The Brisbane Institute

The Brisbane Institute is an independent think tank based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, founded in 1999. It holds various talks, functions, debates and similar activities on average once every 2 to 3 weeks. Notable speakers include Justice Michael Kirby, Lady Kennedy of The Shaws and the painter Jeffrey Smart.

The Institute specialises in social, political, economic and cultural issues. In 2004-05 it had a particular emphasis on the regional planning issues confronting South East Queensland (SEQ). In addition to the regular functions, The Brisbane Institute also curates exhibitions, including 'The Two Hundred Kilometre City' and 'Defending the North: Queensland in the Pacific War'.

The Brisbane Institute is funded by The University of Queensland, the Brisbane City Council, the Queensland State Government and a number of companies. The Institute runs an e-zine on its website called "The Brisbane Line" - a somewhat cheeky title alluding to the widespread fear and belief in Queensland that in the event of an invasion of Queensland by the Japanese in the Pacific War, that the rest of Australia through the Federal government would abandon all of Queensland to the north of Brisbane (the theoretical 'Brisbane Line'.)

The Brisbane Institute receives a mention in "The Latham Diaries", Mark Latham, MUP 2005, on page 109.

The 200 Kilometre City

The Brisbane Institute curated the exhibition "The 200 Kilometre City" which opened in September 2004 at the Museum of Brisbane. The title refers to the linear urban development extending from Tweed Heads to Noosa and the possibility of that development being continuous sometime in the future. Currently 3.5 million people live in this area, 1.8 million of which live in Brisbane. It is estimated that the total population of the "200 Kilometre city" could be 7 million by 2026. [ [http://www.brisinst.org.au/pdf/inbrief200km1.pdf The 200 Kilometre City: Brisbane and its Linear Coasts] ]

A related issue put forward by the Institute is that of the amount of "green space" in SEQ. In an audit by the Institute comparing the green space of greater Sydney and SEQ, it was found that 17.4% of SEQ was green space (including National Park, Conservation Park, State Forest and State Reserve) compared with 42.9% of Greater Sydney. The study area for both cities was 150 kilometres East-West and 250 kilometres North-South. [ [http://www.brisinst.org.au/resources/spearritt_peter_greenspaceaudit.html Green Space Audit of South East Queensland] ]

External links

* [http://www.brisinst.org.au/ The Brisbane Institute Website]
* [http://www.brisinst.org.au/pdf/launch200km.pdf From Noosa to the Tweed PDF]
* [http://www.brisinst.org.au/resources/spearritt_peter_waterenergy.html The Water and Energy Crisis in Australia's first 200km City]

References