Is ‘Living in Brisbane’ too expensive?
The Story Bridge is in disrepair; maybe we don’t need a glossy magazine
Yes, it’s another video. But never fear, a synopsis is here:
I’m talking about the magazine titled Living in Brisbane that is delivered to the letterboxes all Brisbane households. And I’m questioning the cost-effectiveness of producing and distributing this glossy publication, particularly given recent discussions about how broke the city is and even talk of a potential toll for funds to fix the Story Bridge.
I’m concerned that the magazine might primarily serve to promote the Lord Mayor and council, rather than serve the residents. While acknowledging some potentially useful information within, such as bus timetable updates and details on curbside collections, I reckon it could be delivered more efficiently through digital means, saving ratepayer money.
I invite you to consider whether the magazine represents a waste of public funds or a justifiable way to keep us informed.
It’s the only printed material I “pay for” these days, and if it wasn’t delivered I wouldn’t bother. But as the age of print draws to a close, I find the internet is not a complete replacement. I’m missing local news and I’m not going online looking for it. If it doesn’t land on my doorstep I’m fairly oblivious. The living brisbane rag is good because it doesn’t have ads, but then again, it’s an ad for Council and showing how it is increasingly looking and acting like a for-profit company. You are right to question it. It’s a little useful and a lot of propaganda and surely not much longer for this world.
Living Brisbane is available online as a downloadable PDF on the Council site.
Given the Council is facing financial problems and a crumbling Story Bridge, going fully online would seem to be a good saving, though the content still has to be produced.
I’d bet they are paying over the odds for production costs too, because governments have a particular talent for paying too much for everything.
Why has the Story Bridge issue suddenly jumped up out of the ground… was this not forseeable?
Have we not been paying millions in annual maintenance programs? I used to drive over that bridge every day and there were always men in overalls crawling all over it with rust-proof paint tins…. What went wrong?