Flood memorabilia on display

The Queensland Museum is putting together a collection of flood damaged items for an exhibition next year. Museum senior curator of social history Jo Besley said part of the museum’s role in the community was to anticipate what’s important now and preserve it for the future. She said nothing like this had been done after the 1974 floods and it was a good way for people to understand the magnitude of the catastophe. “When we looked at other significant floods... Read More

Lavender teddy bears invade Brisbane

Brisbanites had the opportunity to add to their teddy bear collections this week, with lavender bears on sale to support the Leukaemia Foundation. The bears and other lavender gifts were sold to support the annual Lavender for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma appeal, held every June. Volunteers wearing lavender took to the streets throughout the city to sell the $8 bears, this year named “Lila” (pictured left, with Miranda). Volunteer Emma Weiss, who has been involved in... Read More

Quirk leaps to defend cycle scheme

Staunch supporter of the CityCycle scheme, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, admitted in this week’s council meeting he was not himself a cyclist. “I am not a big cyclist,” Cr Quirk said. “It’s not a pretty sight.” Cr Quirk was replying to a question from Labor councillor Helen Abrahams. The mayor said he had tried CityCycle but his long legs made him a poor cyclist. Cr Quirk said it had been the same in his wicket-keeping days, when he earned the... Read More

Conservationists tackle fishing industry over marine park

A petition to create the world’s largest marine Park in Australia’s Coral Sea has stirred controversy with claims the park would damage the nation’s fishing industry. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has organised a petition calling for protection of marine life in the Coral Sea. But the proposal has left many in the fishing industry worrying about the consequences if a marine park is created. AMCS have collected 45,000 signatures and aim for... Read More

‘Cheaper to give bikes away’ – Opposition

It would be cheaper to buy bikes for everyone in Brisbane than continue to hire them out through the under-utilised CityCycle scheme, Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton said at yesterday’s Brisbane City Council meeting. The Opposition called for the council to review the transport program, which began under former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman in 2010. “Barely anybody is using CityCycle,” Cr Sutton said, criticising the high cost of running the program. She said it cost the... Read More

Village green for QUT-end of Goodwill Bridge

Four new facilities including a cafe and a village green will be developed at the Queensland University of Technology end of the Goodwill Bridge. The plans were outlined at Tuesday’s Brisbane City Council meeting. Chairman of Neighbourhood Planning Amanda Cooper said the development would be conducted in partnership with QUT. “I’d have to commend QUT for partnering with Council on this project. It’s good to see them taking some initiatives to respond to... Read More

Mayor promises rates to be below CPI

Rates increases to be announced in the forthcoming budget would be below the 3.6 percent Brisbane CPI for the average householder, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said at this week’s council meeting. Asked by Opposition leader Cr Shayne Sutton if he would either commit to a 3.6 percent rates cap for all properties in his budget or acknowledge that some ratepayers would pay an increase over the inflation rate, Cr Quirk said the rating system in Brisbane had been used for four decades... Read More

Meatworkers join rally against live cattle exports

Protesters gathered in Ipswich CBD on Saturday to demand the federal government ban live export of cattle to Indonesia, with chants of “We want live exports banned” and “Shame on Gillard”. Local stud owners and meatworkers joined the protest to oppose live exports – although meatworkers’ concerns seemed more with employment opportunities than animal welfare. Organiser Dr Patricia Petersen said banning the trade would see the Ipswich economy... Read More

Thousands rally in Brisbane to call for carbon tax

Thousands of people today rallied in Brisbane to support the federal government’s proposed carbon tax ‘Say YES’ organisers believe that up to 5000 people attended the rally at the Brisbane Riverstage. Waving placards, people called for action on climate change and supported a price on carbon. Among the audience was federal treasurer Wayne Swan and Queensland environment minister Kate Jones. Reverend Tim Costello from World Vision said “climate change was costing lives... Read More

Katter’s party declares war on Coles and Woolies

North Queensland independent federal MP Bob Katter today launched a new party – as well as a broadside against the powerful supermarket duopoly in Australia. Mr Katter said he wanted laws that no one company can control more than 22 percent of Australia’s grocery market – compared with the 85 percent he says is controlled by Coles and Woolworths. “We will bust up the Coles Woolworth’s duopoly,” he said. Mr Katter today launched his new “Australian Party”... Read More

Changing perceptions of the Pacific through art

An exhibition that challenges our perceptions and questions our understanding of Australia’s closest neighbours is on display at Logan Art Gallery. “Pacific Storms” aims to overcome stereotypes of Pacific Island art by focusing on captivating the viewer and drawing attention to the Pacific culture seen through the eyes of Pacific artists. The painting “Frigate Bird” or “Kasaga” in Fijian captured my attention with its intricate detail, use of colours... Read More

Fire in Valley nightclub

Fire engines rushed to put out a fire in a Fortitude Valley nightclub mid-afternoon Friday. Police confirmed that at least 12 emergency services personnel, including two fire engines, two police wagons, and one ambulance rushed to the scene automatically after fire alarms were activated at The Jungle nightclub in McLachlan Street. They said fire officers were “blowing out the smoke, to see what caused the fire”. But Jungle Nightclub staff member Tim Baili, who had tried... Read More

Reynolds’ “Portrait of Aneas Mackay” is remarkable in its silence

It’s amazing what can be the most attention grabbing artistic work in a collection. People joke about sculptures made from great heaps of rubbish, and paintings that are reminiscent of their 4-year-old niece’s artistic triumphs. But in this case, we see a quiet painting of a man who seems as if he isn’t even there, but which unobtrusively calls the eye. The Portrait of Aneas Mackay, of Ravenhead House in England in the late 1760s, by Joshua Reynolds, is nestled... Read More

More kids walking to school

School children are getting healthier and roads less congested, transport chairman Julian Simmonds told Tuesday’s Brisbane City Council meeting. Cr Simmonds said the council’s Active School Transport program had resulted in a 35 percent increase in the number of students walking or cycling to school. “So that’s a 35 percent decrease in the number of sole passenger car trips,” he said. “I think that’s a wonderful achievement.” The program, which involves initiatives... Read More

Chains of office cost ratepayers thousands of dollars

Brisbane’s lord mayor has defended expenditure of almost $4000 for renewal of his chains of office. Responding to Opposition claims at yesterday’s Council meeting that thousands of dollars had been spent cleaning the chains – worn by lord mayors at official ceremonies – Cr Graham Quirk said most of the cost was for making and adding a new medallion commemorating his predecessor, Campbell Newman. Whenever a mayor leaves office, a medallion is added to the... Read More