Michael Berkman | Politician

Michael Berkman

Phone: +61 7 3737 4100

Address: 1/49 Station Rd 4068 Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia

Website: http://michaelberkman.com.au

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25.01.2022 Good news for west side seniors: new online workshops are now open for bookings with Indro non-profit Jubilee Community Care! Jubilee have started offering these courses to help older folks connect with their community and stay healthy even while staying home. Session costs range from $12.50-$15 and are each followed by an online social session to make new friends if you're interested. Here's what's open now:... Mindful Connections course with Bardon psychotherapist and life coach Jon Unal from Conscious Beginnings: designed to empower and support older people to reduce their isolation and improve their wellbeing, resilience, mental health and self-care. Runs weekly on Thursdays from 15 October 15 to 3 December. Have I Got A Story! Writing Workshop with Brisbane author Fiona Ware: helping participants to unleash their creativity and start writing about their lives. Runs each Wednesday from 14 October to 2 December. BodyMoves online exercise class hosted by Toowong’s BodyTrack Exercise Physiology: a gentle armchair exercise session held each Tuesday. If you or someone you know could benefit from these programs, book online at https://www.jccagedcare.org.au/online-services/, phone Jubilee Community Care on 3871 3220 or email [email protected] All you need is a computer, tablet or smartphone - after you register, Jubilee will email you everything you need to take part.

23.01.2022 Yesterday the Qld Government handed down its State Budget for the 2020-21 financial year. It included a couple of good things, like a new school for Maiwar and free sanitary products in Qld schools. But it failed to address some of the really big issues facing our state, like homelessness, unemployment, and the second-highest child poverty rate in the country. This year the Qld Greens took a fully-costed plan to the election to genuinely tackle those big issues, by funding ...massive investment in public services and infrastructure with increased mining royalties, a developer tax and a levy on the big banks. The Treasurer stood up and bragged about how they wouldn't be raising royalties. He sold it as "no new taxes" - but we all know that this really means ordinary Queenslanders paying the price with bigger school fees, expensive public transport, and underfunded health and social services. Meanwhile, coal and gas CEOs walk away with a bigger pay packet. Here's what we COULD have delivered, just by making big mining corporations pay their fair share in tax

23.01.2022 ICYMI, this year Ironside State School is celebrating its 150th anniversary! After an especially difficult year for fundraising, the P&C is hosting a Gala dinner on Saturday 20 February 2021 to celebrate this major milestone. Like many schools, Ironside wasn't able to go ahead with its Spring fete this year, so this will be a really crucial opportunity to raise money for the school and students - plus it'll be an incredible evening with drinks, canapes, a 2-course meal and e...ntertainment. Ticket sales close next Wednesday 9 December, and RSVPs are essential to ensure the event can go ahead. To get tickets, scan the QR code below or head to www.bit.ly/Ironside150 - I hope to see some of you there!

22.01.2022 Being an MP is a lot of work - luckily I have this one on deck to help me make some calls

22.01.2022 BREAKING: Our campaign has had a small win on better school buses for Fig Tree Pocket! I've been helping local residents push for better public school buses from FTP to Lambert Rd Indooroopilly (ISHS, St Peters, Brigidine, Holy Family) plus QASMT and BBC. The form letter to the State government we put together went a little bit viral around the Pocket recently, with almost 100 families writing to the Transport Minister asking for better buses. We've JUST learned that after t...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Exciting news! I've just received the 2020-21 Qld Budget papers and confirmed $65 million has been allocated for a new school in the inner west We still don't have much more information from the Government on the consultation process, timeline, location etc for the new school, so I'm following this up with the minister. One thing we do know from the budget is it's likely the bulk of work on the school will happen from 2021-2023, with just some preliminary work this com...ing year. I can say that because the Government has only allocated $346K spending on the school for 2020-21, with the rest due after that. If you'd like to keep up to date on the new school, you can join the list of interested residents by signing up here: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/new_school

18.01.2022 Labor and the LNP are on a unity ticket when it comes to handing taxpayers’ money over to Adani. Right now the Greens are the only ones willing to stand up to these multinational corporations - because we're the only ones who don't take their money.

18.01.2022 ICYMI... yesterday something amazing happened. Over the weekend this group of housemates saw an LNP yard sign put up across the street... so they decided to make their own sign too. They spent the day painting this incredible Vote Greens banner and putting it up in their yard. ... I saw the banner posted on social media, so I thought I'd pop round and put up some official Greens signs to complement it. Here's what we ended up with - one big beautiful banner and a sign on either side! You can see the story as documented on Free's TikTok here: https://twitter.com/mcberkman/status/1311101657975910402 And if you want a Greens sign, you're welcome to make your own... but you can also sign up to get one delivered here: http://michaelberkman.com.au/yardsign

17.01.2022 If you have a question, local issue or feedback for me but can't make it into the office, I'd love to see you at Four Sisters Cafe in Auchenflower tomorrow morning! I'll be there for one of my regular pop-up offices - it's an opportunity to drop by for a coffee or tea (on me) and an informal chat.

17.01.2022 BREAKING: We just announced the Greens' plan to make club sport free for every Queenslander under 18! We think organised sport should be treated as an essential right which, just like health and education, every kid can access - regardless of their parents’ ability to pay. The Greens will: ... Guarantee all Queenslanders under 18 a free season of organised sport every year by covering all registration costs, paid directly to clubs Provide $10,000 grants to clubs to help upgrade facilities, recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and handle extra registrations Give parents a $150 rebate to purchase sports equipment Cover the total cost with a 0.05% levy on the big banks Full details here: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/sport

17.01.2022 I dropped by Taringa Rovers today to announce the Qld Greens' new policy to provide free club sport for every Queenslander under 18! We'd fund registration costs, club grants and equipment rebates with a 0.05% levy on the big banks. See the full policy details here: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/sport

16.01.2022 Ahead of the election, the Government announced a campaign commitment of $1.5 million for Indooroopilly State School and Ironside State School's Outside School Hours Care programs (OSHC) to help both schools increase their OSHC capacity. This is a huge issue for the west side, so I was really pleased to hear this announcement. Both schools run very popular OSHC programs, and right now capacity doesn't meet the huge demand. I've been working with the schools who've been advoc...ating strongly on this issue, and I know that they've been trying to find a solution for a long time. Unfortunately a number of local parents still find themselves in the very difficult situation of trying to locate care for their children in the new school year. I recently wrote to the Minister for Education to ask that the funding is delivered as soon as possible in the upcoming Budget. As you may have seen, I've also secured a commitment for a new school for the west side, due to open in 2023. I hope that this will ease pressure on existing OSHC services, while also helping to meet the needs of our growing community.

16.01.2022 SURVEY: HAVE YOUR SAY ON QASMT GREEN SPACE & TRAFFIC ISSUES We're lucky to host the Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) in Maiwar - it really rounds out the list of excellent schools on the westside. Two issues have really come to the fore this year: access to the green spaces nearby, and local traffic arrangements.... I'm well on the record in saying that we need to keep QASMT's green spaces open. I was thrilled to secure this outcome when I met with the Education Minister earlier this year after concerns a fence would be erected around the oval. At that time, the Minister said they'd hold community consultation about future use of the QASMT green space. Given that consultation hasn't happened, I'd like to get the community's views firmly on the record with this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GSHRTKX I'll be hosting a pop-up office at Nowhere Espresso in Toowong at 7.30am on 15 October to discuss this with locals, and I'll close the survey later that day. If you live, work, study or play near QASMT, please complete the survey to let me know your views. And of course, feel free to share it within your networks using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GSHRTKX

16.01.2022 NEW RIVERSIDE PATH FOR FIG TREE POCKET / INDRO? Some Indro and Fig Tree Pocket locals will know that Ambrose Treacy College has applied to the State government for a fairly large expansion of their facilities. So far I've held a community Zoom call on this proposal, made a submission to the Planning Minister, and helped local residents to do the same. There's no decision yet, and it could take some time. ... One thing I was pleasantly surprised to read though is a really clever idea from Brisbane City Council as part of their expert feedback on the school's application. Council officers have suggested that as part of their upgrade, ATC should create a publicly accessible riverside pathway across their grounds, stretching from Jilba St northwards to Bridge St. In my submission I backed up that suggestion very strongly, and I'll be waiting eagerly to see how the school and the State Planning Minister respond. I've observed that the school has a pretty mixed reputation in the local area. For some families it's a core part of the local community, while other local residents experience really significant traffic and other impacts from hundreds of kids coming and going each day. This riverside path would be an incredible opportunity for ATC to give back to the local community, and it would be an absolutely beautiful addition to public spaces on the west side. It would also link up pretty well with Council's new Indooroopilly Riverwalk which starts just a bit further north at Twigg St/Witton Rd. I'll leave some links in the comments where you can find my submission and Council's full list of feedback on ATC's application to the State government. Even though submissions have closed, you can still email the Planning Minister Cameron Dick on [email protected] if you support this idea - just make sure to let him know you're getting in touch about "MID-0620-0431 - Ambrose Treacy College".

16.01.2022 Today we had the ceremonial opening of Qld Parliament - a very fancy affair with lots of strange colonial traditions. Around 1pm, the Governor arrived at Parliament, received a 19-gun salute and traditional welcome, then gave a 45-minute speech laying out the goals of the Government for the next four years. After all the ceremonial fanfare this week, tomorrow Parliament will finally sit for the first day of the term. I'm looking forward to getting to work with Amy MacMahon - Greens MP for South Brisbane! We don’t know yet what legislation we’ll be debating, but I'll post updates here and on my Twitter (@mcberkman) so stay tuned.

14.01.2022 STOP FIRE ANTS Did you know most of the west side is in a "fire ant biosecurity zone"? We're right on the edge of the infestation zone in Queensland, with sightings in Fig Tree Pocket and Toowong. Fire ants are a really serious threat to our wonderful way of life in Brissie - they could make backyards, parks and creeks really dangerous places for kids and pets - unless we work together and allocate government funding $$ to stamp them out. ... Some things you can do: - Look out for nests in your backyard, local parks, creeks and streets. More on that here: https://www.qld.gov.au//pe/fire-ants/fire-ants-top5-places - If you find them, report them on 13 25 23 or online here: https://ants.daf.qld.gov.au/table-of-cont/report-fire-ants/ Someone from the Qld Government should be able to come out within 10 days with some ant baits. - Follow the rules about moving soil and plants out of the biosecurity zone (this mostly applies to landscaping businesses). More on that here: https://www.qld.gov.au//pests-d/fire-ants/fire-ants-living - Make sure you let your local politicians know that funding for fire and eradication is really important to you.

14.01.2022 With around 47,000 people on the social housing wait list in Queensland, we should be building more homes, not more prisons. But in the Labor State government's budget released yesterday, they're spending $590.4 million on the prisons, police and court systems, including $178 million over three years for new child prisons. That's more than they're spending on social housing. They've allocated just $526.2 million overall, and only $180.8million for new social homes. They plan... to deliver about 470 social homes this year - approximately 2% of the wait list. Now is the perfect time to be investing in long-term, job-creating infrastructure like social housing. It's a real disappointment to see Qld Labor doubling down on a short-sighted law-and-order approach instead.

14.01.2022 I'll be at Sendok Garpu by Bunda Alicia from 9:30-10:30am tomorrow morning for a pop up office! These are really informal events, so you're welcome to just drop by for a chat, or with any feedback or questions for me. Hope to see you there!

14.01.2022 Today is Probus Day, when communities are encouraged to celebrate and get involved with their local Probus Club. Here on the west side we’re lucky enough to have the Indooroopilly Probus Club which holds monthly meetings, regular outings and a variety of activities and interest groups for retirees. This Probus Day I urge everyone to spread the word about Probus and their mission to provide fun, friendship and fellowship for active retired or semi-retired people! Find out more about Indro Probus club and how to get involved here: https://www.probusclubindro.com/

12.01.2022 The Queensland Budget has just been released. Here's our TLDR for what's happened so far.

11.01.2022 This Friday at 2.30pm UQ architecture staff and students are holding a rally to stop the "spill and fill" of staff in the School of Architecture. I haven't yet seen all the details, but it seems like the uni hierarchy are trying to find ways to cut jobs and teaching that will turn people against each other. The NTEU has said "this style of management is not leadership, it’s destructive and damaging to staff, students and the university’s reputation". ... If you're around campus that day I'd really encourage you to join them because: -- Even if you don't study architecture, if you're an academic or a student, **your school could be next** and if the uni bosses get away with this move in architecture they'll probably keep doing it. -- Many more people are planning to return to study while the COVID recession hits, and at some universities enrolments have actually gone up. That means it's a REALLY bad time to be cutting any teaching jobs. By turning up now to support UQ staff, you might be protecting your own or your family's education later on. -- The federal LNP government has let universities bleed jobs by intervening to cut them out of JobKeeper while international student revenue dried up. The best way to make sure university bosses AND the federal government listen is to make some serious noise about job cuts when they are proposed. If you've been pissed off about the LNP letting universities starve to death, this is your moment to show it. There is also a petition you can sign here: http://www.nteu.org.au/uq/architecture

09.01.2022 In 2017, the Greens won Maiwar by 78 votes. Now the LNP are throwing huge money at clawing it back - and enrolment closes this Saturday. Make sure you're enrolled to vote at your current address now, to avoid a fine and keep the LNP out on 31 October! http://aec.gov.au/

09.01.2022 Where is the safest place for e-scooters? Right now, e-scooters are banned from: - on-road bike lanes, - multi-lane roads, ... - roads with speed limits above 50km/hr, and - the Brisbane CBD. That means people using e-scooters are forced onto the footpath. That's scary and dangerous for pedestrians. I wrote to the Transport Minister asking him to change the law, but he has refused, saying "there are no current plans to change the laws.." The arguments he used were: Riders of e-scooters (and other "rideables" ) are particularly vulnerable when interacting with traffic because the devices themselves offer little protection. Traffic volumes and the difference in speed between cars and e-scooters is too risky. Even though bike riders also have no protection from cars, they can travel faster than e-scooters which means they can interact with cars more safely. Bikes also have larger wheels and are more visible, which means they are safer on the roads. E-scooters are already supposed to act cautiously and avoid collisions with pedestrians while on the footpath. I really don't think any of those arguments hold much water. Lots of people know that e-scooters actually travel very fast, often faster than bikes. Even fast-moving bikes get hit by cars, so speed isn't much protection. I think the safety risk to pedestrians, and the hassle caused by e-scooter users riding on footpaths far outweighs any extra risks from letting them operate on the road if they want. I suspect the Minister's letter is motivated by a car-centric culture within the Department of Transport that is opposed to anything vehicles that could slow down traffic, even if they're more efficient and better for the environment and for congestion. Zooming out a bit, we might be thinking about this the wrong way. Some of the issues the Minister raised like smaller wheels and lower visibility could actually be addressed by changing the rules to make scooters safer for everyone, including: --> Mandating larger wheels for more stability --> Mandating better lights, reflectors or bright colouring. Ultimately, the best change would be creating bike and e-scooter lanes which are physically separated from cars (which are far more deadly than scooters) and lowering speed limits on suburban streets with lots of pedestrians and other road users. In the meantime, I'll keep pushing for e-scooters to be allowed in on-road bike lanes. One last thing - I also asked the Minister to change the law to let e-scooters onto trains (just like bikes). On that issue, the Minister hinted at a change, saying: "TransLink is consulting with relevant stakeholders..and will be able to provide an update on this policy in the coming months" Sounds promising!

09.01.2022 I've been advocating for urgent accessibility upgrades to train stations across the electorate since I was elected. We've had one win, with construction starting on Auchenflower Station that will see it be independently accessible upon completion in 2023. But there are still no plans to upgrade Taringa Station. The state government recently established an independent advisory council to provide advice on accessibility for transport and road projects across the state. I think... this is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't go far enough. Even with the announcement of four new station upgrades, only 63% of Queensland Rail train stations will be fully accessible. The Transport Minister recently advised me that the topography and location of Taringa Station present construction challenges, and that these matters require additional consideration and investigation. I agree that the land around Taringa Station can be tricky - but imagine traversing that in a wheelchair! Accessibility is an essential investment for our communities. Everyone should be able to access our public transport system. Investing in these vital infrastructure upgrades has clear social, economic and health benefits. It would also provide much-needed jobs during Queensland’s economic recovery from COVID-19. I will continue to push for Taringa Station to be upgraded. If you're affected or concerned by our inaccessible train stations, please sign the petition below: www.michaelberkman.com.au/train-station-accessibility

08.01.2022 Have you heard about this proposed development on the corner of Lambert Rd and Clarence Rd in Indooroopilly? The plans are for a 9 storey building, including office and retail space on the ground floor, 58 two- and three- bedroom units, and a rooftop terrace with a gym, barbeque and dining area and cinema for residents. Sadly, this means the existing small businesses and restaurants will lose their leases for yet another apartment block where the rent will be much higher. Th...at includes the wonderful Sendok Garpu by Bunda Alicia, Thai Aroy Restaurant, Fabulous Guys And Dolls hairdressers and Happy Shop Indonesian groceries. These are local small businesses which may not be able to afford another lease in a brand new building. The official submissions period hasn't yet started, but I'm already working on a submission to Council. A few issues residents have raised include: -- The application includes almost no meaningful traffic impact assessment, with no detailed modelling at all. -- The plans don't include any space for the future Indooroopilly bikeway along Lambert Rd which will eventually connect Witton Barracks park site with UQ. -- The development appears to be exceed the "gross floor area" and height limits in the neighbourhood plan. You can email me at [email protected] to let me know about your thoughts or concerns, or read through the whole DA and make a submission at: https://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au//Applic/default.aspx

07.01.2022 Right now the average cost of club sport in Queensland is $755 a year, and a family with three children can end up paying thousands of dollars a year just so their kids can play. For many parents that’s just too much, and kids miss out. But organised sport is crucial for children to get fit, make friends, have fun and learn new life skills - so just like health and education, it should be free. Here's our plan to make it a reality. Read the full details here: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/sport

06.01.2022 BREAKING: Labor is trying to rush through retrospective laws to influence who becomes Mayor in Rockhampton. Right now the laws introduced by Labor would have an anti-Adani activist, Chris 'Pineapple' Hooper, take the position, after the former Mayor resigned following misconduct findings for accepting hospitality and 'gifts' from Adani. Those laws were rushed through in 100+ pages of amendments. They weren't scrutinised properly by Parliament. But Labor pushed them through a...nyway. Now Labor, who's taken money from Adani, approved their massive coalmine, and gave them a secret royalties deal this year, suddenly wants them reversed - and urgently. They haven't even created a proper bill to do so - instead, they hid the changes in a bill about the government's COVID-19 Emergency Response, even though this matter has nothing to do with the pandemic. And if you had any doubt about their political motives, the changes ONLY force Rockhampton Council to have a by-election, while allowing Townsville Council decide how they want to fill a vacancy. The laws probably never should have been changed. A by-election for vacancies makes sense, and allows people to have a say. But this to-ing and fro-ing from Labor as it suits them is incredibly concerning, and a dangerous indication of how willing they are to trample all over democratic process too suit them and their corporate donors.

03.01.2022 TODAY'S THE DAY: Expressions of interest are closing on the Toowong ABC site. We just had a resident report back to us that our calling campaign is working - they called the Treasurer's office and were told they'd been inundated with calls to buy it back for public green space! Let's keep it up and send a strong message to these key decision-makers that locals don't want this site permanently lost to private development: Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner: 3403 4400 Qld Treasurer Cameron Dick: 3719 7200

02.01.2022 Most politicians don't know what it’s like to be a young person right now - including me. So this year I held a survey specifically for folks under 35 to have their say. Here's what you said. Your top priority issues are: 1. Climate action 2. Job security and wages... 3. Sustainable development 4. First Nations justice I’m proud to say I’ll keep fighting hard for each of these issues in Parliament. I’m the only Qld MP opposing new coal and gas, including Adani, and pushing for a just transition to 100% publicly owned renewable energy by 2030. The Greens have released plans to create tens of thousands of secure, sustainable jobs in local manufacturing, renewable energy and social housing construction. I’m also pushing to overhaul our planning laws, to put people and the environment before developer profit. And I’m supporting First Nations’ peoples calls for treaty and sovereignty, as well as immediate justice reforms that disproportionately affect Indigenous people, like raising the age of criminal responsibility. Right now I'm the only Member of Qld Parliament who refuses all donations from corporations, which means I'm not beholden to anyone but the community. So when you tell me something’s important to you, I actually listen, and I stand up and fight for it. See the full survey results at https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/youngpeople

02.01.2022 HELP FOR MULTICULTURAL FOLKS IMPACTED BY COVID-19: Do you or someone you know need help in a language other than English? The Multicultural Connect line offers support and information to ensure no one in the multicultural community gets left behind and everyone receives the support they need, particularly: ... Older migrants People seeking asylum International students Those with health conditions Migrant workers on working visas & others on non-residency visas Those experiencing racism & discrimination Those feeling anxious or worried about their circumstances The Multicultural Connect line is run by World Wellness Group and can help link you to aid, assistance and mental health services. They work with interpreters and have multilingual helpline staff, so sometimes an interpreter may not even be required. For help, call 1300 079 020 or fill in the form at www.worldwellnessgroup.org.au And please don't hesitate to get in touch if there's anything my office can assist with. A list of some of the ways I can help is here: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/how_i_can_help

02.01.2022 We're in Parliament this week for the first sitting day of the term, and focusing on strengthening some of the Government's shoddy processes to allow for real scrutiny and democratic debate in Parliament. Tune in at 12:45pm to find out how!

01.01.2022 Yesterday I moved amendments to Parliament’s sessional orders to ban Government MPs wasting Question Time with pre-written Dorothy Dixer questions. Labor and the LNP voted together against my amendments. Apparently they think they were elected to Parliament to blow smoke up each other, not scrutinise Government decisions and represent their electorate. What a joke.

01.01.2022 Voters elected me to hold the major parties to account. But right now our Parliamentary rules allow the government to waste time on self-congratulating speeches, stifle scrutiny of legislation, and stop MPs like me from speaking on bills before voting. It's time to change those rules and make MPs do their job. I just moved amendments to Parliament's sessional orders to:... 1. Ban Dorothy Dixer questions from Question Time (soft questions asked by Government MPs, often written by the Ministers themselves) 2. Stop the Government piggybacking unrelated amendments onto bills to rush them through without proper scrutiny 3. Allow more time for debate on bills from all parties, including the crossbench Unsurprisingly, both Labor and the LNP opposed my amendments. But I'll keep pushing for a more democratic process in Parliament - because a return to Government doesn't mean a mandate to do whatever you like.