yeah, what's the clock about ??

Wasn't Emerald tall and slim?

Vertical villages as construction kicks in
Daryl Passmore
Sunday Mail
04/02/07

* A 59-floor clock at 549 Queen St with 206 units as well as shops, offices and restuarants on the lower levels.
* A 43 storey mixed commercial and residential development at 484 Adelaide st.
* A 25 storey redevelopment of the Transit Centre at Roma St.
* A 33 floor office tower next to the recently refurbished McDonnell and East building in George St, including gym, childcare facilities, food outlets and large numbers of bicycle racks and showers to encourage people to ride to work. This development will be seeking five-star Green Star accreditation for its high use of natural daylight, and water and energy efficency features.
* A 35 storey office block approved for a site between Turbot St and Tank St.


Also whats this one all about? Its the first I heard of it!

I read on my phone this morning ("3" news page - taken from the Courier Mail) that the BCC will present a submission to the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) today that details 10 major areas of concern in relation to the proposed parallel runway. There are concerns for water, loss of wetlands, underestimates of traffic impact, noise estimates and so on. Probably the most interesting one though was that the BAC "failed to recognise Brisbane's central business district as an expanding tall building obstacle zone". Not terribly exciting news, I know, but it's news nonetheless!

^^Not to mention the articles about the NSBT, the dams etc. Heaps of interesting stuff in the paper today!!

Also whats this one all about? Its the first I heard of it!

That's 502 Adelaide Street (cos it's 484-502 Adelaide Street), 43 stories - 145m tall.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/Maroon1/502Adelaide.jpg

Anyway, all this news is good, I think Brisbane will have Australia's tallest building soon, cos we got just about everything else:P

^^Mixed use??? That's the first I've heard of that!!

Hello, please see these photos of the ANL sign taken from my living room...

http://img79.imageshack.us/my.php?image=anlsd2.jpg
http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=anlkx5.jpg

The facts on the ANL sign are:
- the sign was installed 6 months after about 1000 BCC residents moved into the residential only tower. Thus it was not there first.
- council have breached their own signage legislation 6 times by approving this sign.
- This sign is 3 times larger then it is legally allowed to be. This is taken in proportion to the site.
- The sign degrades the nearby queen street heritage vista (there are 4 1880s heritage listed structures within 100 metres of it)
- ANL has 2 signs, one has great exposure to the river/storey bridge and causes no problems, the second sign only blasts the CUA and Aurora buildings.
- Council will not reverse their wrong decision on this matter as they are fearful of being sued by ANL.
- Council have admitted that they would not approve this sign in this location again.
- Council collects $600,000/anum in rates from Aurora residents.


Now it is correct that there are noise, light, pollution issues in the city, most of which were addressed in the Aurora buildings design, however, if a law should protect residents from these problems being greatly exacervated into the future and it doesn't then there is room to whinge about it.

Now if this sign was correctly sized at 12 m2 rather then 42 m2 (as per the law) then there would be no problem.


You may not have noticed, but we dont give a crap about your complaints - and I doubt most of Brisbane does either...how about you move to the suburbs??

Dont you realise, people just think you are an indiot??? :bash:

BrisbaneCityWhinger, perhaps this isn't the right forum for you? If you haven't noticed, most people on here are pro development. I would have to second that Brissy Phil! Can we trade apartments? I would love to have that view with the ANL sign... I looked at an apartment on the back side of Aurora with the Boeing neon sign virtually 2 meters from the balcony and loved it. Buy some blinds or leave that apartment vacant so people who enjoy that inner city (glow) can rent it :D! Please don't whinge... Brisbane is finally coming of age and i think we have long past that "country town image". Our CBD is extremely dense, so this is going to happen over and over again if people don't adapt or simply move away.

Sorry... I just feel compelled to post my view about this.

I will second everything you have said SVQ1..:applause:

You may not have noticed, but we dont give a crap about your complaints - and I doubt most of Brisbane does either...how about you move to the suburbs??

Dont you realise, people just think you are an indiot??? :bash:

I don't think he's an idiot. But I think you're RUDE! :nono:

Groundswell against dam

By Tuck Thompson

February 04, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Courier-Mail



A COALITION against the Traveston Dam is gaining momentum among prominent members of the Nationals and Greens.
Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce yesterday called for a Senate inquiry into the project near Gympie, a challenge immediately taken up by state Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh, who said: "We've got nothing to fear."

Nearly 400 people held a protest rally against the proposal at the Gympie Showgrounds yesterday.

Senator Joyce branded the state's argument "a pack of lies".

Nationals MP Warren Truss said the dam site had been repeatedly rejected by previous state administrations.

"It should have been stopped before it was even announced. The project simply doesn't stack up on engineering, economic or social grounds," Mr Truss said.

Ms Bligh said an inquiry would not halt the dam.

"The people of southeast Queensland, however, might not be too happy with delays while they're watching existing dam levels fall," she said.

Queensland Greens environment spokeswoman Larissa Waters said the dam was the most expensive, least reliable and most destructive option for regional water. An Environmental Impact Statement is open for public comment until February 19 and she urged protesters to make submissions.

Leaders of the Save the Mary River co-ordinating committee say the dam will turn into a "rotting, stinking swamp".

risin quickly: (Drivin from the aeroporto tonight)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/155/numbtm7.jpg

"The people of southeast Queensland, however, might not be too happy with delays while they're watching existing dam levels fall," she said.
.

what is she going to fill the new dam with? really what sort of brain capacity does it take to realise that the dam wont fill unless it rains, the very resource that we are finding extremely frigid at the moment with our existing dams.

MORE DESAL. Build them all up the coast. GAURANTEED WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

risin quickly: (Drivin from the aeroporto tonight)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/155/numbtm7.jpg

I was working tonight. Perhaps i saw you

That's 502 Adelaide Street (cos it's 484-502 Adelaide Street), 43 stories - 145m tall.

Anyway, all this news is good, I think Brisbane will have Australia's tallest building soon, cos we got just about everything else:P

Thanks but was kinda hoping one slipped by me!
:D

Thanks but was kinda hoping one slipped by me!
:D
Yeah same, it threw me at first, I had to look it up.

I was working tonight. Perhaps i saw you
Who knows, what terminal were you at? (I was international)

I don't think he's an idiot. But I think you're RUDE! :nono:


Ohh, I will loose sleep over that comment tonight.... :nuts:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21176656-952,00.html

City streets to shut

CENTRAL Brisbane streets should be shut to traffic as part of City Hall's plans to combat climate change, a new report recommends.

Brisbane City Council's climate change taskforce has also warned cyclones, floods and bushfires could become the norm if the city does not convert to solar energy and boost public transport usage.

It suggests banning cars from a fifth of CBD roads, that 20 per cent of travel be done on public transport and an extra 20 per cent of homes convert to solar energy.

The $50,000 report, from a taskforce of science, council and business representatives, comes only days after the release of a UN report on climate change which warned global temperatures could rise by up to 4C.

Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe yesterday released the preliminary report and warned City Hall had to be bold and make "very substantial investments" in response.

"The fact that we may have to deal with cyclones in Brisbane, the fact that Brisbane is fast becoming not a subtropical capital but a tropical capital and that means we'll have to deal with tropical diseases . . . dengue fever and malaria," Cr Hinchliffe said.

The report calls for "20 by 2020" solutions which include using 20 per cent renewable energy and non-petrol transport fuels, reducing water use by 20 per cent and making 20 per cent of urban trips on foot or bicycle and doubling public transport use.

Under proposals expected to be released in three weeks, residents could be offered incentives to convert to solar power and reduce greenhouse gases and energy use.

However the taskforce has not ruled out seeking tougher measures to force ratepayers to become more environmentally friendly.

Cr Hinchliffe ruled out nuclear energy in the city.

A spokesman for Lord Mayor Campbell ****** accused Cr Hinchliffe of grandstanding on the issue.

^^I'm getting excited to see what they are going to do about this. I hope most or all of it comes to pass. It is really going to take some balls from BCC and the councillers though, let's hope they have them!!!

Journalists still can't get building heights right to save themselves though. Aurora 220m? Maybe above sea level...same with 480 Queen's 250m. And Empire Square's 245m?? That isn't its height no matter where you measure it from. At least the got Vision's spire height right.

how will brisbane become tropical if were supposed to be gripped with drought???

im not buying this global warming crap, although im totally for the changes to human behaviour its bringing

how will brisbane become tropical if were supposed to be gripped with drought???

im not buying this global warming crap, although im totally for the changes to human behaviour its bringing

I'm with you Maroon Grown, how much human intevention contributed to the ending of the ice age?

Journalists still can't get building heights right to save themselves though. Aurora 220m? Maybe above sea level...same with 480 Queen's 250m. And Empire Square's 245m?? That isn't its height no matter where you measure it from. At least the got Vision's spire height right.

I know what you mean...but what I think they are doing is sensationalising the heights of buildings to make their story more scary and hence, the ultimate goal, to sell more papers. I am sure they know the real heights of Aurora etc, but they decided to exagerate a bit to beef up the story. They got the height of Vision right because at 283m it is bloody huge, but that is to its fin and they did not bother to mention that in the article - the uninformed people who read that article will probably think that Vision will be 283m to roof...which does sound big...all part of the mis-information of facts to sell more papers...gives me the shits really...:bash:

^^ Two words: Question Everything.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21176656-952,00.html

City streets to shut

CENTRAL Brisbane streets should be shut to traffic as part of City Hall's plans to combat climate change, a new report recommends.

Brisbane City Council's climate change taskforce has also warned cyclones, floods and bushfires could become the norm if the city does not convert to solar energy and boost public transport usage.

It suggests banning cars from a fifth of CBD roads, that 20 per cent of travel be done on public transport and an extra 20 per cent of homes convert to solar energy.

The $50,000 report, from a taskforce of science, council and business representatives, comes only days after the release of a UN report on climate change which warned global temperatures could rise by up to 4C.

Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe yesterday released the preliminary report and warned City Hall had to be bold and make "very substantial investments" in response.

"The fact that we may have to deal with cyclones in Brisbane, the fact that Brisbane is fast becoming not a subtropical capital but a tropical capital and that means we'll have to deal with tropical diseases . . . dengue fever and malaria," Cr Hinchliffe said.

The report calls for "20 by 2020" solutions which include using 20 per cent renewable energy and non-petrol transport fuels, reducing water use by 20 per cent and making 20 per cent of urban trips on foot or bicycle and doubling public transport use.

Under proposals expected to be released in three weeks, residents could be offered incentives to convert to solar power and reduce greenhouse gases and energy use.

However the taskforce has not ruled out seeking tougher measures to force ratepayers to become more environmentally friendly.

Cr Hinchliffe ruled out nuclear energy in the city.

A spokesman for Lord Mayor Campbell ****** accused Cr Hinchliffe of grandstanding on the issue.

as ive stated before, im totally for changing the behaviour of human activity for a cleaner environment, however this whole global warming shit is getting beyond a joke.

1. How can brisbane be soley responsible for the climate surrounding us. our weather patterns are triggered by movements half way across the world.
2. if brisbane achieved the targets set by this report, does that exclude us from so called 'climate change' like a big force field surrounding the city. i think not.
3. we keep getting told we are in drought and will be indefinately. the report suggests if we dont convert to green energy we will get more rains and cyclones. EVERYONE USE MORE ENERGY!!!!!!!! (until the dams are full)

im sick of the media and now even govts portraying every single extreme weather event as global warming and every move we make as globally significant. one big example is the halfwits at the CM calling the floods in NQ as global warming. fuck me it rains every monsoon season up there, some years more than others. next thing it will bucket down in brisbane.. oh shit its global warming. fuck....like its never flooded before! also, im not feeling the so called warming, especially this summer. december 06 was on average 5 degrees COOLER than dec 05. figure that out!

how will brisbane become tropical if were supposed to be gripped with drought???

im not buying this global warming crap, although im totally for the changes to human behaviour its bringing

Tropical has nothing to do with rainfall, you can have the dry tropics and the wet tropics. The Sahara Desert is in the tropics.

This summer here has been very mild, much cooler than others.

Ohh, I will loose sleep over that comment tonight.... :nuts:

GOOD

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/382493418_2123f3c310_b.jpg

GOOD


You really do take life very seriously dont you?? :ohno:

You really do take life very seriously dont you?? :ohno:

I fail to see how that's relevant to your rudeness!

I fail to see how that's relevant to your rudeness!


It's very relevant, actually, but even my subtle jibes (and yes I can be subtle) have gone over your head...poor thing...:baeh3:

Great office space squeeze to get worse
8 February 2007, The Courier-Mail

'It is a concern, because it is an unhealthy situation to be in. I think it (the vacancy rate) will probably tighten up a little bit (more)' Property Council executive director for Queensland Robert Walker

FINDING space in Brisbane's tight office market is harder than ever with new figures revealing vacancies are at the lowest level ever recorded.

And predictions are it may tighten up even more before much anticipated new stock makes it on to the market.

The central business district is not the only area feeling the pinch, says the latest Property Council of Australia office market report.

City fringe markets also were displaying the no vacancy sign and the Gold Coast was recording its tightest office market on record with an overall vacancy rate of only 4.5 per cent.

The vacancy rate in the Brisbane CBD is now 1.7 per cent.

In the past six months the rate had dropped 0.6 percentage points from a 2.3 per cent vacancy rate in July last year.

Property Council executive director for Queensland Robert Walker said the real picture could be even tighter.

"There is no surprise (in the results)," he said. "But when you look at even from when we took that survey (in November) the market has moved on even further. It is probably tighter than what those figures reflect. It is a concern, because it is an unhealthy situation to be in."

He said it appeared new stock for the CBD may not meet the demand. "I think it (the vacancy rate) will probably tighten up a little bit (more)."

The take-up rate of 55,990sq m over the period was almost six times greater than the 15-year average.

CB Richard Ellis director office services for Queensland Campbell Tait agrees the situation would be even tighter.

"We are seeing traditional CBD tenants that do not have options in the CBD being pushed to fringe locations."

Rents are also on the increase with the $700 a square metre level already broken and predictions $800/sq m will be broken before year's end.

Knight Frank director of CBD leasing Queensland Mark McCann said of the 29,728sq m shown as vacant space at the time of the PCA survey, more than 20,000sq m of that was no longer available for lease.

"Our database indicates no more than 9000sq m of vacant space within the Brisbane CBD," he said.

There was a article about the incredibly tight office space in QLD in the AFR today, they think it's far worse than 1.7 percent in reality:

"Much of the space included in those numbers has already been taken up and the real vacancy is more in the order of 0.5 per cent to 0.6 per cent," Mr Tait said.

...The low Brisbane vacancies were recorded despite more than 70,000 square metres of new space coming online over the past six months, he said. "The take-up rate of 55,990 sq m over the period was almost six times greater than the 15-year average.

...Knight Frank Queensland managing director Grant Whittaker said a vacancy rate of less than 1 per cent was expected, and all new projects in the next 12 months were already pre-committed...

Well, there is not much space to stick any more really. Time to look at Roma Street rail yards and stick something over that. Heaps of space there.

Time to go up! Increase the height of some of those office towers would do the trick.

At some point it looks a bit silly in relation to the squashed heights of the near by areas.

Well luckily we are nowhere near that point yet;), most of the core is pretty squashed as it is, I mean we only have two 200 metre buildings built in the central CBD, it's not exactly downtown Dubai yet.

I think that realistically the CBD can't cope with too much more really tall office buildings. Allow currently available sites to be built to 150 metres or so. But if we go too much further, the transport infrastructure just won't cope with the increase in commuters. More offices should be built in reginal centers instead.

This is 2026 montage from the masterplan, as you can see the plan is to build out the core, which is brilliant. It gives us a compact, dense and high core without any of this sprawling rubbish other cities face. Can't go wrong!:)

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3343/brisbane20260ky.jpg

I think that realistically the CBD can't cope with too much more really tall office buildings. Allow currently available sites to be built to 150 metres or so. But if we go too much further, the transport infrastructure just won't cope with the increase in commuters. More offices should be built in reginal centers instead.

There are plans in place for underground rail stations and trams.

Plus underground bus tunnels and a new bus station are already U/C.

Dense compact core and can't go wrong - How so. Will a bunch of tall building solve a city's planning woes if the rest of the city is in a mess? And which countries tend to build the cities with the densest compact cores - America and Australia. Which countries have the worst problems with 1/4 acre suburban sprawl - America and Australia. Is there a connection? Seems to fly in the face of common sense, but maybe there is. Perhaps the preoccupation with status that we have is fueling both trends. Whereas in Europe they are more practical about town planning and living arrangements and less obsessed with status. Therefore much more sensibly planned cities with an even density throughout the city.

And do we have plans in place for underground rail sations? Or a wishlist? The City Council CBD plan wishes that they will be built, and plans around that assumption. But QR has its current network expansion plan which stretches out to about 2026 with completion of the Maroochydore extension. And no mention of inner city stations.

According to a study in the late 90s the current inner city network was projected to start choking around 2011. I can't see that anything has changed - if anything patronage may be growing a little faster than predicted. Trains are starting to get uncomfortably crowded on some lines at some times. Once they add the trains for growth on the gold coast, springfield and sunshine coast lines the tracks will be very crowded and train delays will increase dramatically. First Sydney had a major rail meltdown while everyone else laughed. Now its Melbourne. I have no doubt that Brisbane will be next as our rapid growth overwhelms our limited spending on infrastructure.

We don't just need a couple new stations in the city center. We need new track probably at least as far as Northgate to Park Road, and presumably underground. How long do we think we'll have to wait to see that? They've been talking about it since the 70s from what I've heard.....

Unless the bus system can take up the slack. I don't know as much about buses as trains, but would imagine that it would take a lot of buses to replace the extra train lines that we need to keep the growing CBD adequately serviced and to keep up with growth in existing bus services.

i woudnt be suprised if a lot of mixed use buildings increase the % of commercial in them as a result.. 480 queen, etc.

Dense compact core and can't go wrong - How so. Will a bunch of tall building solve a city's planning woes if the rest of the city is in a mess? And which countries tend to build the cities with the densest compact cores - America and Australia. Which countries have the worst problems with 1/4 acre suburban sprawl - America and Australia. Is there a connection? Seems to fly in the face of common sense, but maybe there is. Perhaps the preoccupation with status that we have is fueling both trends. Whereas in Europe they are more practical about town planning and living arrangements and less obsessed with status. Therefore much more sensibly planned cities with an even density throughout the city.


This is not Europe, we don't all live in 8 storey apartments blocks close to the CBD. How do you think letting towers sprawl out of the CBD will magically transform us into a European city? If you build outside of the CBD you will create soulless cheap office parks devoid of any merit that will sprawl across the landscape. No street life, no vibrancy. Do you know what you do for lunch in those places? Nothing. Because there is no where to go. That is the reality. Meanwhile the CBD suffers and ages from a lack of development.

The masterplan by contrast keeps the focus where it should be. It guarantees the future vibrancy of the CBD. It ensure a living CBD, which is not something which should be taken for granted.

Well said Locke. Have you been to Europe Jellyman? Most European cities were developed well before planning was even a word and well before most "modern" forms of transport and economy. American and Australian cities have for the most part been developed during the era of organised transport and more recently automobiles. Many of the early inhabitants came to theses new cities for the opposite lifestyle offered in their European homes. They wanted an individual stand alone house surrounded by a small amount of land- traditionally a sign of great wealth in Europe.

Fortunatley (at least in Australi) we have seen a mix of conditions develop where you are now able to choose your lifestyle. I am the first to agree that sprawl is not the way to go for so many reasons but being able to choose how you live is one of the greatest motivators for many people who move here.

Personally I feel that it will only be with initial moves to city living that we will finally start to need infrastructure such as subways. It is pointless spending the money if there is no one there to use it or it is only used five days per week. Overtime we will definately see at least some subway services come to Brisbane as there are not too mony other options! Just don't hold your breath expecting it will happen tomorrow.

This kind of stuff just drives me insane! Just build the freaking tunnel! Look how much better Nundah is to 10 years ago!

Source (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21195724-3102,00.html)


Traffic fix dumped

By Emma Chalmers
February 08, 2007 11:00pm


ONE of Brisbane's worst traffic bottlenecks will remain a headache for motorists after City Hall axed plans to upgrade the Toowong intersection.

Long-suffering motorists who use High St and Benson St at Toowong will have to wait until the proposed billon-dollar Northern Link tunnel is built in 2016 before their traffic woes are eased.
In the meantime, Brisbane City Council will "tweak" the traffic lights in the hope of reducing congestion in the area, pictured.

Brisbane City Council said the options for the upgrade were too expensive, with Liberal transport spokesman Cr Graham Quirk criticising the previous Labor administration for dramatically undercosting the initial proposals.

The work was first costed at $10 million but a feasibility study said the preferred option – a partial tunnel – would cost $126 million. Other scenarios were costed at between $39 million and $212 million.

Cr Quirk said the cost benefit of the project simply did not stack up.

"We know that this is not a good intersection and we have a hard decision to make here," he said. "We can spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to fix this intersection and not get the real fix, or we can spend hundreds of millions of dollars which would fix the whole corridor and that is what we believe is the best option for the people of Brisbane."

Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe said the intersection needed to be fixed sooner not later and wanted any budget surplus used to fund the work.

"The people of the western suburbs have got another 10 years of traffic agony because you're not going to get a Northern Link, or Milton Rd tunnel, for at least 10 years," he said.

"It can be done and motorists don't have to pay for it through a toll. It will fix the problem in two years rather than wait 10 years for a tunnel that may never be built.

He said the Northern Link would cost billions and motorists would have to pay a toll.

"There are alternatives that won't cost motorists a toll," Cr Hinchliffe said.

While Labor would not commit to one option, Cr Hinchliffe said the $40 million and $80 million options – for a short tunnel and an above-ground solution respectively – would ease congestion.

RACQ external affairs manager Gary Fites warned motorists faced yet more delays because of years of inaction.

"It looks like it's going to be an even bigger (problem) and at least another decade of delays and frustrations for motorists," he said.

"Travel times are only going to get longer and motorists are only going to get more frustrated."

He said the Northern Link would be much less effective in reducing congestion if it was a toll road because motorists could find alternatives.

There are many valid points on this page but i have to say, that there are exceptions to "cheap office parks devoid of any merit" Take for example the Anthony Johns development at Murarrie/Cannon Hill there are really nice upmarket A grade commercial buildings and theres cafes and a fruit shop and a bar, seems to go well at lunchtimes. I think we'll be seeing more of this type of development, but i suppose on the large scale, most are cheap and bland.

Yes, I was wondering, well why should there be such a difference between the peripheral urban nodes and the central one when it comes to character.

In what way does a tall building have more soul than a shorter building? Isit the large crowds of office workers trampling each others feet and being accosted by various people trying to sell something or ask for charity or whatever while on their way to a quick bite to eat at KFC or one of a million similar kebab shops your definition of 'vibrancy' and 'soulfullness'. Personally I would consider a bit more personal space, a bit more chance to get to know a reasonable percentage of the people that move around you to have some definite advantages in the 'soulfullness' stakes.

^^You could ask all of the same questions about the laneways in Melbourne.

It really just gives the viability to have continuous retail and dining at ground level, whereas if there were not those tall buildings above you wouldn't get that to the same extent. Look at the area of the CBD near the Botanic Gardens!

You really do need the 12 o'clock secretarial stampede for lunch to maintain the economic viability of such a wide variety of retail and munchie businesses.

Wouldnt the ideal be to have a mixture of both and isnt that what we are aiming for already? Yes the city needs to grow like it is to become more vibrant, but that doesnt mean the suburbs cant bulk up which is what is happening and the suburbs are becoming more vibrant, it will of course take time, we just have to make sure that we dont try to make the suburban feel the same as the CBD feel, they can both be vibrant without being the same.

^^Exactly!!

^^ Correct.

I actually emailed Rudd about how he should encourage more "Smart, sustainable ways of urban development" adding that more TOD developments and higher density would be ideal for SEQ's current infrastructure straining situation, rather than slowing our growth... which was what he was concerned about (how fast we are growing) I also added that growth is what made Brisbane what it is today. He replied, and said that he read my email "with great interest" so maybe I convinced him! fingers crossed ;)

Labor woos boom state
Steven Wardill and Lachlan Heywood

February 09, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Courier-Mail

SOUTHEAST Queensland's growing pains would be tackled by a Rudd Labor Government with funding for integral transport, water and information technology infrastructure.
But the cost of fixing the Ipswich Motorway might be a sticking point.

Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd yesterday signalled that, if Labor won this year's election, his government would renew Commonwealth involvement in urban infrastructure.

Mr Rudd told The Courier-Mail that infrastructure bottle-necks were straining the economies of big cities and the situation needed national attention.

"This is actually starting to have a negative impact on national productivity growth, therefore we have got a role to play," Mr Rudd said.

"Southeast Queensland is growth central, therefore we have got to pitch in to make practical projects happen."

Mr Rudd said he would renew federal Labor's long history of involvement in urban infrastructure, which included financial aid to help former Brisbane Lord Mayor Clem Jones sewer the city.

Projects which could attract funding include the ailing Ipswich motorway, which is a federal road, the State Government's $7 billion water grid and Lord Mayor Campbell ******'s TransApex tunnels.

Mr Rudd said Labor was some way from finalising which projects it might fund but discussions were already occurring with state governments.

But the Opposition's transport and roads spokesman Martin Ferguson yesterday refused to commit a Labor government to covering the entire cost of upgrading the Ipswich Motorway.

He said the motorway was "just like every other road" in that the Queensland government and the Commonwealth would need to negotiate the level of funding.

State Transport Minister Paul Lucas said federal Labor gave a commitment to a full upgrade of the existing motorway at the last election, and the roadway would again be a critical issue at this year's poll.

Premier Peter Beattie said Mr Rudd's infrastructure commitment was "music to our ears in a sense that we are the growth state".

He said the State Government already spent more on Queensland infrastructure than the Federal Government had for the entire country.

Federal Liberal MPs throughout Brisbane – including Cameron Thompson, Michael Johnson, and Gary Hardgrave – have so far failed in their push for funding for infrastructure projects to tackle the region's growth.

SSL q.

From courier Mail:

A WALL of high-rises will be built in the Brisbane River along side the Riverside Expressway as part of a major new development to be unveiled by the State Government today.
Premier Peter Beattie and Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh will announce that Multiplex has won the exclusive right to develop the so-called North Bank site.

However, plans to cover the spaghetti-mix of roads that is the freeway with buildings have been shelved as developers believed the proposal was commercially unviable.

Instead, Multiplex has proposed a $1.5 billion development which includes a series of buildings as high as 36 storeys on the river side of the expressway, literally in the Brisbane River.

The development includes large amounts of public space including a swimming pool near the Goodwill Bridge.

There will also be another footbridge adjoining the existing Victoria Bridge.

While Multiplex has been given the exclusive development rights, the proposal will be put out for further public consultation.

The announcement comes four and a half years after Premier Peter Beattie first announced plans to develop the stretch of river opposite South Bank.

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5387105,00.jpg

Video: http://media01.couriermail.com.au/video/2007/02/070213-river_multiplex/multiplex.wmv
http://media01.couriermail.com.au/video/2007/02/070213-river_multiplex/multiplex.wmv

WOW! Did you guys watch that video? that is awesome, awesome news for that side of town.

Looks awesome, lots of glass, nice ground level, but any bigger pics?

Wow, just wow. Good stuff.

HOLY SHIT! OMG! and watch 7 News tonight people!

An urban olympic pool!!! with glass! Omg, I am shaking...

Just read some of the idiotic comments on the CM article! absolute shit!

Great Project, just hurry up and build it. Just as well I didn't buy in Casino Towers :P

Great Project, just hurry up and build it. Just as well I didn't buy in Casino Towers :P

haha i was just thinking that too... they've destroyed casino towers view completely with that strange blockish building behind the main ones... i dont see that building being approved somehow.

Anything to block out "Obsceneo Tower"

HOLY SHIT! OMG! and watch 7 News tonight people!

An urban olympic pool!!! with glass! Omg, I am shaking...

Just read some of the idiotic comments on the CM article! absolute shit!


I read those comments as well. It makes me angry.

People were saying shit like "Theyll ruin the iconic view of the expressway"
and "This is removing river access"

I was dumbfounded. FUcking complete asses.

This looks absolutely breathtaking. It's great news for Brisbane :)

I read those comments as well. It makes me angry.

People were saying shit like "Theyll ruin the iconic view of the expressway"
and "This is removing river access"

I was dumbfounded. FUcking complete asses.
Those are stupid comments, but this project is fucking crap. I can't be fucked retyping my comments from the actual thread.

I completely agree that the expressway should be covered.

An alternative I think is to cover it all now, not with buildings necessarily but with at least an architectural feature (like that pedestrian crossing in Melbourne).

Either that or lay platforms over the top not for skyscrapers but just for a large public space for pedestrians. Whilst keeping the area proposed on the river side as well.

Rudd moves to Waterfront Place!!

Extra police for Rudd HQ
By Darrell Giles

February 17, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Courier-Mail

SECURITY will be beefed up at a central-City building as would-be prime minister Kevin Rudd moves his operational headquarters to Brisbane.

Federal and state police will meet to plan security details for the Labor leader, who is setting up office at highrise Waterfront Place beside the river.

The Australian Federal Police provides the "close personal protection" service for federal politicians, while the Queensland Police Service supplies bodyguards for the Premier and Deputy Premier.

Sources said law enforcement agencies combine resources when political leaders, such as Prime Minister John Howard or Mr Rudd, visit Brisbane.

"Extra security will be provided on a risk-assessment basis," a police source said.

"He may not have someone with him all the time, but there will be a presence."

Mr Rudd, the Member for Brisbane-based Griffith, said the Waterfront Place office would be open as soon as possible.

His spokesman said: "When Mr Rudd is in Queensland, the Leader of the Opposition's office will be operating from Brisbane."

Waterfront Place has security officers on duty, but building operators Stockland refused to discuss any new arrangements for Mr Rudd and his staff.

The AFP also declined to comment.

A Queensland police spokesman said: "Under normal circumstances, the security arrangements for federal political figures are co-ordinated through the Protective Security Co-ordination Centre in Canberra, which is a part of the Attorney-General's Department.

"Operational responses are jointly managed by the Queensland Police Service (security intelligence branch) and the Australian Federal Police." He declined to elaborate.

The increased police presence follows a security scare at Mr Rudd's electorate office in the eastside Brisbane suburb of Morningside on Wednesday.

Staff were evacuated after discovering an envelope containing white powder.

Tests revealed the substance was harmless – crushed paracetamol – and it was handed over to the AFP for further analysis.

The package was understood to have been mailed from Western Australia. No arrests have been made.

Meanwhile, Mr Rudd's imminent move has excited local politicians.

Brisbane's Liberal Lord Mayor, Campbell N e w m a n, said he would welcome a Labor prime minister in his city – after years of funding rejections from the Howard Government for road and tunnel plans.

"The more the Federal Government recognises the need to help us deal with growth and impacts like traffic congestion and drought, the better," Cr N e w m a n said.

Premier Peter Beattie said Mr Rudd would be in a better position to deal with Queensland problems.

"We will have a receptive ear," he said.

Cool, yeah with Rudd we'll get some funding up here.

^ are u sure?
Howard who is from NSW has not been very friendly to NSW. I guess we can blame that on the NSW government though.

I just realised that Howard doesn't have a single Queenslander on his 11 member front bench! That's just disgusting!

I just realised that Howard doesn't have a single Queenslander on his 11 member front bench! That's just disgusting!

ahem...

member for groom - ian mcfarlane - is minister for industry, tourism and resources.

he often sits 2 seats to the left of tony abbott in parliament.

^ are u sure?
Howard who is from NSW has not been very friendly to NSW. I guess we can blame that on the NSW government though.

Rudd said he would probably live in Brisbane if he was PM, so yeah I think he likes the place;)

The PM, whoever it happens to be, should damn well live in Canberra like the taxpayers are paying them for. The Lodge isn't provided and maintained for free.

^^ And Kirribilli in Sydney?? Newstead House would be the Kirribilli of Brisbane...

ahem...
member for groom - ian mcfarlane - is minister for industry, tourism and resources.
he often sits 2 seats to the left of tony abbott in parliament.

good... people know their politics... :|

^^ And Kirribilli in Sydney?? Newstead House would be the Kirribilli of Brisbane...

Howard shouldn't be wasting our tax dollars flying private 737 to and from Canberra from Sydney either. If Rudd lives in Brisbane then neither should he be wasting our dollars on the same thing.

Did anyone see the MV ORiana at the cruise ship terminal today? Looked awesome, at 69000 tonnes she is a big size as well.

^^ No, but you can see it docked at the cruse terminal below...

http://62.7.231.106/webcams/oriana.jpg
I just saw it on the news... Its the largest cruise ship ever to enter Brisbane... It leaves to The Whitsundays then to Shanghai in half an hour... Watch the web cam for the departure!

Link here (http://www.pocruises.com/webcams/oriana.aspx)

http://www.pocruises.com/images/ships/origal6_l.jpghttp://www.pocruises.com/images/ships/origal5_l.jpg

Wayyyy to much to post here!

http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/busway_eastern

Looks like the old Myer building is history - about bloody time! :banana: I remember going there as a kid and thinking it was pretty dire, and that's going back a quarter of a century.

Lots to digest in there, I'm still looking.

Good spotting Trawler. I'm browsing through it too.

Good spotting Trawler. I'm browsing through it too.

No worries. I would have missed it myself if I didn't happen to spot the front page article in the South East Advertiser before I threw it out.

I'm real pleased that the old Myer building is going. I'm also very impressed with the viaduct concept for the elevated sections of the Busway.

Yeah, I think their final option for the Buranda station has worked out best. It will cost a lot less using the current station (the only problem I can see arising, is that the station might become overloaded). The use if the viaducts and the tunnels seems to integrate into the surrounding areas very well.

I just wish it was a rail system, if they can do all this with busses, it could have been rail.

Exactly what I was thinking. I am still hopeful that down the track we will see the system converted to light rail and combined with an at-grade system running through the middle of the CBD as variously proposed (ie Newstead to West End). Together with the proposed subway linking Park Road and Bowen Hills and feeder buses to nearest Busway/ train station we would soon start to have the basics of a very capable PT network.

I just wish it was a rail system, if they can do all this with busses, it could have been rail.

Yep. You'd be thinking with all these driven tunnels, bridges and resumptions the cost of adding rails would be a drop in the ocean. Oh well.

Stones Corner station should come up good as well, though I preferred the original proposal of a new commercial development where the library is.

^^^ And since there is such a huge bus shortage in Brisbane, rail would make even more sense (than it does already...)

Whats with Brisbane's obsession with buses!! Im so sick of it! We need to change to rail and light rail!

I noticed with this project and the Northern Busway, they like to tunnel, then pop out for the stations and then go back into a tunnel. Wouldn't it be cheaper just to make the whole section a tunnel?

Example of what I'm talking about (http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/ReferenceLookup/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-002.pdf/$file/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-002.pdf)
And another example (http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/ReferenceLookup/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-004.pdf/$file/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-004.pdf)

It is very much like that. Should make for an interesting ride, in an out of the ground all the time!

I noticed with this project and the Northern Busway, they like to tunnel, then pop out for the stations and then go back into a tunnel. Wouldn't it be cheaper just to make the whole section a tunnel?

Example of what I'm talking about (http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/ReferenceLookup/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-002.pdf/$file/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-002.pdf)
And another example (http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/ReferenceLookup/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-004.pdf/$file/EB_AlignmentMap_PL-004.pdf)

Whats with Brisbane's obsession with buses!! Im so sick of it! We need to change to rail and light rail!

Yeah I agree. Buses are a major compromise. If people wanted to be stuck in traffic they would drive their own cars. I know lots of people who will happily hop on a train or tram but wouldn't be caught dead on a bus. If politicians and planners are serious about public transport they would develop more rail and lightrail. Buses really only attract people who don't have a vehicle.

Buses really only attract people who don't have a vehicle.

I suppose I'm the exception to the rule then! :lol:

^^ What annoys me about buses is for a 30min walk to the city, the bus takes 40 minutes, due to stopping every 50m, picking up 3 people who all pay with cash and not pre-paid tickets. Light rail would make it so much quicker and more efficient. Though maybe buses would have the same effect if there was a greater benefit in pre-purchased tickets than 2 free trips for every 10. The smart card is just around the corner though right, anyone have any news on that?

Well Busways + Smartcard should solve both those problems. Getting the bus from where I live (Woolloongabba/Buranda) into town is the fastest way thanks to the Busway. Even beats the good old train, and that's including picking up passengers.

As for the Smartcard, the trial was supposed to begin early last year and it should already be in use. More info here but all dates have been pulled:

http://www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/smartcard

Man. I can't wait till that card comes out. I'm sick of needing change when a station is unattended...

Looks like QE2 could be upgraded to seat 50,000 people! I wonder if they will add any extra Public Transport or not?

Let's hope the village to be built on the GoPrint and government site in the Gabba will be a true TOD with dense residential large areas at ground level are pedestrian based, large plaza's cafe's restraunts etc. Even design it so that the people in the Gabba would barely have to go to the CBD for anything.

Bid team's Gabba plan (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21266901-3102,00.html)

THE State Government plans to build a village for 3200 athletes and officials at Woolloongabba if Brisbane is awarded the 2011 World Athletics Championships.

And the Brisbane 2011 bid team has promised it still has another "ace" to play before the March 27 vote by International Association of Athletics Federations council members which will decide between Brisbane, Moscow and the South Korean city of Daegu.

The intended championships venue is the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre at Nathan, where Matilda the giant winking Kangaroo was the "ace" up the organisers' sleeve when the stadium was christened at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

The plans for the 2011 bid are only for a new athletics track to be installed for the venue, which also hosted the 2001 Goodwill Games athletics meet.

The IAAF requires a 50,000-seat minimum capacity for its world championships, which QSAC meets without additional expenditure to extend existing seating.

Plans for the athletes' village were unveiled yesterday to a visiting eight-member IAAF evaluation committee. Premier Peter Beattie is expected to announce today that the preferred site for the "green" village for 3200 athletes and officials from about 200 nations is the 4ha currently occupied by Goprint, the State Government's printer, and the Department of Natural Resources.

At least 530 apartments would be constructed as a lasting legacy of the championships.

IAAF communications director Nick Davies said Daegu – Brisbane's main rival to win the March 27 vote – had also planned a village, but Moscow had not.

"The Daegu people have been keeping a close eye for two years on what we've been doing, but this will have caught them on the hop," bid team chairman Des Power said last night.

"We showed the evaluation team the site and they were very impressed that it was seven minutes from the stadium and five minutes from the city centre.

"We have an ace up our sleeve and we haven't played that card."

The State Government, has agreed to underwrite the cost of the championships. Mr Power said the championships would leave "no residual debt" to Queensland taxpayers.

IAAF evaluation commission leader Helmut Diegl, of Germany, said he "liked the idea" of the village, as opposed to housing athletes at hotels because it would permit friendly relations among athletes from other countries and with Brisbane citizens.

QE2 is a bit of an embarrassment as a venue. It has one decent stand, the rest looks like what it is, cheap and nasty. I'm so glad the Broncos stopped playing there. Don't see anything in the article about upgrading to 50000, it is already a 50000 venue, crap though most of the seats are.

Man. I can't wait till that card comes out. I'm sick of needing change when a station is unattended...

Yes you guys are very luckily.
Sydney's has been in the planning stage for years and years.
They have essentially bankrupted a firm (ERG) in the process because the Government refuses to simplify fares and zones.

And guess what the testing is on hold until after the election because Mini Carr (Iemma) is a little worried that he is unpopular.
The Lane Cove Tunnel is also 'on hold' until after the election.

@ Aussie Bhoy

I got the thoughts from the bolded bit, but when I read it again it says it already has seating for 50, 000! What the??? I thought there were far less seats than that!?


Bid team's Gabba plan (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21266901-3102,00.html)

THE State Government plans to build a village for 3200 athletes and officials at Woolloongabba if Brisbane is awarded the 2011 World Athletics Championships.

And the Brisbane 2011 bid team has promised it still has another "ace" to play before the March 27 vote by International Association of Athletics Federations council members which will decide between Brisbane, Moscow and the South Korean city of Daegu.

The intended championships venue is the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre at Nathan, where Matilda the giant winking Kangaroo was the "ace" up the organisers' sleeve when the stadium was christened at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

The plans for the 2011 bid are only for a new athletics track to be installed for the venue, which also hosted the 2001 Goodwill Games athletics meet.

The IAAF requires a 50,000-seat minimum capacity for its world championships, which QSAC meets without additional expenditure to extend existing seating.

Plans for the athletes' village were unveiled yesterday to a visiting eight-member IAAF evaluation committee. Premier Peter Beattie is expected to announce today that the preferred site for the "green" village for 3200 athletes and officials from about 200 nations is the 4ha currently occupied by Goprint, the State Government's printer, and the Department of Natural Resources.

At least 530 apartments would be constructed as a lasting legacy of the championships.

IAAF communications director Nick Davies said Daegu – Brisbane's main rival to win the March 27 vote – had also planned a village, but Moscow had not.

"The Daegu people have been keeping a close eye for two years on what we've been doing, but this will have caught them on the hop," bid team chairman Des Power said last night.

"We showed the evaluation team the site and they were very impressed that it was seven minutes from the stadium and five minutes from the city centre.

"We have an ace up our sleeve and we haven't played that card."

The State Government, has agreed to underwrite the cost of the championships. Mr Power said the championships would leave "no residual debt" to Queensland taxpayers.

IAAF evaluation commission leader Helmut Diegl, of Germany, said he "liked the idea" of the village, as opposed to housing athletes at hotels because it would permit friendly relations among athletes from other countries and with Brisbane citizens.

This is in relation to absolute nothing at all... Band at QP due to the winter fashion launch at DJ's with meagan gale.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/DSC00595.jpg

WARNING WARNING _ PAGE 95 todays Gold Coast Bulletin, "Reliable sources have suggested that Coomera waters developer Austcorp has sold it's Vision project to Devine Group for $60 million!"

I heard something on the radio last night about another light rail plan in Brisbane. Any one heard anything?

Did it have anything to do with this?


Not Easy Being Greener (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21272107-952,00.html)


CLIMATE change experts appointed by City Hall want Brisbane residents to pay CBD parking taxes, stop building private swimming pools and aircondition only one room of their houses.

A draft report by Brisbane City Council's climate change taskforce also proposes mandatory rainwater tanks for all homes, more bus lanes added every year and wind turbines built in the city area.
The taskforce, which includes Australian Conservation Foundation president Professor Ian Lowe, also suggested council should go carbon-neutral by passing on all the costs to ratepayers through increased rates and charges.

The final report is expected to cost Council up to $70,000 and is being compiled by a taskforce appointed last year with input from Labor environment chairwoman Helen Abrahams and Liberal councillor for The Gap, Geraldine Knapp.

Lord Mayor Campbell ****** is understood to be alarmed by the draft report. Liberal councillor David McLachlan described its recommendations as "unacceptable" and warned they would cost billions to implement.

"This would be a significant and unacceptable impost on the way people live their lives," Cr McLachlan said.

The draft proposals also urged council to lobby the Commonwealth to ban "grossly inefficient technologies" such as electric hot water and use State Government coal revenues to relocate buildings from flood-prone parts of the city.

Deputy Mayor David Hinchliffe yesterday agreed some of the report's draft proposals could be seen as "loopy", but agreed with its focus on greater public transport.

He also supported investigating the installation of solar panels on the roof of City Hall and looking into flexible light rail, but Labor councillors have ruled out increasing parking charges or introducing cordon tolling.

"I don't think anyone is going to suggest for a moment that you can do any of these without doing a very serious reality test," he said. "But I think even if you looked at the public transport suggestions there are proposals in here that if reality tested could be very positive."

Cr Hinchliffe said he would support incentives, not increased charges, to encourage people to help tackle climate change.

A member of the taskforce yesterday told The Courier-Mail the draft report was brainstorming and its final report, which was due in March, would present ideas that council would be capable of implementing.

Brisbane getting a free daily newspaper

My understanding is that News Ltd is to launch a Brisbane edition of their popular MX free daily. MX is a good product as it's better than expected success in Melbourne and Sydney attests. I understand the importance of free dailies to publishers. My only hope is that they do not leave their current focus on major city transit locations and start to locate product in retail channels. This would hurt newsagents.


**Please note the above was taken from a Newspaper Forum

^^Yeah that was mentioned in the independant Newspaper. Very exciting news!!

This makes me so so so angry! Why was portside built downstream to the bridge ahhhhh:wallbash:

Crow's nest views of liner
http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5397318,00.jpg
TOO big for Brisbane . . . Queen Elizabeth 2 berthing at Fisherman Islands in 2003.
John Wright

February 22, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Courier-Mail

THE Queen Elizabeth 2 might be the fastest ocean liner in the world, but when the ship some call the "greyhound of the seas" docks in Brisbane tomorrow it will be a case of slow speed ahead to get her massive bulk docked safely at the Port of Brisbane.

The 70,327 tonne ship, which is on a commemorative 25th circumnavigation of the globe, cannot be berthed at the Hamilton cruise terminal because it can't fit under the Gateway Bridge.

Instead, at the mouth of the Brisbane River, it will be carefully turned around in the swing basin at Fisherman Islands before being tied up at the P&O/Patrick terminals about 7am. It will spend no more than 12 hours at the port before continuing north tomorrow (February 24) night for Cairns, Papua New Guinea and ports beyond.
Tour the Queen Mary 2

The ship's operator, Cunard, and Brisbane agents Barwil Agencies yesterday reported a high level of public interest and the QE2 is expected to draw large crowds of sightseers during her brief visit.

The 40-year-old ship has been a regular visitor to Brisbane in a sailing career that, according to operator Cunard, has taken her almost 5.5 million nautical miles (10.12 million km) around the globe, or the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back 13 times.

The ship has carried more than three million passengers, including hundreds of celebrities and countless VIPs, with a total compliment on any one voyage of 1791 passengers and 921 crew.

The QE2 has the world's only seagoing synagogue and Harrod's boutique, as well as seven restaurants, an indoor and outdoor pool and its own "gentlemen hosts" who are available to dance with women who are cruising alone. The ship has 12 decks and 950 staterooms.

The ship's top speed is 32.5 knots or 60kmh, and she can sail backwards faster than most ships can sail forward (19 knots, or 35kmh).

Her track into and out of Brisbane will present several onshore viewing opportunities, but sightseers have been warned not to try to get a close look at the ship by driving to the terminals at Fisherman Islands. As with all docked ships, security around the QE2 will be rigidly enforced and casual visitors will be kept well away. Traffic around Fisherman Islands also could be heavy.

The QE2 will be sailing in darkness for much of the time that she will be off southern Queensland and entering or leaving the Port of Brisbane.

The best viewing points and times if you want to see this icon of world travel, whether by night or day, are as follows, based on the QE2's approximate sailing schedule:

About midnight tonight (Friday, February 23): The QE2 is expected to be seaward of Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, and heading north past Moreton Island before turning towards the mainland coast and then south into Moreton Bay.

About 2am-3am: The ship will pick up a pilot three nautical miles (5.5km) southeast of Point Cartwright (Mooloolaba). There should be good nighttime views off the Caloundra coast.

Before daybreak: The QE2 will be sailing south into Moreton Bay off Woorim (Bribie Island), and will be visible from Tangalooma (Moreton Island), Scarborough and Redcliffe.

First light: Sandgate and Nudgee Beach residents should get a good look at the liner as it approaches the Port of Brisbane and the river mouth.

5.30am-7am: The QE2 should present a wonderful spectacle from the public access foreshore at the end of Main Beach Rd, Luggage Point, as it enters the mouth of the river and is turned around in the swing basin before docking at Fisherman Islands. This will be the best viewing spot until the ship leaves Brisbane about 6pm.

6pm onwards: The liner will leave Brisbane and will present a good view from Luggage Point, Nudgee, Redcliffe and the peninsula. It should be off Point Cartwright at 10.30pm.

Damn, I thought if Oriana, which is a similiar tonnage could fit, QE2 would as well. I was going to get some pics from Bulimba and Portside as well.

I can understand that they wanted the cruise liner terminal closer to the city, and so upstream of the Gateway Bridge. Most liners coming into Brisbane wouldn't have a problem fitting.


Hope that isn't true about Devine and Vision.

The free Metro was my favourite paper in London, so I hope we get something similiar as well.

Not heard anything about a new light rail plan, and there is nothing on the railpage forum.

This is why a cruise terminal on the Gold Coast is still bandied about from time to time - the big ships just can't fit in Brisbane.

Not quite Brisbane, but it's the best place to post:

Irwin Zoo to get Bigger (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21274188-3102,00.html)

STEVE Irwin's Australia Zoo is to be enlarged and developed as a world-class tourist destination after a land deal with the Queensland government.

The government has agreed to hand over a parcel of state land so Australia Zoo can set up an open-range safari experience, incorporating wildlife from Africa, South-East Asia and North America.
In return for the land, the zoo will give the government a larger piece of land near the Peachester State Forest, to be used for forestry.

The zoo also will pay the state the difference in land value for the swap.

Queensland Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said the move would bring to fruition Steve and Terri Irwin's dream of a stand-alone world-class tourist destination.

The zoo's new piece of land will be excised from the Beerwah State Forest, to the south-east of the attraction's existing facilities.

A spokeswoman for the zoo said the deal was welcome.

"There are a number of processes which Australia Zoo must implement to realise its dream but the agreement on forestry land which it has reached with the government brings expansion one step closer," she said.

Irwin, 44, died last September when a stingray barb pierced his chest as he filmed a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.

His legacy, conservation fund Wildlife Warriors, has attracted millions of dollars in donations since his death, with some of the money to go towards building a new animal hospital at the zoo.

hello anyone here this thread has be deserted for how long

It has to be better than the Courier Mail. Can't wait to see it!


Brisbane gets free afternoon paper (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21306433-5003402,00.html)

NEWS Ltd will launch a free afternoon newspaper in Brisbane on Monday.

The tabloid-format newspaper mX will be available from about 90 points around Brisbane's CBD from 2.30pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.

The mX brand has been successful in Sydney and Melbourne and the launch of the Brisbane edition will take national circulation to more than 250,000 - making it Australia's third largest daily paper.

The initial distribution of the Brisbane mX will be 40,000 copies a day.

News Ltd chairman and chief executive John Hartigan said mX had established itself as a "lively, informative read".

"This is an exciting publishing first for Brisbane - a free afternoon paper, appealing to young, energetic professionals and students - demographics not traditionally drawn to newspapers," Mr Hartigan said.

The Brisbane edition of the paper will be edited by former chief-of-staff of The Courier-Mail, Neil Melloy.

News Ltd owned by News Corporation, the parent company of the publisher of NEWS.com.au.

yay a new paper better than the rags we currently get except the city news there great

The Aurora is now in Brisbane which makes it the largest ship to ever dock at portside.
some pics from today. Impressive ship!
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/DSC01010.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/DSC01011.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/DSC01013.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/DSC01018.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/DSC01020.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/DSC01014.jpg

At uni today, the lecture was talking about how the BCC was trying to think of ways to encourage developers to increase densities around designated TOD's.

One of the serious suggestions was to designate a 500m radius around the transit node where there were noplanning restrictions...only building certification was required.

It would be an interesting concept if it gets up!

Why is it that P&O ships are the only liners to use Portside as a destination?
This terminal should have been built on the Gold Coast - then Queensland would actually actually see some class and not a boat full of 18 years celebrating their 18th!

The Gold Coast Terminal is entirely political. It was canned just before the last election.

then Queensland would actually actually see some class and not a boat full of 18 years celebrating their 18th!

The Aurora (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Aurora) is the complete opposite! I did not see one person under 20 when I was there..

The Aurora (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Aurora) is the complete opposite! I did not see one person under 20 when I was there..

see!!! you can be snide and witty when you wanna be aswell!

I wonder how many members get a little tired of opening posts to see nothing but utterly trivial remarks. Unless I'm completely off the mark, some of you seem to be solely intent on increasing your number of posts simply for the sake of doing this. It's nothing short of a timewasting exercise for so many of us who check regularly for some real news/contributions. Opening a post like "I concur" is not very illuminating unless the respondent is a contributer whose views are generally valued. Congratulations must go to posters like KJBrissy who's sent me looking at 25 posts yesterday (gosh I always look at your posts because you make valuable contributions) but I'd like to hear from others if they found any of camzano's 25 posts the day before newsworthy. Of course, what would I know? - his "What's your favourite building" seems to be a winner with many.

^^ i concur. lol




too many new ppl start threads on nothing items for the sake of it. thats for the skybar. also, im sick of the transport section getting swamped by boring melbourne projects like level crossings and historical boom gates. literally, the entire transport thread is melbourne!

i agree with your comments notra. i get pissed when i see short replies or when i see threads that are like 1000 years old get revived by someone who wants to know what happened?

my rant

Chill guys, not every post can be a world beater full of information, and if a thread stimulates discussion that can't be all bad. Only takes a few seconds to open and ignore if you are not into it.

And you can always start threads that interest you, take some photos and get a few Brisbane transport threads going.

i think its just a hangover from christmas/january period when all the projects shut down for holidays, so people just started entertaining themselves with new random threads.

STATE Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas has admitted southeast Queensland's public transport system is in crisis.

Mr Lucas says the southeast's growing population – and the arrival of 1200 new residents in Queensland each week – has pushed trains and buses to breaking point.

"If anything, we are victims of our own success," he said.

"I'm the first to admit there are issues – but I would much rather face a situation where public transport's enormous popularity means we need to continue investing, rather than have empty buses and trains and more cars on our roads."

His comments come as council figures show more commuters than ever before are being left stranded by packed buses and trains.

Brisbane City Council has revealed more than 1000 buses have left passengers stranded at bus stops since November because of overcrowding.

This month, bus patronage is also predicted to jump by 9 per cent as a record 1.4 million people board buses each week.

But efforts to ease the squeeze on trains have already hit another major hurdle.

It has now emerged that the new Citytrain fleet is not only too big, but the trains are slower than older models.

The Sunday Mail can reveal new trains set to hit the tracks in May have been built 10km/h slower than the rest of the Citytrain fleet.

Despite track upgrades on the Gold Coast line designed to carry trains capable of hitting top speeds of 140km/h, the new trains can reach only 130km/h.

A spokesman for Mr Lucas said the slower trains had better acceleration and braking than the faster models. Their introduction would have no effect on timetables.

Rail officials are contemplating blasting a wider opening in a 4m section of tunnel between Central and Brunswick St stations in Brisbane after revelations in The Sunday Mail last week that airconditioning units on top of the new trains were built 10mm too wide to fit.

QR has promised peak-hour train commuters will not be inconvenienced if the tunnel widening starts soon.

"It would have to be completed quickly, but our engineers are confident it would not cause major disruptions," a spokeswoman said.

Since 2004, Mr Lucas has earmarked $550 million for 44 new three-carriage trains by 2009 – which is set to boost the fleet by 33 per cent.

But not one train has hit the tracks, despite an extra 22,000 commuters cramming on to the Citytrain network compared to four years ago.

A total of $700 million is being spent this financial year on public transport in the wake of the 27 per cent jump in patronage since 2003-04.

In the next 20 years, the State Government has earmarked $28 billion of the $66 billion South-East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program for public transport.

In May, State Government troubleshooter Peter Forster declared bus production had to double each year to meet soaring demand.

The State Government has promised to inject $60 million to boost the bus fleet in Logan, Brisbane and the Gold Coast by 77 buses.

A further $77 million is being spent this financial year by Brisbane City Council to boost its ageing fleet by an extra 90 buses. But only 32 buses have been built so far.

Queensland Public Transport Alliance spokesman Michael Yeates said public transport was suffering from bureaucratic overload.

"Brisbane City Council and the State Government are so far behind the eightball and quite often they are making decisions from their government cars," Mr Yeates said.


From The Sunday Mail

MARCH 1: Up to $200million will be spent on upgrading Kingsford Smith Drive over the next 10 years to ease congestion.

Brisbane City Council will spend the money adding lanes, upgrading intersections, improving public transport and making the road more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.

Council Roads and Traffic chairman Graham Quirk said the work was needed to accommodate developments, such as North Shore at Hamilton, and plans for Brisbane Airport to become a city in its own right.

The North Shore Development would add 6000 dwellings and put pressure on surrounding roads, Cr Quirk said.

The council money would be spent upgrading the intersection of Kingsford Smith Drive and Nudgee Rd.

There would be one additional lane in each direction on Kingsford Smith Drive in ``strategic locations'', he said.

Traffic was most congested between Riverview Tce and Links Ave.

``Everyone agrees something needs to be done for this road corridor,'' he said.

A full plan for the upgrade would be completed in six months, he said.


Quest Community Newspapers

what is it with us it takes eaons for anything to be bulit here in brissy let alone vision!!!

Did anyone get a first day MX, I saw it on the 6pm news, and it looked like the front page was a story on a new Subway.

I picked up the new MX today. I found it quite dissapointing, i know there is only so much news you can print, but after reading the Courier and the Australian today there wasn't much more to see. So basically it's another quality edition of the ever present Courier Mail! With alot of attention to celebrity pictures and bullshit gossip - and just a bees dick of world news.

Oh yes you mentioned the "SubWay" story. There is speculation once again we might - just might get a subway under the city with stations spread out and in close proximity to everybodys work. The Gov will spend $5mil on doing some research on the project. Christ they should have started digging this 10 years ago, plus incorporate above ground light rail from Hamilton to West End, this would free up Ann and Wickham and get some buses off the streets, especialy Adelaide street - this street is looking rather sad and the fumes are bad also.

and just a bees dick of world news.

thats the point! if you want news, read the tabloids. if you want lighter reading, then pick up an mX for FREE!

Thats good news on the increasing patronage of Brisbane's PT network. I think the increase in petrol prices would attribute to the rise too.

Did anyone get a first day MX, I saw it on the 6pm news, and it looked like the front page was a story on a new Subway.

The Sydney edition had part of the cover on it as part of a report announcing the arrival of MX in the city.

why would you want to get buses off the streets? It is cars that must get off the streets eh. Light rail can support the bus system

Mx reports that a 13 storey office tower has been approved to be built on top of the existing 10 storey kings carpark at the corner of Albert and Margaret Sts.

Does anyone know about this?

If this is new, maybe a thread should be started on it..........

The thread is here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=395499)

Thanks, I should of looked harder

I couldn't find the thread about future potential sites for Brisbane, so I'm posting this here.

But tonight, I was standing across the road from the Dept. of Primary Industries building in Ann St (right next to Gotham), and was amazed at how much street frontage this building took up, at least half the block. And considering it's only like 15 stories or something, it would seem prime for a future demolition and eventual super-tall on the site. I reckon it would be at least 2000-3000sq/m.

Anyway, just wanted to say that.

^^ AND it wouldn't block the view of State Law!

Not sure whether anyone posted this?

Highrise plan for historic South Brisbane
Tony Moore | March 8, 2007 brisbanetimes.com.au

Brisbane City Council wants to makeover South Brisbane and allow 19-storey apartment blocks in the old historical area of the suburb.

The study - the Peel Street Structure Plan - covers land from the Brisbane River near the new Gallery of Modern Art back towards West End and has a potential height limit of 16 storeys.

Three extra storeys would be allowed if the buildings satisfy new building design requirements.

The review and recommendations will go to Brisbane City Council's Civic Cabinet later this month.

The local community will be invited to comment after the draft is finalised, though businesses have already been involved.

The maximum height allowed in this section of inner-city Brisbane is now 10 storeys and much of the suburb is two-storey.

Community groups are angered by the plan saying it does not reflect the history of Kurilpa Point, one of the oldest parts of Brisbane.

West End Community Association (WECA) has already set down as "no-go zones" the historic Kurilpa Point and the parkland between the new Gallery of Modern Art and the William Jolly Bridge.

WECA president Mary Maher said the local community is shocked at the plans and are worried Brisbane City Council is talking to businesses, but not the community.

"I think it is an assault on the area really," Ms Maher said.

"I guess it is a complete makeover of the area."

In a statement, Brisbane City Council said it was considering a draft plan allowing buildings in certain parts of the precinct to have a minimum of 16 storeys.

"In order to stimulate and encourage the greater adoption of smart and sustainable building design, allowances for an additional three storeys will be considered only for buildings that comply with the Green Building Council of Australia 'Green Star Office Design Guidelines'."

Mary Maher said the community accepted some change was necessary, but wanted to make sure the suburb's character was retained.

"We need to meet the city ratio of parkland per capita, as a minimum," she said.

Other factors include protecting the 16 heritage and character buildings including St Mary's Catholic Church on Merivale Street and the Coronation Hotel on Montague Road.

The Brisbane City Council statement said it did not set specified levels for parkland for inner city urban locations.

"It will include improved access to the river and the existing public spaces at Kurilpa Park, Riverside Park, South Bank, Davies Park and the existing pocket parks at the junction of Peel Street and Merivale Street."

The area of land stretches from the river near the William Jolly Bridge back in to the heart of West End and is the first large parcel of land in South Brisbane being considered for re-development.

West End Community House - which is located in the study area - and the West End Community Association (WECA) are concerned they have not been consulted.

West End Community House team leader Joe Hurley said if the Peel Street plan was approved it would put great pressure on some of Brisbane's most important social networks.

"We always thought the Local Area Management Plan was extremely generous in granting 10 storeys," he said.

"But this is going into the 'Kangaroo Point' type of development for this area. This area is not very well-equipped in terms of social and community infrastructure," he said.

Mr Hurley said about 1000 people now lived in six-storey apartment blocks in the area covered by the structure plan.

He said there was virtually no parkland for people and argued this had to be included in any proposal from Brisbane City Council.

West End Community Association is concerned at the pressure of the proposal on the character housing and community organisations in the area.

The area includes heritage buildings including the old Coronation Hotel on Montague Road, Callan House and "Palmyra" in Manning Street and a number of social organisations including Legacy House, the large OzCare Homeless Mens Hostel, St Vincent de Paul administration centre and the officers of three unions.

Brisbane City Council said "heritage buildings should be protected."

The Peel Street Structure Plan covers land bounded by the Brisbane River, the Queensland Cultural Centre, Melbourne Street, Boundary Street, a line adjacent to Brereton Street to Montague Road and a stretch of land to the west of Bouquet Street to the river.

The area of land stretches from the river near the William Jolly Bridge back in to the heart of West End and is the first large parcel of land in South Brisbane being considered for re-development.

West End Community House - which is located in the study area - and the West End Community Association (WECA) are concerned they have not been consulted.

West End Community House team leader Joe Hurley said if the Peel Street plan was approved it would put great pressure on some of Brisbane's most important social networks.

"We always thought the Local Area Management Plan was extremely generous in granting 10 storeys," he said.

"But this is going into the 'Kangaroo Point' type of development for this area. This area is not very well-equipped in terms of social and community infrastructure," he said.

Mr Hurley said about 1000 people now lived in six-storey apartment blocks in the area covered by the structure plan.

He said there was virtually no parkland for people and argued this had to be included in any proposal from Brisbane City Council.

West End Community Association is concerned at the pressure of the proposal on the character housing and community organisations in the area.

The area includes heritage buildings including the old Coronation Hotel on Montague Road, Callan House and "Palmyra" in Manning Street and a number of social organisations including Legacy House, the large OzCare Homeless Mens Hostel, St Vincent de Paul administration centre and the officers of three unions.

Brisbane City Council said "heritage buildings should be protected."

The Peel Street Structure Plan covers land bounded by the Brisbane River, the Queensland Cultural Centre, Melbourne Street, Boundary Street, a line adjacent to Brereton Street to Montague Road and a stretch of land to the west of Bouquet Street to the river.

^^ Uh, no thankyou!! :)

Don't think it's such a bad idea. Good way to increase density where there are public transport.

For crying out loud, what are the WECA on about no parkland for the locals, there's heaps, and all the river water front, and the close proximity to the central city area off-sets any perceived loss. Some of us actually like good quality urban areas rather than sitting in a park with dero's.

^^And hopefully all the West End extremists will be out numbered by people who don't think with such extreme views.

For crying out loud, what are the WECA on about no parkland for the locals, there's heaps, and all the river water front, and the close proximity to the central city area off-sets any perceived loss. Some of us actually like good quality urban areas rather than sitting in a park with dero's.

WECA has been hijacked by all the bloody socialist west end lesbians. they are very 'anti-everything', cause they're angry about not having a penis and about david hicks in prison, and to a certain extent, workchoices (they dont have many choices - boilermaker or bobcat driver)

Danubis, bit over the top eh?

But anyway, this would definitely increase density and infrastructure for the area.

Congrats Brisbane! We have fairfax!!! An online paper... just like the SMH and the Age.

The Brisbane Times (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/)

Wow, 2 new news papers/online paper in one month!

WECA has been hijacked by all the bloody socialist west end lesbians. they are very 'anti-everything', cause they're angry about not having a penis and about david hicks in prison, and to a certain extent, workchoices (they dont have many choices - boilermaker or bobcat driver)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

WECA has been hijacked by all the bloody socialist west end lesbians. they are very 'anti-everything', cause they're angry about not having a penis and about david hicks in prison, and to a certain extent, workchoices (they dont have many choices - boilermaker or bobcat driver)
That is some of the funniest shit I've read recently.

BCC have actually done quite well with their rezoning of West End/South Brisbane and thought of the future and the heritage. Most of the blocks that will allow these 10-19 story blocks are full of run down warehouses and commercial premises. Its not like they will allow a 19 story building right next door to caracter houses, there will be stepping down and such. All these community groups have a one track NIMBY bullshit attitude. It makes me wish so bad i was a mega developer and bought them all out and set fire to everything.

We just won the NBL!

Me thinks Danubis is a bit of a right wing nut?

Like the sound of the Peel St Structure plan. I drive through that area everyday and its pretty ugly. Yes, there are a few important buildings like the church and the pub but other than that most of it is crap. I would love to see them get rid of the Parmalat carpark and all buildings in that block and replace them with a nice multi use development with office, resi and parkland and a pretty up of the underside of the rail line.......that would be a start!!!

WECA has been hijacked by all the bloody socialist west end lesbians. they are very 'anti-everything', cause they're angry about not having a penis and about david hicks in prison, and to a certain extent, workchoices (they dont have many choices - boilermaker or bobcat driver)

will you marry me?

We just won the NBL!

The what?

NBL = National Basketball League

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m173/soulvisionQ2/350_bullets0.jpg
Bullets take NBL Crown
Shannon Molloy and Phil Lutton | March 10, 2007 - 5:31AM

Legions of ecstatic fans made their way to Brisbane Airport today to welcome home the victorious Bullets after their NBL championship victory in Melbourne last night.

About 600 blue-clad fans, young and old, waited eagerly to greet the team at the arrival gate.

Bemused passengers were first off the plane, greeted with a wall of screaming and cheering. As the Bullets players made their way off the plane, the roar became deafening.

Players mingled with fans in the terminal, showing off their championship trophy and posing for photos. Skipper Sam Mackinnon looked as though he got as much of a work out signing autographs as he did during last night’s game.

Speaking last night in Melbourne after the victory, Mackinnon said he was thankful for what he called the "x-factor" in teammate CJ Bruton.

A banged-up Bruton was an inspiration in the clutch for Brisbane, battling an injured knee to get his side over the line in front of a hostile Melbourne crowd to win the Bullets first championship in 20 years.

Bruton, 31, stepped up to hit nine points in the final quarter to stem a Tigers comeback, with Mackinnon saying he always knew his side could produce something special when push came to shove.

Mackinnon said the prospect of a game five decider in Brisbane had crossed his mind but an unshakeble faith in his teammate eased his fears.

"Obviously it crosses your mind. You just say to yourself ‘I don’t want to go to game five’. I sat down today with Hoges (Mark Bradke) and Dillon (Boucher) and said we’re going to win today because of the x-factor, and that x-factor is Ebi or CJ," Mackinnon said.

"CJ hit the three, gave us some momentum and got us to the line. And today that x-factor was CJ."

The win capped off an incredible season for Mackinnon, which began with Commonwealth Games gold and ended with an NBL ring, picking up the league’s MVP award along the way.

Last night he was also named finals MVP, receiving the award from Larry Sengstock, the man who captained the Bullets to their last title in 1987.

A typically humble Mackinnon was quick to praise his team but his all-around play, leadership and positional flexibility was the lynchpin of Brisbane’s record breaking year.

"What makes us a great team is when Stephen Black shoots the lights out in games one and three, CJ tonight, Adam Gibson I thought was great. Indiviudals aren’t going to win championships and I know it’s a cliché but a team of champions will always win and I think that’s what we have."

Continued... (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland-sport/bullets-take-nbl-crown/2007/03/09/1173166985926.html)

basketball really flew off the radar after the eighties

Positive article from The Sydney Morning Herald today....

Brisbane office space squeeze

March 10, 2007

LANDMARK White has recently updated the office market forecasts for Brisbane, completing analysis on supply, demand, vacancy, yields and rents in the Brisbane CBD office market. LandMark Byte features the results of these forecasts which point towards continuing growth throughout the forecast period.

Historically, the Brisbane CBD office market did not display any distinct supply cycle, with net supply averaging 27,480sqm a year over the last six years. However, the market is about to enter a significant supply cycle, with a brief slowdown in supply expected in early 2008.

LandMark White has identified 27 projects to enter the market over the next five years with over 90,000sqm of supply each year. The biggest supply period is in the six months to January 2010 when three large buildings are to be completed including Northbank Stage 2 and the Suncorp Theatre site.

Absorption in the Brisbane CBD market over the next 12 months is expected to be solid due to the lack of supply - the last five years have averaged some 45,000sqm a year.

After this period, as employment growth levels stabilise, consistent, high levels of absorption are likely, however, not at the rate required to meet the levels of supply. LandMark White has forecast over 68,700sqm of absorption in 2009 and a large 121,000sqm of absorption in 2010.

The analysts expect 355,000sqm of office space to be absorbed in the next five years.

Vacancy levels in Brisbane CBD are now at 1.7 per cent after almost three years of decline and are expected to continue falling to a historic low of 1.2 per cent by January 2008 before reverting to an average of 2 per cent by January 2009. Then vacancy rates are expected rise to peak at 6.5 per cent at January 2011 as a result of over 145,000sqm being added to the market during 2010.

That is staggering! Seems almost what Sydney was like pre-Olympics.

^^ And we don't even have the Olympics yet!! Crazy stuff!

Suncorp Theatre site???????

i'm lost here is that suncorp piazza,suncorp tower(with clock)or the circluar building

^^The Suncorp Tower with the clock. It currently has a crane on site, the gantries are up as well as some other scaffolding.

oh thx!

anyone have news on the proposed brisbane supreme court competition?

"New Brisbane Supreme Court and District Court design
The department is undertaking a design competition to select an architect and design for a new Supreme Court and District Court building on the site adjacent to the highly successful Brisbane Magistrates Court.

It is intended that the building will be a major architectural statement for Brisbane and form the centrepiece building of the Brisbane legal precinct.

Competing architects in the design competition are ABM Cox Rayner (architects for the Brisbane Magistrates Court); Hassell (Federal and Family Court in Melbourne and Adelaide) and Architectus (Brisbane Gallery of Modern Art). "
posted on http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/news/capworks.htm

slow news day....

anyone have news on the proposed brisbane supreme court competition?

"New Brisbane Supreme Court and District Court design
The department is undertaking a design competition to select an architect and design for a new Supreme Court and District Court building on the site adjacent to the highly successful Brisbane Magistrates Court.

It is intended that the building will be a major architectural statement for Brisbane and form the centrepiece building of the Brisbane legal precinct.

Competing architects in the design competition are ABM Cox Rayner (architects for the Brisbane Magistrates Court); Hassell (Federal and Family Court in Melbourne and Adelaide) and Architectus (Brisbane Gallery of Modern Art). "
posted on http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/news/capworks.htm

Not really anything special to look forward to then, all those architects have produced average work recently.

^^ Thought Cox already won that...

Interesting! I'm surprised they didn't go to Melbourne before Brisbane.

Sassy and Savvy (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21382432-23272,00.html)


PICTURE a room adorned with beautiful vintage clothes and valuable treasured trinkets collected from across the globe by two of Australia's biggest names in fashion.

A room where celebrities can drop in to try on never-to-be-repeated designs.

A room where VIPs throw regular parties and artists exhibit their masterpieces over champagne and canapes.

Now picture it being right here for all to see in Brisbane.

This "evolving room", as Heidi Middleton – one half of the successful fashion label sass & bide – calls it, is the focal point of the designers' first Queensland store, which opens today in New Farm's trendy James St strip.

Middleton (bide) and her best friend and business partner, Sarah-Jane Clarke (sass), are in Brisbane today to launch their long-awaited home-town boutique, which promises to be much more than just another retail store.

"We love the thought of taking it beyond a retail space and making it more interactive in the way of holding unusual events there and different parties," Middleton says.

Yesterday, painters were putting the finishing touches to the whitewashed walls and floors as intrigued passers-by peered through the sparkling glass windows.

The dramatic space, which is twice the size of their first store in Sydney and promises to be bigger and better, is designed to imitate a greenhouse, making use of lots of natural light and creating a botanical feel.

A sea of mustard shirts, grey tulip skirts, black jersey dresses and metallic pieces line the walls – all stamped with the famous sass & bide label – ready for customers to try on in one of five dressing rooms.

The boutique is likely to attract regular visits from star sass & bide devotees such as Kate Hudson, Mischa Barton and Kate Bosworth when they drop into Australia.

It will stock all the label's couture and ready-to-wear ranges, including the girls' new denim & play collection showcased at the recent L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, which features signature skinny and sexy low-rise jeans and playful tops and dresses.

But it is the VIP room, unique to the Brisbane store, which really makes it a special place.

"We're looking at it being a gallery space for collaborative events with artists, a VIP room for special people who are in town from overseas or even locals," Middleton says. "It will take quite a few different forms as we use it for different things."

The room is particularly close to the girls' hearts because it will stock a collection of pieces they have sourced from overseas markets and exhibitions over the past decade.

Some of the pieces on show will be for sale, but the plan is to hold a dedicated event in the VIP room to auction off the items, ranging in price from $200 to $2000. Special Victorian and Edwardian pieces of clothing as well as obscure objects will be on offer.

The proceeds will go to a children's fund, which the girls are in the process of establishing and are yet to name.

"They really are unique pieces and we have scoured markets worldwide to find them," Middleton says.

But she says their homes already are filled with beautiful things they have collected during their career and it is time to pass some of them on.

Like Sydney, the Brisbane store will have special limited edition designs and display curiosity boxes in its change rooms, which showcase quirky items or feature artists' exhibitions.

While the finishing touches have just been added, there is one surprise which will not arrive until next month, when an official launch party is held on April 20. Middleton was not giving anything away, except to say that it was a "big object", a few metres tall, which would be a centrepiece in the store.

While they now live in Sydney, the women grew up in Brisbane's western suburbs and have been planning to open a "home-coming" store for the past seven years, but it is only now that they have decided the time is right.

Middleton believes it is important for the brand and for their customers to have a dedicated store in Brisbane, even though their designs are already stocked in David Jones, Nancy King, Adrenalin, T.O.Y, Lavida, Platinum and Strada.

"Our focus has been on building the brand and making sure we had the right systems in place . . . and right people," Middleton says.

"Because it's been such a period of high growth, we haven't wanted to deviate until (the business) was a well-oiled machine."

"It's probably the strongset we've felt the business is at in terms of management and HR."

The girls, whose talent was discovered when they were selling their designs at London's Portobello Rd markets,

have enjoyed a fabulous 15-year career, which has seen them transform from a small-town talent to an international brand.

But there have been hiccups along the way, which include Middleton being recently diagnosed with breast cancer and having a tumour removed from her breast soon after the birth of her second child, Elke Bay Plowman, last month.

After Brisbane, they hope to open a Melbourne store and one overseas, but any more than that, Middleton says, would cheapen the brand.

"We want to keep them as flagships and only have a handful of them ever," she says. "We don't want to be known as a retail chain."

The sass & bide Brisbane boutique opens Thursday, March 15 at 46 James St, New Farm

Fairground ruled out for Howard Smith Wharves
Christine Kellett | March 14, 2007 - Brisbane Times

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/15/470map.jpg

City Hall has ruled out a Luna Park-style fairground and a nightclub strip for Brisbane's historic Howard Smith Wharves - but a "commercial element" will be part of the site's multi-million dollar revamp.

The 3.56 hectare riverfront beauty spot, underneath the Story Bridge, has been earmarked for a major facelift under Brisbane City Council's 20 year masterplan to revitalise the CBD, and city chiefs are counting on plenty of interest - and private sector cash - when design ideas are sought for the wharves site later this year.

Lord Mayor Campbell ****** said at least $25 million would be needed to redevelop the area; the last major slice of the city's untouched waterfront real estate.

"People have said they just want it to be [turned into] a park, but frankly if it is just a park it still won't be activated at night," Cr ****** said.

"The area is unpopular now and during the hours of darkness it's really a place you don't want to be.

"Commercial aspects will enliven it to provide that safety aspect...[and] we'd like to leverage private sector dollars to help with the cost."

The site is currently home to a collection of crumbling heritage-listed sheds, bomb shelters and the former Water Police building, which have been derelict for about 20 years.

In November, the council held a series of workshops and an online forum to gauge public opinion on what should be done with the site before it throws open the doors to private developers.

Some ideas put forward by the community included a cruise-ship dock and a skate park.

Boutique hotels and a cafe-lined promenade are two concepts favoured by Cr ******, who said the addition of a ferry stop and well-lit walkways would help link New Farm to the CBD.

A "significant percentage" of land would be set aside for public open space, he said, but nightclubs and an outdoor swimming pool were off the cards.

"We don't want to be replicating Southbank. Its not going to be another Luna Park or anything like that, but we're not just going to say that it will be a park because we have to balance up the views of everyone - not just the people who live there.

"We want Brisbane to be a 24-hour city and if people don't like that then they need to go and live on an acreage somewhere."

Built in the 1930s by the Forgan-Smith government, the Brisbane Central Wharves, as they were then known, provided relief work during the depression years and are one of only a few surviving relics of the old port of Brisbane. The wharves were leased to Australian coastal shipping firm Howard Smith Co. and in the 1980s became the base for the Queensland Water Police.

The wharves were among more than a dozen city spots singled out for redevelopment last year under the council's Demonstration Project banner.

Other Demonstration projects include the construction of a new bus and mass transit bridge at Adelaide Street, a subtropical boulevard along Roma Street and the creation of an urban plaza over the railway tracks at the corner of Creek and Turbot streets.

Cr ****** said the council would seek a minimum of three expressions of interest for the wharves before making its final decision.

:) :cheers: :dj: :cheers2: :cheers1: :nocrook: :okay: :applause:

^^ Well said Campbell, we all want Brisbane to be a 24 hour city.

From City News

Relief for city's growing pains
MARCH 8: Brisbane’s slowing population growth should be met with a huge sigh of relief, a QUT academic says.

Over the five years from June 2001, Brisbane recorded an annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent, but that slowed in the 12 months to June 2006 to 1.6 per cent, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.

Nearly 1000 people a week moved to South East Queensland.

But Western Australia has overtaken Queensland as the fastest growing state in Australia with Perth the fastest-growing city on the back of the resources boom.

Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Phil Heywood said Brisbane’s power, water, road and public transport had been stretched to breaking point by the cities rapid growth.

“It’s been over-heated for 15 to 16 years,” Mr Heywood said.

“Up to 2 per cent it’s healthy, it can be managed. Above 2 per cent and you’re really pushing it.

“1.6 per cent a year is a very good rate of growth which would double the rate of population over 50 years.

“I wouldn’t mind if it went down a bit further.“

New Farm’s unemployment rate plummeted from 7.6 per cent to 5.2 per cent last quarter, one of the largest declines in Australia, latest ABS figures reveal.

But it is still higher than the national unemployment rate of 4.8 per cent.

Boggo Road goes green (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/boggo-road-goes-green/2007/03/15/1173722613439.html)
Tony Moore | March 15, 2007 - 10:43AM

Plans for a new $9 million Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence will be announced later today at Department of Primary Industries facilities at Indooroopilly.

The centre will eventually become part of the revamped Boggo Road industrial area in 2010 near the old jail and the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The new centre will have 54 staff, including 40 scientists, and will include staff from the departments of Primary Industries, Natural Resources and Water and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Premier Peter Beattie will announce the new centre at midday.

Also in State Parliament Premier Beattie said a review of Queensland's electorates due to start in September 2007, would not mean an increase in the number of state parliamentarians.

Interesting! I'm surprised they didn't go to Melbourne before Brisbane.



Of course they will go to Brisbane before Melbourne....They are originally Brisbane girls! Melbourne girls love Dotti and Supre!

I actually know 2 chicks who thinking walking around with Supre bags is cool.

As for the population growth, I can see the benefits of slowed growth in terms of allowing for "infrastructure catch-up", but high growth also means more development. So its good either way.

I have a feeling Ive read something about it on here before but does anyone know what the hammerhead crane next to the Novotel is for?

From the Courier Mail website.

Apartment buildings that soar to 20 storeys high could be approved for some suburbs as part of Brisbane City Council's plan to cope with the booming population.

A draft plan that sets out how the city will cope with an expected influx of 200,000 people over the next two decades proposes doubling the allowable density for dwellings in certain suburbs.
The 20-storey proposal is also double the height limit residents were first told they could expect outside the CBD and city fringe.

During early public consultation on the CityShape concept, residents were told high-rise buildings up to 10 storeys high could be built outside the city centre.

The targeted areas for 20-storey high-rises include Carindale, Chermside, Indooroopilly and Upper Mount Gravatt.

Under the proposal, residential buildings up to 20-storeys high would be allowed within 200m of the suburb's central transport infrastructure.

Radiating from a central point, council would allow a sliding scale of higher-density dwellings of between five and 10-storeys.

In addition, 10-storey residential developments were proposed within 200m of central transport in Mitchelton, Toombul, Toowong and Wynnum.

Liberal urban planning and development spokeswoman councillor Carol Cashman said the plans should not apply uniformly across the board and accused Labor councillors of trying to mount a fear campaign about future growth.

"We don't believe that certain areas should carte blanche be 20 storeys," she said. "We believe the decision should be left to communities under the neighbourhood planning process and with cloth cut to meet every suburb's requirements."

As part of the State Government's southeast Queensland regional plan, Brisbane City Council is required to provide 145,000 new dwellings over the next 20 years to cater for the expected population boom.

In addition, it requires that 115,000 of those dwellings be built within Brisbane's existing built-up locations.

After public consultation, it was determined the bulk of new developments should be located along public transport corridors as well as within centres outside the CBD.

Council's plan estimates the population of Upper Mount Gravatt would grow by 7770 people by 2026 and Carindale, Chermside and Fortitude Valley would each gain almost 5000 additional people.

The Brisbane Times (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/)
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/17/470cityliving.jpg
Cara Odenthal, 21, and Alan Brown, 23, have been enjoying the city life for the past 12 months in a high rise apartment overlooking the river.
Brisbane's skyline set for more change
Shannon Molloy | March 17, 2007 - 9:02AM

The Brisbane skyline has changed dramatically in recent years, with a string of new apartment high rise developments shooting up around the city.

And the shape of the city is destined for more change, with several buildings either underway, or in various stages of planning.

Construction is set to begin on Vision Tower this month, a 79 storey building set to occupy the width of an entire city block, with completion pegged for late 2009.

The mammoth skyscraper will comprise commercial, retail and entertainment spaces, an observation deck with restaurant and art gallery and 376 residences.

Standing a little shorter at 68 storeys, Empire Square on Elizabeth Street should open around the same time.

Several other residential developments in the process of construction will soon join new buildings Festival Towers and the Aurora complex.

Cara Odenthal, 21, and Alan Brown, 23, have been enjoying the city life for the past 12 months in a high rise apartment overlooking the river.

Ms Odenthal's parents bought the unit, giving the young couple the opportunity to move in shortly after.

"Living in the city is something we've always wanted to do," Ms Odenthal said.

Their two bedroom, two bathroom unit on the 35th floor of the three-year-old Felix building is fully furnished, with a range of luxury features.

Coming from a share house in Spring Hill previously, the couple said living in the city came with many perks.

Ms Odenthal said the location and lifestyle that came with living in the city made street noise, the occasional smoggy day and street traffic bearable.

"It's just more convenient. We can walk to the Valley, so there are no cab lines when we want to go out," Mr Brown said.

Luxury features within high rise apartment buildings is a lure for occupants, as is the close proximity to services and infrastructure.

Ms Odenthal said she most liked the features of her building, including a communal barbeque, lap pool, theatre, gym and meeting room.

"We miss having an outdoor area, but I guess that's just one of the things you have to live with when you live in a unit," Ms Odenthal said.

^^ Yay! Go Brisbane!

All these skyscrapers get me excited :)

Mayor blocks 20-storey units in suburbs
March 20, 2007 - 5:42AM, Brisbane Times

Brisbane's Lord Mayor has vowed not to allow 20-storey apartment blocks in suburban areas, after sending a leaked planning document back to Council officers for modification.

The draft City Shape plan has been at the centre of a political bunfight that erupted on Friday when Labor deputy Lord Mayor David Hinchliffe leaked the document to the media.

It contained a plan to allow 20-storey residential towers to be built in suburbs such as Carindale, Chermside, Indooroopilly and Upper Mt Gravatt.

But Liberal Lord Mayor Campbell ****** yesterday said he had instructed Cr Hinchliffe, in his capacity as Planning chair, to send the plan back and have the 20-storey provision removed by Council planners.

"I will not let anyone change the town plan without proper public consultation," Cr ****** said.

The Lord Mayor said he suspected Cr Hinchliffe allowed the 20-storey concept to remain in a local growth management strategy report to cause political mayhem.

Twenty-storey residential developments have never been part of the Council's extensive Neighbourhood Planning consultation process with communities.

Labor and Liberal politicians blamed each other for its inclusion in the draft plan.

I heard on the radio today that council were having a meeting to get rid of the T3 lanes on Coronation Drive. Is this city going backwards? Lets just make life easier for motorists and who cares if buses get caught in congestion.

i know that a majority of uni bus traffic now uses the Elenor Schnoell Bridge, however there are still high frequency buses using Coro Dr like the 444 and buses that service Taringa and Indro. If they are willing to remove the T3 at least make it a T2

Are you serious!!! I was discussing with someone the other day if it would be beneficial or not having the T3 lanes going in both directions up Corro Drive. This council is phony when it comes to supporting PT stuff.

Removing T3 lanes and promoting less density in major suburban hubs?? Maybe campbell has been paying attention to Chinimik about how little Brisbane has changed since the 80's..

Bloody hell, what is he thinking. Higher density is a need for these places in the future, why not start now.

His usual thing of buying votes from rev head nimbys.

Luxury apartment living with a $7m price tag (]http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/luxury-apartment-living-with-a-7m-price-tag/2007/03/20/1174153064600.html)


Looking for a place to call home? Try a two level grand penthouse in Brisbane's newest addresses, complete with theatre, bar, sweeping staircase and shoe room.

For a mere $7.5 million, you can own one of the city's finest apartments in the hub of Kangaroo Point.

Nestled in a tree-lined street, Castlebar Cove is a two-tower complex where opulence is a standard inclusion, from the Feng Shui gardens to the marble foyer.

The multi-million dollar project comes with a range of luxury features indicative of an up-market hotel. It's the new kid on the block in the world of apartment living.

But don't expect the same-old - the man behind the project ensured that Castlebar Cove would deviate from the rest.

It has been described as a "brave development" for the Brisbane market, sacrificing a much larger potential profit for spacious residences and classic style.

Think traditional, with a mix of modern. Think grand. Think spacious. Most of all, think expensive.

The lower level apartments have so far averaged $2.55 million each, with only a few left for sale. Both penthouses are on the market starting at $7.5 million.

If they collect that amount, which is likely, they will set a new Queensland record for highest apartment sale price.

The building's design features almost overshadow the absolute river frontage, or the manicured gardens and water features that lead down to the private residents' marina.

Inside, the marble and timber finishes give a classical feel, mixed with state-of-the-art technology, from individual climate control in bedrooms to the switch-controlled fireplaces.

While other apartment complexes might feel crowded, this development is anything but, with only 19 residences in each tower.

Everything at Castlebar Cove is big, with squared measurements usually preceded by an impressive number. Then there's the 74m river frontage, and 5m high ceilings.

The grand penthouses are clearly the point of focus in each building, but the lower floor apartments aren't to be overshadowed. They are almost smaller versions of the top floor grandeur, with similar luxury features.

Internationally recognised interior designer James Campbell, whose clients include the Malaysian royal family, is the man behind the intricate finishes and lavish features of the interior.

Solid timber framed opaque glass doors, imported carpets and integrated kitchen appliances are some of the apartment additions.

But with three bedrooms, study, theatre, bar and large living and entertainment areas, the grand penthouse is Castlebar Cove's celebrated achievement.

Inside, the first vision is of the sweeping 'Gone with the Wind' style staircase, followed shortly by the large balconies and expansive river views.

Then there's the built-in timber bookcase, sparkling crystal chandeliers, polished stone and gloss timber.

This mammoth, two-level home includes two gourmet kitchens - one inside, and one out, a multimedia room and bar area, internal private lift, pool and spa. And five bathrooms.

And of course, there's the separate wardrobe especially for shoe storage.

Seriously...what's the rush!!! And it's a shoking idea. New-man may be right in saying that less that 5% of the vehicles use the T3 lane, but this is very deceptive for a number of reasons:

1. There are 4 other lanes, of which 2 are going in the opposite direction, and with uni, there is no such thing as a directional peak,
2. The T3 lane carries 2 and a half MORE commuters than any other lane!!!

This means that if the T3 lane is removed, they will be removing the most efficient lane on the road!!!





New-man bid to open T3 today (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21421381-3102,00.html)

The T3 lanes on Brisbane's Coronation Drive may be opened to all traffic as early as this afternoon.

Lord Mayor Campbell New-man has directed council CEO Jude Munro to see if the T3 lanes on the congested road linking the inner west and the city can be legally opened to all traffic as soon as possible.

It is expected Ms Munro will have to discuss the issue with Labor councillors because they hold the majority in the council.

It was in the CM today that the right hand turn into Coronation Drive will be closed for a couple of years while the Hale St bridge is built. That is why they want to cease the T3 lanes...in order to reduce traffic congestion to ALL users of Coronation Drive while this disruption takes place. Makes good sense to me.

Not really. When T3 lanes have a far greater capacity than the standard lanes, would it not be better for the largest capacity vehicles to be given the free flow!!

The Hale Street Bridge will only add to the congestion anyway. (side rant)

Wow, thankyou ever so much Can-Do for making the Western Suburbs much harder to access in peak. I shall be looking forward to being stuck in traffic on friday when I have to get to Indooroopilly Bus Interchange to get to the library

He would have to be the dumbest person in brisbane. Who the hell would impede bus travells IN PEAK for commuter cars, which are far less effective?.

That 5% caters for way more than a general traffic lane.

Actually, I drove along there at about 6:30pm last night for the first time in a couple of years, and I actually thought 'What a pointless lane' about the T3, because in the 10mins or so that I was stuck in traffic on coro drive, only 1 bus used that lane (not a single car). So I thought it was uncanny that I had thought that last night, and then today find out they are removing it.

Disclaimer: I have not regularly travelled coro drive in the last couple of years, so I'm open to all views, especially those of people who regularly drive it >> But as for my drive last night, I'm sure I could have shaved a few minutes off if that lane wasn't a T3.

I can also understand the view regarding prioritising PT through there, so maybe instead of getting rid of the T3, they could have just reduced the times that the lane is a T3??

My main point is that currently this lane carries 2.5 times the number of commuters than the other lanes on average. If other cars are allowed to use the lane than this means that all these people will be held up. It also means that there is no advantage for using buses in this area.

Kj when the construction work for the bridge starts at least one lane each way in that part of Coronation Drive will be removed. Its going to be extremely frustrating for drivers to be stuck in jams back to Toowong or clogging the Riverside Expressway (as they do if there is a breakdown now involving just one lane ) on a daily basis while an entire lane sits empty. I would imagine that since the opening of the Schonell Bridge there would have been a huge drop in the number of people needing to get to UQ on PT via Coronation Drive as they can now go via the bridge. I would imagine that this is factored into the decision to can the T3 lanes untill the bridge is finished.

Why don't they just can the T3 lanes when they start the bridge rather than now. He has other reasonsother than just the Bridge.

I guess the pressure is off PT to a degree with the Schonell Bridge open.

^^ But there is still a massive portion of the western suburbs that is serviced by bus only, with no busway, no transit lanes now, that use Corondation Drive.

Especially the 444 which is now a BUZ route. i.e. minimum every 10 minutes in peak aand every 15 minutes off peak. Not to mention the 412, 411, the Toowong and Indooroopilly buses etc. These cannot use the ESB.

^^ They'll end up with a number of 444's on Coro drive at any given time, both directions, stuck in congestion!! And if this is due to the Hale St Bridge, this gives another reason why it's a bad idea (closing a T3 lane and opening it to private transport, so they can build a private transport bridge). Where are their priorities? The disadvantages should fall on private car transport, not for public transportation. If anything, more congestion for cars, with buses rushing past them in the T3 lane should be an incentive for these people to get a bus instead.

I shall look forward to getting stuck in traffic on one of the Indooroopilly buses tommorow when I have to go to the library at indro again.

One reason to build a western busway or proper railway.

^^ They already have a railway to Indooroopilly..... Ipswich line.

^^ hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

a western busway is near impossible due to the lack of road space and the amount of resumptions needed to make it happen. a busway to the west IMO can only occur through bus lanes through the dense and hilly inner suburbs.

BS I just bought a house at Bardon. That would be distastrous

The only thing stopping a Western Busway is the extreme cost of tunneling and resumptions. The tunnels would have to be extremelly deep due to the hilly terrain.

anybody hear about that incident at the milton station on friday morning. man i wonder when will queensland trainstation be smart enough to incorporate those automatic doors protection similar to the MTR in hk

^^Way way way too expensive to put on every station. Hong Kong has massive density and massive PT usage because of that density. It would just not be feasible for the small amount of incidents that happen (most of them are people being idiots and they'd make their way onto the tracks anyway).

From what I've heard about this incident, (they're not releasing much information) is that it had nothing to do with a train anyway, so by the sounds of things the doors wouldn't have stopped this either.

I saw a bloody stupid stupid bogan woman the other day, hop off the platform, cross two tracks (both which are express lines), and get back up on the middle platform, just so she wouldn't miss the train.

Worst part of the whole story though, she was at least 6 months pregnant!!! Where are these idiots brains?!?!

^^ and why are they breeding????

A station on the Beenleigh line, by chance? :lol: :lol:
*j/k*

I saw a bloody stupid stupid bogan woman the other day, hop off the platform, cross two tracks (both which are express lines), and get back up on the middle platform, just so she wouldn't miss the train.

Worst part of the whole story though, she was at least 6 months pregnant!!! Where are these idiots brains?!?!

I saw a bloody stupid stupid bogan woman the other day, hop off the platform, cross two tracks (both which are express lines), and get back up on the middle platform, just so she wouldn't miss the train.

Worst part of the whole story though, she was at least 6 months pregnant!!! Where are these idiots brains?!?!

Some people are so lazy. I definately remember being stuck on a train for hours sometime last year after a guy on the platform too busy talking on his mobile phone to hear the express Airport train coming and decided to cross the tracks at the station as we were passing through. I really feel sorry for the drivers who have to deal with hitting stupid people.

A station on the Beenleigh line, by chance? :lol: :lol:
*j/k*
At Albion actually.....but the train was bound for Corinda. :)

Some people are so lazy. I definately remember being stuck on a train for hours sometime last year after a guy on the platform too busy talking on his mobile phone to hear the express Airport train coming and decided to cross the tracks at the station as we were passing through. I really feel sorry for the drivers who have to deal with hitting stupid people.

Did he die?

Did he die?

If he didn't he is going to have a nasty headache!

Did he die?

Probably

Did he die?

Yes - but from what I heard on the news the next day it wasn't until he reached hospital or on the way that he died. I don't think I'd want to survive being hit by a train .

ive never seen it happen nor have i been affected by a death on the railways and i catch 10 or more trains a week.

i witnessed the 'almost' death of someone at a station when some drug fucked dickhead was pickin a fight with ppl 2 platforms across. he was on the very edge waving his hands at them and didnt even flinch when an express train travelling at the 100 limit nearly took his arm off blowing its horn. must have been on something hard not to have even flinched

For those who haven't seen this security footage of the platform at Rocklea station (the same station that the guy on the phone got hit from in my post a bit above - there must be something about Rocklea and trains that don't go together?):

ltdBNIcJNFo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltdBNIcJNFo

A very close shave. Ought to teach people what that yellow line is for.

http://www.togerland.com/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif

Yes - but from what I heard on the news the next day it wasn't until he reached hospital or on the way that he died. I don't think I'd want to survive being hit by a train .


Haha, they had his body covered with the white sheet next to the tracks in broad daylight - blood and all...:ohno:

Yes - but from what I heard on the news the next day it wasn't until he reached hospital or on the way that he died. I don't think I'd want to survive being hit by a train .

Aww thats sad. :(

As for that youtube video:
How fucking dumb is that person to be standing IN FRONT of the yellow line? Whenever I take trains, I always stay at least a metre away from the line until the train is fully stopped.

^^ You were taught well! Others aren't so luckly - and therefore will always do stupid things.

Myer into building mode with 17 new stores planned
Maurice Dunlevy
March 29, 2007 (http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21464687-25658,00.html?from=public_rss)
THE reborn Myer group may build its own stores as it embarks on an expansion program that will increase store numbers from 58 to 75.
Despite announcing plans on Tuesday to sell and lease back three more stores, Myer executive chairman Bill Wavish said the group was keeping all options open to meet its 75-store target.
"We've considered it and certainly wouldn't rule it out," Mr Wavish said.

Five of the 17 new stores - two each in Melbourne and Adelaide and one in Brisbane - announced by the national retail group will be in existing shopping centres.

But Mr Wavish said that if shopping centre owners or developers couldn't, or wouldn't, build new stores, Myer would consider building its own.

While not naming planned locations, he said new stores would open in all states except South Australia and Tasmania.

Mr Wavish said Townsville, which did not have a Myer store, was an obvious location.
But he said stores could be located in any centre that had a population of more than 40,000.

"We can make money anywhere with a population of more than 40,000," he said.

The company, which was divested from the Coles group last year and bought by a private equity consortium, posted a first-half net profit of more than $57 million this week.

Mr Wavish said all 58 of its department stores were trading at a profit.

With planned outlets, typically between 10,000sqm and 12,000sqm, taking several years to build, Mr Wavish said the rollout could take up to five years to complete.

Of the five new stores already announced, four are former Harris Scarfe outlets at Werribee and Forest Hill in Melbourne and Elizabeth and Colonnades in Adelaide.

The fifth will be at Westfield's Northlakes centre in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

Meanwhile, Westfield has firmed as the clear favorite to purchase Myer's landmark Melbourne CBD complex in a sale expected to be worth up to $450 million.

Myer, which will lease back the property, said this week that it was willing to pay $18.25 million in annual rent.

Mr Wavish said the new owner should be known mid-year.

Myer is also selling some of its last remaining property assets - stores at Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Bendigo.

Myer will lease back the three stores, which are expected to fetch up to $55 million.

whoa. north lakes. that whole suburb was scrub 3-4 years ago. now it has a population of 10,000 and has a westfield with a myer and cinemas. i wonder how strathpine is fairing. it may become a white elephant as a major centre. it may downgrade like toombul did when chermside expanded.

Quick rant ...

Two Trucks, Hours of Delays

I had a good trip coming home from my parent's place at Kallangur on Tuesday night via the Gateway Mwy and Kingsford Smith Drive until I hit Milton Road ... traffic was backed up around Petrie Terrace. So sitting in traffic for a good 40mins barely reaching 5km/h I eventually got as far as Shand Street and noticed a Quarry truck had broken down in the right hand lane just after the intersection. So without much room to move the traffic squeezed its way past in the left-hand lane. For comedy relief though, a speed camera was sitting at the bus shelter not having a profitable night at all.

Last night on the way from Riverhills to Fig Tree Pocket, I left at 1720h and hit the Centenary Highway at 1725h. Noticed the traffic was banked up badly on the onramp off Sumner Road and thought it wouldn't take too long to get there. I was wrong, it took 1 hour to get from Sumner Road to Fig Tree Pocket. The cause? A cement pump truck had broken down near where the Kenmore Bypass is supposed to branch off. With a recovery truck and tow truck in attendance.

So all it takes to break Western Suburbs roads is one truck!

I think it was trucks breaking down that caused the 5hour traffic jams a few days ago:
They all started breaking down at 5:30am - 6:30am and it was until past 10:30am that traffic was finally back to normal.

^^ The Myer at Strathpine has now Closed, David Jones will close at Toombul, both will be replaced with targets. Cinemas at Toombul are closing aswell. Now that there will be a station built at DFO on airtrain, Toombull will lose more.

In other news, WestEnderBender reaches his or her 400th post. :nuts:

Does anyone know how the T3-free coronation dve is going?

In other news, WestEnderBender reaches his or her 400th post. :nuts:

Her

Anyone know where the Ippy Motorway Bypass thread is?

Saw an add from the Federal Government in the Courier Mail today. It said that the Bypass will be 6 lanes of Freeway standard with a 110km/h spped limit.

It will also include an upgrade of the existing motorway to 6 lanes.

Far superior option in my view!

Her

"it"...... :banana:

Tailgating rife on Ipswich Motorway
April 2, 2007 - 10:47AM (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/tailgating-rife-on-ipswich-motorway/2007/04/02/1175366119270.html)

Police targeting tailgaters on the Ipswich Motorway last week say they couldn’t write enough tickets to keep up with the alleged offenders.

Operation Tailgate, conducted by Goodna Police over three days from last Monday, was aimed at reducing the number of collisions taking place on the motorway as a result of drivers following too closely.

Police issued a total 88 tickets for following too closely in five hours over the three days. This included 17 heavy vehicles.

All the vehicles intercepted were travelling at half the recommended safe distance.

Goodna Police Sergeant Shaune English said the $175 fine and one demerit point was not warmly received by drivers.

“Some drivers acknowledged that police had to do something to discourage tailgating and copped the fine but others were not so accepting,” he said.

The operation will continue randomly over coming weeks but Sergeant English said drivers were already changing their behaviour.

“One motorist told me he hadn’t seen traffic so well behaved on the motorway for years,” he said.

The enforcement came after an analysis of crashes on the Ipswich Motorway revealed that 84 per cent were the result of following too closely.

Queensland Transport recommends motorists use the following guidelines:
• A car should drive at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front in ideal conditions.
• A heavy vehicle should drive at least four seconds behind the vehicle in front.
• A vehicle towing a trailer or caravan should allow two seconds plus one second for each three metres of trailer.
• Double this following distance in poor conditions.
• Use the below time-lapse method (see below) to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front.

On the flip side, slow drivers should keep the hell out of the right hand lanes. I can't stand people blocking the fast lanes while they casually cruise along at 80km/h.

I can't see this reducing traffic incidents. This is the notoriously bad Ipswich Motorway - the worst in Australia.

^^And it's netoriously bad because people are impatient and tailgate. The figures show that it was between 70% and 90% of all accidents on that motorway were caused by people tailgating.

Just to let you guys know, the word newman is now uncensored.

about time! what was that about

^^I PM'd the IT guy to get rid of it and the reasons why. looks like he/she did!! YAY!!

ha ha Newman is back!!!!

Just to let you guys know, the word newman is now uncensored.
Holy crap!! I asked for something and it actually happened!!

I just went into the admin/mods main forum the other day and said along with uncensoring words after the april fools joke, could they please uncensor Newman....and it actually got done! sweet.


Also, Milton Station tower has apparently increased in height to 32 stories, and a 15 storey podium as well now. Was in mx paper.

Do you know why newman was censored in the first place?

Looks like the Carlton-Crest Hotel is under new management.
It's being renamed as a Sebel.

being renamed as the citigate-sebel after mirvac/bosi bought it a few months ago

Melbourne-based builder and developer Grocon is on a roll, having committed to two mega-projects in Queensland in the past fortnight.

Making a large-scale entry into Queensland, chief executive Daniel Grollo was in Brisbane yesterday to sign contracts for the construction of Austcorp's $900 million Vision tower, after last month finalising the deal to build Juniper Group's $850 million Soul tower on the Gold Coast.

Both will be almost 80 stories high, the same scale as Grocon's Eureka Tower completed in Melbourne last year.

Before the Queensland deals, Grocon's workbook was already busy in its home town, after the company recently bought the CUB site and was named preferred bidder on the new rugby and soccer stadium.

Similar to Grocon's move into Sydney in the early 1990s, on the back of the Governor Phillip Tower construction contract, the company had held back expanding into Queensland until it had a big project to kick off with, Mr Grollo said.

And despite being in the property game, Grocon is finding exactly what every other firm wanting to set up in Brisbane is finding - no available office space.

What to do? Develop some, says Mr Grollo, with the easy insouciance of someone born to the business.
The firm had started scouting for sites in the Brisbane CBD, he said.

"We hope to do something interesting," he said. "We might build something for ourselves and a few other people."

Queensland, with its booming resource and infrastructure sectors, held plenty of promise for Grocon.

"It is telling us that it is a serious economy and it is going forward from here. So yes, we were probably slow in coming to Brisbane, and that's because we are very good at big projects - big iconic projects, that's our specialty," Mr Grollo said.
"The Queensland market can now put a number of those into the market at any one time and for that reason we now think we have got a sustainable place here."

Attracting labour was an issue in the current market, Mr Grollo said, and Grocon would have "an aggressive drive" to find both white and blue-collar staff to build Soul and Vision.

"Iconic projects, complicated projects, projects that are quite challenging - like the projects we are involved with - are always a big attractor of people," Mr Grollo said.

The possibility of NSW's economy waking from its torpor and returning to vibrancy would be a "threat", because it would compete for labour.

Canberra was the next city in Grocon's expansion plan, Mr Grollo said.

"There's some great things happening in Canberra and that will be on our target. That's an easy combination to manage - Sydney, Brisbane, the ACT and Melbourne."

The only likely further expansion was into Perth, "depending on the right opportunity", Mr Grollo said.

Mr Grollo said the firm's understanding of tall buildings meant it was ideally suited for the two new Queensland jobs.

"We have built five of the top 10 buildings in Australia in terms of height," he said.

"We are vertically integrated so we make our own building systems to build these buildings.

"We are the only builder in the world that builds buildings two stories at a time."

With expansion often comes the need for capital and a desire to offer a company publicly.

But Mr Grollo has a short answer when asked if Grocon would ever list on the stock exchange.

"No," he says.

I know...exciting news I should think!

Hi KJ - how was your easter break?

GREAT. Did pretty much nothing...which is exactly what I wanted.


Vision should be properly U/C by now!

^^ Any good site suggestions for Grollo?

SE Queensland produce display for the 2007 Sydney Royal Easter Show. Didn't win this year.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Fabian/Sydney%20Olympic%20Park%20and%20Easter%20Show/P4101063.jpg

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

NEW ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS CALL QUEENSLAND HOME

Queensland’s reputation as a global arts and cultural hub continues to grow with Premier Peter Beattie today launching a new Awards-based film event, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Mr Beattie said the Queensland Government had brought together CNN International, UNESCO and the International Federation of Film Producer Associations to create the new awards, which will acclaim films and filmmakers from the Asia-Pacific region.

“Almost half the world’s films now come from Asia-Pacific, with these new awards giving them leverage to join the Oscars, Golden Globes and European film awards,” Mr Beattie said.

“Queensland will be the permanent home of the awards, with the inaugural ceremony taking place on the Gold Coast in November.

“The initiative will be funded by Queensland Events with the secretariat to be based in Brisbane, creating a major new industry hub here in Queensland

“Hollywood generates hundreds of millions of dollars from the Oscars and Golden Globes and these events are of immense value to its film industry and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards will bring similar benefits to Queensland.

“The Australian film industry will also benefit greatly from the international exposure this initiative will bring and the relationships that will develop between the filmmakers of the region.

“Our dynamic and creative filmmakers are winning major awards all around the world, such as our own George Miller who recently won an Oscar, and now they have a chance to win the region’s most prestigious prize in film.”

Mr Beattie said the Asia Pacific Screen Awards would take place on the Gold Coast on November 13.

“A number of film related events that already take place on the Gold Coast will accompany the Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony and form a hub for the film industry in this part of the world.

“Queensland is proud to play a role, along with CNN International, UNESCO and the International Federation of Film Producers, in helping to bring this initiative about,” he said.

The international launch of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, in association with CNN International, UNESCO and the International Federation of Film Producers, will be held at the Cannes International Film Festival in May.

i hope they eventually build a proper theatre on the gold coast for it!! one like the art deco one in toowoomba, but bigger, would be nice.

When the hell can I buy a smart card and use it to go anywhere.
Im sick of buying tickets god dammit.


And how will they work?
Will it charge you instantly?
If so then it would be charging you alot of single trips.

Or will it do it at the end of the day.. So like.. if you take 2 trips within a 1 hour period and no more for that day, the charge is 1 single. Whereas if you take the 2 trips (say 3 zones) like 5 hours apart on the same day, it would charge you a 'daily'

lol.

They reckon it will be up and running by the end of the year.

You will swipe to get on and swipe when you get off. When you get on it will take $5 (I think) off and then figure out the cost when you get off. It will automatically calculate the cheapest fare i.e. daily, weekly, monthly etc.

So if I take 2 buses home (on an ordinary day 868/197, on afternoons 184/185/212/230/235 and 196/197) will it charge 2 fares for me, because with 10 trip savers, it only takes 1 trip of.

Also, will it be cheaper?

yeah thats why i was asking.

Because if it was going to do the zone charging, it couldnt charge u instantly, itd have to total it up at the end of the day...

^^
I've been thinking the same thing.

But then what about discounts for people who used to use it a lot over a month or more etc?? How does it work that out?

Note my post at post 495 for the answer to all those questions.

Haha....yeah....we could, but it's so fun to keep asking questions. :)