Brisbane News Live: 50c fares extended to Brisbane Metro; Qld stamp duty relief for first-home buyers

Last week we reported on rumblings against the Teneriffe Festival among residents and business owners.

Last year’s drunken behaviour was widely complained about as well as noise, street closures and a lack of community consultation.

Business owner Lea Angeles says that this year’s event on Saturday night was an improvement, with an increased supply of toilets for patrons.

“We didn’t have any threats of violence but I dare say that just providing enough toilets was half the issue,” she said.

The event’s bigger footprint, designed to improve the flow of visitors, appeared to have worked, she said.

However, the absence of stalls selling arts and crafts, produce, or anything other than street food and drinks was remarked upon.

“I think when you take out the market stalls and you replace everything with bars and you block off the local businesses, it’s pretty safe to say we’ve lost all sense of community.”

Resident Patrick Lamb said that the festival had also done a better job of clearing up after the event, but as a result the noise continued all night on Saturday after the concert.

“It went until 7 in the morning,” he said.

Did you go to the festival? Tell us what you thought.

A business owner who was hoping to participate in last weekend’s Teneriffe Festival agrees the event has lost its community roots.

Matthew Hibberd, who runs Truffle Discovery Centre in Stanthorpe, ran a street stall at last year’s festival and applied again this year.

He said there was “zero communication” from event organisers who did not respond to his application.

Hibberd feels the event has changed from a family-friendly festival.

“We attend festivals and markets every weekend and I expected probably less alcohol and better behaviour and less crowd numbers packed in like that,” Hibberd said of last year’s event.

“It’s a great success story for the event, but I think it’s morphing into something other than a community event.

“It felt like a concert …

“If they’re not going to have a community, family-friendly festival … they may as well move it to Riverstage and have it there.”

However, Hibberd supported expanding the footprint of the festival.

“We want crowds and we want trade … but I also don’t want to be there to the detriment of local businesses.”

Ariarne Titmus has surprised herself with a slick first race at Australia’s Olympic swimming trials.

Titmus was comfortably quickest through the women’s 400m freestyle heats at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre today.

The reigning Olympic champion and world record-holder in the event clocked four minutes 01.57 seconds.

“I just feel really excited,” Titmus said ahead of tonight’s final.

“I split 4.01 usually in the heats internationally quite cruisy.

“But to do it here domestically when I don’t really have to go like that, it’s quite a surprise when I turn around and see that (time) because I really switched off for the second half of the race.

“Good confidence for tonight.”

As we reported earlier, a Night Life Economy Commissioner will be appointed to work with businesses, live music venues and entertainment precincts in Brisbane, and across the state.

Cultural sociologist Dr Ben Green said creating a direct point of contact between policymakers and the sector is vital to the nightlife economy.

“It is really crucial to bring all the different authorities and levels of government and stakeholders together because something like live music involves law and policy at a local level and planning at a state level,” the Griffith University researcher said.

“It is a historic opportunity to actively shape the future and try to support a sustainable and diverse night time economy.”

Green said having someone with intimate knowledge of the nighttime industry, which traditionally governments are not set up with, would make a major difference to policy formation.

“Over recent years, we’ve seen things really thrive and grow where there is that point of contact,” he said.

The move comes as the state’s nightlife venues struggle to stay afloat amid cost of living pressures including high rents and less consumer spending.

The most recent victim is Brisbane icon The Zoo which is set to close its doors next month after 32 years due to rising operational costs and decreasing returns.

Music festivals are also feeling the pinch with the Caloundra Music Festival cancelling their 2024 event after 17 years, following the likes of Groovin the Moo, which took in regional areas including the Sunshine Coast.

In NSW, the introduction of a 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, as well as further reforms, has led to an 84 per cent increase in the number of venues hosting performances.

Last week we reported on rumblings against the Teneriffe Festival among residents and business owners.

Last year’s drunken behaviour was widely complained about as well as noise, street closures and a lack of community consultation.

Business owner Lea Angeles says that this year’s event on Saturday night was an improvement, with an increased supply of toilets for patrons.

“We didn’t have any threats of violence but I dare say that just providing enough toilets was half the issue,” she said.

The event’s bigger footprint, designed to improve the flow of visitors, appeared to have worked, she said.

However, the absence of stalls selling arts and crafts, produce, or anything other than street food and drinks was remarked upon.

“I think when you take out the market stalls and you replace everything with bars and you block off the local businesses, it’s pretty safe to say we’ve lost all sense of community.”

Resident Patrick Lamb said that the festival had also done a better job of clearing up after the event, but as a result the noise continued all night on Saturday after the concert.

“It went until 7 in the morning,” he said.

Did you go to the festival? Tell us what you thought.

Consumers are being urged not to stockpile eggs amid an outbreak of bird flu at Victorian farms that has one major supermarket already imposing buying limits.

Almost 600,000 birds have been destroyed so far after avian influenza, a viral disease for birds, was detected at five Victorian poultry farms. Victoria is the country’s third-biggest supplier of eggs, raising concerns the culls will crimp supply for many months and force prices to surge.

On Sunday, Coles put a two-carton limit per customer for eggs in all stores except those in Western Australia. Rival Woolworths said on Monday that it had no plans to introduce purchase limits. Aldi also has unlimited egg purchases but declined to say whether it would introduce buying restrictions.

Egg farmer and Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president Danyel Cucinotta said the group was “anticipating a flow-on impact to egg supplies in the week” and was working hard to maintain supply.

“My advice is to shop around at your local grocer, market or small independent store to buy your eggs,” he said.

Rowan McMonnies, managing director of industry body Australian Eggs, said it was deflating to see new infection sites emerge, but that it was encouraging they were all within a defined region.

“If this can be maintained, the impact on egg supply should remain limited and Australians will continue to enjoy over 18 million eggs every day,” he said.

Read more here.

A man charged with almost 70 domestic violence offences involving multiple victims, after his arrest at Brisbane Airport last month, will apply for bail.

The 55-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been living in the Philippines, but was wanted over the alleged crimes committed on the Gold Coast between 2016 and 2017.

The man arrived in Australia on May 9, when he was arrested at Brisbane Airport, and charged with 67 offences including unlawful stalking and contravening domestic violence orders.

Police will allege the man committed the offences over several years and against several victims.

His case was briefly mentioned in the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court this morning, with the court hearing that his most serious charge was unlawful stalking.

The man’s lawyer, Antoinette Morton, told the court her client had been charged in 2016, but had returned to the Philippines.

“[He] was charged and then moved back to the Philippines. So he’s resided in the Philippines for a period of time,” she said.

“The stalking charge arises upon his return to Australia in 2016, but he then returned to the Philippines.”

The man appeared in court via video link with a mask on, with the court hearing there had been a potential COVID-19 outbreak at the prison.

The case will return to court later this week for the bail application.

Ariarne Titmus has issued an ominous warning to rivals hoping to steal her Olympic crowns: she’s fitter, stronger and wiser than ever before.

Titmus will be the headline performer today when Australia’s Olympic swimming selection trials start at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

She will contest the 400m freestyle – she’s the reigning Olympic champion and also world record-holder in the event.

And three years after her golden 200m and 400m freestyle double at her debut Olympics in Tokyo, Titmus says she’s a different – and better – swimmer.

“The one thing I have taken from my last Olympic experience is once you become an Olympic champion you can carry this aura with you into these trials,” she said.

“I am the most trained I can possibly be … taking that confidence with me can make the task seem a little bit more grounded.”

Her preparations for the Paris Olympics starting in late July were interrupted last September when Titmus had surgery to remove a benign tumour on an ovary.

The 23-year-old said surgery had given her a fresh perspective on swimming, adding to her bank of experience.

Queensland will have a dedicated nightlife commissioner in a bid to reboot Brisbane’s live music scene and revitalise the state’s 24-hour economy.

Premier Steven Miles will set aside funding for a nightlife commissioner in tomorrow’s state budget.

“It’s my expectation that the commissioner will work closely and collaboratively with the sector to boost vibrancy and maintain safety right across the state,” Miles said in a statement.

“A thriving and safe nighttime economy means a thriving city – one that keeps our young and brightest in good jobs, delivering for Queensland.

“Our nighttime economy helps generate millions each year and supports jobs across the state, in small business, arts, entertainment, tourism and more.”

While focused on Brisbane, the government statement said the role would be designed to support communities statewide, whether that be “a local pub in Toowoomba, a music festival in Cairns, or nightlife spots on the Sunshine Coast”.

The news comes as the government reviews its Safe Night Precincts, and Brisbane City Council investigates alternatives to costly ID scanners for venues.

John Collins, the part-owner of Fortitude Valley’s Fortitude Music Hall and Newstead’s The Triffid, and QMusic chief executive Kris Stewart, have both supported calls for Brisbane to have its own Nighttime Economy Commissioner, a role they say has been a success in Sydney.

“Sydney is only now – with the work of their Nighttime Economy commissioner Michael Rodriguez – started to dig their way out of a series of bad policies that pretty much devastated many of their nighttime precincts,” Stewart told Brisbane Times last week.

There has been speculation Collins might be a leading candidate for the role in Brisbane. He said it would depend on its scope “but I think either way it’s a good idea”.

Brisbane Pentecostal Christian school, Citipointe Christian College, has reached a settlement with parents two years after issuing a controversial student gender and sexuality contract.

The college in Carindale on Brisbane’s southside has issued an “expression of regret” after asking parents to sign a new enrolment contract, which stated that homosexuality was “sinful”.

The contract was withdrawn in February 2022 after community backlash, and the school’s principal Pastor Brian Mulheran resigned.

Parents took the school to the Queensland Human Rights Commission, and on Sunday the school issued a statement expressing regret.

“It is acknowledged that the issuance of the enrolment contract, coupled with a request for the prompt execution and return, caused distress and concern to some students and parents,” the statement reads.

“We regret any distress or concern which was caused to students, parents and guardians of students or prospective students of the college.”

Former teacher and parent Helen Clapham Burns said the statement was a step towards reconciliation between the school and LGBTI community.

“This statement is very powerful. It allows and demonstrates a conversation can take place between religious communities with different interpretations,” she told ABC Radio Brisbane on Monday.

If you’re stuck on a stationary bus on the South East Busway this morning it’s due to a broken down private bus.

Commuters on the South East Busway are experiencing 20-minute delays after a private charter bus broke down at Buranda.

The bus has been moved, but commuters are facing residual delays.