The Australian Medical Association has called on the federal government to make it compulsory for alcohol products to carry warning labels such as those found on cigarette packets. The AMA said warning labels were needed to keep consumers aware of the dangers. Federal president of the AMA Dr Steve Hambleton told Newsbytes other countries used […]

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 […]

A one-way train trip from Richlands to the CBD will cost almost $15 in 2014* according to a leaked state government strategy document. The shock figure was revealed at yesterday’s Brisbane City Council meeting by public transport chairman Julian Simmonds, who quoted an internal Translink document projecting big increases in all public transport fares in […]

Forensic and legal experts have labelled the Brisbane City Council’s bus DNA testing trial “useless” and “bizarre”. Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer in forensic DNA Dr Bill Lott said the kits were a waste of money. “I am somewhat astounded that the BCC would waste money this way, and even more astounded that the […]

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says she is  disappointed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott won’t support all the measures that would deliver the world’s first plain packaging for tobacco products. The  Australian Medical Association has backed the plain packaging reforms and awarded the Australian Government their annual tobacco award for the policy. “You have to wonder whether […]

Smoking bans to come into force in Queen Street Mall from September 1 will merely shift smokers and their litter to areas nearby, according to the the Queensland Hotels Association. QHA occupational health and safety manager Ross Tims said this week licensed premises would also suffer the full brunt of the laws because tourists and […]

The Queensland Health Department has been accused of letting down children by not having nurses in primary schools to detect health problems. Children affected included those with learning-related problems and children in remote regions, according to critics of the state department. School health programs were failing to diagnose children with health problems that affected their […]

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 […]

A senior Brisbane councillor claims flood-damaged sporting facilities owned by the council have been refused funding from the national disaster relief fund. Brisbane Lifestyle committee chair Geraldine Knapp said yesterday the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) did not consider that sporting facilities were an “essential public asset”. The Council has estimated $10 million […]

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 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 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 […]

Any legal costs and damages related to the sacking of a council employee with a controversial husband will be paid by ratepayers, according to Lord Mayor Graham Quirk. Opposition leader Shayne Sutton said at this week’s Brisbane City Council meeting a former employee of Cr Fiona King was considering legal action for unfair dismissal. She […]

A war of words has broken out between Brisbane city councillors over an historic church at Wynnum slated for demolition to make way for a six-storey office block. At this week’s council meeting Cr Amanda Cooper blamed Cr Peter Cumming for supporting demolition instead of removal of the former Baptist church. Ms Cooper, who chairs […]

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has called for less pessimism and more optimism about the economy from Australia’s politicians. “We are better placed than just about any other country on earth at the moment, but I don’t think that is how Australians feel,” she said yesterday. Australians were at risk of falling into a self-defeating mood, […]