On the Ground with Jason Colley
Division 9 – Capalaba | Sheldon | Thornlands
AFTER two-and-a-half years as a councillor, it is often the practical local fixes that matter most.
A larger Council drain means a family home no longer floods in heavy rain.
New footpath links mean a young mum can push a pram safely instead of walking on the road.
Work with Seqwater and Council has helped tackle water-pressure problems residents had endured for decades.
They may seem like small wins, but each has a real impact on someone’s daily life.
That is what local government should be about.
Listening to residents, solving problems and leaving our community better than we found it.
I am proud of the progress made across Division 9 and the Redlands more broadly, and I am equally focused on what comes next.
Several major projects are moving closer after years of planning.
The Birkdale Community Precinct, the RSPCA Wildlife Centre of Excellence at IndigiScapes and a new urban centre for Capalaba will create new opportunities for residents, visitors and local businesses in the years ahead.
Council is also progressing investigations into a much-needed indoor sports facility, something families, sporting clubs and young people have been calling for.
But while there is plenty to celebrate, there is one area where Redlands has been left waiting far too long – critical transport infrastructure.
For decades, residents have been promised better connections to jobs, education and services across South East Queensland.
State Government planning documents once indicated the Eastern Busway, delivering high-frequency public transport to Redlands, would be completed by 2026.
They also pointed to an upgraded Redlands transport corridor along Mount Cotton Road and Boundary Road, connecting to the Gateway Motorway by 2027.
Neither project has been properly designed, let alone delivered.
That should concern every Redlander.
Our population is growing, congestion is increasing and too many residents spend hours each week travelling outside the city for work.
Redlands cannot continue to miss out while other parts of South East Queensland receive the infrastructure needed to support growth.
Politics has too often got in the way.
Elected representatives at every level need to put personal differences aside and focus on delivering for the people who sent them there.
Council is not an adversarial parliament, and it works best when councillors can disagree respectfully while keeping the community’s interests at the centre of every decision.
In my first official speech as a councillor, I said I wanted to help raise the standard of politics in the Redlands.
I remain committed to that.
We will not agree on every issue, nor should we.
But division for its own sake achieves nothing.
Time spent fighting each other is time not spent fighting for our community.
My focus remains on building a better future for Redlands.
For my children, for local families and for the generations who will call this place home after us.
There are challenges ahead, but there is also enormous opportunity.
The Redlands is worth fighting for, and I am determined to help make it a better place than when I was elected.
