing the number of wards from 28 to 29, and recommended that the State Government should consult with the Brisbane City Council60. The Cabinet decided on 4th July to approve the preparation of a new City of Brisbane Act allowing for only 19 electoral districts, and for the election of the Lord Mayor by councilors61. On 11th July, Cabinet discussed a Bill allowing for 21 wards and agreed that further discussion was needed to determine the final number of electoral districts62. Brisbane's Lord Mayor, Clem Jones, announced that the state government was 'trying to get rid of me'63. The Local Government Minister rejected calls for a referendum on the matter, and ignored the Council's protest64.
Former Brisbane Town Clerk, JC Slaughter, described the changes as 'without any doubt the most retrograde which have been contemplated in almost 50 years' and criticised the speed with which the proposed changes were agreed to by the State Government65. It was decided on 7th August to refer the matter to the next meeting of the joint Government parties66. A special Parliamentary committee meeting approved the draft legislation without any changes, and the Bill was passed at the joint parties meeting on 9th August67. According to the Courier-Mail, the Premier was one of four government members who voted against the legislation and the newspaper claimed that the changes to the Brisbane City Council were part of a 'back-room deal' between the Government parties68. The Premier announced on August 21st that Cabinet had approved the Bill, and legislation would be introduced in Parliament 'without change'69.
At the Bill's first reading, Local Government Minister Henry McKechnie said the changes would produce 'democracy' and make the workload of councilors equal to that of State parliamentarians70. Country Party member for South Coast, Russ Hinze, claimed that Brisbane had 'not had democratic government for at least 10 years' and 'Clem Jones runs it like the Kremlin'. The Government used its numbers to "gag" debate and the Bill was passed at its first reading. At the Bill's second reading, McKechnie said that Brisbane's councilors were 'not aldermen in the true sense but professional politicians' and under the new legislation the Lord Mayor would 'be answerable to elected representatives' for the first time71. The newspapers noted that the ALP team would be 'likely to win' the next council election despite the reduction in the number of wards, and this prediction was proved to be correct72.
In February houses in the Brisbane suburb of Windsor were flooded for the second time in five years73. Apparently a storm surge caused by a cyclone combined with a high tide caused the street to flood, and major work was needed to alleviate the problem 74. In March the Department of Harbours and Marine announced that under the terms of the City of Brisbane Flood Mitigation Act 1952, the State government had no responsibility for flooding in Breakfast Creek 75. A second flood in April forced residents and businesses to evacuate their homes and shops, and the Courier-Mail called on State and council authorities to 'stop passing the buck'76.
State Cabinet discussed flooding in Brisbane creeks on 21st March, 24th April and 13th November, and decided to establish a committee to investigate Breakfast Creek flooding. The engagement of engineering consultants to assess the situation was also endorsed77. The decision by Cabinet to engage consulting engineers was announced on 25th April, with Treasurer Chalk announcing that this was 'the first positive step ever taken to overcome the flooding of lower areas of Brisbane'78.
Brisbane's Lord Mayor criticised the State Government, saying there was no need for further studies as 'volumes of information' already existed on Brisbane flooding79. In reply, Chalk said the council had 'never approached the State Government' for any assistance to reduce flooding80. The Premier also criticised the City Council, saying it had been invited to provide information to the committee but to date had not done so81. Lord Mayor Jones said that the Premier's claim was 'not true' and flooding had been discussed for 'many years'82.
Chalk accused the ALP of making Brisbane's flooding 'a political football' and continued his criticism of the council, claiming that 'the Labor city council for 12 years had done nothing to help the people in flood affected areas'83. He also claimed that the council had made the problem worse by allowing industries to 'fill floodplain areas above flood level' and permitting residential development on creek catchments84. Many homes and roads were flooded again on 9th November when a 'tropic-style downpour' drenched Southeast Queensland 85.
On 13th November, Cabinet agreed on the composition of the Brisbane flooding study committee and approved mitigation work at Enoggera, Ithaca and Breakfast Creeks, and Kedron Brook. Chalk called for a complete review of Council legislation relating to development in flood-prone areas, claiming that this was 'probably the only way that the Council can be brought to a position of full responsibility'86 . Cabinet decided that mitigation work 'should be limited to the worst affected areas' and there was agreement that the overall cost of the scheme should be restricted to $12 million rather than $20 million as originally proposed. Furthermore, Cabinet determined that the Brisbane City Council was partly responsible for the current situation because it allowed development to continue in flood-prone areas87. Cabinet approval for the scheme was announced on 21st November88.
The State Government had announced in 1971 that approval had been given for the construction of a new dam on the Brisbane River at Wivenhoe, which was designed to reduce flooding and provide Brisbane with adequate water reserves. A feasibility study to examine a pumped storage hydroelectric scheme at Wivenhoe Dam was approved by Cabinet on 6th June, and further construction of the dam project was approved to proceed on 21st August89. The Premier announced that Cabinet would consider compensation for farmers affected by the dam's construction90 . Completion of the dam was expected in 1981, and the hydroelectric station would be used to provide power during peak load periods91.
In 1972 the Captain Cook Bridge and the first stage of the Southeast Freeway were opened to traffic. Cabinet also considered a number of other projects designed to alleviate traffic congestion in Brisbane and surrounding areas. Approval was given on 18th January for the Main Roads Department to start construction of the Central and Northern Freeways from Fortitude Valley to Kedron, with a proposed connection to the Southeast Freeway by a new bridge at New Farm92. Main Roads Minister Ron Camm publicly announced on the previous day that the new bridge would be built on the site of the New Farm powerhouse, which he said 'was obsolete, and not needed in the fast-developing Southeast Queensland electricity generating system'93. The Premier announced in February that Brisbane's freeway system would be 'the most advanced of any Australian capital'94.
On 6th June Cabinet approved the construction of a Freeway from Spring Hill to Ashgrove, and a future connection to Turbot Street and the Riverside Expressway was also noted95. Details of the proposed freeway routes and planned resumptions were announced on 15th June and officials noted that the Wilbur Smith plan had been modified to allow freeways to make greater use of government land96 .
The submission noted that the alteration of route meant that more elderly people, who could not afford to relocate, would be affected 97. Cabinet approved assistance, in principle, for those displaced by the Freeway projects on 18th December. Cabinet noted that the Main Roads Department had selected a new route, not that shown in the Wilbur Smith study of Brisbane Transportation Planning of 1965, because the new path reduced the number of private properties needing to be bought. Minister for Main Roads Camm said it 'upset him' to know that elderly people were going to be disturbed but added 'this is a world-wide problem, and like other Governments, we have been unable to find a practical solution so far'98.
Work on the freeways was suspended after the incoming Federal Labor government
ordered in December 1972 that funding should be directed at public transport
instead 99.