Featured Image: Story Bridge in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Photo 97004649 / Brisbane © Robert Downer | Dreamstime.com
7 October 2022
Dear Editor, InQueensland ,
I am a member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland) Inc., Australian Historical Association Inc., and my work over the decade goes to the Mapping Brisbane History (MBH) Project, and the Brisbane Southside History Network (BSHN), and I am the President of the Southern Brisbane Suburban Forum (SBSF).
I was greatly impressed by the article by John McCarthy, ” What’s the brand plan? Games boss wants to nail the essence of Brisbane “.
If accurate, and I have no reason to doubt the report, it troubles me, my colleagues, and many members of historical societies across Brisbane. This is what I posted across social media as a reply.
Do these executives have any knowledge of history, sociology, and philosophy, and do they really care about their ignorance on what most of us deeply understand as ‘essence’, ‘identity’, and the complex character of ‘Brisbane’. From ignorance comes stupidity. Or is it only for the sake of political entertainment, and we go to our death without knowing life.
I am also putting this letter out to social media because there are many of us who are livid at the way the State Government and Brisbane City Council is attempting to railroad communities, across Brisbane, on the current and flawed 2032 Olympic plan. This includes the state of affairs in the campaign of the Kangaroo Point-The Gabba-East Brisbane communities against the current planning for The Gabba redevelopment.
A branding exercise is futile if it does not address the political problems created by the State Government and the Brisbane City Council. Otherwise in ignoring community desires-needs, it is a false portrayal of the character of Brisbane in the PR exercise. Let me tell you, I have been part of a PR consultative process at the University of Melbourne in policy change. I know both the genuine tactics of public consultation and the tactics of attempting to con the public. The latter is likely to fail. The population of Brisbane has changed. We have more educated persons, and persons who care about the critical issues in the government’s current and flawed plan.
I ask that you continue your excelling journalistic work, and press the Government and Council on the critical questions, and cut away the PR and branding bullshit .
Kind regards,
Neville Buch, President SBSF, Historian, MPHA (Qld), Ph.D. (History) UQ., Grad. Dip. Arts (Philosophy) Melb., Grad. Dip. (Education) UQ.
