The inner west desperately needs a new P-12 school. This is something I’ve been hearing from local residents since before I was elected. Rapid development and densification in the area has meant that many local schools are experiencing severe overcrowding. This is impacting on the wellbeing of students, parents and the local community. Capacity is quickly being outstripped by enrolments, with P&C members estimating they will need significant numbers of new buildings next year to accommodate growth. Demountable classrooms are being erected on school ovals, encroaching on students’ already limited play area. Before and after school care services are particularly overcrowded, with long wait lists placing enormous pressures on working parents especially. I believe we need long term solutions and planning for future growth, and that’s why I’ve been calling for a new school or schools for the inner west. With limited space, one solution could be a vertical school, similar to the one due to open in Fortitude Valley in 2020. I’ve put it to local residents whether they’d support this option, so please complete my Autumn Community Survey to have your say. My office and I have been looking into a number of possible locations for a new school, and have a few sites in mind. Taringa seems to be the obvious choice, given its population is growing quickly, it’s relatively accessible via public transport, and it still doesn’t have a school. Closing the old Taringa State School in 1996 and selling off this valuable land was a huge mistake. Instead of making sure property developers pay their fair share, past governments have let development carry on without the necessary public infrastructure like schools, public transport and green space. I’ve been raising this issue repeatedly in the media and in Parliament. On 3 April 2019 the Minister for Education gave a promising answer to my question about a new school, indicating that “all options are on the table”. Now we need to make sure the Minister understands how urgently the inner west needs a new school. How can you take action? Sign my petition asking the Queensland government for a new school and ask your friends and family to sign too. This will help demonstrate the urgent need to the Government. Write to the Minister for Education, Grace Grace, via education@ministerial.qld.gov.au. Let your local school Principal and P&C know this issue is important to you. If you have specific thoughts about a location, or other ideas or concerns, please contact my office directly via maiwar@parliament.qld.gov.au or 3737 4100.

A better city is within reach. If we want to reclaim our communities from vested interests and big property developers we'll need a resurgence of local democracy. We've heard loud and clear that this community wants a cleaner future that's also a fairer one. That means local residents should have a meaningful say over how our suburbs change and grow. Everyone deserves a secure, affordable home with world-class public transport and public green space. Every school should be a great school and we can power it all with 100% clean energy. This is what we're fighting for.

Despite an impressive community campaign to stop it going ahead, the State government Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation has approved the Pig N Whistle's application for 45 new pokies in Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. This is a pretty major shock, especially after 80% of residents surveyed by local volunteers said they opposed the application (and only 4% supported it). RTI documents obtained by my office also revealed that the Pig N Whistle made a practically identical application in 1998, but the proposed location is so grossly inappropriate they were rejected twice. Despite the now Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming David Ford saying at the time that " it is difficult to see how any new application for the same premises would be successful", he seems to have backflipped completely. This community does not want 45 new pokies in our family-friendly shopping centre, next to our church, GP clinic, childcare centres, schools or bus interchange. Pokies rip billions of dollars from the pockets of everyday Queenslanders each year, but they’re a goldmine for super rich pub owners and gambling companies. This decision shows the rules are rigged against local communities. For example, there is no requirement for the regulator to notify anyone about their decision except for the applicant. We found out about this decision completely by accident, since the head of the regulator happened to be on ABC radio about another issue. There is no ability for the community to appeal to QCAT - only to the courts. This decision feels like an all too familiar example of the cashed up pokies lobby getting their way. The owner of the pub, Godfrey Mantle, and his associated companies have donated more than $56,000 to Labor and the LNP since 2007. We’re not giving up just yet, though. The community is rallying against these pokies, asking the Pig N Whistle not to go ahead with the installation and, failing that, for Indooroopilly Shopping Centre management to put an end to the plan. Sign the petition here to stop the pokies, and receive updates and information about other ways to get involved.  You can view my original submission to OLGR against this application here.    The petition on this page is now a little out of date since the approval. We can't change the exact wording please keep spreading the message by gathering signatures.