Brisbane City Council is the largest local council in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.  Covering an area of 1367 square kilometres, Brisbane is a modern, diverse city with a population of almost 980,000 people.

It is known for its friendly, relaxed environment and outdoor experiences.  Brisbane is ranked among the world’s top cities for quality of life and is rated safer than other Australian cities by 56% of residents.  Brisbane enjoys a subtropical climate with humid summers and mild winters.  The Brisbane River is a special feature, winding 19 kilometres through the middle of the city.

Brisbane City Council manages Australia’s biggest local government budget, at $2.1 billion for 2006/07.  Its permanent workforce of 6400 employees delivers core local government services such as water and sewerage, public transport, urban management and city administration to a culturally diverse population.

It maintains 5,500km of roads and 550km of bikeways.  About 160,000 vehicles enter the CBD each day.  Since 1990, the average number of vehicles entering the CBD has grown by about 17%.

Brisbane continues to be the fastest growing area in the state and country, a position held consistently for the past decade.  With 2.3% growth (or nearly 40,000 people) over the year to June 2004, the Brisbane area is currently growing almost twice as fast as the average for all of Australia’s capital cities and the national rate of growth.  Of Brisbane’s 188 suburbs, population growth remains strongest in the outer fringe suburbs. Urban renewal areas have also accommodated a high proportion of growth.

The Lord Mayor and twenty-six councillors govern the operations of Council.

The Hon Graham Quirk, Lord Mayor of Brisbane

Graham Quirk became Lord Mayor of Brisbane in April 2011.

Graham’s appointment continues a long record of service to Brisbane and the local community. This service to Brisbane includes the past three years as Deputy Mayor alongside Campbell Newman and 26 years as a local Councillor on Brisbane’s southside.

During this time and as part of the ‘Can Do’ Team, Graham has been responsible for delivering many positive outcomes and ongoing projects for the City, including:

• Easing traffic congestion with major infrastructure projects across the City – including the TransApex network of cross city tunnels and bridges along with the Road Action Program which fast-tracks 15 years of urgent road works into just four years
• Improving public transport with 500 new buses and the re-building of the CityCat terminals following on from the disastrous 2011 floods 
• A green city with the planting of 2 million trees and using 100% renewable energy within Council
• $100 million for Brisbane’s bikeways.

Graham grew up in Doomben, on Brisbane’s northside and currently lives in Eight Mile Plains with his wife, Anne, and three daughters – Sarah, Elizabeth and Charlotte.

As Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk will provide a safe set of hands and draw on his 26 years of experience as a Councillor to continue delivering for the residents of this wonderful city.