The 4445 meeting of the Brisbane City Council, held at City Hall, Brisbane on Tuesday 19 August 2014 at 2pm

QUESTION TIME:

Chairman: Are there any questions of the LORD MAYOR or a Chairman of any of the Standing Committees? Councillor MARX.

Councillor MARX: Thank you, Madam Chairman; yes, my question is to the LORD MAYOR. I understand that last week you launched a new Team Brisbane campaign. Can you please detail why this campaign was created, and why reminding all residents about how well the Brisbane team is performing will boost further business success and create more jobs for now and future generations?

LORD MAYOR: Thanks very much, Madam Chairman, and I thank Councillor MARX for the question. Team Brisbane is something that is for all of us. It is a campaign which celebrates the achievements of this city, through successive administrations, through to the development of the city that we have today, what we describe as an emerging global city.

This campaign celebrates those achievements, but more importantly, also the achievers. It acknowledges some of the world leading residents that we have in our city. Last week I instanced the case of a lady who had gone through Somerville House, now working at NASA. There are a whole host of examples of achievers in our city.

Importantly, also, we are a city that has gone from 85^th place last year in terms of the world cities index for innovation up to 60^th place this year. To take it a step further, this campaign is very much about a call to arms for the people of Brisbane saying that, while many people out there promote Brisbane and take the opportunity to promote our city, both interstate and internationally, this is a campaign which is, if you like, asking everybody to become engaged in the campaign.

We all know people, whether they are interstate or overseas, and it is about being conscious of taking the opportunity to sell the Brisbane offering. It is about potentially downloading some information about Brisbane. Brisbane Marketing website is one example. It has a whole host of material which anybody can download on to their smartphones, iPads, whatever, and to take that with them if they are travelling, and show people what Brisbane is about and what we have to offer as a city.

This is very important in terms of our next step as a city. We need to be out of the 'she'll be right, mate' syndrome—and I am not suggesting for a moment that everybody is in that place, but we need to make sure that we grow the number of people that are promoting the city of Brisbane, and by doing that, and not just the city of Brisbane, I might say, but I am a great believer also in the broader Brisbane offering, because people don't see city boundaries when they come here; they see a regional offering.

So, Madam Chairman, this campaign is very much about ensuring that we get on the front foot that we ask people to be advocates of Brisbane, and through that we hope to continue to grow the tourism to our city and through that tourism ultimately we believe investment in our city as well. In the end it is about securing our city's future. It is about making sure that, through a positive campaign, through making sure that people are engaged in the promotion of Brisbane, that everybody is involved in the securing of those jobs into the future and securing our city's future as a whole.

People can get more information on this particular campaign by going to hash tag TeamBNE (#teambne) where we invite people to become engaged in the campaign. This is not replacing anything. The Brisbane Australia's new world city slogan obviously remains. This is something that hangs off that. It is a call to arms; it is an engagement, and I want to thank all of those people who have freely given of their time to be a part of this campaign—some of the big names that have made a real impact in Brisbane to be a part of this campaign, to call on Brisbane people to engage in it.

So, Madam Chairman, I look forward to the campaign going forward, and hope that we will see out of this a renewed opportunity for our city, not just now; it is not about the now, it's about into the future. Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Chairman: Further questions; Councillor DICK.

Question 2

Councillor DICK: Thank you, Madam Chair; my question is to the LORD MAYOR. Mr Phil Di Bella has been a long-time donor to the LNP, including $16,500 of donations in 2012. In addition to being appointed to your Brisbane Marketing Board, you have now appointed him as Chairman of your CBD Economic Development Board.

Another LNP donor, Mr Mark Brodie, has since 2010 donated thousands of dollars from his Brodie Group company. Mr Brodie has also been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars of ratepayers' money as your Chairman of the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation. He continues to control millions of dollars of ratepayers' dollars as your paid appointment to this board, even though he has been involved in a massive collapse of his own business, as has been reported.

Is it the case that, to be one of your appointees to a paid or non-paid Council board position, you have to be an LNP donor?

LORD MAYOR: It is a disgraceful question and I am not going to answer it. I will treat it with the contempt it deserves.

Chairman: I agree with that, LORD MAYOR; I was going to rule it out of order. Thank you. Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR.

Chairman: It is a disgraceful question, as the LORD MAYOR has said.

Councillor FLESSER: Point of order, Madam Chair.

Chairman: I have made a ruling.

Councillor FLESSER: Thank you, Madam Chair; I am asking a question.

Chairman: Yes, Councillor FLESSER.

Councillor FLESSER: Under what rule are you making that ruling, in the rules?

Chairman: I will find the rule. It is a disgraceful question.

Councillor JOHNSTON: Point of order, Madam Chairman.

Chairman: I am dealing with one point of order at a time, thanks, Councillor JOHNSTON, as you know the rules apply. Resume your seat.

Councillor JOHNSTON: Madam Chairman, I just thought you might like an adjournment so we don't eat up Question Time—

Chairman: No, I wouldn’t like an adjournment; resume your seat.

Councillor FLESSER, I will not uphold your point—I will give you an answer, that being that it is my role as Chairman of this Council to make sure that any behaviour in this place is appropriate. The question was offensive, and the LORD MAYOR indicated he was not prepared to answer it because he felt the same way. Therefore, I do not allow the question, and it is my right to do that as Chairman of this Council, and it is about time you all learnt just what the role of the Chairman of the Council is. There are standards. There are standards, Councillor.

Councillor JOHNSTON: But they're not in the rules.

Councillor FLESSER: Madam Chair—

Chairman: Yes, Councillor FLESSER.

Councillor FLESSER: Madam Chair, I think it is a very important question that should be answered.
Dissent motion

74/2014-15 Councillor Kim FLESSER moved, seconded by Councillor Shayne SUTTON, that the Chairman’s ruling be dissented from. Upon being submitted to the meeting the motion of dissent was declared lost on the voices.

Thereupon, Councillors Steve GRIFFITHS and Milton DICK immediately rose and called for a division, which resulted in the motion being declared lost.

Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR.

Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR: Thank you, Madam Chairman; my question this afternoon is to the Chairman of Finance, Economic Development and Administration Committee, Councillor SIMMONDS. It is important for all of us in Brisbane to understand what we are achieving as individuals and collectively what we offer as a city to the rest of the world. I also understand that there is a strong link between confidence and business activity, and this Administration is keen to show off Brisbane to the world by attracting events and conferences. Could you please update the Chamber on Brisbane's recent conference wins and major events?

Councillor SIMMONDS: Thank you very much, Madam Chairman, and thank you to Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR for the question. As the LORD MAYOR said previously, as part of Team Brisbane, we do have a lot to be proud of as a city. This includes our reputation as a world class convention and investment destination.

I am pleased to advise the Chamber that our Convention Bureau, which is operated within Brisbane Marketing, has hit the ground running in the new financial year, already securing bids to bring six conferences to the city. This is a fantastic start to the year for just a few weeks' work. The flying start comes following a bumper year in 2013-14 financial year for the bureau, which worked in partnership with the Convention and Exhibition Centre, as well as the Royal Exhibition Centre, to net more than $76 million in conference activity for our city.

This helps, as you said, Council generate business confidence because so many businesses across our city benefit when conferences and major events are in town. Hotels, restaurants, cafes, all types of shops and retail facilities, and even our transport and travel providers, share in the opportunity to grow business on the back of new customers. A bustling and busy city is also one that the community takes pride in being a part of.

The recently secured conferences already in the last few weeks include the national Solace Conference 2015, the Hazards Australasia Conference, the Australian Local Government Women's Association (Queensland branch) Annual State Conference, the Highlands Senior Executive Forum and the Eighth International Conference on Population Geographies.

So far this calendar year Brisbane has welcomed several large scale business conferences, including the EduTECH National Conference which had 5,270 delegates and an estimated economic benefit to the city of $8.6 million in one event alone. The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver in 2014 had over 3,000 delegates, worth more than $7.5 million in investment to the city, and the World Congress of Audiology 2014 had 1,700 delegates and contributed $4.7 million in economic development into the city.

Councillor OWEN-TAYLOR, you also mentioned in your question that it is not just our reputation for hosting conventions that is leading to greater investment but also our reputation as a destination for major events. In fact, I can advise the Chamber that major events supported for either financially or in-kind by Brisbane Marketing in this Council last financial year contributed over $82 million in economic benefit directly to the city. The latest exhibition at GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art), for example, contributed $14.5 million and secured over 115,000 visitor nights for Brisbane hotels over the course of the exhibition. In fact, 44 per cent of all visitors who saw that exhibition came from outside Brisbane to visit our city.

This year's Brisbane International—this is the tennis tournament—contributed almost $10 million to the Brisbane economy. Intrastate visitation, as a direct result of our Christmas in the City campaign, contributed in excess of $25 million. Musicals such as The King and I and The Rocky Horror Show, each contributed in excess of $4 million to the Brisbane economy, and international rugby games like the Wallabies verses France test accounted for approximately $7 million.

The good news is that the 2014-15 events calendar is looking incredibly strong, with international events including the Asia Football Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup, standing alongside musical blockbusters including The Lion King and Wicked, and another hit season from Cirque de Soleil. Our cultural institutions will also present strong offerings including a new exhibition titled Undressed, hosted at the Queensland Museum, which was originally from The Victoria and Albert Museum, and also GOMA, which is hosting Future Beauty: 30 years of Japanese Fashion.

Other sporting events this coming financial year will include the Australia verses India test match, the Bledisloe Cup and, of course, Four Nations Rugby. So, as the LORD MAYOR rightly pointed out earlier, residents have had and have a lot to look forward to in terms of being proud in our city, and through getting involved in Team Brisbane, they can help us welcome these convention and major event guests and ensure that the friendship of the city is extended to them.

By joining with Team Brisbane, they can also make sure that they talk up our city to these guests so that when they go home to either the other capitals or the other cities around Australia or internationally, that they in turn continue to talk up our city. They can do that by getting involved in the Team Brisbane initiative which includes a series of events and activities across the city, including an advertising campaign presented in partnership with local media outlets and our social media engagement.

To be part of Team Brisbane conversations and events, simply use hash tags like Team Brisbane (#teambne) and Brisbane Any Day (#brisbaneanyday) or www.visitbrisbane.com.au. I would encourage Councillors in this Chamber, on the back of those outstanding results, to encourage their residents to be part of the Team Brisbane campaign. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Chairman: Further questions; Councillor DICK.

Councillor DICK: Thank you, Madam Chair; my question is to the LORD MAYOR. Publicly available documents published on the Electoral Commission of Queensland's website show Mr John Cotter personally donated $5,200 in 2012 to the LNP, and his business donated a further $2,000. As you know, you have appointed Mr Cotter as the Chairman of the Fortitude Valley Economic Development Board, and as a Director to Queensland Urban Utilities Board, which is 85 per cent owned by Council.

Publicly available documents also published on the Electoral Commission Queensland website also show Ms Jenny Parker donated $5,500 to the LNP early last year and was then in October appointed to your Field Services Advisory Board with a remuneration of $19,600. Why are you refusing to answer the question: do LNP donors get preferential treatment to your Council board positions?

LORD MAYOR: Madam Chairman, they don't, and I am not going to play stupid Labor Party campaign textbook games that Councillor DICK wants to involve himself in. I suggest Councillor DICK, if you have any interest in this city, rather than running around trying to destroy good people's reputations, why don't you spend—

LORD MAYOR: —some time on some policy development? Why don't you spend some time—

Chairman: Councillor DICK!

LORD MAYOR: Why don't you spend some time on developing a few good ideas to advance the city of Brisbane? You've been a State Secretary of the Labor Party; you've come out of a history of being in the backroom of the Labor Party, and can I just say this: if it is that Councillor DICK simply wants to come here and play politics, I think he is completely out of touch with the people of Brisbane.

Councillor FLESSER: Point of order, Madam Chair.

Chairman: Yes, Councillor FLESSER.

Councillor FLESSER: Madam Chair, if the LORD MAYOR is not prepared to answer the question here, he has an opportunity to take it on notice and answer the question later. Is that what is happening, because—

Chairman: The LORD MAYOR—

Councillor FLESSER: —he did not answer the question.

Chairman: Councillor FLESSER, had you been listening—I do not uphold your point of order. The LORD MAYOR answered the question right at the very beginning of what he said. I hope there are no more questions like that, because you are making assertions about the behaviour of people who are members of the public who are not in this place.

Chairman: Oh yes you are.

Chairman: well, that is certainly how it sounds, and I will not allow further questions of that nature.

Chairman: Order! Further questions; Councillor KING.

Councillor KING: Thank you, Madam Chair; my question is to the Chairman of Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee, Councillor BOURKE. We have some amazing parks across our city, and I understand that this week is Parks Alive. Can you please explain what residents can expect across our city this weekend, and explain how every resident has a role to play in keeping our city a clean and green city for now and for future generations?

Councillor BOURKE: Thanks very much, Madam Chairman, and I would like to thank Councillor KING for the question because, as Councillor KING said, we do have some amazing parks and open spaces right across our city. Suburban parks, like Calamvale District Park, Rocks Riverside Park, Ken Fletcher Park, White's Hill Reserve, as well as many others, service high quality attractions for the residents of Brisbane.

But this weekend is the Parks Alive Festival which is the first of its kind park festival that we are hosting in Brisbane highlighting some of the premier parks across the CBD. We are talking about Roma Street Parklands, South Bank, the City Botanic Gardens and, of course, the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens as well.

The reason we are able to pull together this event is because of the deal that has been done between the State and Council with the management now of Roma Street Parklands and the South Bank Parklands coming over and the work that we are able to do to tie together those four wonderful assets that we have for the people of Brisbane and, indeed, tourists as well.

Why this week, Madam Chairman? Well, because there are 3,000 international and local delegates here for the International Horticultural Congress in Brisbane, which is only the second time ever that the International Horticultural Congress has been held in the Southern Hemisphere. That is in no small part to the good and hard work by Brisbane Marketing and this Council in terms of driving economic growth and the economic agenda in the city of Brisbane.

So, for the residents of Brisbane, if you go to the Roma Street Parklands this weekend, there is a plethora of activities for you to do. There are three guest speakers—Annette McFarlane, who is the author of Organic Vegetable Gardening as well as a well-known TV and radio personality; Jerry Coleby-Williams, who is a presenter on, of course, Gardening Australia, one of my favourite programs, will be doing talks and presentations in Roma Street; as well as Lawrie Smith AM. Lawrie, for a lot of residents, you would not know, and a lot of Councillors would not know, he was one of the original landscape architects for the Roma Street Parklands when it was being developed many years ago. I had the chance to catch up with Lawrie the other night at the opening of the International Horticultural Congress, and he has some really interesting facts about the development and the growth of the parklands over the last 10 years.

There is also a range of activities for kids. There's Making your own Seedling Pot, face-painting, there will be storytelling, traditional backyard games, treasure hunts, as well as entertainment and other presentations targeted at some of the younger members of our community.

There will, of course, be our wonderful guides in Roma Street taking people around, talking about various aspects of the gardens as well, as well as a unique installation that we've got just for the two-week period, which is beehives. In this Spectacle Garden, which is looking an absolute treat, we have installed beehives, and there will be people there doing presentations and talks about keeping bees, as well as talks about bush tucker as well as the water dragons and the unique aspects that we have in the parkland when it comes to that.

There is also going to be musical performances, so there will be roving entertainers going through the Roma Street Parklands as well as bands and other performances on the Albert Park amphitheatre.

Turning over to South Bank, the LORD MAYOR this morning opened the Epicurious Garden which is, for want of a better way of putting it, our newest community garden, and I pay tribute to the 14 volunteers as part of our first volunteer gardening program at South Bank who have taken their time to do the initial plantings in this wonderful new space.

There will be guided walks and tours across South Bank on the weekend as well, as well as a closure in Albert Street. So a section of Albert Street, taking the idea from the Ideas Fiesta, where we closed down a section of Albert Street and activated that space with performances and pop-up restaurants. That will be happening as well this weekend, really to drive that green spine between the City Botanic Gardens as well as Roma Street Parklands, and encourage people to walk and take in some of the finer points of our city.

In the City Botanic Gardens, not to be left out, there will be Picnic Unplugged, which is acoustic performances throughout the parklands as well as guided talks and a circus workshop on Sunday, as well as the CitySmart stand handing out free plants and talking to residents about sustainability information.

Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens will have the Amadeus Orchestra as well as tours, as well as operators from pop-up coffee carts as well as roving entertainment. What does this all do? Well, Madam Chairman, this is about activating and encouraging our residents to get out into our open spaces and take advantage of the wonderful spaces that we have right across the city, but also getting some pride. It is a great opportunity, with 3,000 delegates here, to highlight the wonderful parks and open spaces that we have, and also to send a message to the world as part of Team Brisbane for the wonderful parks that we have, the wonderful offering that we have in this city of Brisbane, but also, most importantly, it highlights the great lifestyle that we enjoy; it highlights the parks that we have, and it highlights how we can make the most of those—

Chairman: Your time has expired, Councillor BOURKE.

Councillor BOURKE: —in a growing city.

Chairman: Councillor DICK.

Question 6

Councillor DICK: Thank you, Madam Chair; my question is to the LORD MAYOR. A person who was the Managing Director of a major lobbying firm in Brisbane has approved a donation of $14,000 to the LNP, including a personal donation of $1,000 in September 2012. A month later, you appointed this person to the Brisbane Transport Advisory Board, with a remuneration of $19,600.

Also, another person made a donation of $4,000 to the LNP early in 2013, and then you appointed this person to your Urban Futures Board on 23 July that year. Will you agree to an independent review on how people are appointed to Council appointments to ensure that there is no perception that LNP donors do not get preferential treatment?

LORD MAYOR: Madam Chairman, it is a baseless question and I am not even going to entertain it.

Chairman: Councillor DICK, if you ask any further questions that are imputing motive in that way, I will sit you down and I will warn you.

Councillor DICK: Point of order, Madam Chair.

Chairman: Yes, Councillor DICK.

MOTION FOR SUSPENSION OF STANDING RULES:

75/2014-15

At that juncture, Councillor Milton DICK moved, seconded by Councillor Helen ABRAHAMS, that the Standing Rules be suspended to allow the moving of the following motion

Councillor DICK: Thank you very much, Madam Chair. It is urgent today that this Council sends the clearest possible message to the community that we, as an entity, are not showing preferential treatments to donors. We are seeing a pattern of behaviour across the city, and I believe across the State, and now across Australia, where there is a perception in the community where there is favouritism done for appointments and decisions as a result of who donates to which political party.

This is urgent, because we have just heard the LORD MAYOR say that he is going to continue to have business as usual and not open the books up to the people of Brisbane. These appointments are well-paid positions. None of them come to the decision of this Council, none of them. My urgency motion today is to ensure that there is transparency in these appointments, so that there can be no decision whatsoever in the public's mind that there is any ‘jobs for the boys’ going on here.

Time and time again the public are getting fed up with political parties right across Australia, whether it be in the New South Wales State Government with the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) inquiry, whether it be with the perception in the reporting yesterday by the Queensland State Government—

Councillor MURPHY: Point of order, Madam Chairman.

Chairman: Point of order against you, Councillor DICK; yes, Councillor MURPHY.

Councillor MURPHY: Simply saying the word urgency is not establishing urgency. I would ask that you draw Councillor DICK back to establishing why this is urgent.

Chairman: Thank you, Councillor; yes, urgency, thank you, Councillor DICK.

Councillor DICK: Thank you, Madam Chair. Three questions, the LORD MAYOR refused to answer the most basic of questions and provide relevant information. All the LORD MAYOR needs to do is get up today and say that he will agree to an independent inquiry to remove any doubt whatsoever. The ratepayers pay their rates. They pay their bills. They deserve an open and transparent process. The LNP continue to hide that information, and today is the opportunity. If this is above board, if there aren't any favours being done, then the LNP will vote for this motion today. This is a straight-forward motion that all councillors should be proud of, and actually saying, you know what, people are made on merits.

There are plenty of people out in the city that are prepared to serve this city, and they do a great job. What my issue today, and what the ratepayers want very clear answers on is: if you make a donation to the LNP, are there any special treatment done? That's the question, Madam Chair. This is not about imputing motive on individuals. All of these people are entitled to make donations to political parties. What my issue is: who makes the decision? What is the recourse in terms of how people apply for these jobs? Where is the open and transparency when it comes to actually ratepayers' money being spent on these lucrative and expensive appointments?

Madam Chair, it is not good enough for the LORD MAYOR to simply say—or anyone on that side of the Chamber—we don't want to answer those questions. We have a right and a responsibility as the people who pay the bills—

Chairman: Councillor DICK, your time has expired.

Councillor DICK: —to make sure that we are using their money effectively.

Chairman: I will put the motion for the suspension of the Standing Rules.

Further questions, Councillor WINES.

Councillor SUTTON: Point of order, Madam Chair.

Chairman: Yes, Councillor SUTTON.

Thereupon, Councillors Shayne SUTTON and Steve GRIFFITHS immediately rose and called for a division, which resulted in the motion being declared lost.

Councillor WINES: Thank you, Madam Chairman; my question is to the Chairman of the Brisbane Lifestyle Committee, Councillor ADAMS. Creating and fostering pride in our city helps inject confidence, drives investment, spending and self-belief. Can you please outline to the Chamber why Brisbane residents can be so proud of their libraries and the fact that they have become more than mere book depositories and are now vibrant community spaces?

Councillor ADAMS: Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Councillor WINES, for the question. I think it is very important for us to recognise the role our libraries play in providing a thriving platform for our Brisbane residents to learn, connect and, of course, now, to socialise as well. Our team is very proud of our vibrant and connected and accessible community hubs that we are now developing right across the city.

We are committed to a Better Brisbane, and this future growth is evident in our $1.7 million refurbishment we have just done of Coopers Plains and the recently launched $1.3 million at the Grange Library as well. So, under the Lifestyle portfolio, we recognise that our libraries play an integral role in facilitating the growth in our New World City. We are proud of our success of the recent Mitchelton refurbishment, 12 months down. We have seen an increase of visitors yet again, month-on-month; in June, 15,000 plus visitors compared to 7,500 the month before, and actually 164 new members actually getting their library cards for the first time, which I think is a fantastic outcome as well.

But basically, on Mitchelton and Grange and Coopers, the upgrades that we have seen include new ramp accesses, PWD (Persons With Disability) toilets, wheelchair-friendly tables, upgraded children corners which are definitely the highlight of your libraries now if you have been to any of those new libraries, and extended wi-fi areas. Coffee carts are becoming a norm on the decks of our libraries—you can't be in the library without a coffee, and of course our meeting rooms during library hours and out of hours, with the important hearing loops that we are putting into those meeting rooms as well for fully accessible use.

We are very, very proud. We are looking forward to this Saturday actually opening Coopers Plains Library. I know Councillor GRIFFITHS will be there. It is going to be a great morning, following on the opening recently of the Grange Library upgrade as well.

On one of the points that Councillor WINES mentioned in the question, yes, we are definitely more than a book depository now. Our children's literacy programs are produced to over 200,000 children and parents in the last year. That is a vital role in our community on making sure that we encourage literacy and learning through play, continue to foster creative and open spaces for our children, they can grow and explore and learn that books can be fun. It is more than just books, as we said. Interactive play can be fun, building blocks can be fun, but all within the context of literacy as well.

In the Grange in particular, we saw ramps for the car parks to the library, a 24/7 automated returns facility, so that is that great RFID (Radio-frequency identification) automated returns, new toilets for people with a disability and fold-down nappy change facility within the refurbishment.

Coopers Plains has also got the PWD toilets and facilities for parents and carers, the meeting room with the hearing loop, the AV (audio visual) equipment and kitchenette, the interactive floor which I have seen some of the adults get involved in as well, you can run around chasing things from the ceiling as well. Can I say a very important part of our library upgrades is our seating options as we go forward. We have to make sure that our library refurbishments are including designs for comfortable chairs, because people are spending so much more time in the libraries. So we are really going beyond the drop in, pick a book, walk out; they are staying, they are interacting. It is becoming a place to socialise as well.

Madam Chair, Team Brisbane on this side is very proud that our network of libraries attracted over 360,000 people to our programs over the last year. The new upgrades are definitely designed to encourage more and more people through those library doors as well. We have got an accessible and inclusive platform for residents, places for new skills and hobbies. So, rather than just the literacy for children, you can do your Brown Owls craft, you can do your origami, you can do your Japanese flower arranging, there is knitting, there is writing, there is iPad basics, email basics, photography—the list is endless on what you can actually do in our workshops.

It is about creating conversations between people, and it may be about creating conversations with people with English as a second language to make sure that they get very conversant with the type of language they would use in everyday life, to the point where we are running programs for successful businesses—how to become an e-business, how to set up your own business. If you have a craft that you would like to then market, how do you even get involved in that type of work as well.

Of course, then we also link in with our Writers in Residence, which is going from strength-to-strength, and the very shortly upcoming 2014 Brisbane Writers Festival, which is working closely with our Writers in Residence. Coming up very shortly, we have got Geoffrey Robertson from the Hypotheticals fame coming to City Hall in a couple of weeks, and Andy Griffiths. He is coming back because he is so popular as a Writer in Residence.

Madam Chair, 94 per cent of people say they love our libraries, and we can see why. They are an integral part of our connected smart thinking, easily developed—

Chairman: Councillor ADAMS, your time has expired.

Councillor ADAMS: —New World City.

Chairman: That ends Question Time.