After the flood
Of course you must stay with us, I assured my suddenly homeless son. For as long as it takes to rebuild. Which could be weeks, I thought, looking at the muddied wreck that had been home for the family of four. We’d seized as many of their possessions as we could, splashing through the rapidly [...]
Bruce Morcombe urges kids to trust their instincts
A positive outlook is absolutely essential for young kids, according to child protection advocate and grieving father Bruce Morcombe. Mr Morcombe was speaking to pupils in Mackay yesterday. He and his wife Denise spoke of the need for kids not to feel weighed down by such events as the tragic abduction and murder of their [...]
Thousands gather to help fire victims’ families
Thousands of people gathered in Queen Street Mall on Friday night for a five-hour charity concert that raised more than $15,000 for the victims of the Slacks Creek house fire. Labeled the worst house fire in the state in a decade it claimed the lives of 11 people from the Tongan and Samoan community. Eight [...]
Aussie flag turns 110 this weekend
Queenslanders will join the rest of Australia in celebrating the 110th anniversary of the Australian flag on Saturday. According to Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce the flag has a special place for all. “It is much loved, touched, worn and flown by Australians here and across the world. It graces our most solemn occasions and significant [...]
Transferring public servants to Carseldine tipped to cause traffic chaos
Huge traffic problems have been predicted with the state government’s plan to move public servants to the former QUT Carseldine campus. Bracken Ridge councillor Amanda Cooper said nothing was being done to address the traffic impacts of up to 1000 new workers in the area and residents had wanted the campus to stay. “I know [...]
Council angry over State ban on river development
Deputy premier Paul Lucas came under fire at this week’s Brisbane City Council meeting as he was accused of being anti-development for the city. Cr Amanda Cooper said Paul Lucas’s decision to reject the development at the Howard Smith Wharves was inconsistent and against city development. The chair of council’s neighbourhood planning and development assessment [...]
Ekka race day at Eagle Farm draws happy crowd
Clouds built and the breeze freshened but that wasn’t going to stop the thousands who came out for the annual Ekka races at Eagle Farm racecourse on Wednesday. The fake tan had been applied, suits ironed and hair curled. Most of the spectators, mainly aged in their 20s, had been preened to perfection – and [...]
Council accused of a lousy deal over bike helmets
The number of Brisbane cyclists with itchy heads may increase dramatically in the next three months, the Brisbane City Council trialling a shared helmet system for Citycycle. From next Monday a third of the bike fleet will have a helmet provided free of charge, one of the council’s seven improvements to increase the struggling scheme’s [...]
Thousands call on Parliament to ban live animal exports
Thousands of people joined protests in capital cities over the weekend to urge the Australian Parliament to ban live export in Australia. The rallies follow a lift on a temporary ban put in place after footage of the mistreatment of cattle in Indonesian abattoirs was aired on ABC’s Four Corners program. Animals Australia advocate and [...]
Hundreds rally for same-sex marriage
Hundreds of people calling for legalisation of same-sex marriage protested outside Sydney’s Town Hall on Saturday. Co-convenor of the Community Action Against Homophobia, Cat Rose, told the crowd protests would put pressure on the Labor Party before its national conference in December when changes to the law would be debated. The group seeks repeal of [...]