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Australia’s crumbling centre of sporting excellence will be given a $250 million facelift to prepare the nation’s top athletes for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Having decided not to move the Australian Institute of Sport to Brisbane, the federal government will instead upgrade its Canberra site. Initially, that will include new housing for athletes, an indoor training facility and a high-performance training and testing centre.

“This facility has been allowed to decay and not be as good as it should be,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Friday.

“By making this announcement today, we position ourselves to be in a really positive frame in the lead-up to 2032, when we will host for the third time the Olympics that will be so important in Brisbane.”

The funding comes as part of the government’s response to an independent review into the state of the AIS. A further $10 million will be set aside to develop a precinct masterplan to ensure the site is fit for purpose.

Hall Chadwick has told some of Bonza’s 60,000 creditors there is an outside chance the airline could be saved, with multiple “interest parties” including investors, other airlines and travel companies in talks.

“We are unable to provide further information as these discussions are commercially sensitive,” Hall Chadwick partner Richard Albarran said today. He confirmed the administrators are considering selling the airline, or liquidating it.

Albarran also confirmed the federal government is unlikely to provide any financial assistance.

“The Queensland government is considering its position, so hopefully there will be some assistance, but we can’t say what that looks like. They want to know what’s the strategy for Bonza, who’s the purchaser – there’s a few things to be dealt with.”

Bonza currently owes about $115 million to about 60,000 creditors. The bulk of this amount is owned to private equity owner 777 Partners, with the remaining owed to staff, airports, ground handling companies, and passengers.

Hall Chadwick is still unclear as to whether any of the passengers will receive refunds, or whether the company traded while insolvent, but said it continues to investigate both matters. A credit report is expected next month.

The future of the Bulimba Barracks has become a little clearer after detailed plans were submitted for a unit development backing on to a heritage-listed shed, which would be converted to a “community heart precinct”.

The Shayher Group proposed the 69-unit development on Apollo Road, at the western end of the 20-hectate barracks site, in plans submitted to Brisbane City Council yesterday.

If approved, the three-storey development would include 21 three-bedroom, 38 two-bedroom and 10 one-bedroom units. There would be 179 car parks for residents.

“The project aims to become an iconic destination within the larger master plan,” town planning firm Urbis says in its assessment report submitted to the council on Shayher’s behalf.

“It will offer diverse housing options to the Bulimba area while complementing the adjacent fabrication workshop.”

The Shayher Group bought the site from the Defence Department for $63 million in 2019 and has an approved masterplan for more than 800 homes, with heights of up to five storeys in the mixed-use development.

It’s budget season around the country, with the federal government set to deliver theirs next Tuesday, while Western Australia and Victoria handed theirs down this week.

And Queensland’s senior government figures are assuring their budget in a month’s time won’t be anything like the latter – which hit the brakes on projects to manage spending.

“We’re not going to disclose the budget [early], but it is not the intention of the government to cut,” Infrastructure Minister Grace Grace, who sits on the powerful cabinet budget review committee, told journalists asking about any Victorian parallels today.

Transport Minister Bart Mellish, speaking alongside Grace, echoed the sentiment amid recent federal project pruning, construction sector crunches, and warnings of a “difficult budget” from cabinet colleague Cameron Dick.

“I’m really keen to see what we can do within the funding envelope on what the federal government gives us, but our early indications are we’re looking to increase our infrastructure spend in terms of transport in terms of the number of projects.”

Back in November, then premier Annastacia Palaszczuk led what her office described as the state’s largest trade mission to China – its biggest export market, worth $23.7 billion.

By mid-June she will have led another delegation to the country: this time in her first post-politics role. And politics is something she’s keen to keep at arm’s length for now.

In an interview with ABC Radio Brisbane, Palaszczuk said she was proud to start a part-time role – announced this week – as international ambassador with the Smart Energy Council.

But she would not be drawn on whether she’s likely to join campaign efforts to help the Labor Party she led for almost 12 years fight for a fourth-term in government.

“We will have to wait and see,” she said when asked about plans to write a memoir. “I’ve been able to take a bit more care of myself, engaging in sport activities, keeping healthy and I’m very much enjoying my lifestyle.”

On-again, off-again discussions between the state government and Airtrain to end the private company’s monopoly on public transport to Brisbane Airport are on again, with the transport minister confirming negotiations are back on the table.

Brisbane Times revealed in 2022 the state government was negotiating to bring Airtrain’s 35-year exclusivity agreement, signed by the Borbidge Liberal-National Coalition government in 1998, to a premature end.

Those negotiations under former transport minister Mark Bailey broke down in November, but his successor Bart Mellish said today the topic was – potentially – back on the table.

“In terms of the contract itself – and getting out of that contract – it would have to be a commercial negotiation … so we’re having that discussion,” he said.

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Queensland police assistant commissioner Ben Marcus has responded to concerns, prompted by a leaked memo, that officers may not detain suspects due to capacity constraints at the Brisbane watchhouse.

While the watchhouse is operating at 60 per cent capacity, due to work being conducted on a broken pipe, Marcus insisted there was spare capacity in the system. He said that may see people held in watchhouses further from home, or further from the arresting officer’s station.

“We have asked our staff, as we always do, to make a risk-based values decision on each occasion before they have to put a person before a court,” Marcus said today.

“But, again, if any person needs to be arrested, and held in custody, that’s exactly what we will do.”

Marcus said watchhouse numbers fluctuated daily, and police were in constant contact with youth detention and corrective services facilities to allow transfers to free up capacity.

Two Uber drivers were allegedly attacked, and one of their vehicles stolen, during an altercation with a group of people at a 24-hour McDonald’s in Brisbane overnight.

Addressing the media on Friday morning, Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus said police had responded swiftly to the incident that began at the Chermside fast food outlet.

“We got that vehicle back, due to the use of tyre deflation devices at Goodna, and we have charged seven teenagers,” Marcus said.

“We wish the Uber drivers well. They provide a fantastic service to the community, and I’m pleased to say the injuries were minor.”

Thousands of people have protested ahead of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmo.

Despite attempts by organisers of this year’s contest to keep politics off the stage, Israel’s entrant was also booed.

Protesters waving Palestinian flags packed the historic Stortorget square near Malmo’s 16th-century town hall before a planned march through the city. Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was among them.

During dress rehearsals yesterday, Israeli singer Eden Golan’s performance was met with shouts of “free Palestine” and booing from sections of the ticketed audience. Reaction to Golan’s performance during the live telecast today was much calmer, with some booing but also wide applause.

During the press conference after the telecast, Golan was asked whether she had considered that her presence brought “a risk to the other participants and the public”.

Golan replied: “I think we’re all here for one reason and one reason only. The EBU is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and united place for everyone.”

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Air Vanuatu is officially in liquidation after the Vanuatu government said yesterday the airline was considering its options.

Ernst and Young has been appointed as liquidators to the national carrier.

The airline stopped flying to Australia this week and is not set to recommence flying until Monday.

If it halts services for good, Virgin Australia will be the only airline connecting the two countries.

“The appointment follows a challenging period for the global aviation industry, including labour shortages, inflation affecting input costs and a global increasing cost of credit environment. Air Vanuatu has been particularly affected by disruption of tourism activity due to cyclones,” an EY spokesperson said.

The Vanuatu government and EY said they remained hopeful the carrier could continue to operate.

“The outlook for the airline is positive, despite pressures on the broader industry, and we will be focused on securing the future of this strategically vital national carrier,” EY partner Morgan Kelly said.