NEWS
Local residents have dug deep via much-needed donations to ensure the City Council's Homeless Connect event on Tuesday, May 11 at RNA Showgrounds is a success.
Councillor David Hinchliffe (Central Ward) had called on all local residents and businesses to show their generosity and donate some needed items to the Homeless Connect event.
Essential items that have been donated include men's clothing and toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as towels, canned goods, blankets, and shoes.
“I thank all residents who have donated generously to help make this Homeless Connect one of our most successful. This Homeless Connect event is particularly significant as it will be first time the event has been held outside City Hall."
Because City Hall was currently closed for repair, the event would be held in the Commerce Building at the RNA Showgrounds from 9am to 2pm.
“Council will also provide free transport to and from the event. Pick-ups begin at 7.30am and run all day from New Farm Neighbourhood Centre, Footprints, 139 Club, Pindari Hostel and Roma House on the Northside and West End Community House, Brisbane Homelessness Centre, OzCare and Bowman Johnson Hostel on the Southside,” he said.
Councillor Hinchliffe said the event would provide free access to a wide range of essential practical services such as medical care, dentistry, optometry, counselling, accommodation advice, employment advice, legal assistance, ID assistance, and personal care services like haircuts, showers, food and clothing. “Homeless Connect is an important event where people can connect to services and enjoy a meal, music, activities and giveaways,” he said.
“This event provides the vital service of assisting people who are disadvantage to find new pathways and connections in their lives.
“Since the Homeless Connect program was introduced almost three years ago,more than 4200 disadvantaged and under privileged people have accessed services that would otherwise be out of reach,” Councillor Hinchliffe said.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Exhibition honours the homeless
A special photographic exhibition highlighting the plight of our city’s homelessness will open in the Valley on Friday week May 7. Governor Penelope Wensley will open the exhibition, Detours -- stories from the street, which will be on display at the TCB building, Chinatown, from 7am to 7pm until May 15.
The exhibition features photographs of clients of the 139 Club homeless shelter in the Valley. Local councillor David Hinchliffe is one of two photographers who have turned their camera lens to the cause of homelessness. “These pictures and the stories that go with each reveal the stories behind the faces of homelessness,” he says. One of his subjects was Lynette Vardy, above, who laughs in the face of adversity. She says despite difficult times, she relies on the friends she has met at the 139 Club to get by including her Friday girls’ coffee group. While Cr Hinchliffe supplied this shot in colour, the exhibition of 20 photos will be in stark black and white, as with the wonderful portraits below.
Top: Brigid Haug began her working life as a nurse in Rockhampton before illness changed the course of her life.
Middle: Mary Cumming, 46, says she's reluctant to smile because of dental problems. The 139 Club has given her something to smile about.
Above: Clinton Ross was on the streets for more years than he can remember. He says that despite his years on the street he never gave up hope.
Where am I?
Know where this is rather eclectic mix of buildings is? If so, you’ve got the chance to win a $60 prize voucher to enjoy some tucker and a drink at the Brunswick Hotel in New Farm.
Email your answer to editor@theindependent.com.au to reach us no later than 5pm on Friday May 7, 2010. Or drop us the answer in the post by the same deadline to PO Box 476 Valley Q 4006. One lucky winner will be off to the Brunnie on us. Bon appetit!
LAST ISSUE'S WINNER: Eagle-eyed Judith Beecham of the Valley was one of many Indie readers who recognised the rather haphazard collection of building rears fronting Wickham Street in the Valley and visible from the rail line between Brunswick and Gipps streets. Judith is off to the Brunnie for some tucker on us!
Majority would access equity to invest: survey
PROPERTY
A poll released by PRDnationwide shows 61 per cent of home owners would access equity in their property to fund another investment. Twenty-three per cent of respondents said they would use equity to complete renovations, while 12 per cent would not access equity.
PRDnationwide research director Aaron Maskrey said only small numbers of home owners chose to access equity for luxury items like a holiday (1 per cent) and a new car (3 per cent). “Property investors are now feeling more wealthy and prosperous, because the Global Financial Crisis has passed in Australia and their jobs are secure, so we've got quite a lot of buoyancy in the marketplace,” said Mr Maskrey.
“According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the total spend on housing financial commitments compared to the previous year, has increased by 10.1 per cent from $19.2 billion.
“Investors have strengthened with $6.4 billion being committed in January, the highest amount of investor commitment since February 2008. Investors now account for 30.4 per cent of the total housing finance commitments.
“With a current nationwide shortage of homes putting upward pressure on prices once again – the idea of accessing equity is becoming more popular.”
A poll released by PRDnationwide shows 61 per cent of home owners would access equity in their property to fund another investment. Twenty-three per cent of respondents said they would use equity to complete renovations, while 12 per cent would not access equity.
PRDnationwide research director Aaron Maskrey said only small numbers of home owners chose to access equity for luxury items like a holiday (1 per cent) and a new car (3 per cent). “Property investors are now feeling more wealthy and prosperous, because the Global Financial Crisis has passed in Australia and their jobs are secure, so we've got quite a lot of buoyancy in the marketplace,” said Mr Maskrey.
“According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the total spend on housing financial commitments compared to the previous year, has increased by 10.1 per cent from $19.2 billion.
“Investors have strengthened with $6.4 billion being committed in January, the highest amount of investor commitment since February 2008. Investors now account for 30.4 per cent of the total housing finance commitments.
“With a current nationwide shortage of homes putting upward pressure on prices once again – the idea of accessing equity is becoming more popular.”
High-rise living goes under the microscope
PROPERTY
An upcoming Politics in the Pub debate will look at the push for higher density residential living in our urban renewal hotspots, and pose the question: “High Rise High Life?”
“Population Growth, Density and Development in Brisbane: Connections, Community and Changing Perspectives” rounds out the topic at the Brisbane Powerhouse turbine platform, New Farm on Thursday May 6 from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Nick Collyer, Community Development Co-ordinator at the New Farm Neighbourhood Centre, says there’s no charge for the event and no need to RSVP.
Now in its eleventh year of bringing people from the community together who share a common interest but bring different views or perspectives on various topics, Politics in the Pub is a free community conversation which discusses local issues from a range of different angles.
The discussion panel on May 6 will examine the issue of population growth and high housing costs driving new approaches to planning communities where medium-high housing is combined with critical infrastructure such as railway stations, employment, schools and parks.
The speakers will be addressing the question: Are we ready to embrace higher density housing? What are the implications? How do we hold on to and facilitate strong community connections in the new landscape, so that neighbourhoods are places of belonging??
Panel members include:
• Professor Peter Spearritt – University of Queensland, Deputy chair Queensland Shelter
• Councillor David Hinchliffe - Brisbane City Council Central Ward • Michael Kerry - Urban Planner, member of various Planning Boards
• Mary Philip - member Brisbane Youth Service Committee of Management and Chair, Community Gambling fund, and
• Larissa Waters, - Representative of the Queensland Greens
The forum will be chaired by Helen Ringrose. Meals and drinks available for purchase at the bar.
An upcoming Politics in the Pub debate will look at the push for higher density residential living in our urban renewal hotspots, and pose the question: “High Rise High Life?”
“Population Growth, Density and Development in Brisbane: Connections, Community and Changing Perspectives” rounds out the topic at the Brisbane Powerhouse turbine platform, New Farm on Thursday May 6 from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Nick Collyer, Community Development Co-ordinator at the New Farm Neighbourhood Centre, says there’s no charge for the event and no need to RSVP.
Now in its eleventh year of bringing people from the community together who share a common interest but bring different views or perspectives on various topics, Politics in the Pub is a free community conversation which discusses local issues from a range of different angles.
The discussion panel on May 6 will examine the issue of population growth and high housing costs driving new approaches to planning communities where medium-high housing is combined with critical infrastructure such as railway stations, employment, schools and parks.
The speakers will be addressing the question: Are we ready to embrace higher density housing? What are the implications? How do we hold on to and facilitate strong community connections in the new landscape, so that neighbourhoods are places of belonging??
Panel members include:
• Professor Peter Spearritt – University of Queensland, Deputy chair Queensland Shelter
• Councillor David Hinchliffe - Brisbane City Council Central Ward • Michael Kerry - Urban Planner, member of various Planning Boards
• Mary Philip - member Brisbane Youth Service Committee of Management and Chair, Community Gambling fund, and
• Larissa Waters, - Representative of the Queensland Greens
The forum will be chaired by Helen Ringrose. Meals and drinks available for purchase at the bar.
Leading lady gone ... and forgotten
FROM MY CORNER... with Ann Brunswick
Earlier this month it was announced that Lady Sonia McMahon, wife of former PM Sir William McMahon, had died. Just a few days ago a colleague told me he had cause to track down some information from the Liberal Party and while trying to find a contact name and number from the party’s website he noticed that the NSW branch had put up its own tribute mini-site to Lady McMahon.
It quoted NSW Liberal Party president Nick Campbell as saying Lady McMahon’s death meant losing “an important link to the history of the Liberal Party”. “But no doubt she will be warmly remembered by the many whom she came in contact with,” Mr Campbell said. Right after Mr Campbell’s comments is a link telling website visitors : “ Feel free to pay your respects and leave a comment.”
Unfortunately right after that gracious invitation is the stark reality that “0 comments” had been received when my colleague last checked.
Flicking through The Courier-Mail recently my eyes fell upon a full-page advertisement letting readers know of a promotion running until June 1. It seems if you patronise a McDonald’s outlet for breakfast and buy one of their McValue meals you will receive a free copy of the Brisbane tabloid or its sister paper The Sunday Mail.
The McDonald’s fast food spots are foreign territory to me so it was necessary to undertake a web search to find out that the McValue meal includes a bacon and egg hamburger,a fried has brown, and coffee. The promo is part of a nationwide campaign designed, one would assume, to inflate News Ltd circulation numbers through the old trick of giving away papers. No doubt another spin-off will be to make it harder, if not impossible, for The Courier-Mail to run any more stories on Australia's obesity “epidemic”.
Some months ago the state government decided to rename the existing and soon-to-be-completed Gateway Bridges. They were to be called the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges after former long-serving head of the Queensland Treasury.
It’s a nice idea, but in reality what chance has Sir Leo got of having motorists and others use his name instead of the Gateway label that has been applied since the first bridge opened a few decades ago.
Certainly the government itself is not helping. It is planning an open day in May to mark completion of the second bridge. They are inviting all and sundry to “the Second Gateway Bridge Community Day”.
Earlier this month it was announced that Lady Sonia McMahon, wife of former PM Sir William McMahon, had died. Just a few days ago a colleague told me he had cause to track down some information from the Liberal Party and while trying to find a contact name and number from the party’s website he noticed that the NSW branch had put up its own tribute mini-site to Lady McMahon.
It quoted NSW Liberal Party president Nick Campbell as saying Lady McMahon’s death meant losing “an important link to the history of the Liberal Party”. “But no doubt she will be warmly remembered by the many whom she came in contact with,” Mr Campbell said. Right after Mr Campbell’s comments is a link telling website visitors : “ Feel free to pay your respects and leave a comment.”
Unfortunately right after that gracious invitation is the stark reality that “0 comments” had been received when my colleague last checked.
Flicking through The Courier-Mail recently my eyes fell upon a full-page advertisement letting readers know of a promotion running until June 1. It seems if you patronise a McDonald’s outlet for breakfast and buy one of their McValue meals you will receive a free copy of the Brisbane tabloid or its sister paper The Sunday Mail.
The McDonald’s fast food spots are foreign territory to me so it was necessary to undertake a web search to find out that the McValue meal includes a bacon and egg hamburger,a fried has brown, and coffee. The promo is part of a nationwide campaign designed, one would assume, to inflate News Ltd circulation numbers through the old trick of giving away papers. No doubt another spin-off will be to make it harder, if not impossible, for The Courier-Mail to run any more stories on Australia's obesity “epidemic”.
Some months ago the state government decided to rename the existing and soon-to-be-completed Gateway Bridges. They were to be called the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges after former long-serving head of the Queensland Treasury.
It’s a nice idea, but in reality what chance has Sir Leo got of having motorists and others use his name instead of the Gateway label that has been applied since the first bridge opened a few decades ago.
Certainly the government itself is not helping. It is planning an open day in May to mark completion of the second bridge. They are inviting all and sundry to “the Second Gateway Bridge Community Day”.
Rudd an embarrassment of Richos at the moment
POLITICS .... with Mungo MacCallum
Can this be the real Kevin Rudd we are seeing? Not the caring, humane Christian, friend of the homeless, chronicler of economic history and dumb animals, star of TV, Facebook and Twitter, but a calculating, ruthless, whatever-it-takes politician, a veritable born-again Richo.
Well, probably not; our Prime Minister is a far more complex and complete specimen of humanity than the notorious numbers man. But there were moments last week when the similarities were more apparent than the differences.
Rudd retreated to Tasmania while his perpetual clean-up man Greg Combet was sent out with the bad news of the inevitable, final demise of the home insulation program, an announcement which prompted cries of betrayal from the genuine insulators who had stocked up in anticipation of its return.
Another junior minister Kate Ellis was giving the job of unobtrusively breaking another promise: only 38 of the 260 child care centres aimed at ending "the double drop off" would actually be built; apparently other places were available and the double drop off was no longer important.
Asylum seeker policy had already been reversed: not only were the Afghans and Sri Lankans in limbo, but Chris Evans prepared to reopen the remote Curtin Detention Centre, which The Australian's Dennis Shanahan belatedly discovered was a hellhole - during the Howard years he had seen it as something of a holiday camp.
A task force was examining the Building Education Revolution and the auditors were sent in on the Green Loans Scheme. And to cap it off, the government pulled the plug on any idea of a Bill of Rights for Australia, a move welcomed by the autocrats of New Limited who know all about human rights and don't want any unelected judges interfering with their monopoly.
This orgy of recantation by the government was euphemistically described as "clearing the decks". Fortuitously, much of it coincided with the revelation that a football club had overpaid some of its players, a news event of such magnitude that it swamped the media for the rest of the week and seems likely to perform the same salutary function at least until the serious leaking of Ken Henry's tax review and the budget is set to begin.
Interestingly, the club responsible for this earth-shattering crime against civilisation was wholly owned by News Limited, whose chief executive John Hartigan indignantly denied any knowledge or responsibility. This lame and self-serving excuse was apparently quite acceptable, at least to the New Limited publications. The Australian is considered unlikely to demand his resignation with quite the fervour with which it pursued Peter Garrett over the pink batts affair.
Similarly, it would seem that Rudd is likely to get away with his massive tergiversations, but they will leave a sour taste nonetheless. Until now he has been almost obsessive about honouring his election commitments, determined not to fall back on the Howardian formula of "non-core promises" even when there is good reason for doing so.
The only real exception has been the private health insurance subsidy, and even then Rudd's proposal was only to means test this absurd measure rather than abolish it altogether, as he should.
But the last fortnight has seen a relentless determination to kill off difficult or embarrassing loose ends in what is clearly the lead up to a no-holds-barred election campaign. We are still getting glimpses of the old Kevin 07, the avuncular figure who won the nation's trust a mere three years ago. Dr Jekyll has not yet morphed irrevocably into Mr Hyde. But it is a safe bet that in the weeks ahead we will see rather less of Mr Nice Guy.
The newly implacable Kevin Rudd was obviously the one on show at COAG, adamant that no one was leaving until he had the agreement he wanted, or at least one that he could sell as a big win.
Operating on the widely held and well founded theory that every premier has his price, he simply kept shovelling out the goodies until his chief antagonist, Victoria's John Brumby, decided that perhaps hanging on to his share of GST was not a sacred inviolable principle after all, as long as the money kept flowing. Colin Barnett held out, but this was only to be expected as (a) he was the sole Liberal in the Labor den, and (b) he is a Western Australian. In the latter role he has form.
Back at the time of federation the West was the only colony that refused to sign up to the new constitution. Its negotiators held out for the ultimate bribe: a promise by the commonwealth to build a railway link between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta. Rudd clearly believes that Barnett, too, will come to the party when the price is right.
Rather more surprising was the premiers' insistence that they retain a hand in the control of the funding money. From the commonwealth's point of view part of the attraction of the proposal was to relieve them of that responsibility; the feds would not only shoulder most of the present running costs, and of the huge increases which were predicted in the fairly near future, but would be prepared to take all of the blame if the voters maintained the habit of a lifetime and complained that things weren't good enough.
This was what Rudd meant by ending the blame game, a proposal which seemed to have universal approval. But under the arrangement which Brumby and his colleagues finally negotiated, they will continue to carry their share of the can. In practice the feds will set the terms and conditions for the distribution of the funds, and so will have ultimate control; the likelihood is that the states' input will eventually wither away.
But it was a less than perfect outcome. Still, whatever it takes.
Can this be the real Kevin Rudd we are seeing? Not the caring, humane Christian, friend of the homeless, chronicler of economic history and dumb animals, star of TV, Facebook and Twitter, but a calculating, ruthless, whatever-it-takes politician, a veritable born-again Richo.
Well, probably not; our Prime Minister is a far more complex and complete specimen of humanity than the notorious numbers man. But there were moments last week when the similarities were more apparent than the differences.
Rudd retreated to Tasmania while his perpetual clean-up man Greg Combet was sent out with the bad news of the inevitable, final demise of the home insulation program, an announcement which prompted cries of betrayal from the genuine insulators who had stocked up in anticipation of its return.
Another junior minister Kate Ellis was giving the job of unobtrusively breaking another promise: only 38 of the 260 child care centres aimed at ending "the double drop off" would actually be built; apparently other places were available and the double drop off was no longer important.
Asylum seeker policy had already been reversed: not only were the Afghans and Sri Lankans in limbo, but Chris Evans prepared to reopen the remote Curtin Detention Centre, which The Australian's Dennis Shanahan belatedly discovered was a hellhole - during the Howard years he had seen it as something of a holiday camp.
A task force was examining the Building Education Revolution and the auditors were sent in on the Green Loans Scheme. And to cap it off, the government pulled the plug on any idea of a Bill of Rights for Australia, a move welcomed by the autocrats of New Limited who know all about human rights and don't want any unelected judges interfering with their monopoly.
This orgy of recantation by the government was euphemistically described as "clearing the decks". Fortuitously, much of it coincided with the revelation that a football club had overpaid some of its players, a news event of such magnitude that it swamped the media for the rest of the week and seems likely to perform the same salutary function at least until the serious leaking of Ken Henry's tax review and the budget is set to begin.
Interestingly, the club responsible for this earth-shattering crime against civilisation was wholly owned by News Limited, whose chief executive John Hartigan indignantly denied any knowledge or responsibility. This lame and self-serving excuse was apparently quite acceptable, at least to the New Limited publications. The Australian is considered unlikely to demand his resignation with quite the fervour with which it pursued Peter Garrett over the pink batts affair.
Similarly, it would seem that Rudd is likely to get away with his massive tergiversations, but they will leave a sour taste nonetheless. Until now he has been almost obsessive about honouring his election commitments, determined not to fall back on the Howardian formula of "non-core promises" even when there is good reason for doing so.
The only real exception has been the private health insurance subsidy, and even then Rudd's proposal was only to means test this absurd measure rather than abolish it altogether, as he should.
But the last fortnight has seen a relentless determination to kill off difficult or embarrassing loose ends in what is clearly the lead up to a no-holds-barred election campaign. We are still getting glimpses of the old Kevin 07, the avuncular figure who won the nation's trust a mere three years ago. Dr Jekyll has not yet morphed irrevocably into Mr Hyde. But it is a safe bet that in the weeks ahead we will see rather less of Mr Nice Guy.
The newly implacable Kevin Rudd was obviously the one on show at COAG, adamant that no one was leaving until he had the agreement he wanted, or at least one that he could sell as a big win.
Operating on the widely held and well founded theory that every premier has his price, he simply kept shovelling out the goodies until his chief antagonist, Victoria's John Brumby, decided that perhaps hanging on to his share of GST was not a sacred inviolable principle after all, as long as the money kept flowing. Colin Barnett held out, but this was only to be expected as (a) he was the sole Liberal in the Labor den, and (b) he is a Western Australian. In the latter role he has form.
Back at the time of federation the West was the only colony that refused to sign up to the new constitution. Its negotiators held out for the ultimate bribe: a promise by the commonwealth to build a railway link between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta. Rudd clearly believes that Barnett, too, will come to the party when the price is right.
Rather more surprising was the premiers' insistence that they retain a hand in the control of the funding money. From the commonwealth's point of view part of the attraction of the proposal was to relieve them of that responsibility; the feds would not only shoulder most of the present running costs, and of the huge increases which were predicted in the fairly near future, but would be prepared to take all of the blame if the voters maintained the habit of a lifetime and complained that things weren't good enough.
This was what Rudd meant by ending the blame game, a proposal which seemed to have universal approval. But under the arrangement which Brumby and his colleagues finally negotiated, they will continue to carry their share of the can. In practice the feds will set the terms and conditions for the distribution of the funds, and so will have ultimate control; the likelihood is that the states' input will eventually wither away.
But it was a less than perfect outcome. Still, whatever it takes.
Music to the ears and eyes
FILMS .... with Tim Milfull
The Concert (M)
Director: Radu Mihaileanu
Stars: Aleksei Guskov, Mélanie Laurent, Dmitri Nazarov, Valeriy Barinov, Miou-Miou
Rating: 5/5
118-minutes, screening from April 29
This film isn’t even out yet and I’ve been lucky enough to see it twice at previews – and the repeat viewing confirmed that this little film about harmony is simply superb.
Aleksei Guskov plays Andreï Filipov, a disgraced master conductor who hasn’t taken up the baton since the early 80s. A broken man chasing long-lost memories, Andreï cleans the halls of his beloved Bolshoi Concert Hall; that is until he happens upon a fax inviting the Bolshoi Orchestra to perform at the mighty Chatelet Concert Hall in Paris. Seizing on the opportunity, Andreï wipes any record of the fax and sets about reassembling his forgotten musicians.
Traipsing all over Moscow with his best friend, first cello Sascha (Dmitri Nazarov), Andreï finds the players in the strangest places, and convinces an old enemy to facilitate the performance. A new element comes in the form of violin virtuoso, Anne-Marie Jacquet (Mélanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds infamy) to perform the Tchaikovsky solo.
The Concert is so much more than the very funny caper film promised in its trailer, with delicious red herrings and elements of tragedy, romance, and hope threaded through a narrative that carries the bitter weight of a decaying former Soviet empire. Romanian director, Radu Mihaileanu has assembled a superb ensemble cast headed by the self-effacing Guskov, and the film’s crew deserve kudos for the beautiful imagery and editing. The final concerto performed in full had our audience applauding a triumph of music and montage.
Rough Diamond in a rare if raw gem
44 Inch Chest (TBC)
Director: Malcolm Venville
Stars: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Joanne Whalley
Rating: 4.5/5
95-minutes, screening from April 29
Talking to director Malcolm Venville recently about his debut feature, 44 Inch Chest, the first thing I wanted to know was why the prodigal son – who returned to London after two decades in Los Angeles – would make such a vicious, masculine film, and why women would even consider heading along.
He told me that he had reached a stage in life where he suffered through a few relationships and felt that the script by Louis Mellis and David Scinto (Sexy Beast) had all the elements to make an excellent film, from atmosphere and mania to a notorious East London black humour,
and a unique insight into a broken heart.
The former stills photographer and television commercial director took the expletive-heavy script, assembled a cast including veteran hardball actors Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, and John Hurt, and crafted a brilliant drama about the depths one man will sink to at the hands of the woman he once loved.
Winstone’s Colin Diamond is hauled out of his despair by his little entourage, slapped a few times to straighten him up, and then driven to a decaying Victorian building in the East End to dispense justice upon the man who destroyed his marriage.
44 Inch Chest is raw, violent invective muttered by characters who come from a world that is long-extinct, and each of Colin’s mates offer a crystal sharp edge of his own fractured persona. With Joanne Whalley ably complementing the cast’s masculinity with a pragmatic woman’s touch, this is superb drama.
THE BINGE
Unnerved: The New Zealand Project – open at GoMA from 1st May to 4th July
May 6
The French Kissers (MA15+) available from May 5
Wilfred – Season 2 (MA15+) now available
If you head along to GoMA from this Saturday, you’ll have to work hard to avoid two very large rabbits near the entrance. Created by Kiwi sculptor, Michael Parekowhai, their names are Cosmo and Jim McMurtry, and they herald GoMa’s latest exhibition, Unnerved: The New Zealand Project, which asks us to consider the rich vein of dark, disturbing and often very funny art that has emerged from the Land of the Long White Cloud over the last few decades. I’ll be interviewing one of the curators this week, and hope to bring you more about the Cinematheque’s New Zealand Noir programme, so keep your eyes peeled, bro.
Veteran French director, Bertrand Tavernier enters new territory in his latest film, In the Electric Mist, collaborating with the craggy Tommy Lee Jones on a project that dips in and out of the Civil War, sixties bigotry, and contemporary serial killing. This one is a quite satisfying, tense thriller.
On a lighter note, Raid Sattouf offers a realistic, but quirky take on the coming-of-age film with The French Kissers, a story about a young man struggling to find his place in high school as he battles a set of hormonal tsunamis. This film isn’t anything like American Pie or the Porky’s soft-porn, and works just as well for adolescents as adults, although there are certainly moments where both audiences will be cringing in embarrassment.
And finally, if you haven’t met Wilfred, your life is not complete. This second SBS series (pictured above) features the eponymous man in a dog suit (Jason Gann), some dodgy multi-species shenanigans, a lot of marijuana, and the often bemused Adam (Adam Zwar) dealing with Wilfred’s myriad malapropisms and a unique take on the world.
Some top buys to ward off the gloom
WINE ... with David Bray
Despite the number of less than optimistic reports recently published about the industry, the good news is that there is plenty of good wine around, at sensible prices. Some names new to your reporter, too.
For example, Western Australia’s Yilgarnia, three of whose good ones arrived a few days back: Yilgarnia 2007 shiraz, 2009 Classic White (pictured above), and Yilgarnia NV sparkling shiraz. Yilgarnia was established in the Denmark Region, on the state’s south coast, in 1997 by Peter Buxton, an agricultural scientist, and his wife Peg.
They have since been joined in the business by their three children, Sally (marketing), Anthony (viticulture) and Holly (sales). The vineyard is on north-facing slopes in the Hay River Valley, about 6km north of Wilson Inlet and a bit further from the town of Denmark.
The well-drained soils are low in nutrients but are judiciously fertilised through the drip-irrigation system – a process known as “fertigation”. Peter believes that this combination allows him to provide the vineyard with exactly the right nutrient levels to produce high-quality fruit without excessive vine vigour.
Yilgarnia enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and moist winters. Average summer maximum temperatures are about 26ºC, which promotes a slow build-up of intense fruit flavours. A feature that Peter believes separates Yilgarnia’s vineyard from most others in Australia is the afternoon cloud cover brought in by the sea breeze. This reduces summer temperatures, maintains humidity and also reduces UV radiation – all potential factors in maximising fruit flavour and colour.
And that’s what I reckon is where the great appeal of these three wines lies – real fruit flavour, as promised and fairly priced. The 2009 Classic White will set you back around $17, the 2007 Shiraz $24 and the nv sparkling shiraz $36. More information is available at www.yilgarnia.com.au.
Then there is the first wine from Verdun Park Wines, the 2009 Lyla Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc, which has a lot going for it, not least a gold medal at the Adelaide Hills wine show.
Verdun Park in the Adelaide Hills, a property whose history goes back to 1880, though only recently has it produced wine grapes. It is owned by the Voumard family, with directors Sandy and Bob bringing backgrounds of education and accountancy and other family members experience working in some of South Australia’s best-known wineries.
They are understandably proud that their first wine to go on sale comes with that gold: “A premium parcel of cool climate Adelaide Hills fruit was selected from a high altitude location, for its quality and fruit characteristics ... expertly made into an exceptional example of an Adelaide Hills style sauvignon blanc, by Michael Sykes. It is named Lyla in honour of Bob’s mother, who died last year aged 96. The family says: “She was a true lady of her time, whose personality and characteristics are reflected in the refined, crisp, fragrant and character-filled sauvignon blanc ... She never consumed alcohol”. Verdun Park does not have a cellar door. Go to www.verdunparkwines.com.au/ Likely price around $18.
Many, or perhaps most, people take a healthy, perhaps unhealthy, interest in their weight. So much so that many a business thrives on human avoirdupois. Maybe we people in the wine business should be more involved than we are.
Certainly McWilliam’s thinks so, and has done something about it. Yep, in what the company firmly states to be an Australian first, “newly-launched McWilliam’s Balance has become the only wine brand” in the country to be endorsed by Weight Watchers. The company makes several statements: • One 150ml glass of Balance semillon sauvignon blanc or shiraz has a Weight Watchers points value of 1. • The introduction of Weight Watchers points on the Balance range gives consumers the opportunity of enjoying a glass of wine while staying on track with their weight loss goals. • More than 1.8 million people follow the Weight Watchers program in Australia every year. • The Balance wines contain 8.5 per cent alcohol, which is one-third lower in alcohol and one third lower in kilojoules compared with the company's Hanwood 2006 shiraz and 2007 chardonnay. I’ll leave you to weigh up the merits of all this.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Housing affordability 'continues to deteriorate'
PROPERTY
Housing affordability across Queensland's major population centres continues to deteriorate, says Master Builders, Queensland’s peak body for housing and construction.
The organisation has released its "State of the State" housing industry report for the March 2010 quarter and Master Builders’ director of housing policy, Paul Bidwell, says that while the subdued state of Queensland’s building industry helped to moderate rises in new home construction costs across the state, there are simply not enough homes being built to "meet current demand, let alone future growth".
“Despite the easing in construction costs, housing affordability in the Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast regions continues to approach crisis levels. And the news is not much better elsewhere in the state with all major population centres still considered unaffordable by international standards.
“We know the major constraints facing the housing industry include the planning approval process and the availability and cost of finance – both of which have a significant impact on the cost of land.
“We need to build 40,000 dwellings per year in Queensland to meet projected demand. Yet in 2008-2009, we only built around 35,000 new homes.
“It is absolutely critical that all levels of government take a coordinated and cooperative approach to addressing the shortfall.
“Restrictions on supply and over-the-top infrastructure charges simply push up the price of land and, consequently, the price of new and established homes.
“We simply are not building enough houses to meet current demand, let alone future growth. The consequences for housing affordability will be devastating.”
Mr Bidwell said increases in new home construction costs for the March quarter had varied across the state.
“The cost dropped slightly on the Gold Coast (down 0.47 per cent) and increased by 0.66 per cent in Townsville, while Brisbane increased slightly by 0.22 percent, which is up 3.2 per cent from this time last year.
“Excluding the cost of the land, the bulk of the cost of constructing a new home is for materials (varying between 51 per cent in Toowoomba and 56 per cent in Cairns). Price movements in this component were the key driver of the change in construction costs during the quarter.
“The change in the cost of labour (which accounts for 30 per cent to 33 per cent of the total cost) was almost negligible over the three months to March. This is not overly surprising given relatively soft industry conditions, which have reduced wage pressures and skills shortages in the short term.
“However, Mackay, Toowoomba and Townsville, with exposure to the mining industry, generally recorded higher cost increases than elsewhere in the state, suggesting that labour markets are tightening as mining industry activity rebounds.
Copies of the State of the State report along with nine regional reports are available at www.masterbuilders.asn.au – click on ‘Publications’ and ‘Housing industry reports’.
Housing affordability across Queensland's major population centres continues to deteriorate, says Master Builders, Queensland’s peak body for housing and construction.
The organisation has released its "State of the State" housing industry report for the March 2010 quarter and Master Builders’ director of housing policy, Paul Bidwell, says that while the subdued state of Queensland’s building industry helped to moderate rises in new home construction costs across the state, there are simply not enough homes being built to "meet current demand, let alone future growth".
“Despite the easing in construction costs, housing affordability in the Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast regions continues to approach crisis levels. And the news is not much better elsewhere in the state with all major population centres still considered unaffordable by international standards.
“We know the major constraints facing the housing industry include the planning approval process and the availability and cost of finance – both of which have a significant impact on the cost of land.
“We need to build 40,000 dwellings per year in Queensland to meet projected demand. Yet in 2008-2009, we only built around 35,000 new homes.
“It is absolutely critical that all levels of government take a coordinated and cooperative approach to addressing the shortfall.
“Restrictions on supply and over-the-top infrastructure charges simply push up the price of land and, consequently, the price of new and established homes.
“We simply are not building enough houses to meet current demand, let alone future growth. The consequences for housing affordability will be devastating.”
Mr Bidwell said increases in new home construction costs for the March quarter had varied across the state.
“The cost dropped slightly on the Gold Coast (down 0.47 per cent) and increased by 0.66 per cent in Townsville, while Brisbane increased slightly by 0.22 percent, which is up 3.2 per cent from this time last year.
“Excluding the cost of the land, the bulk of the cost of constructing a new home is for materials (varying between 51 per cent in Toowoomba and 56 per cent in Cairns). Price movements in this component were the key driver of the change in construction costs during the quarter.
“The change in the cost of labour (which accounts for 30 per cent to 33 per cent of the total cost) was almost negligible over the three months to March. This is not overly surprising given relatively soft industry conditions, which have reduced wage pressures and skills shortages in the short term.
“However, Mackay, Toowoomba and Townsville, with exposure to the mining industry, generally recorded higher cost increases than elsewhere in the state, suggesting that labour markets are tightening as mining industry activity rebounds.
Copies of the State of the State report along with nine regional reports are available at www.masterbuilders.asn.au – click on ‘Publications’ and ‘Housing industry reports’.
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