OCTOBER EDITION 2014

Living in Brisbane - North

A message from Lord Mayor Graham Quirk

As we head towards summer, October is the perfect time to get out and enjoy all that Brisbane has to offer.

Council hosts a range of free events in our parks for residents to enjoy. Visit Council’s website or call the Contact Centre on 3403 8888 for details on activities in your area.

This month sees the popular Green Heart Fair come to Carindale on Sunday October 12. The fair encourages residents and visitors to our city to live more sustainably, and there is plenty of entertainment for the whole family. Free native trees will be given out during the fair for your garden.

Saturday October 25 sees the Garage Sale Trail happening across Brisbane. Council’s Tip Shops in Geebung and Acacia Ridge will be registered as the city’s biggest garage sales. I encourage you to get involved as they say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

By supporting this initiative you are helping to make Brisbane a more sustainable city for future generations.

To keep up-to-date with what’s happening around the city, sign up to my monthly e-newsletter at

Graham Quirk

LORD MAYOR

Clean-up for storm season

Cleaning up is easier with a green waste recycling bin, and right now if you order your new bin during October, we’ll waive the $30 establishment fee. Just $18.63 a quarter.

There has never been a better time to get your garden into shape. Visit or call Council on 3403 8888.

*Offer applies for orders received between 1-31 October 2014.

Flowers, colour and music for G20

Brisbane will be abuzz with a range of activities and events on offer in the lead up to and during the G20 Leaders Summit.

Local businesses, garden clubs, volunteers and horticulturalists will worktogether to create a floral welcome mat at Roma Street Parklands encompassing more than 6000 locally sourced plants.

This spectacular arrangement will be unveiled on Thursday 6 November and create a visual story about Brisbane. The design, kept under wraps until late October, will be in full bloom during the G20 Leaders Summit. For information on Roma Street Parklands, visit

Colour Me Brisbane will light up our city’s skyline, iconic buildings and landmarks with colourful, luminous displays, while a showcase of musical talent will extend throughout the city including contemporary swing and jazz by the Australian Army Band Brisbane at City Hall on Tuesday 28 October from 12noon-1pm. For information on local and G20 events, visit or

Nominate a local hero

Do you know an individual or group that makes Brisbane a better place?

Nominations are now open for the 2015 Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Awards, which recognise members of the community who selflessly give their time for the betterment of their neighbourhood and Brisbane.

You could nominate a local hero who is a member of a sporting, cultural or community group, a young person with a big green heart or an organiser of a local community event that has brought joy to others.

Categories include Citizen of the Year, Senior Citizen of the Year, Corporate Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year and the Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Sports Awards.

Nominations close on Monday 3 November 2014.For more information on the 2015 Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Awards and nomination forms, call 3403 8888 or visit

Riverwalk delights community

One of Brisbane’s most loved landmarks has been returned to its former glory and reopened to the community following the January 2011 floods.

The completion of the Riverwalk replacement project provides an efficient link between New Farm and the CBD, with the shared walkway already being used by more than 3000 cyclists, pedestrians and runners every day.

The new Riverwalk has been engineered to withstand a one-in-2000 year flood event, and features five shaded rest and viewing areas along its 870 metre length, allowing people to view the city from different perspectives.

The patience of local residents during construction was greatly appreciated.

The Australian and Queensland governments helped fund the $72 million Riverwalk replacement through flood recovery assistance packages.

Become part of Team Brisbane

Brisbane’s own cricketer Matthew Hayden, Professor Ian Frazer and band Sheppard are among the famous faces to have joined a new initiative to celebrate all that is great in our city.

The Team Brisbane campaign, launched in August, encourages residents to promote what they love about our city.

Residents can be a part of Team Brisbane and play a role in the city’s future and its promotion.

There are plenty of reasons to be a proud ambassador for Brisbane, whether it’s the achievements of high-profile identities or celebrating our community heroes.

With a host of local success stories, thecampaign is a timely reminder of justhow far Brisbane has come, how much as a community we have achieved and how much we have to be proud of.

One of the simplest ways to get involved is by sharing your experiences of Brisbane on social media with the hashtag #teambne.

To be part of Team Brisbane or to learn more, visit

Meet Team Brisbane

Maginnis Connell is a young lady with a passion for making Brisbane a better place for those who need a helping hand.

With the support of herfamily and friends, Maginnis is currently organising a Christmas holiday camp for kids with disabilities called Students for Kids. Her care and consideration extends not only to humans but also to wildlife, as an active wildlife carer for the Orphan Native Animal Rear and Release Association.

This young, year 11 woman takes it all in her stride. Like Maginnis, Team Brisbane is about making a positive difference to the community. For more information, visit

Innovative thinkers steer conversations in Brisbane

In the lead up to the G20 Leaders Summit, being held 15-16 November, residents and innovative thinkers can be part of the Global Cafe, an international centre of thought leadership.

Join in activities including a two-day event at Brisbane City Hall on 12-13 November, workshops, and an online information and discussion forum.

Five chairs have been appointed to lead conversations on five key themes. They are:

• Professor Ian Frazer, Brisbane cervical cancer vaccine pioneer

• Christopher Brown AM, national tourism identity

• Greg Clark, UK-based advisor for cities and business

• Dr Alex Wonhas, CSIROexecutive

• Dr Jana Matthews, international entrepreneurial leadership and business growth expert.

For more information on the Global Cafe and how you can get involved, including registering your interest in the conversations, visit

Council opens its doors

Council is opening a number of assets during Brisbane Open House 2014 including the historic Walter Taylor Bridge, which opened on 14 February 1936.

It was the brainchild of Graceville resident, engineer, architect and inventor Walter Taylor, who recognised the need for a bridge between Indooroopilly and Chelmer as the cross-river ferry struggled to meet demand.

The bridge is the longest span suspension bridge in Australia and its unusual design includes two towers with residential apartments.

Other Council assets open for exploration include the Howard Smith Wharves, the Old Windmill Tower in Spring Hill, Brisbane City Hall and the Museum of Brisbane, and Brisbane Square including the Library (ground level) and Conference Centre (level 16).

The Old Windmill Tower is Queensland’s oldest surviving convict-built structure and a recognised Brisbane landmark.

Brisbane City Hall has undergone a $215m restoration and boasts heritage features including the Main Auditorium and Father Henry Willis Organ, WWII Signature Wall and Clock Tower.

Discover hidden gems during Brisbane Open House

Embark on a journey of discovery around our city’s most historic and architecturally unique buildings during the fifth annual Brisbane Open House, which is sponsored by Council.

Around 90 remarkable buildings will open their doors to the public for an exclusive sneak peek on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October.

Enjoy a range of free activities including walking tours led by expert Council guides and concerts at QPAC and Queensland Museum.

Younger visitors can build their own Clock Tower at City Hall, attend a free hands-on workshop at Museum of Brisbane inspired by artist Anna Carey’s artworks, and much more.

Visitors need to book ahead for certain Open House venues as tour places are limited. To find out all the details on venues, times and to plan your itinerary visit and search for Brisbane Open House, or call 3403 8888.

Have fun and get fit outdoors

Try something new and get fit with Council’s Active Parks program – a series of free or low-cost activities available at more than 50 local parks across Brisbane.

The Active Parks program caters for all fitness levels and abilities, providing participants with options to get a great workout, relax with some gentle exercise or learn new skills.

Women on the Northside can take part in a free basic bicycle maintenance course at Kalinga Park, Clayfield on Saturday 18 October from 9-11am. Bookings are required, please call 0427 431 481 to reserve your place. Kids aged 10-17 years can take part in the Chill Out program with great low-cost or free activities available across the city.

For more information on Council’s Active Parks Program, visit or call 3403 8888.

Join Brisbane’s Garage Sale Trail

Residents looking for good old fashioned bargains will be thrilled to discover the wealth of pre-loved goods at the Garage Sale Trail on Saturday 25 October.

The Garage Sale Trail is a national event sponsored by local councils around Australia to encourage a culture of reuse through the buying and selling of household items.

Last year’s trail included more than 7000 registered garage sales involving over 300,000 buyers and sellers across Australia.

Residents can search for garage sales in their local area and create their own personalised Treasure Trail for the day.

Brisbane’s Tip Shops in Geebung and Acacia Ridge will be registered as Brisbane’s biggest garage sales, and Council’s 2014 Recycling Art Competition artists will be searching the Tip Shops and trail for art-worthy treasures.

For more information on registering a garage sale or where to shop, visit

Recycling myths busted

Council is busting three myths to make recycling easier.

Myth 1

Containers must be washed before going in the recycling bin

FALSERinsing will reduce odours but, as long as containers are empty, they can go in the recycling.

Myth 2

Plastic bags can go in the recycling bin

FALSEPlastic bags are only recyclable through dedicated plastic bag recycling collections. Theyare not recoverable via Council’s household service and get caught in the sorting machines. Always place recyclable items loosely in the yellow lid bin.

Myth 3

Aerosols and chemical bottles cannot be recycled

FALSEIt is safe to recycle aerosol cans and empty bottles that once held household chemicals. Try putting a recycling bin in your bathroom and laundry to help you recycle more.

To learn more about recycling, visit

Did you know:

Brisbane Greeters have been listed as one of the ‘Top 50 things we love about travel right now’ by Fairfax’s The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age.

Brisbane to host Asia Pacific Film Festival

This year Brisbane will host the 16-day international film festival and Asia Pacific Screen Awards, featuring the screening of more than 60 films from the Asia-Pacific region.

The Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, held Saturday 29 November to Sunday 14 December, will include free public screenings and ticketed events, themed programs, a special showcase of the winning films, filmmaker introductions and Q&A sessions.

The 8th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards will also take place during the festival on Thursday 11 December.

As the official headquarters for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane will continue to show the world we are truly a creative and vibrant city. For more information on the Asia Pacific Film Festival, visit

Timetable boost to ferry services

Brisbane residents are enjoying faster and more frequent ferry services with new CityCat and CityFerry timetables following the completion of Riverwalk.

The CityCat timetable includes the new Milton terminal, planned to open in late 2014. It features an extra AM peak express service starting at Apollo Road and two new AM services from New Farm Park to Riverside.

Two new PM services are operating from Riverside to Teneriffe, with additional peak hour crossings between Bulimba and Teneriffe, and more services for Northshore Hamilton. The 237 replacement loop bus service between Hawthorne, Bulimba and Apollo Road continues to operate while the Bulimba terminal is closed for upgrade.

For more timetable information, visit or phone 13 12 30.

Eyes on the Suburbs

Residents can get involved in resolving their suburb’s maintenance issues by reporting them to Council’s Eyes on the Suburbs program.

Maintenance issues such as potholes, lighting outages, graffiti, cracked footpaths and overhanging branches can be reported to ensure a prompt response. By actively notifying Council about maintenance issues around the city, residents can help make sure Brisbane remains an attractive, world class city.

Brisbane residents who report maintenance issues to Council are automatically entered in the prize draw to win one of ten $100 cash prizes every month. Help keep Brisbane clean and safe by reporting maintenance issues through Council’s website, MMS/SMS to 0429 234 948 or by phoning 3403 8888.

Free Talk to a Planner

Northsiders interested in the development and building of Brisbane are invited to attend a free Talk to a Planner session in their local area.

There are two afternoon sessions available at Chermside on Wednesday 12 November from 2-4pm and 5-7pm. The sessions will take place at the Community Centre in the Kedron Wavell RSL.

Residents are encouraged to bring their questions about the development of Brisbane City and their local region.

Residents who come along will have the opportunity to speak with Council officers about topics such as the development application process and how Brisbane City Plan 2014 applies to their property.

To register your interest in attending, email your details and preferred session time to or call Council’s direct

Talk to a Planner reservation line on 3178 5500.

There will also be further free Talk to a Planner sessions on 15 December in Brisbane City Hall. For more detail on these upcoming sessions, visit

Sign-up to Council’s

Early Warning Alert Serviceto receive alerts via SMS, email or recorded phone message when severe weather is likely to affect your suburb.

Be prepared.

To register visit

Have your say on thefuture of Spring Hill

The Spring Hill Draft Renewal Strategy is open for community consultation this October.

Residents are encouraged to have their say on the future of this vibrant and diverse inner-city neighbourhood.

The strategy was developed in partnership with the local community who participated in an online survey and a dedicated Community Planning Team.

The resulting draft aims to manage future growth while protecting the suburb’s character and heritage value. It reinforces Spring Hill’s diversity and provides for a variety of housing, further development of the local economy and a focus on the continued provision of health, education and community facilities.

Other priorities include creating people-focussed places for residents to enjoy and improving transport connections.

Feedback on the Spring Hill Draft Renewal Strategy will help inform the preparation of the Spring Hill Neighbourhood Plan.

To view the draft strategy and provide feedback, visit

New online tool to help you be prepared this storm season

Severe weather can occur in Brisbane anytime, anywhere and, as a city, we have certainly experienced our fair share of weather events in recent years.

To help assess how prepared your household is for natural disasters such as bushfires, flooding and storms, Council has launched a new online tool which can be accessed for free.

Simply answer nine short questions using the new online risk assessment tool to find out how prepared you really are for a severe weather event.

You can compare your results with others and get useful tips on how to improve your chance of dealing with whatever Mother Nature throws at us.

To find out how prepared you are, visit and reduce your risk.

Council grants closing soon

Community organisations, residents and businesses have a final chance to apply for a range of grant funding this month, with three popular programs closing on 20 October.

Emerging creatives can gain a helping hand through the Lord Mayor’s Young and Emerging Artists Fellowships and the Creative Sparks Program.