eCentral Business Show^©

Amy McMahon talks about Greens policy and implications for Queensland business

Fri 8:19am 20 Oct 2017
Podcast Audio


Amy McMahon is back on the eCentral Business Show. This time we go into detail about policy and implications for Queensland business.

With all the spotlights on Adani coal, it seems that the Queensland Greens would rather see the project support funding driven to a diverse range of alternative projects. Questions are raised about the best ways to support all business think create a level playing field.

Video transcript:
Introducing Amy MacMahon the  South Brisbane candidate for the Greens on the ecentral business show. I'm John Nayler.  Amy thank you very much for continued to participate in this extended edition yes yeah great now it is a central business show so we in the last video we talked quite a bit about where you come from than the Greens values and those sorts of things what I think is really important and we know that such a big issue around the Danny Coale but it's not just the Danny Coale is it there's you know you guys obviously stand for there's a much bigger picture in terms of not just a battle but the mission that has to be won a change of mindset either go for where what are the Greens really want where it wants to be where do we better we need to be yeah I think it's important to remember that the greens aren't just about stopping a Danny or stopping coal mines we do have a broader vision for a prosperous and connected Queensland that is beyond fossil fuels so how are we going to get through the next 10 15 years in this transition away from coal and fossil fuels that's happening isn't it well you know we've heard so much about South Australia they've almost taken some leadership with where you almost be kind of upset about it for more than to be yeah yeah so there's some really exciting things happening yeah even here in Australia even here in Queensland we know there's been a huge uptake in solar rooftops on people's houses for example but but more broadly the greens are trying to articulate a different vision for rural economies at the moment people are being told you have a Danny or you're facing a recession and this is a really a false dichotomy I think there's a there's space for us to be talking about a whole range of different things that we could be doing in rural Queensland to help people to be encouraging business as well so having investment in social housing and renewable energy generation and storage and thinking about the business opportunities that would emerge around having certainty long term in those kind of industries I think that's really important and it was a guy that lived on a boat for a bunch of years up on the Great Barrier Reef I'm very much touch with that amazing asset that we've got this that's a source of biodiversity you know it's something that's iconic in terms of the world's you know destinations and all that tourism there to flow through tourism income for a place such as where I lived early beach was enormous then that was all place that threat and because of a cold port you know there was the supported Harvey so you know I'm cognizant of that sort of thing you've got we do find balance in that and which way do we have to go not just you know it seems like a no-brainer decision to me yeah and the other important thing to remember is that the mining industry is going through a big shift towards automation and which means though there won't be many jobs there in the future and Adani have a stated commitment to automation as well so the jobs that they have been sharing are going to be quite small so this isn't even really a big win for people who want to get jobs in rural Queensland I mean what could we be thinking about in terms of government investment and business opportunities that could mean there are better better ways to do this at in rural Queensland better opportunities yeah I think there's some exciting exciting futures in renewable energy there's also opportunities for agriculture improving the way we do agriculture and having a bit even automation across that means I mean yeah so we need it I don't think we've got time at this show to talk about the bigger social issue that we have in the future of massive automation meaning human race doesn't have a lot to do well Sidda ready to talk about things yeah exactly yeah I think there's a really exciting bigger question there and some discussion around like a universal basic income for example yeah certainly for another whole mother video yeah but yeah but I've had of listeners discussion of participating those discussions in this is what do we do with this also if we're not tending the fields and not digging up gold words right yeah I've tried living on a boat eventually even that gets boring boy but anyway so they're obviously big businesses usually the focal point when it comes to these big projects where do the Greens stand in terms of big business small business and you know who do you look after the Greens because we're focused on this grass roots tend to be much more focused on small business and you'd be encouraging small business in the current climate how can you make sure small business have a competitive advantage in relation to big business how can you make sure I'd be happy with a level playing field playing field yeah when there's a lot of encouragement of big property development big new projects going on all around Brisbane how can you be doing that in a way that ensures that existing small businesses don't go out of business so for example there's the the big proposed Queens Wharf casino in the middle of Brisbane what is that going to mean for small businesses that are already in the CBD that rely on people coming there for lunch and for drinks and entertainment mm-hm what what what better things could we be doing with the heart of Brisbane this is 10% of the CBD that will be turned over to the casino is it that much yeah yeah it's huge it's a huge amount of area come to think of it yeah and over the river as well and they will have the benefit of you know a beautiful riverfront that means that there'll be small businesses who lose out over time and we've already seen the ways in which the the casino is a big central business is favored over small business with different liquor licensing for example oh yeah weird channel people that you know that's okay because what is it is it 24/7 even knows I'm there but casino is open 24/7 yeah it's even open on Christmas Day you can't gamble on Christmas Day but it's still over movies right yeah okay so yeah so that doesn't seem entirely fair no no and we know like gambling is a net drain on the economy in terms of social problems and problem gambling so there's much better things we could be thinking about with the middle of the city that could be beneficial to small business who could take advantage of that space but more broadly also thinking about how can we create cities and spaces that are connected in a way that can you know encourage placemaking and encourage small business that emerges around particular communities so we've got a lot of property development that's going on around Brisbane as well at the moment and a lot of this has been done without considering you know how do you create a neighborhood how do you make places that people actually want to come to we've got a lot of empty shop fronts at the moment because they're on busy roads and the in places where people don't walk or is an easy to cycle and you don't want to you know take your kids in a pram down there because it's not a nice place so how could we be creating these spaces where small business could thrive because they're really connected into the neighbourhood and the Greens have been talking a lot about how can we be doing and planning in Brisbane and better for people which would have a lot of following benefits for small business yeah we look so almost the go-to guides and the stuff that oh that Netherlands and Epsom lovely place for the push bikes are in the road I own the push oh the footpath they own you stay out of the way the push bike I mean ultimately they've got a lot of this very flat country but at the same time they've really embraced the push bike the way that we could no I think at this stage is true but and then at the same time we've got such an iconic place as South Bank you know the parklands they're really you know I'm very proud of where we've gotten oh yeah I was a uni when the expose on and watch that transition from into a park space after the the expo when what was there prior you know we've got all that to embrace and sort of capitalize on that opportunities there yeah what's to do we've got that as an example of how this could work you know all those businesses they're thriving because there's so many tourists coming through so many so much foot traffic coming through yeah and so how could we replicated that you know the restaurants drifted a little stately straight yeah adora okay fair enough okay look at me I think we're pretty much sure we're out of our 10 minute slot right now so thank you very much for coming speaker says the extended edition and something that's relevant around our business obviously very important for as part of the central business show so all of this for the coming elections thank you yeah okay thank you very much and obviously the greens are something you can make contact with Amy online and get in touch with the greens if you want to participate more you're looking for people that are going to go out door knock and represent and that's sort of think I have those conversations yeah I have those conversations with your neighbors and friends in the lead-up to the election would be great okay thank you very much Amy all right that's another episode done on the ecentral business show I'm John Nayler.