Lara Lauth



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 […]


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, […]


Labor attacks Go Between Bridge losses

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk came under fire in this week’s city council meeting for the revenue shortfall of $866,000 for the Go Between Bridge. The loss was revealed in last week’s Brisbane City Council budget review. Labor also criticised the Liberal National Party administration for the cost of collecting tolls. “We also discovered motorists […]


Street poll: How do you rate emergency response services?

Emergency services responses at the time of Toowoomba’s tragic January 10 flash flood have come under scrutiny at the Toowoomba Hearings of the Queensland Floods Commission Inquiry. Husband and father of flood victims Donna and Jordan Rice told the inquiry of his sorrow. “I’m of the understanding that a triple-0 call is for emergency response […]


Newman claims win over water restructure

Campbell Newman today had his first big win in Queensland state politics according to parliamentary Opposition leader Geoff Seeney.   The Premier announced in Parliament today that retail water and sewerage price increases would be capped at CPI for the next two years. Local councils will be able to opt out of current water utilities […]


Govt accused of wasting dental health money

The Queensland Health Department has been accused of wasting money on an oral health scheme for schools where nothing is happening. Liberal National Party member for Mudgeeraba Ros Bates said the Government was “wasting money on an oral health scheme which is not achieving and is sitting idle wasting taxpayers’ money.” She said a leaked […]


Bligh calls on Queenslanders to help disaster-affected neighbours

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is calling Queenslanders to reach out and take care of their neighbours, families and friends, especially over the Easter holidays. “We all have a role to play in looking out for our family members, our friends, our neighbours, and our work colleagues [who were affected by the recent natural disasters],” Ms […]


‘No no Nicole’ – Mayor refuses Johnston’s questions but honours Hinchliffe

Independent Nicole Johnston says she is “feeling left out” at Brisbane City Council meetings, after being repeatedly denied the chance to question Lord Mayor Campbell Newman at this week’s explosive meeting. After postponement of the regular question time, councillors resorted to a quaint provision in the rules letting them interrupt the Lord Mayor mid-speech to […]


Street poll: Should Nicole Johnston have been thrown out of Council?

This week’s Brisbane City Council meeting didn’t exactly go to plan. After refusing to leave council chambers following her suspension, Independent Cr Nicole Johnston was escorted from the building by police. We talked to people in Brisbane’s CBD to get their reactions, and asked them what they thought should have been done.


Street poll: Has Campbell Newman abandoned Brisbane?

The Labor Party has accused Campbell Newman of abandoning Brisbane in pursuit of his political career. Mr Newman is quitting his role as Brisbane lord mayor to run for election to the Queensland parliament as alternative premier to Anna Bligh. We went to the City Botanic Gardens to ask people what they thought. Camera and […]


Street poll: What gift would you give the US president?

Prime Minister Julia Gillard gave United States president Barack Obama several Australian souvenirs during her recent visit to Washington, including a football, an ipod preloaded with Australian music and an opportunity to taste Vegemite. (“It’s horrible,” he declared.) We went to Brisbane’s King George Square to ask the public what other Australiana should have been […]


Give us back our water – Campbell Newman

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has called on the Queensland Government to return control of water supplies to Brisbane City Council. “Give it back to the BCC,” he demanded at today’s Council meeting, when blasting water authorities for huge jumps in the price of water since handover of the water grid to the State Government in […]


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