Brisbane City Council

This article is about Brisbane's local council authority. For the city itself, see Brisbane. For the state government, see Queensland Government.

 Liberal National (19)

Opposition (8)

  Labor (5)

  Greens (2)

  Independent (1)

Brisbane City Council

City council overview
Formed	30 October 1924;99 years ago (1924-10-30) [1]
Jurisdiction	Brisbane, Australia
Employees	8,233 (2019) [2] [3]
Annual budget	$4 billion (2022–23) [4]
City council executives	Adrian Schrinner, Lord Mayor of Brisbane [5] Krista Adams, Deputy Mayor of Brisbane [6] Colin Jensen, Chief Executive Officer [7] Ainsley Gold, Executive Officer to the CEO [7]
Key document	City of Brisbane Act 2010 [8]
Website	www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
ASN	18255
Committees	10
Length of term	4 years
Salary	A$164,156 (2021) [lower-alpha 1]
Elections
Voting system	Instant-runoff voting
First election	21 February 1925
Last election	16 March 2024
Next election	TBD
Motto
Meliora Sequimur
Meeting place
Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, Brisbane

Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the democratic executive local government authority for the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The largest City Council in Australia by population and area, BCC's jurisdiction includes 26 wards and 27 elected councillors covering 1,338 km² (517 sq mi). ^{[lower-alpha 2] [10] [5]} BCC is overseen by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner, and the Council of Brisbane (all councillors of the City of Brisbane) and the Civic Cabinet (Councillors that chair one of eight standing committees within BCC). ^[6] The council's CEO is Colin Jensen, supported by EO Ainsley Gold. ^[7]

Strategy

Brisbane City Council is guided by two core future planning documents: Brisbane's Future Blueprint (infrastructure, cultural, and capital works projects), and Brisbane Vision 2031 (corporate and city planning). Council also does more frequent but smaller scale community consultations through the Your City Your Say platform. ^[11]

Brisbane Future Blueprint

Brisbane's Future Blueprint is a community-developed document, released in June 2018, outlining what the city council's goals should be. One in five households in Brisbane, representing every suburb, responded to the community consultation, totalling over 100,000 responses. More than 15,000 unique suggestions to improve Brisbane were put forward. The Blueprint provides for eight principles and 40 specific actions to make Brisbane a "friendly and liveable city": ^[12]

1. Create a city of neighbourhoods
2. Protect and create greenspace
3. Create more to see and do
4. Protect the Brisbane backyard and our unique character
5. Ensure best practice design that complements the character of Brisbane
6. Empower and engage residents
7. Get people home quicker and safer with more travel options
8. Give people more choice when it comes to housing

Brisbane Vision 2031

Brisbane Vision 2031 is the city council's long-term plan for developing Brisbane City. It outlines an additional eight principles to consider in developing council policy and supplements the city council's corporate plan 2016–17 and 2020–21. ^[13]

Structure

Lord Mayor

Main article: Lord Mayor of Brisbane

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane holds a role as the Chief Elected Executive of the Brisbane City Council, parallel to the role of the Chief Executive Officer, which is held by a civilian employee of the council. The Lord Mayor has a four-year term between elections, coinciding with general councillor elections. ^[14] The current Lord Mayor of Brisbane is Adrian Schrinner of the Liberal National Party, supported by Krista Adams, the Deputy Mayor. ^{[5] [6]}

Council of Brisbane

The Council of Brisbane is the high-level administrative board of Brisbane City Council, composed of all elected councillors in the City of Brisbane. There are 27 councillors, 26 from electoral wards in Brisbane and the Lord Mayor. ^[10]

Ordinary meetings of the council are held in the City Hall Council Chamber, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. Meetings are on Tuesdays at 1pm (except during recess periods). ^[15]

The Chair of Council, elected by the Councillors, presides over each meeting. The Lord Mayor does not chair the proceedings. The current Chair of Council is the Councillor David McLachlan. ^[15]

Standing Committees

Brisbane City Council has ten standing committees made up of and chaired by elected representatives. Each committee considers Council policies, provides advice to council and delivers results for the people of Brisbane. This includes a wide range of areas such as infrastructure, public transport and the environment. With the exception of the Establishment and Coordination Committee (also known as Civic Cabinet), the public are welcome to attend council and standing committee meetings. ^[16]

Since August 2021, the standing committees of Council include:

• Establishment and Coordination Committee (Civic Cabinet)
• City Planning and Suburban Renewal
• City Standards Committee
• Community, Arts and Nighttime Economy Committee
• Councillor Ethics Committee
• Economic Development and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee
• Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee
• Finance and City Governance Committee
• Infrastructure Committee
• Transport Committee

Most standing committee meetings are held on Tuesday mornings while Council is in session. ^[16]

Civic Cabinet

The chair of each standing committee is also a member of council’s Establishment and Coordination Committee, more commonly known as Civic Cabinet. At its highest level, Civic Cabinet sets the strategic direction for Brisbane as a city and council as an organisation. The Civic Cabinet has been delegated significant responsibility by full council. Civic Cabinet meets weekly to discuss policies and strategies in areas such as major projects, finance, urban planning, transport, environment, community services and city businesses.

It is in this way that Civic Cabinet sets the strategic direction for Brisbane as a city and for Brisbane City Council as an organisation. The members of Civic Cabinet review and make recommendations to full council on major plans such as council's vision, City Plan, corporate documents and city finances. ^[17]

Members of Civic Cabinet

The following councillors were appointed members of Civic Cabinet in April 2024: ^{[17] [18]}

• Lord Mayor, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, City Treasurer and Chair of Civic Cabinet
• Deputy Mayor, Councillor Krista Adams, Civic Cabinet Chair for Economic Development, Nighttime Economy and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Councillor Adam Allan, Civic Cabinet Chair for City Planning and Suburban Renewal, Chair of the Councillor Ethics Committee
• Councillor Fiona Cunningham, Civic Cabinet Chair for Finance and City Governance
• Councillor Tracy Davis, Civic Cabinet Chair for Environment, Parks and Sustainability
• Councillor Vicki Howard, Civic Cabinet Chair for Community and Arts
• Councillor Sarah Hutton, Civic Cabinet Chair for City Standards
• Councillor Ryan Murphy, Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport
• Councillor Andrew Wines, Civic Cabinet Chair for Infrastructure

The Lord Mayor is the chair of Civic Cabinet. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) acts as secretary of E&C, provides executive advice and reports back to Council as an organisation. ^[18]

Each Civic Cabinet Chair works alongside its relevant organisational divisions to "consider Council policy, provide advice to Council and delivers results for the people of Brisbane." ^[19]

Organisational divisions

Within Brisbane City Council, there are six different organisational divisions representing the core tasks of the council. Each division had its own Divisional Manager, who is accountable to the Council of Brisbane, the Civil Cabinet, and the CEO. As of February 2023, the six divisions and their divisional managers are:

• City Administration and Governance – Tim Wright
• Organisational Services – Anne Lenz
• City Planning and Sustainability – David Chick
• Lifestyle and Community Services – Tash Tobias
• Transport for Brisbane – Samantha Abeydeera
• Brisbane Infrastructure – Scott Stewart

These divisions are organisational, meaning that they're not subject to the changes in the elected administration nor are elected themselves. ^{[20] [21]}

Current composition

A map showing the wards of Brisbane.

Party totals ^[22]

Party		Wards	Lord Mayor
	Liberal National	18	1
	Labor	5
	Greens	2
	Independent	1

The current council is ^{[22] [23]}

Ward	Party		Councillor
Lord Mayor		LNP	Adrian Schrinner
Bracken Ridge		LNP	Sandy Landers
Calamvale		Labor	Emily Kim
Central		LNP	Vicki Howard
Chandler		LNP	Ryan Murphy
Coorparoo		LNP	Fiona Cunningham
Deagon		Labor	Jared Cassidy
Doboy		LNP	Lisa Atwood
Enoggera		LNP	Andrew Wines
Forest Lake		Labor	Charles Strunk
Hamilton		LNP	Julia Dixon
Holland Park		LNP	Krista Adams
Jamboree		LNP	Sarah Hutton
MacGregor		LNP	Steven Huang
Marchant		LNP	Danita Parry
McDowall		LNP	Tracy Davis
Moorooka		Labor	Steve Griffiths
Morningside		Labor	Lucy Collier
Northgate		LNP	Adam Allan
Paddington		Greens	Seal Chong Wah
Pullenvale		LNP	Greg Adermann
Runcorn		LNP	Kim Marx
Tennyson		Independent	Nicole Johnston
The Gabba		Greens	Trina Massey
The Gap		LNP	Steve Toomey
Walter Taylor		LNP	Penny Wolff
Wynnum Manly		LNP	Alex Givney

History

See also: Town of Brisbane

Pre-1900s

• 1823: John Oxley names the Brisbane River after Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. ^{[24] [25]}
• 1842–1880: Civilians start occupying Brisbane, making it the main site of commerce for the region. ^[24]
• 3 October 1859: The first elections for the Mayor of Brisbane are held, following the declaration of Brisbane as a local government municipality named after the river on which it sits. John Petrie was unanimously elected out of 37 candidates. ^[25]

1900s

• 1924: The Parliament of Queensland passes the City of Brisbane Act, creating a single city council for all the City of Brisbane, rather than the previous 20 various authorities and boards. ^[25]
• 1 October 1925: The new City Council is begins operation, under its first Mayor of Brisbane, William Jolly. ^[25]
• 8 April 1930: Governor of Queensland, John Goodwin officially opens the Brisbane City Hall. ^[25]
• 1939: Brisbane is made the headquarters of Allies of World War II in the South Pacific for Australian and American service personnel. The original offices are now part of the MacArthur Chambers. ^[24]
• 1982: Brisbane hosts the Commonwealth Games. ^[24]
• 1988: Brisbane hosts Expo 88, giving birth to South Bank Parklands, the now central cultural area of Brisbane and home of the Brisbane City Council head office. ^[24]

2000s

• 1 July 2010: The Legislative Assembly of Queensland passes the City of Brisbane Act 2010 as part of a state-wide review of local government legislation, formalising and consolidating state legislation about the City of Brisbane. ^[25]
• 2010–2013: Brisbane City Hall reopens after significant restoration and renovation. ^[25]
• November 2014: Brisbane hosts the G20 Leaders Summit. ^[24]

See also

• List of mayors and lord mayors of Brisbane
• City of Brisbane

References

1. "City of Brisbane Act 1924". Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
2. "2018-2019 Annual Report" (PDF). Brisbane City Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
3. "2017-2018 Annual Report" (PDF). Brisbane City Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
4. "Brisbane announces steep rates hike on Airbnb accommodation to tackle rental crisis". ABC News. 14 June 2022.
5. "Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner". Brisbane City Council. 12 February 2020. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
6. "Know Your Civic Cabinet" (PDF). Brisbane City Council. April 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
7. "Organisational chart". Brisbane City Council. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
8. "City of Brisbane Act 2010". Queensland Legislation. 30 March 2020. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
9. Stone, Lucy (31 May 2022). "Brisbane councillors to receive second pay rise in nine months after 2.5 per cent increase recommended". ABC News.
10. "Councillors and wards". Brisbane City Council. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
11. "Your City Your Say". Brisbane City Council. 18 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
12. "Brisbane's Future Blueprint". Brisbane City Council. 3 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
13. "Brisbane Vision 2031". Brisbane City Council. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
14. Sansom, Graham (September 2012). "Australian Mayors: What Can and Should They Do?" (PDF). UTS: Centre for Local Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
15. "Types of Council meetings". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
16. "Council committees". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
17. "Establishment and Coordination Committee (Civic Cabinet)". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
18. "Know Your Civic Cabinet" (PDF). Brisbane City Council. August 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
19. "Council committees". Brisbane City Council. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
20. "Organisational chart". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
21. "Executive Management Team". www.brisbane.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
22. "Brisbane City Council 2020 Election Results | ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
23. "Brisbane City Council 2020 Election Results | ECQ (Electoral Commission of Queensland)". ECQ (Electoral Commission of Queensland). July 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
24. "History of Brisbane". Visit Brisbane. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
25. "Council history". Brisbane City Council. 14 May 2019. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2020.

Notes

1. A city Councillor that does not hold the Mayoralty, Deputy Mayoralty, a Civic Cabinet Chair position, Chair of Council, or Leader of the Opposition positions has the base salary of A$164,156 excluding allowances. ^[9]
2. This is not to say that Brisbane itself is the largest city in Australia (which is Sydney). Most other cities have a "City of xyz Council" that only covers that city's CBD unlike Brisbane, which covers all surrounding suburbs. Hence, BCC had an abnormally large population count simply because the population lies within one city council area.

External links

• Official website