Author: media

Member for South Brisbane Jackie Trad has raised serious concerns that the LNP State and Council Administrations are leaving Brisbane residents behind after the pay-to-view launch of the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal Draft Master Plan.

Ms Trad attended the launch of the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal Draft Master Plan as a guest of Business South Bank but was angered that the State Government and Brisbane City Council hadn’t provided an opportunity for locals to be given a briefing or have their questions answered.

“I am appalled that the vast majority of Brisbane residents were denied the opportunity to attend the launch and learn about the plan with a ticket to the event costing $150,” Ms Trad said.

“The Newman State Government & Quirk’s Brisbane City Council have been developing this plan for 10 months, but are giving the people of Brisbane only six weeks or 30 business days to have a say.

“Consultation with the community should be at the heart of this plan, but instead it seems to be an afterthought.”

Ms Trad said while the inclusion of parkland in the plan is positive, it is offset by a proposal to significantly increase the number of high rise buildings in the West End peninsula.

“I know locals hold serious concerns about the impact this massive development will have on already stretched local services,” Ms Trad said.

“When I asked for details on the population projections at today’s launch, Councillor Amanda Cooper merely answered that there were projections but refused to detail the actual population numbers.

 

“Ultimately the Kurilpa Master Plan is incomplete and until I am confident that locals are happy with it, Labor will press the restart button to ensure all interests are included and reflected in any final document.

“The secretive and privileged LNP has handicapped a legitimate process and arrogantly undermined public confidence in this project.”

Ms Trad said the last LNP State Administration in the 1990s had exactly the same development-focussed plan for South Bank, but the people of Brisbane had a different vision.

“In 2014, it’s hard to imagine Brisbane without South Bank and I think most Queenslanders would shudder to think of what the Nationals and their developer mates would have left behind if their plan had gone unchecked.

“With this second opportunity to redefine our City before us, I call on Premier Newman and Lord Mayor Quirk to restore confidence in this project by listening to the people of Brisbane first.”

Local, fresh food providore, Food Connect, has noticed fitness gurus and wellness activists championing the move to raw food lately. As a result it has released a product specifically aimed at raw food fanatics in the region.

To celebrate the launch of our raw food box, Food Connect is giving 10 lucky customers the chance to win an exclusive RAW DINNER EXPERIENCE here at the Food Connect Homestead on Thursday 11th September.

To enter the draw to win a ticket to this intimate dining experience, all you need to do is purchase a Food Connect Raw Box between Thursday 14th August and Sunday 7th September.  Winners will be notified on Monday 8th September.

This fabulous raw dinner party will be catered by Brisbane’s best raw food gurus, including Jamie-Louise from ORAWGI, and you’ll receive personalised hints and tips on how to prepare from your raw food box.

The Raw Food Box is not just for those who only eat raw. According to happiness manager, Emma-Kate Rose, it’s great for a diverse range of people who are transitioning out of a heavy animal protein diet into something more plant-based, or people who are experiencing illness, to those who simply want to learn a healthier way of eating.

She said that people who buy the box will be treated to the seasonal delights of many of our high quality items essential for the Raw Food diet.

The major difference is that the box avoids root veggies and other cook-only items without giving up the great value, surprise and convenience of getting a seasonal set box.

Among other tips on the website is a recipe for Raw Vegan Pad Thai

Need a hand with going raw? Here’s a delicious raw vegan recipe to get you off to a good start with your new Raw Box. Click here for deets.

Woolloongabba Antique Centre is proud to be the first ever Australian stockist of the wonderful Annie Sloan decorative range of chalk paint and soft waxes.

This celebrated English paint range is made specifically for painting furniture, floors and walls giving them that completely matt velvety finish.

This paint has some unique qualities including a one coat application not requiring an under or primer coat. This reflects an ease of use that restoration enthusiasts will find invaluable in their paint and décor projects.

The full paint range, test pots, waxes, application brushes and instruction pamphlet are in-store now. Regular application workshops available.

Visit the website

Southbank made history last week when it received top honour of 2014 Retail Property of the Year at the Property Council of Australia (Qld) Awards making it the first time a ‘precinct’ has won the coveted title.

It was also the first entrant to receive a perfect score as winner of the Excellence in Marketing Award and then took out the Excellence in Food Retailing Award.

The much-loved destination, which draws over 10 million visitors annually nudged out some of the State’s largest retail centres and dining districts to score its award-winning trifecta.

CEO of South Bank Corporation Jeff Weigh was delighted with the three accolades and was grateful to the PCA for recognising the precinct’s overall retail offer, diverse dining options and excellence in marketing.

“We are extremely proud of our leasing and marketing efforts over the past few years as we work to maintain our position at the forefront of the State’s retail, dining and leisure scene.

“The Retail Property of the Year award is one of the most prestigious honours for excellence in the retail sector, recognising outstanding overall achievement for a property or precinct. The accolade was awarded to the retail property that achieved the highest average aggregate out of the three award categories.

“Our innovative South Bank Concierge marketing campaign scored a perfect score of 100 points from the judging panel based on our ability to tap into the 61,000-plus conference delegates visiting the destination annually.

“The Excellence in Food Retailing Award cements our dominance of the Brisbane food scene and key points-of-difference including the choice of over 28 restaurants, cafes and bars that line both Little Stanley and Grey Streets,” Weigh added.

“Our re-launch campaign of Little Stanley Street in late 2013 generated immediate results and has proven to be our most successful brand marketing and retail sales campaign to date.”

Queensland executive director of the Property Council, Kathy Mac Dermott said the Queensland Retail Property Awards recognise excellence in retail properties and precincts throughout Queensland in the areas of marketing, design, food and presentation.

“In 2014, 68 finalists were recognised throughout the State, representing properties and precincts in a range of size categories.

“South Bank’s achievement marks the first time a precinct has won Retail Property of the Year…and our congratulations go to all finalists and winners on their fantastic achievements,” Mac Dermott said.

South Bank is also gearing up to welcome a further 3,500 to 4,000 people who will live and work in the vicinity following Anthony John Group’s announcement in April it will build its second Emporium Hotel; together with a new commercial precinct housing the global headquarters of Flight Centre at the southern end of Grey Street.

It will also be a key destination when Brisbane hosts the G20 Leaders Summit in November 2014.

Leadership, Life and Style is hosting an event to inspire and build business as part of 2014 Queensland Small Business Week. 2014 Queensland Small Business Week from 1-6 September is a Queensland Government initiative supporting and celebrating the important role of small business in the Queensland economy.

The event, a Business Tune-Up Workshop will be held at Norman Hotel, 102 Ipswich Road, Wooloongabba on 1^st September at 6pm.

Tony Curl, Founder of Leadership, Life and Style said the focus of 2014 Queensland Small Business Week was to help small business to have a big future.

“Our event is designed to provide information that will inspire business owners and contacts that will help them build their business,” Tony said.

“Small business is vital to Queensland’s economy, representing approximately 95 percent of all Queensland businesses and employing almost half of the state’s private sector workforce.

“2014 Queensland Small Business Week is being delivered by the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games.”

The event by Leadership, Life and Style is one of a host being delivered by business, industry and government as part of the statewide celebrations.

Tony said the event, “Business Tune-Up” was a workshop designed to provide greater understanding in financial understanding, team engagement and customer retention for the business owner. It’s open to business owners interested in:

• gaining a better understanding of business support available

• gaining new ideas and inspiration

• gaining an insight into growing your business, networking and business trends

• improving your business management capability.

To book for the event and for more information on 2014 Queensland Small Business Week visitwww.business.qld.gov.au/smallbusinessweek

A 700-page economics book is taking the world by storm.

Capital in the 21st Century by French political economist Thomas Piketty, a detailed historical analysis of economic development over the last three centuries, has become a number 1 bestselling book.

The ideas will be explored in South Brisbane next month, at the  ETU Auditorium, 41 Peel St, South Brisbane at 7 pm on Thursday the 11th of September. Guest speakers, Dr Michael Beggs and Professor John Quiggan, will lead the meeting to explore the ideas of Piketty and provide an opportunity to debate the political implications.

Piketty sets out to uncover the fundamental dynamics driving capital accumulation and distribution.

Looking at extensive historical economic data, he establishes that the decades of economic prosperity and the flattening of inequality following World War Two were an aberration.

Instead of being “a rising tide that floats all boats”, modern capitalism with its inherent contradictions is generating extreme inequalities. A tiny minority in society is amassing incredible wealth.

With the wave of austerity measures unleashed in the aftermath of the GFC, Piketty’s ideas have hit a global nerve. At the same time, the popularity of his book has sent the rightwing in to a frenzy.

Piketty’s assumptions, formulations and conlusions may be challenged. But he has shown up the prevailing free market economics which dominate formal politics as “the emporer with no clothes”.

And he has made the study of economics as a key element of understanding our society sexy again.

Instead of blind faith that the market will deliver, he says we need to look at the evidence and the historical trends.