Category Archives: Brisbane

Tradies know what it means to live in the 200km City

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The downside of a 200km City (i.e. SEQ from Noosa to the Tweed) is that you can have a long commute to and from work. The upside is that, if there is a downturn in your local area, you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich | 2 Comments

Mall activation – T minus 10 and counting

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The economic development chapter of the latest Brisbane City Council budget has left me wondering whether there is someone sitting in the Council building, with one hand hovering over a red button, counting down to “mall activation”: Service 7.4.2.2 Queen Street … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Retail trade | 1 Comment

Queensland full of bolters

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Queensland is leading the country in the number of bolting regions – including SEQ, Hervey Bay, Townsville and Cairns – with only Mt Isa and Longreach lagging behind. Check out this table in the excellent new Grattan Institute report Investing … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Cairns, Retail trade, Townsville | Leave a comment

Move public servants to regions only if cost-effective

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Gene Tunny

There is a major risk that Opposition Leader Campbell Newman’s decentralisation plan to move Queensland public servants out of Brisbane CBD and into the regions – particularly Cairns, Maryborough, and Gympie – would eventually result in an overweight and inefficient … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Cairns, Queensland Government | 4 Comments

Brisbane – a perfectly balanced city

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The ABS’s regional population figures released today confirm Queensland is second only to WA in population growth, and that the Brisbane metro area’s population growth is concentrated in the Western Corridor through Ipswich and West Moreton. The ABS has also … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Population | Leave a comment

Post flood Brisbane economy sluggish, but should pick up soon

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The spirits of Brisbane western suburbs residents and office workers were no doubt lifted when they first saw the sign announcing that the McDonalds on Milton Rd, next to the still closed BP and Officeworks, is reopening on 28 February. … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Mining | 1 Comment

River Walk rebuild looking less likely now

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Gene Tunny

PM Julia Gillard appears reluctant to provide Brisbane City Council with the cash to fix up the River Walk and to fully repair the City Cat network. The Courier-Mail reports: Council big enough to pay for flood recovery bill, Julia … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods | Leave a comment

Flood clean up & repair bill around $1,100 per Brisbane household

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The Courier-Mail reports Brisbane flood cost City Council $440 mil. The Brisbane City Council area has a population of around 1.05 million people living in around 400,000 households, meaning the City Council’s clean up and repair costs add up to around … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods | Leave a comment

Flood relief arrangements are inequitable

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Centrelink offices across Queensland have been busy lately, accepting applications for $1,000 payments for disaster relief following the floods. While most applications for relief will be genuine, it’s hard not to conclude there will be a significant number of rorters or … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods, Ipswich | 2 Comments

Lord Mayor launches his own flood review

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Is Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman worried about what the Government-commissioned flood inquiry will find regarding City Council policies, particularly around land use planning? Today the Lord Mayor launched his own independent flood review, focusing on the City Council’s handling … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Floods | Leave a comment