Category: General news

Repercussions of the 2011 floods in Brisbane are still being felt by residents with significant financial strain remaining for many, according to one of Australia’s largest debt collection agencies.

Melissa Rafferty, Account Controller at Prushka‘s Brisbane office, said business closures as a result of the floods has been a significant factor in causing residents to fall behind on debt repayments.

“The amount of businesses that closed as a result of the floods, which led to job losses, is one of the main reasons we are seeing households fall behind on their repayments,” Ms Rafferty said.

Ms Rafferty said that a lot of the financial stress currently placed on families also stems from electricity bills and child care costs.

“Electricity bills are much more of an issue today than they have been previously.

“Child care and education is another cost that often catches people unaware, with kindergarten the main area where we are having debt referred,” she said.

With over 50,000 clients nationwide, Prushka is able to gain a unique insight into economic climates at both a national and local level, with Brisbane one of 11 offices across capital cities and regional Australia.

Ms Rafferty said the combination of increased unemployment and cost of living expenses was having a substantial affect on Brisbane residents.

“There is a great deal of genuine hardship in the Brisbane area, with many residents fearing they may lose their jobs and face an even greater challenge to pay for rising household bills and petrol.”

“Many businesses can see that people are finding it hard to pay off debts at present, but they recognise that this is a difficult time so they are creating realistic instalment plans for customers,” Ms Rafferty said.

“It is important that businesses do recover their debts in a timely manner though, so that they do not pile up.”

For businesses that believe they may see an increase in debts owed, Prushka recommends that they review their business trading terms to protect themselves from losses.

Ms Rafferty has noticed that specific locations around Brisbane are reporting similar debts from certain industries.

“In Gympie and Toowoomba we are noticing debts from health care professionals and child care, while on the Sunshine Coast and Brendale there have been more building industry debts, such as in excavation and with electricians,” she said.

The Hon. Tim Nichols, Treasurer of Queensland, today addressed a South West Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast at the Loft, in West End.

After referring to his government’s efforts to deal with the scourge of Outlaw Motor Cycle Gangs, he talked about his own efforts to get the Queensland economy back on track.

When the LNP Government took power in March 2012, he said, they faced ballooning state debt, and a number of international rating agencies who were very anxious about the situation. The new government made it a priority to rein in debt – ever-growing fees, charges and interest bills, etc.

According to Mr. Nichols, the Government had to find $595,000 per hour to repay debt, hitting the taxpayer to meet the cost.

They called in Peter Costello to head a Commission of Audit to investigate the state finances, and make recommendations on how to rescue the economy.

The Commission’s delivered many recommendations to make the economy work better in the long term, by stabilising its debt, and funding future sustainability, etc.

There were, however, also many recommendations for improving service delivery – by challenging the prevailing belief that the Government must provide all services.

The LNP administration is now setting up a situation where outside agencies, not the government, provide services. Mr. Nichols talked about leveraging the private and not for profit sector to take over more service delivery.

According to Mr. Nichols, the time has now come for the government to ask the private and Not For Profit sectors whether they can deliver services better than the government.

This, he said, is already occurring in the areas of building, nursery and printing, etc.

Mr. Nichols said a change of attitude in the community was called for. His Administration is facilitating this change in attitude by cutting red tape, as demonstrated by their commitment to reduce red tape by 20%.

A new task force – the Office of Best Practice Regulation – has been set up to examine the impact of regulations on business. He said there are 440 red tape reduction initiatives currently underway.

The LNP’s philosophy, said Mr. Nichols, was to free the shackles of business to make business.

The Laura Street Festival 2013 is a celebration of music, arts, culture, community and life, and everyone is warmly invited to join in.

Come along to Laura Street in Highgate Hill from 1pm on Sunday, November 24, for an amazing free festival of music, dance, poetry, roving performance, arts, workshops, presentations and children’s activities across multiple venues along the street.

In its third year, the Festival aims to foster community entertainment, engagement and mutual benefit for residents, organisers and Festival-goers. This not-for-profit event is totally volunteer-run and performed.

Guests can tap their toes to tunes, gain new knowledge and skills, get creative with arts and crafts, and relax with fellow Festival-goers at multiple venues along the street.

The Festival presents over 30 musicians and live acts, including poetry and parade. Handy folk are ready to share their skills at free workshops.

Local artists and photographers will be exhibiting their works.  Fest-goers can share their collective creativity by taking part in interactive art and craft spaces.

Tasty food and drinks (inc. vegan options) are available at retro prices.  Water is provided so bring a bottle.  A portion of vendors’ sales and donations to the Festival are gifted to charities.

Laura Street Festival is a drug-free, alcohol-free and tobacco-free event.

The Festival is a community event run by a handful of dedicated organisers and hosted by generous residents. It is a 100 % volunteer organised community festival, by and for the community. The performers contribute their talents for free to create an incredible day. To volunteer, contact the Festival.

Attendees can keep each other safe and happy by exercising respect, appreciation of diversity and awareness of others’ personal boundaries.

Residents of Laura Street and the Festival organisers encourage attendees to bring their love, laughter, sun protection, water and sense of adventure.

Walking, cycling or catching public transport to Laura Street Festival is recommended.  South Bank Bus/train Station is a 5 min walk away.

For more info:
Festival website: http://laurastreetfestival2013.weebly.com/

When: Sunday, November 24, 2013 1pm – 10pm
Where: Multiple venues on Laura St, Highgate Hill 4101
What: Awesome music acts, arts, installations, poetry, dance, roving performance, parade, creative workshops, presentations, tasty food and drink and children’s activities.
Cost: Free entry, entertainment and workshops! Food and drinks at retro prices.

Check the websites closer to November 24 to view the full programme.

 

http://standingoutinmyfield.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/laura-street-festival-brisbane-qld/

 

Brisbane’s conference bid wins continue to pile up, with six new events set to inject $20 million into the city’s economy over the next four years.

The bid wins come on top of a stunning September quarter which saw Brisbane secure 16 conferences worth $30 million.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the October bid wins led by the Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau included:

• ·         Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) National Conference 2014
• ·         Annual Congress of the Association of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia (ATCSA) 2017
• ·         Conference of the International Bone & Mineral Society 2017

A joint bid between Brisbane Marketing and the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre will also bring the EduTECH National Congress & Exhibition to Brisbane in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

“Over the last four months, Brisbane has won the right to host at least 22 conferences worth more than $50 million,” Cr Quirk said.

“With the Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau ramping up all of its activities, we’re expecting to build on this success in the coming months.

“Brisbane is hungry to attract more conferences, which last year brought over 160,000 high-spending national and international delegates to the city.

“These delegates generate extra turnover for local businesses, while helping to attract the talent and investment which drives the city’s ongoing economic growth and development.”

Cr Quirk said Brisbane had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote the city in the lead-up to the G20 Leaders Summit in November 2014.

“The G20 will have a long-lasting legacy as important as other game-changing events for the city such as the Commonwealth Games and Expo 88,” he said.

“The economic benefits to the city are expected to run into the hundreds of millions, with an upsurge in trade for local shops, hotels and restaurants, along with increased international media coverage for Brisbane.”

Brisbane Marketing Chief Executive John Aitken said the Convention Bureau played  a crucial role in helping to bring important conferences to Brisbane.

“Brisbane Marketing’s strategic focus of attracting conferences that align with Brisbane’s key sectors has driven much of our recent conventions success,” Mr Aitken said.

“Our conventions team is doing a great job with our partners, including the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, to bring more business events to Brisbane.”

Mr Aitken said the Convention Bureau provided a comprehensive one-stop-shop of independent advice and support services to help plan, promote and stage a successful event in Brisbane.

“Its services include assisting with bidding for national or international conferences right through to promoting conferences to potential delegates,” he said.

For more information on the Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau, visit www.meetinbrisbane.com.au

 

Cla$sy Ba$terdz is an ongoing collaborative art project that was first created in 2012 by Lee Bliss Maloney, under the suspicion that the world would soon end.

This is a community based organisation designed and directed by Lee, with the aim of conserving the fragile ecosystem, we, and other equally important life forms  inhabit, thereby preserving the planet and saving the world.

The forms we have begun our project with are: makeup, hair, illustration and photography. There are plans to lnclude audio and film in 2014. Celebrating a range of talents within the ba$terdz we have and are sure to meet, giving a platform for the silent and suppressed to express opinions on important environmental and human rights issues, as well as general logic and good advice. For example; plant a tree, wear sunscreen, quit smoking,

We want to recruit as many Ba$terdz as possible, paint them up, and give them beautiful portraits of themselves to keep forever, their friends see these, become interested and wish to join in, which of course they are welcome to.

This simply allows us to network and meet each other, gain knowledge, skills and confidence to go ahead with our love for the arts.

We have class and intelligence. We are the people, no matter if we are born into a circus tent or raised in a crystal castle, we are equals. We all want the best for each other and the planet, our only home. At the core of everybody is the purest desire for love, recognition and beautiful things surrounding us. This is only achievable if we stand together and fight the people (..machines) that work so diligently to tear down our home.

We can’t eat money, we can’t drink money and we certainly can’t receive love from money.

In an industry like this, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.. so we want to meet everyone.

The profit and proceeds we may receive in the future go towards funding to conserve land and wildlife and of course keeping our art alive so we may continue on this path.

A visit to Reverse Garbage is a step in the right direction this National Recycling Week.

This 14 year old Brisbane institution facilitates the re-use of materials in their existing form to minimise the energy and time required to recycle them, thus reducing carbon emissions.

“We provide public access to salvaged materials, encouraging consumers to reduce consumption of new materials and choose to re-use resources that were destined for the tip.” says PR Co-ordinator, Rozina Suliman.

Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week, established in 1996 brings attention to the environmental benefits of recycling at a national level.

“Reverse Garbage goes two steps further addressing the benefits of reducing and re-using before recycling.” Rozina says.

“Waste is something we do, not something that is and a visit to the Reverse Garbage warehouse highlights just how much useful stuff would go into Brisbane’s landfills if we didn’t exist.” Rozina says.

“We also educate on the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) through our workshop programs and talks.” Rozina says “and our workshops provide participants with a practical application to re-use materials we think we don’t want in creative ways to extend their life.”

For National Recycling Week, Reverse Garbage focuses on reducing consumption over the festive season, with Adult Eco-Art Workshop, Christmas Wreath Making on Saturday 16 November.

In the workshop, participants can create handmade non-traditional Christmas wreaths using old book pages, fabric off-cuts, paper, felt, cork and an array of other salvaged materials from the Reverse Garbage warehouse.

The Reverse Garbage Christmas Wreath Making Adult Eco-Art Workshop runs on Saturday 16 November 2013. All workshops are held at Reverse Garbage, 20 Burke Street, Woolloongabba.

National Recycling Week runs from Monday 11 November – Sunday 17 November, 2013.

More info: http://www.reversegarbage.com.au/