By Mike O’Connor
No approval for pool
You would think that the river belongs to us all so it came as a surprise to many when marketing material promoting the redevelopment of the former Riverside Marine site in Skyring Terrace featured a swimming pool in our river which was markedly absent from the development application.
The Brisbane City Council, which recently gave development approval to the site, says there has been no development application lodged or approved for the pool and that the state government controls the river which poses some interesting questions.
Will the government allow public objections to a proposal which currently has no approval? Will it release details of the proposed structure? Given the river flood rise is 5m, will any such structure become a flood hazard?
The council received hundreds of objections to the development of the site prior to approving it in modified form. Surely you can’t just dump a swimming pool in the river without calling for objections from members of the public who ultimately own the river.
Night flight handouts
Anyone wondering how wisely their tax dollars are being spent only has to listen to the noise being generated by the late night flights departing Brisbane airport.
New data revealed to a senate inquiry following questions from the Greens shows the Queensland government is subsidising up to 50 flights a week between 10pm and 6am via its $200m Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.
The flights include the nightly 1.55am service to Dubai by Emirates, familiar to all light sleepers in the neighbourhood. Emirates obviously needs a handout from the state government as it only managed to make a profit of $4.1bn in the half-year to November, 2023.
The Greens have called for a 10pm-6am curfew in Brisbane, similar to that in force in Sydney and on the Gold Coast.
All the trimmings
So here’s justice, Brisbane City Council style.
The tranquility of Welsby Street in New Farm was shattered recently when a passing truck hit the branches of a tree growing on the footpath, sending them crashing into a house and ripping out the powerline connection to the house with the owners having to fork out $1800 to have the damage repaired and the power reconnected.
The owner of the tree, the Brisbane City Council, blamed the truck driver, claimed the tree had been appropriately maintained and so refused their claim for compensation.
Eleven weeks later another truck hit the same tree and sent more branches crashing to the ground. Through good fortune, no one was injured but they could easily have been.
This time the council sent out a gang to trim the tree that it previously alleged had been appropriately maintained but still refuses to reimburse the couple their $1800.
If it was properly trimmed in the first instance why did it need to be trimmed after the second?
The council needs to take another look at this matter.
Making a meal of it
New Farm Park’s termites have passed judgement on the unsightly structures adjoining the equally unsightly Pleasuredome tent and begun eating it.
Signs posted around the site read: “Caution. Termite bait station in use. Please keep clear. (dogs too).”
I wish the termites all the best in their endeavours. When they have finished with the side structures, they should start on the tent.