Australia’s economy has been re-zoned into a construction bubble. The federal government wants to outlaw one of the few effective unions remaining, that of building workers, the CFMEU.
Developers and Brisbane City Council want to build more retail stores where workers get less award wages. FairWork Australia does little or nothing.
The bubble will burst, the workers may snap … Westenders tried to put something better in its place, called AHIMSA or Peace House. The dream proved impractical. Small business corruption and opposition by the Qld public trustee, local, state and federal members saw it fail. A proposed community centre for Aboriginal youth was rejected by ALP-appointed Public Trustee, Peter Carne.
The Public Trustee owns the building next door in Horan Street.
A petition of 600 locals trying to save AHIMSA house fell on deaf ears.
Now developers have an alternative of their own – West Village.
This is a wrong turn.
Build community, not high rise!
Ian Curr
24 April 2016