Jonathan Sriranganathan has announced he will step down from his role as councillor for Brisbane's Gabba Ward.
He was first elected in March 2016, becoming the state's first Greens councillor and the first of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage.
Cr Sriranganathan said it was time for "fresh faces".
"With the next council election in March 2024, I was deciding whether I wanted to serve another four-year term as Gabba Ward councillor, by which time I would’ve held the same role for almost twelve years," Cr Sriranganathan said in a statement.
"Considering how strong the Greens are now in Brisbane, I felt like this was a good opportunity for transition."
Cr Sriranganathan is set to be replaced by Trina Massey in May.
Ms Massey ran for Brisbane's Central Ward in the 2020 council election, but even with a swing of almost 5 per cent in the Greens' favour, couldn't defeat the LNP's Vicki Howard, who has safely held the seat since 2012.
She said in a statement it was "about damn time" politics became more representative of diversity.
"As a queer Black Asian immigrant woman, I grew up not seeing people like me in politics," Ms Massey said.
"It means a lot to me to be able to elevate the voices of diverse intersectional communities in such a prominent role."
Colourful political career
Cr Sriranganathan did not shy away from controversy in his seven years as a councillor, from protest activity to political clashes with other local and state members.
He was even arrested and charged with contravening the direction of a police officer after protesting at a refugee rights rally at Kangaroo Point in 2020, but the charges were dropped soon after.
"I expect some in the media will focus on the fact that I’ve occasionally organised protests, but over the past seven years, I’ve spent a lot more of my time on stuff like pedestrian safety, planting street trees, and trialling different forms of localised participatory democracy," he said in a statement.
"I do think those grassroots improvements are an important foundation for the broader systemic changes our society so urgently needs."
Speaking alongside his Greens colleagues on Sunday, Cr Sriranganathan said a number of things influenced his decision to step down, including being able to dedicate more time to loved ones and community activism.
He said the answer to the question of what he would do next is: 'I don't know'.
But when pressed about whether he would consider a run for Brisbane mayor or state parliament, he said nothing was off the table.
"People are always assuming that if you step down from some role, you've got a plan for the next step of your career path," he said.
"I honestly just want time to reflect, reconnect with my family and friends, and think about how I'm best used and how the community needs me to operate going forward."
Cr Sriranganathan said his time on Brisbane City Council "hasn't always been easy".
"I've copped a lot more racism and police harassment than any other councillor I know of, but it's also been a joy and an honour to connect with so many people and to help elevate so many important issues and struggles," he said.
