Many Maiwar residents have contacted me about accessibility problems at train stations, particularly Taringa and Auchenflower, where navigation is practically impossible for people who use a wheelchair for mobility, our ageing population who may use a walking frame, or parents with prams. In March 2018, I asked the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey, what the plan was for the train stations in my electorate. He advised Auchenflower Station is scheduled for an upgrade, including the installation of a lift, but did not provide a timeframe for this or any other upgrades, including to Taringa station. Queensland Rail has a Station Accessibility Upgrade Program designed to address accessibility issues but it doesn’t include any timeframe for upgrades at Auchenflower Station, and Taringa Station isn’t mentioned at all. It is not clear whether the Program has sufficient funding to make every train station accessible by the federally-imposed deadline in 2022. The missing ingredient in this scenario is political will. Please join me in calling on the Minister to fund accessibility upgrades to meet disability standards and accepted community functionality at Taringa Station and Auchenflower Station. Accessibility upgrades are an investment, not a cost. Full accessibility at train stations in Maiwar, and all other stations on the QR network, is incredibly important, to ensure each and every citizen can exercise their right to engage with our broader community.

The Pig n Whistle Indooroopilly's application for a license for 45 pokies is out of line with what our community wants and needs. I'm calling for this application to be withdrawn, or failing that, to be rejected by the OLGR. Anyone concerned about this should make a written submission to the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation by 13 June 2018. We all know the devastating effect pokies have on communities in general, but a successful submission needs to be specific. Gambling regulation expert Lorraine Cherney has prepared a useful guide for submissions which is available here.  Submissions should: 1. Be about why the Pig N Whistle in particular should not have any pokies. For example, children may be left unsupervised in the shopping centre car park while parents gamble, and it is near impossible to check such an enormous parking area. 2. Speak about the proposed location for the pokies. For example, the Pig N Whistle is close to four out of seven “gaming sensitive sites” as outlined in the Community Impact Statement guidelines, increasing the likelihood of “convenience gambling”. 3. Mention the impact the new pokies would have on you specifically. For example, do you live or work nearby? Do you or someone you know have a problem with gambling, which you think could be made worse by pokies at the Pig N Whistle? It's important we ask OLGR to reject the application entirely. Experts say that even if only a few machines are approved, it's likely the Pig N Whistle will be able to increase this number over time. I'm working on my submission, which you can view here. You're welcome to use this draft as a guide to for your own submission. View the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation's Community Impact Statement Guidelines here and the Pig N Whistle's Community Impact Statement here.

The rental sector is changing. In the 10 years prior to 2016, the number of renters in Australia grew by 38% - that’s twice the rate of household growth! For many, home ownership is increasingly out of reach, so it's no surprise that the renting demographic is growing and shifting. An ever growing population of people, including families, are choosing renting as a long term housing solution. Despite this, the current law in Queensland prevents renters from establishing roots in their home. No access to long term leases means creating community and finding housing security are constant challenges for many renters. It’s grim for landlords too! All too often we see shoddy maintenance jobs and low living standards in rental properties. What’s more, the rent is too damn high! In every single major population centre in Queensland rents have grown faster than median wages over the last 10 years. To make matters worse, current laws mean tenants are vulnerable to unregulated rent increases at the end of every fixed term lease. So what do we want? Lease security: All tenants will have access to unlimited leases, which can only be terminated with 12 months’ notice by the landlord, and only on reasonable grounds. Rent controls: Landlords may only increase rents every 24 months outside of fixed term leases and only by a rate as determined by the Residential Tenancy Authority (RTA). Right to minor renovations: Tenants will be given the right to make minor renovations to their property without permission from the landlord, including putting nails in the wall, painting rooms or putting up shelving. Minimum standards: Landlords will be required to maintain a property to a certain set of specific minimum standards prior to and during the tenancy. Ban No Pet clauses: Tenants will have the right to have a pet in their rental property and landlords will be prohibited from including any sort of ‘no-pet’ clause in lease contracts. These policies have already been implemented throughout the world, in places like Berlin, Paris, Sweden, Tasmania, The Netherlands and Italy. You can support our fight for Renters Rights by signing up here.