Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to express my local community's utter dismay and disappointment in the Labor state government and the local Greens MP regarding two issues in the suburb of Toowong. The first issue is the recent decision by the Labor state government, with no community consultation whatsoever from their current MP, to move 300 people considered at risk into the Atira apartments in Toowong. They include those recently released from prison and those with drug addiction problems. This decision occurred with no consultation, no extra support services and no notice on Good Friday.

Residents are now contacting me, their local LNP councillor, James Mackay, and their local LNP candidate, Lauren Day, to describe disturbing incidents of drug use, public indecency and exposure, harassment and public urination. Residents near the 'at-risk' housing describe being too scared to go to the local Toowong Village shopping centre, too scared to walk at night and too scared to let their children out to play. Retailers at Toowong Village are so concerned about losing this important trade from locals at a time when they're trying to recover from COVID that they have offered up a free retail space for the new Toowong police beat. This is a tremendous local initiative and would greatly enhance local policing in the suburb of Toowong. It's strongly supported by myself and the local LNP candidate, Lauren Day, in stark contrast to the current local Greens MP, who is working absolutely overtime to dismiss and diminish the legitimate concerns of local residents about this issue. I call on him to support our campaign to support the LNP candidate, Lauren Day, to secure our new police beat at Toowong.

The second issue the Labor government has also run roughshod over the Toowong community is the erection of a fence around the Queensland Academy of Science Mathematics and Technology oval. This facility has unilaterally cut off residents' access to what was a very popular dog-walking, cycling and exercise area. Again, there was no consultation and a total disregard for my local community. This is particularly galling given the land was donated in the first place to the government by a local family, the Palmer family. Now, the LNP candidate, Lauren Day, has secured a pledge that the fence will be removed if the LNP are successful at the October election. Meanwhile, the Labor state government, working with the local Greens MP, who could get rid of the threat of this fence against residents with the stroke of a pen, have failed to lift a finger. It just goes to show that at the state level the residents of Toowong need better representation, and I congratulate local LNP candidate, Lauren Day, on being able to secure both a Toowong police beat location, in conjunction with Toowong Village, and the removal of this fence as an election commitment.