Living in Brisbane
March 2016 Edition
A message from Lord Mayor Graham Quirk
This month, Brisbane will see more of the rebranded CityCats on our river helping to celebrate the Team Brisbane spirit.
Along with the Queensland Reds, we also launched the winning #TeamBNE CityCat design in February and we will launch another design in the coming months.
2016 sees us continuing to deliver congestion reduction projects throughout our suburbs. Right across Brisbane, Council has extended turning lanes, widened roads and reviewed parking to improve travel time for residents. You can read about local projects in your area on page 3, or find more information at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
The Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane program has seen a $120 million investment in maintaining and upgrading bikeways. With more than 120 projects completed across Brisbane to date, I am happy to say more people are using our bikeways for leisure or to commute to work.
During March I encourage you to take advantage of the many free events and celebrations across our city. Whether it is the annual Bluewater Festival, National Youth Week or school holiday activities, there is sure to be something for everyone. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BNEwhatson
Graham Quirk
LORD MAYOR
Starlight
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
DON’T MISS OUT!
Call (07) 3403 2578 to book your seat
www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/planetariumhorncliffe
Shorncliffe Pier restoration update
Council is joining forces with the Bluewater Festival on Friday 25 March to celebrate the first event to be held on the new Shorncliffe Pier.
The pier is well-known and loved by the local community and is popular with residents and visitors to Brisbane.
The historic timber pier was severely damaged by marine borers and closed to the public from March 2012. Works to rebuild the pier from scratch commenced in November 2014.
Shorncliffe Pier is one of the longest recreational piers in Australia, reaching 350 metres out into Bramble Bay. The original pier was constructed in the 1880s. This important reconstruction project will see the pier restored as a feature of the Sandgate/Shorncliffe foreshore and Moora Park for another 100 years.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Alderley improvements underway
Work is underway on the $5.3 million Alderley Suburban Centre Improvement Project (SCIP).
Based around the intersection of Samford, South Pine and Enoggera Roads, the project will include accessibility improvements to the intersection, new footpaths, trees, landscaping, seating, drinking fountains, bike racks and a bus stop upgrade. Brisbane artist Terry Summers will create five exciting, white bronze sculptures and artists Diego Bonetto, Mark Gerada and Tega Brain will create a new ‘suburban wilderness trail’ to celebrate the area’s natural history.
Local businesses will remain open during construction, which is expected to be completed by mid-2016, weather permitting.
Residents in the local area will be invited to attend the official opening.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Did you know…
Council has scattered 10 large stickers on footpaths across Brisbane’s most iconic places. When you see a sticker, take a photo from that location and share it on social media using #ViewsofBrisbane
CityCats sporting winning design
Mudherri and Mooroolbin are the latest CityCats to shed their old skins in favour of a decorative wrap in support of Team Brisbane.
The newly wrapped Mudherri features the Queensland Reds team logo and colours, celebrating one of our best sporting teams.
With the CityCat design competition wrapped up, Mooroolbin is the eighth vessel to be re-skinned. Congratulations to Debra Hood on her winning design, which illustrates Brisbane as a vibrant, colourful and arty city with natural confetti created by Brisbane’s jacarandas and poinciana trees.
Keep an eye out for the next CityCat wrap in the coming months.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Congestion-busting projects continue
Council’s Congestion Reduction Unit is continuing to deliver projects to help traffic flow more freely at hotspots across Brisbane’s north.
Projects such as intersection upgrades, installation of pedestrian countdown timers and extended turning lanes are being completed around Brisbane, in addition to other new projects.
Parking restrictions at Toombul Road and St Vincents Road in Northgate have been implemented in order to provide more capacity in peak times.
The parking restrictions have significantly improved vehicle flow rate during the green traffic signal periods. Overall, they have reduced the queue length on Toombul Road and delays in the afternoon peak period.
For more information about Council’s congestion reduction projects, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
National Relay Service
The National Relay Service helps residents who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment to access and use Council services.
Calls are placed through a relay officer, who acts as a link between callers to make sure each call goes through efficiently.
Residents can access Council services using a range of devices including computers, tablets, mobile phones, an ordinary phone or a TTY (a special phone with a small keyboard and screen).
Residents who prefer to communicate in Auslan can also use a video relay service.
If you need an interpreter for languages other than English, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask to speak with Brisbane City Council on 3403 8888.
Neighbour Day
Celebrate Neighbour Day on Sunday 27 March by saying hello to your neighbours or inviting them for a drink and a chat, a BBQ or a neighbourhood event.
Neighbour Day is Australia’s annual celebration of community and helps to continue creating a friendly city that is inclusive and connected.
Don’t forget to register your event at www.neighbourday.org to receive your free Neighbour Day e-kit, including posters, invitations, calling cards, nametags and other useful items.
If you need help with a neighbourhood activity or gathering, phone Council on 3403 8888 and ask to speak to a Community Development Coordinator.
Future BNE
The Future BNE event on Friday 11 March will give 400 Year 7 science enthusiasts the opportunity to battle it out in teams as they channel their best innovative ideas, critically evaluate water use and discover how science, technology and art can work to build a better future.
Presented live in King George Square, Future BNE aims to deliver important messages to participants.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and renowned TV personality and science communicator, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, will welcome students to the program.
The event is part of the inaugural World Science Festival Brisbane presented by Queensland Museum, bringing some of the world’s greatest thinkers to Queensland and showcasing local scientists and performers from around the Asia Pacific region.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search for ‘World Science Festival’.
Meet this year’s Recycling Art competition finalists
Ten talented finalists have been chosen for the annual Recycling Art competition, which explores the creative potential of items that may have otherwise been thrown away.
The artists will create unique artworks from furniture and other household items found at Council’s tip shops at Acacia Ridge and Geebung, and other second-hand stores. The artworks will be displayed in the Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley from Friday 27 May.
Last year’s winners, Bec Peart and Martin Pedder, took out the top prize with their creation ‘Octopus’s Garden’, made from four wrought iron chairs, a wooden TV cabinet, bike parts, cogs and a birdcage.
You can vote for your favourite artwork between Friday 27 May and Thursday 7 July.
To find out more about this year’s finalists, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre now open
The Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre is now open, providing a place for visitors to learn about the area’s diversity through interactive experiences.
The unique displays and activities include an interactive floor projection of a frog habitat, a sculptural forest discovery area, a night-time theatre room providing a multi-sensory journey through the forest from dusk until dawn and a virtual reality experience that lets you feel like a bird with a 360 degree view of your surroundings.
There are also new outdoor picnic and recreation spaces and Queensland’s first nature-based playground where families can explore and play together in a natural bush setting. The Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre is located at Acacia Road, Karawatha.
F or more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
The QUBE Effect boosts youth music
Local musicians have the chance to win $4000 and gain a platform for their music through The QUBE Effect, during Youth Week from April 4-17.
The battle of the bands-style music initiative will see 24 aspiring musicians perform at public events and squeeze themselves into QUBEs (cubes) to be filmed while performing an original song.
You will be able to cast your vote on Council’s Facebook page from April 29, and the musical act with the most votes will be awarded the People’s Choice Award and claim the $4000 prize.
An industry panel will award additional prizes for Best Original Song, Best New Talent, Council’s Clem Jones City Hall Concert Performance Prize and QPAC Gig on the Green Award.
For more details, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Brisbane celebrates Youth Week
Young people aged between 12-25 are invited to celebrate National Youth Week from April 4-17 as Council hosts a range of events and activities throughout the city.
Brisbane Youth Week is designed to recognise and celebrate young people’s ideas, talent and contributions to our community.
Planned activities include live music, creative workshops, art exhibitions, film nights, youth-run events and skateboarding clinics.
The week also features The QUBE Effect with free live performances held over two days at QPAC and Valley malls. This initiative will provide a public performance platform for 24 budding musicians aged between 12-35.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on 3403 8888.
Council rolls out skate park upgrades
Council is delivering improvements to skating facilities, with the Paddington skate park being upgraded earlier this year.
The design for the $1.18 million project was finalised following community consultation and has expanded the amount of skate space and provided new features including ledges, rails, banks and transitions.
The project has also provided elevated spectator seating and improved access.
Council currently has 33 skate facilities and also recently completed upgrades to the Inala skate park and is constructing a new skate plaza at Bracken Ridge.
The upgrades are part of Council’s vision for diverse and accessible recreational opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
For more information on skate facilities, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Improved bus services for commuters
Commuters now have improved public transport services following a decision to re-route five inbound morning peak bus routes.
To maximise the benefits for commuters, morning peak inbound routes P426 Chapel Hill, 431 Kenmore South, 446 Fig Tree Pocket, P455 Riverhills and P456 Mount Ommaney now travel via the Western Freeway, Legacy Way, Inner City Bypass, Gilchrist Avenue off-ramp and Inner Northern Busway.
The re-routing of these inbound services provides passengers with a range of benefits including faster travel times, improved reliability of services and direct access to the Inner Northern Busway and key inner city locations from the western suburbs.
The decision to re-route these services comes after an overwhelmingly positive trial of the P443 Moggill service through Legacy Way, which commenced last June.
For more information on timetables and services, visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.
Mt Coot-tha picnic area gets a facelift
Council has completed the first stage of upgrades at the Simpsons Falls and the JC Slaughter Falls picnic areas, with a new trail connecting the summit, JC Slaughter Falls picnic area and the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha.
The next stage of works is due to be completed by mid-2016.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search for ‘Mt Coot-tha precinct projects’.
Did you know…
Council’s free Brisbane Bin and Recycling app can send reminders about your regular bin collections and annual kerbside collections. Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au to find out more.
Fishing fun for residents
Fishing enthusiasts will soon enjoy fishing for Australian Bass at Lake Manchester near Kholo, following the release of more than 11,000 fingerlings by the Brisbane Valley Anglers Fishstocking Association (BVAFA) in late 2015.
This is the third fish release into the lake, following a release of 1000 Mary River Cod fingerlings in early 2015 and another 1000 in January 2016, as BVAFA aims to create a viable recreational fishery on Brisbane’s doorstep for all to enjoy.
Once prevalent in the Brisbane River, these native fish are being re-established in the river system as a result of stocking by BVAFA over the last 20 years.
For information about other Brisbane waterways where you can fish, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘fishing platforms’.
Brisbane bringing in better bikeways
A host of upgrades to Brisbane’s local bikeway network will soon be enjoyed by residents with the Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane (BB4B) program nearing completion.
The $120 million, four-year program aims to create a better commuter bikeway network that services major employment areas, as well as improving access and safe travel to local shopping strips, schools and public transport hubs.
Little Dock Street in South Brisbane will soon be upgraded with cycling and pedestrian improvements, joining the list of more than 120 projects the BB4B program has delivered since 2012, including:
· Bicentennial Bikeway, Toowong to CBD
· Enoggera Creek Bikeway, Kelvin Grove
· Darra Railway Station Bikeway link, Darra and Sumner
· Bulimba Creek Bikeway, Carindale
· Norman Creek Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge, Norman Park
· Wynnum Active Communities, Wynnum.
For more information on BB4B, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
CBD parking for cyclists
Did you know Cycle2City, located in King George Square, offers secure and safe bike parking as well as change rooms and showers, lockers, ironing and laundry services for your daily commute?
Open since June 2008, Cycle2City is Australia’s first major end-of-trip facility for people riding their bike or walking to the Brisbane CBD.
The centre is available for use on a membership basis, with members of Council’s Cycling Brisbane program receiving one month’s free membership. If you’re not a member of Cycling Brisbane, you can sign up for free at www.cyclingbrisbane.com.au