Living in Brisbane City Council
February 2016 Edition
Dedicated to a better Brisbane
A message from Lord Mayor Graham Quirk
As we have now ushered in the new year, 2016 is shaping up to be an exciting year for our New World City. I sincerely hope you were able to enjoy the Christmas and new year activities throughout the city whether that included the new year fi reworks at South Bank, the Wonder of Christmas, the Gold Lotto City Hall Light Spectacular, the shows at QPAC, the Brisbane International 2016 tennis tournament or one of the suburban events supported by your Council.
2016 sees us continuing to rollout free wi-fi across Brisbane – with a total of 22 parks, public spaces, libraries and CityCats now offering the service. In December, I announced an innovation co-working space named The Capital would open in 2016 helping to create the jobs of the future for our city. Operators, Little Tokyo Two from Brisbane and Fishburners from Sydney, are already searching for businesses interested in being part of the hub. To learn more about The Capital visit www.digitalbrisbane.com.au
I am excited that our new Brisbane sign is installed at South Bank. In January we saw international tennis stars Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova posing for social media shots alongside the sign.
February will see the celebration of the Council-supported BrisAsia Festival 2016. To view the full festival program visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/brisasiafestival
Graham Quirk
LORD MAYOR
What is your fitness style
Council has a range of free or low-cost activities for everyone!
Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/activeandhealthy to find out how you can become part of our active, heathy city.
Staying connected
Did you know you can stay connected with Council in various ways?
You can contact Council online, by phone, mail, SMS and relay service, social media or visit one of our regional business centres to report maintenance issues or problems, make a request, lodge a complaint or make any other enquiry.
There are various online forms and services available to report issues such as road and footpath damage, tree or park maintenance, vandalism or graffiti, animal nuisances, missed or damaged bins, overgrown property or anything else requiring Council’s attention.
Connect with us through social media with Council’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr and YouTube channels.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Active School Travel program
Eighteen new schools across Brisbane have joined the award-winning Active School Travel program for 2016, with primary school students making the effort to walk, cycle, scoot, carpool or take public transport to school.
The free program is tailored to suit each school’s needs and incorporates fun and engaging elements such as weekly active travel days, free bike and scooter skills training, active travel maps and road safety education.
A total of 45 schools are involved in the three-year program for 2016, with more than 21,560 students actively travelling to school, boosting their exercise levels and helping to reduce traffic congestion around Brisbane schools.
For more information on the Active School Travel program or to find out about participating schools, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Brisbane inner-city golf courses 18 holes, pay and play
Two great public courses for you to play a round!
St Lucia Golf Links 3403 2556
Victoria Park Golf Complex 3252 9891
No membership required
Golf clubs and buggies available for hire.
For more information on course facilities, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/golf.
Colourful new sign
The new Brisbane sign is back better than ever at South Bank Parklands as a permanent fixture on the Cultural Forecourt.
Originally constructed by eight Men’s Shed Associations and featured as a temporary attraction during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2014, the decision was made to install a permanent version of the sign in 2015 after residents and visitors fell in love with the concept, making it a feature of social media posts that were seen globally.
The new structure is made from durable aluminium and skinned with vinyl in vibrant pink and purple with each letter’s design an exact replica of the original.
For more information about the Brisbane sign, visit www.visitbrisbane.com.au.
CBD fountains come to life
Water is flowing again at three fountains in the CBD after they were switched off due to past droughts.
The refurbished fountains at EE McCormick Place in Upper Roma Street, Emma Miller Place in Roma Street and Mooney Memorial Fountain at Queen and Eagle Streets, use water smart systems to efficiently reuse water and ensure they won’t be turned off again because of drought.
Plans for a new water feature in the Brisbane River, to be named the Daphne Mayo Fountain, are also well underway.
Council has committed $2.2 million in 2015-16 to bring these water features back to life, adding movement and vibrancy to these spaces.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Share your love for Brisbane!
Every day there is a range of exciting and vibrant programs and events taking place that celebrate the cultural diversity and sense of community in Brisbane.
The My Brisbane campaign encourages our multicultural residents to showcase their take on living in Brisbane, just in time for Chinese Lunar New Year and BrisAsia Festival 2016.
Whether it is by the river or under a shady jacaranda, you can get involved by sharing your favourite hangout spots or simply what you love about Brisbane on Council’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels using #ViewsofBrisbane.
You can also view videos on what our international students have to say.
To find out more about the My Brisbane campaign, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/mybrisbane or call 3403 8888.
BrisAsia to open and close with a bang
BrisAsia Festival 2016 will kick off with opening event Neon Pop on Friday 5 February at Reddacliff Place as Asian pop culture and the art of cosplay (costume play) fuse for a fun, all-ages night of celebration.
Dance to the DJ rave and light show, marvel at the eccentricities of cosplay and find yourself immersed in Brisbane’s Asian pop culture.
The festival ends with a bang and a tsunami of psychedelic Khmer rock at the Cosmic Closing Event in Post Office Square, courtesy of The Cambodian Space Project, on Friday 26 February.
Revel in the catchy tunes of quirky ukulele-strumming duo Bosko and Honey, and experience Brisbane’s own string rock sensation Deep Blue Orchestra.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/brisasiafestival.
Get involved at BrisAsia Festival 2016
From Friday 5 February to Sunday 28 February, you are invited to experience and celebrate the best of Asian art and culture across the city during BrisAsia Festival 2016.
The three-week festival program will be action-packed with hands-on artistic workshops, Asian-inspired cooking classes and captivating cultural performances.
The unique Yum Chat forum allows attendees to engage with some of Australia’s most prominent artists, bustling street food stalls will feature in Taste of Asia and the festival’s opening event Neon Pop will celebrate Asian pop culture.
Chinese Lunar New Year will also be welcomed-in at BrisAsia Festival 2016 with a host of magical and exciting cultural activities and performances from Friday 12 February to Sunday
14 February.
To view the full BrisAsia Festival 2016 program, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/brisasiafestival.
BrisAsia puts spotlight on laneway
BrisAsia Festival 2016 will be the inspiration for one of the city’s most well-known laneways this month as Eagle Lane is transformed into a vibrant destination with immersive visual artworks reinterpreting traditional patterns, symbols and motifs.
Experience the vivid patterns of Asia in Weaving Our Heritage, an outdoor visual street art installation, by Brisbane-based artists who draw on decorative traditions and their cultural connections.
Artist Vanghoua Anthony Vue will explore his Hmong heritage through the use of vibrant tape works (pictured right, Paj Qhov Rais, Woolloongabba, 2015, industrial tapes on window) and neon symbols while Elysha Rei will make intricate paper cuts and paste ups that are inspired by her Japanese ancestry.
The installations express the past, present and future of living in Brisbane.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/brisasiafestival.
Keeping our footpaths connected
Walking is a great way to stay active and healthy and make the most of Brisbane’s extensive footpath network.
Council has invested more than $42 million over the last three years to construct more than 140 kilometres of footpaths around the city, making it safer and more accessible for our whole community.
This includes funds invested by councillors using their Ward Footpath and Parks Trust Funds.
If you notice an urgent or public safety issue on footpaths around Brisbane, call Council on
3403 8888, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can also SMS or MMS a footpath problem by taking a photo and sending the details, including the location and your name, to 0429 2 FIX IT (0429 234 948).
To report any other footpath maintenance issues, you can complete a form on Council’s website at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
New bikeways boost connectivity
Cyclists are enjoying safer access to the bikeway network with Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane projects completed in Herston, Mitchelton and Fortitude Valley.
In Herston, the shared pathway through Victoria Park adjacent to Gilchrist Avenue is illuminated with 25 LED lamps, providing safe connection to the North Brisbane Bikeway Stage 1A.
In Mitchelton, a new shared pathway connects Osborne Road to the Kedron Brook Bikeway and a bicycle awareness zone on Northmore and McConaghy Streets also improves access to the bikeway.
The Story Bridge-Fortitude Valley Bikeway project has also delivered new facilities including off-road pathways, on-road bike lanes and a new pedestrian crossing, improving connectivity between the bridge, Fortitude Valley and New Farm.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Recycling made easy
It’s now easier than ever for residents to recycle for free with dedicated resource recovery centres now open at Council’s transfer stations in Chandler, Ferny Grove and Willawong.
The centres allow residents to recycle more recoverable material including metals, white goods, plastics, gas bottles and e-waste free of charge, as well as donating to Council tip shops.
Each centre has a drive-through zone so customers can easily unload their recyclables. Those who only have recyclables don’t need to go over the exit weigh bridge, making the process easier and faster.
Residents can download Council’s free Brisbane Bin and Recycling app for iOS and Android devices to receive directions to the centres and check what can be recycled.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
Brisbane named Queensland’s Most Sustainable City 2015
Brisbane has been named Queensland’s Most Sustainable City 2015 by Keep Queensland Beautiful for the second year running.
The Keep Queensland Beautiful program celebrates and acknowledges community commitment to enhancing the local environment.
Council was rated highly across all eight focus areas of Community Action and Partnerships, Litter Prevention, Resource Recovery and Waste Management, Environmental Innovation and Protection, Water Conservation, Energy Innovation, Heritage and Culture, and Young Legends.
Programs and initiatives recognised as part of the award include Council’s two tip shops, our new resource recovery centres, the Recycling Art Competition, public place recycling, stormwater harvesting, native tree planting and litter awareness and education campaigns.
For more information on Council’s sustainability programs, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.
CBD canvas for new street art
Have you seen the new street art in the CBD?
Sites across the city have been transformed by high- profile street artists as part of the Brisbane Canvas project, adding to the city’s distinctive and memorable identity. Sites include the Roma Street entry wall of King George Square car park, the Turbot Street overpass pillars and the Kelvin Grove Road Inner City Bypass overpass.
The walls of Arch Lane and Milton Road (near Suncorp Stadium/Hale Street) are also sporting a new fresh look as part of a $200,000 Council investment in public art.
Street artists Jumbo, Kyle Jenkins, Thomas Jackson and Brisbane-based Frank & Mimi have all contributed designs reflecting the city’s vibrant and dynamic character.
Check them out at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
Free wi-fi to extend across the CBD
Free wi-fi coverage in the CBD will soon be available in even more locations with works to expand the service currently underway.
Residents and visitors to the popular James Street and surrounding precinct in New Farm and the Caxton Street precinct in Petrie Terrace will soon be able to stay connected.
The $1 million project offers seamless integration from South Bank to the CBD, as well as the Valley Malls precinct.
Free wi-fi is already available in 22 parks and public spaces including the Queen Street Mall, Reddacliff Place, Victoria Bridge, South Bank Parklands, Valley Malls, Mt Coot-tha Summit Lookout, Brisbane libraries and on CityCats, with almost 400,000 individual users logging on during 2014-15.
For more information on wi-fi coverage in Brisbane, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
Historic Brisbane cannons
In 1862, 12 Carron cannons were shipped to Brisbane to form part of the defences of Queensland.
Originally set up in Queens Park (now part of the City Botanic Gardens) as a fi ring battery on the bank of the river, some are still displayed around the city today.
In late 2015, one cannon was reinstated in the City Botanic Gardens. Another cannon that resided at the Wynnum Library on Bay Terrace will be relocated to a new park created as part of the Wynnum Central State School site redevelopment on Florence Street.
The cannon will be at the new Wynnum Central Park located between the commercial precinct and new Wynnum Community Centre.
For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.
Leader in litter prevention
The ongoing efforts of Council and the Brisbane community to prevent littering across the city have been recognised for the third time at the 2015 Australian Sustainable Cities Awards.
Brisbane was awarded the Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention Waste Management & Resource Recovery Award, which the Keep Australia Beautiful Network presents to the city that demonstrates leadership, innovation and impact in waste management, litter prevention and resource recovery. Brisbane also holds the title of Queensland’s Most Sustainable City 2015.
The combined efforts of residents and community groups who work alongside Council to keep Brisbane clean have achieved a 50% reduction in on-ground litter across the CBD and Fortitude Valley.