FROM MY CORNER .... with Ann Brunswick
Three years ago a colleague registered a business name with the state government's Office of Fair Trading for a hobby-based enterprise he wanted to develop. The registration period of three years expired in mid-June, so in May he sent off a cheque to keep the name for a further three years.
But months later, no receipt or acknowledgement of having received the payment had been sent to him by the OFT people. So, he checked his bank statements and found the cheque had been cashed in early June.
So, last week he dropped into the state government's service centre in the CBD to ask if his payment had been recorded and to make sure his business name was still registered. A few clicks of the keyboard by the very helpful woman behind the counter soon turned up the fact that his payment had indeed been received by the OFT.
"But I didn't get a receipt or a new certificate saying the name had been registered for another three years," he stated. The very helpful woman's response stunned him. "Oh, the OFT doesn't send receipts or new certificates," she informed him.
Well this was odd news to my colleague, given the OFT is the agency overseeing consumer rights in our state. Plus, a quick glance at its website reveals the following advice: "Businesses must supply you with proof of transaction (a receipt) for goods or services valued at $75 or more. Examples include a GST tax invoice, a cash register receipt or a receipt number provided for a telephone or internet transaction."
It goes onto say if they do not, you have the right to ask and receive one within certain time frames. My colleague had paid more than $200 to renew his business name, so he felt that perhaps the body giving such advice might actually follow it and issue receipts or renewal certificates when they are paid for.
***
Remember Tony Blair? He was British Labour Party PM for a decade from 1997 and will be remembered mostly as a compliant performing poodle to former US president and failed military strategist George W Bush.
Now as an unconvicted war criminal, Blair spends his time globetrotting and being paid lots of money to make unrevealing speeches to big rooms full of big wallets. He is also paid as a Middle East peace envoy, and his and Bush's record in Iraq must have been overlooked on his CV when they chose him for that one.
Anyway, enough of my spleen. Blair was in Sydney recently giving one of his fatuous, self-serving speeches to an audience that included one of our former PM's, Bob Hawke.
In his speech Blair made reference to a remark made at the lunch table by Hawke, now almost 82. Apparently Blair had asked Hawke what kept him looking so fit. "Sex," the Silver Bodgie replied, according to Blair. Pleeeeeeeease Bob. Too much information.
Having of late regularly been subjected to sights of Hawke puckering up to much, much younger women when on the campaign trail in the past year at the federal and NSW polls. One thing we do not need to live with is the image of Hawkie and Blanche in the throes of passion.
Hawke was once regarded as a sex symbol, especially in his younger, hard-drinking years. From all reports his reputation as a ladies' man was well deserved. But at 80-plus it is perhaps time for him to call in quits on that image, don't you?
***
This column has previously complained about the high cost of those microscopic ink cartridges used in home printers. Recently my latest printer ran out of ink in three of its four cartridges.
So, lucky me, there was a generic brand of cartridges in my cupboard that were purchased for when my brand-name ink cartridges ran dry. Well, it was a good plan to start with.
What I had not counted on was the sneakiness of IT hardware makers these day, especially those peddling printers that cost less than $100 but whose brand-name ink cartridges cost almost as much to replace.
You see, the current brand of printer sitting on my home desk has little electronic chips on each of its cartridges. They tell the printer that the right brand of cartridge (ie: the really expensive ones made by the people who make the cheap printer) are installed.
On opening the box of generic cartridges, which incidentally cost around $60 compared with almost $100 for the brand-name ones, it at first seemed this problem had been foreseen. The generic cartridges came with a little plastic tool for prising off the chips from the brand-name ones, plus instructions on how to do the job, and a little plastic glove to use when doing it.
Well it worked a treat until the printer went on strike and refused to recognise what it clearly thought were imposter cartridges. So not only did I spend $60 on the unusable generic cartridges, the next day saw me visiting the stationery store again and forking out close to $100 with little change for brand-name cartridges.
Technology – and those who profit from it – wins again.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Star signs
With Horace Cope
VIRGO (Aug 24 to Sept 23)
Just when you thought the Gillard Government’s stocks could not possibly get any lower, you read that it’s given Peter Beattie a job.
LIBRA (Sept 24 to Oct 23)
But you do recognise Beattie’s outstanding expertise in manufacturing ... as in having Labor governments manufacture jobs for him on the public purse rather than have him find his own, like the rest of us.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 to Nov 22)
You wonder whether Queensland Rail has ever thought of getting someone to spray images of railway carriages over the top of trackside graffiti.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 to Dec 22)
And given the number of times CityRail trains are delayed or services cancelled because of a single incident throwing the suburban network into chaos, you also wonder if QR has ever thought of concreting all their lines and just running buses.
CAPRICORN (Dec 23 to Jan 20)
That Dagwood dog you consumed at the Ekka is still repeating on you – which is quite worrying seeing you ate it at the 2009 show.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 to Feb 19)
You suspect the news that former Health Services Union official Craig Thomson spent hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars at a single fancy meal sitting has union officials all over Australia shaking their heads in belief.
PISCES (Feb 20 to Mar 20)
On that subject you wonder why no national media has labelled the Craig Thomson controversy “Rootgate”.
ARIES (Mar 21 to Apr 20)
You ring all four of the Channel 9 staff who lost their jobs over the “Choppergate” incident just to commiserate with them and your whizz-bang new smart phone pinpoints all of their locations as “near Beerwah”.
TAURUS (Apr 21 to May 20)
You are shocked to hear that last night’s Channel 9 news footage purporting to be a live cross to a reporter covering a fierce firefight in central Tripoli was actually shot in a suburban street selected at random in Sydney’s west.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 21)
And vision that the station claimed was of the scattered bodies of Gaddafi loyalists lying in the forecourt of his Bab Al-Aziziya compound was actually file footage of Cavill Avenue, Gold Coast, after venue closing time on no particular Friday night.
CANCER (June 22 to July 23)
You strike upon a great new idea to cut your Christmas bills by telling the kids Santa has been intercepted on his way to Australia and sent to a refugee camp in Malaysia.
LEO (July 24 to Aug 23) Which prompts you to ponder the question, if there are refugees are there also refugers?
VIRGO (Aug 24 to Sept 23)
Just when you thought the Gillard Government’s stocks could not possibly get any lower, you read that it’s given Peter Beattie a job.
LIBRA (Sept 24 to Oct 23)
But you do recognise Beattie’s outstanding expertise in manufacturing ... as in having Labor governments manufacture jobs for him on the public purse rather than have him find his own, like the rest of us.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 to Nov 22)
You wonder whether Queensland Rail has ever thought of getting someone to spray images of railway carriages over the top of trackside graffiti.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 to Dec 22)
And given the number of times CityRail trains are delayed or services cancelled because of a single incident throwing the suburban network into chaos, you also wonder if QR has ever thought of concreting all their lines and just running buses.
CAPRICORN (Dec 23 to Jan 20)
That Dagwood dog you consumed at the Ekka is still repeating on you – which is quite worrying seeing you ate it at the 2009 show.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 to Feb 19)
You suspect the news that former Health Services Union official Craig Thomson spent hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars at a single fancy meal sitting has union officials all over Australia shaking their heads in belief.
PISCES (Feb 20 to Mar 20)
On that subject you wonder why no national media has labelled the Craig Thomson controversy “Rootgate”.
ARIES (Mar 21 to Apr 20)
You ring all four of the Channel 9 staff who lost their jobs over the “Choppergate” incident just to commiserate with them and your whizz-bang new smart phone pinpoints all of their locations as “near Beerwah”.
TAURUS (Apr 21 to May 20)
You are shocked to hear that last night’s Channel 9 news footage purporting to be a live cross to a reporter covering a fierce firefight in central Tripoli was actually shot in a suburban street selected at random in Sydney’s west.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 21)
And vision that the station claimed was of the scattered bodies of Gaddafi loyalists lying in the forecourt of his Bab Al-Aziziya compound was actually file footage of Cavill Avenue, Gold Coast, after venue closing time on no particular Friday night.
CANCER (June 22 to July 23)
You strike upon a great new idea to cut your Christmas bills by telling the kids Santa has been intercepted on his way to Australia and sent to a refugee camp in Malaysia.
LEO (July 24 to Aug 23) Which prompts you to ponder the question, if there are refugees are there also refugers?
Fair dinkum Spanish style offerings
WINE .... with David Bray
Spanish food is in favour in the restaurant business right now so it is timely that the wine industry in Queensland can match the trend with wines made by Argentine-born and Spanish-trained Paola Cabezas Rhymer.
Winemaker for the Summit Estate, she knows what she wants and she is getting it. After nine years in charge of vineyard and winery, recognition of the quality of the work and that of her team has begun to roll in. It is European-style winemaking, and it can be a revelation.
Most recently James Haliday’s 2011 Australian Wine Companion recognises Summit Estate as a five- star winery, giving both the Queensland Cabernet and Alto Monastrell Blend top marks. The only other Queensland winery awarded five stars is neighbouring Boireann.
The same edition also included the Summit in its list of top-10 special Australian wineries, the only Queenslander to achieve this status. Summit Estate is at Thulimbah, 12km north of Stanthorpe, 50 south of Warwick and nice and high at 920 metres, high enough to score plenty of frosts.
It is the property of the Stanthorpe Wine Co, owned by a group of Brisbane professionals who in 1977 chose Queensland’s oldest, cool climate wine region in which to produce premium wines and to enjoy the experience. The winery’s goal is to grow and produce some of Queensland's finest red wines.
It operates the Stanthorpe Wine Centre, which offers wine education as well as selling wines from other makers in the region. The 17-hectare vineyard produces quality grapes from which are made European and Spanish style wines: Verdelho, Marsanne, Viognier, Chardonnay, White Muscat, Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Monastrell, Malbec, Garnacha, Tempranillo, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir.
A good deal of the vineyard work, pruning and harvesting, is done by owners and their friends, who also are invited to blending sessions. There is a small, specialised contract winemaking facility. Summit Estate says it treats grapes as a most precious resource.
“Using the best winemaking techniques our dedicated team hand picks the grapes, de-stems, hand sorts on our selection table and then gravity feeds the berries into the press for whites, fermentation vats for reds or new French oak fermentation barrels for premium reds.
“We manually plunge the fermenting red grapes and after maceration the wine is then gravity fed into the basket press.” In charge of all this, and more, is Paola (left). Trained in Spain, she worked as winemaker and senior winemaker at various wineries there until moving to Queensland where she was winemaker for Heritage and Summit Estate 2002 to 2005, when she moved fulltime to Summit.
Here is part of James Haliday’s comments on the Summit operation: “That a region, whose entire southern and eastern boundaries mark the border with NSW, can produce such good wine is due to one factor: its altitude (which varies little) of 810 metres. “The downsides are spring frost and late summer rainfall; when these do not strike, the Granite Belt is capable of ripening all of the major varieties plus many alternative varieties.”
Extracts from Mr Haliday’s tasting notes in the 2012 Australia Wine Companion: “Summit Estate Alto Spanish Collection Monastrell Garnacha Shyra Tempranillo Cabernet", 2009, 94 points, while you might expect red fruits to dominate, the opposite is the case, aided by the savoury tannins and oak.
“Summit Estate Alto Spanish Collection Tempranillo, 94; an attractive example of the variety with spicy dark cherry aromas and flavours, the tannins precisely balanced, the length seriously good.
“Summit Estate The QC Queensland Cabernets Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot Malbec, 2009,94, a highly fragrant bouquet of cassis/blackcurrant, then a light- to medium-bodied palate that has excellent balance and length; 15 months in French oak has brought the components together and not diminished the fine dusty tannins.
“Summit Estate Limited Release Shiraz Garnacha, 2009, 91; an 80/20 blend, but the grenache plays a disproportionately important role; only light-to medium-bodied, yet the wine has a complex array of spicy/earthy characters around the core of fresh and poached red fruits, followed by persistent, superfine tannins.
“Summit Estate Ryan’s Daughter Reserve Pinot Noir, 2009, 91. A wine that demonstrates positive varietal expression can be achieved in the Granite Belt; there is a considerable underlay of savoury forest floor and a strong tannin backbone – this is a pinot not to be taken lightly.”
“Summit Estate Barrel Ferment Chardonnay, 2010, 89, a delicately framed chardonnay, with gently ripe melon and stone fruit aromas and flavours, given a whisk of oak.”
The cellar door is open every day 10am to 4.30pm. There’s a coffee shop and look out for the Primavera Spanish Tapas, Saturday, November 12 from 5.30 and Sunday breakfast. All up: $90, members $75.
• More at www.summitestate.com.au
Disclaimer: The author holds shares in Stanthorpe Wine Company.
Spanish food is in favour in the restaurant business right now so it is timely that the wine industry in Queensland can match the trend with wines made by Argentine-born and Spanish-trained Paola Cabezas Rhymer.
Winemaker for the Summit Estate, she knows what she wants and she is getting it. After nine years in charge of vineyard and winery, recognition of the quality of the work and that of her team has begun to roll in. It is European-style winemaking, and it can be a revelation.
Most recently James Haliday’s 2011 Australian Wine Companion recognises Summit Estate as a five- star winery, giving both the Queensland Cabernet and Alto Monastrell Blend top marks. The only other Queensland winery awarded five stars is neighbouring Boireann.
The same edition also included the Summit in its list of top-10 special Australian wineries, the only Queenslander to achieve this status. Summit Estate is at Thulimbah, 12km north of Stanthorpe, 50 south of Warwick and nice and high at 920 metres, high enough to score plenty of frosts.
It is the property of the Stanthorpe Wine Co, owned by a group of Brisbane professionals who in 1977 chose Queensland’s oldest, cool climate wine region in which to produce premium wines and to enjoy the experience. The winery’s goal is to grow and produce some of Queensland's finest red wines.
It operates the Stanthorpe Wine Centre, which offers wine education as well as selling wines from other makers in the region. The 17-hectare vineyard produces quality grapes from which are made European and Spanish style wines: Verdelho, Marsanne, Viognier, Chardonnay, White Muscat, Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Monastrell, Malbec, Garnacha, Tempranillo, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir.
A good deal of the vineyard work, pruning and harvesting, is done by owners and their friends, who also are invited to blending sessions. There is a small, specialised contract winemaking facility. Summit Estate says it treats grapes as a most precious resource.
“Using the best winemaking techniques our dedicated team hand picks the grapes, de-stems, hand sorts on our selection table and then gravity feeds the berries into the press for whites, fermentation vats for reds or new French oak fermentation barrels for premium reds.
“We manually plunge the fermenting red grapes and after maceration the wine is then gravity fed into the basket press.” In charge of all this, and more, is Paola (left). Trained in Spain, she worked as winemaker and senior winemaker at various wineries there until moving to Queensland where she was winemaker for Heritage and Summit Estate 2002 to 2005, when she moved fulltime to Summit.
Here is part of James Haliday’s comments on the Summit operation: “That a region, whose entire southern and eastern boundaries mark the border with NSW, can produce such good wine is due to one factor: its altitude (which varies little) of 810 metres. “The downsides are spring frost and late summer rainfall; when these do not strike, the Granite Belt is capable of ripening all of the major varieties plus many alternative varieties.”
Extracts from Mr Haliday’s tasting notes in the 2012 Australia Wine Companion: “Summit Estate Alto Spanish Collection Monastrell Garnacha Shyra Tempranillo Cabernet", 2009, 94 points, while you might expect red fruits to dominate, the opposite is the case, aided by the savoury tannins and oak.
“Summit Estate Alto Spanish Collection Tempranillo, 94; an attractive example of the variety with spicy dark cherry aromas and flavours, the tannins precisely balanced, the length seriously good.
“Summit Estate The QC Queensland Cabernets Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot Malbec, 2009,94, a highly fragrant bouquet of cassis/blackcurrant, then a light- to medium-bodied palate that has excellent balance and length; 15 months in French oak has brought the components together and not diminished the fine dusty tannins.
“Summit Estate Limited Release Shiraz Garnacha, 2009, 91; an 80/20 blend, but the grenache plays a disproportionately important role; only light-to medium-bodied, yet the wine has a complex array of spicy/earthy characters around the core of fresh and poached red fruits, followed by persistent, superfine tannins.
“Summit Estate Ryan’s Daughter Reserve Pinot Noir, 2009, 91. A wine that demonstrates positive varietal expression can be achieved in the Granite Belt; there is a considerable underlay of savoury forest floor and a strong tannin backbone – this is a pinot not to be taken lightly.”
“Summit Estate Barrel Ferment Chardonnay, 2010, 89, a delicately framed chardonnay, with gently ripe melon and stone fruit aromas and flavours, given a whisk of oak.”
The cellar door is open every day 10am to 4.30pm. There’s a coffee shop and look out for the Primavera Spanish Tapas, Saturday, November 12 from 5.30 and Sunday breakfast. All up: $90, members $75.
• More at www.summitestate.com.au
Disclaimer: The author holds shares in Stanthorpe Wine Company.
Loopy venture misfires
MOVIES with Michael Dalton
Cowboys & Aliens
Director: Jon Favreau
Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, & Adam Beach.
Rating: 2/5
Running time: 118 minutes
Undeniably one of the most packaged movies to hit the screen this year, Cowboys & Aliens has all the ingredients for a great opening weekend. If only the director Jon Favreau had maintained more control and understood how to milk a cliché (for he clearly doesn’t), this loopy, popcorn adventure might’ve worked.
Instead, he presents us with images that have been long imprinted on our movie-going consciousness and then leaves them, and us, hanging. It begins with Lonergan (Daniel Craig), a stagecoach robber, waking up in the middle of nowhere, with no memory and a strange metal bracelet clamped on his wrist. After a quick demonstration of his lightning-speed agility (he flattens three roughnecks), he stumbles into the town of Absolution, which is ruled by the wealthy Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and soon to be overrun by fast-moving spaceships that neatly lasso the residents up, one by one.
There’s not a second here we’re meant to take seriously and from one scene to the next, Favreau keeps kicking the insanity higher. Lonergan soon learns what his bracelet is for, the motives of the extraterrestrials become clear, the Indians show up and join in, Olivia Wilde disrobes, and Ford, still looking good at the grand age of 69, growls relentlessly in a role I could dub “Uncle Indiana”.
Apparently Steven Spielberg (whose DreamWorks studio bankrolled this “effort”) handed Favreau a bunch of western movies and ordered him to study them but even with all the nuttiness and the melding of genres, Cowboys & Aliens quickly wears thin.
Clocking in at two hours and heavily padded by an overlong climax, watching Indians hurling spears through the strangely clichéd aliens turns out to be less fun than you might think. This is for audiences who thought Fast Five was good.
A decade that seems to have just flicked by....
Last week, when Dear Editor, Don Gordon-Brown, delivered an edict ordering his loyal minions to draft up some glorious words in praise of our ten years of publishing excellence, my mind took me back to the moment I walked out of the Schonell Theatre after the curtain closed, and wrote my first review for The Independent – for the record, the film in question was Fernando Trueba’s Calle 54, a documentary about Latin American jazz.
My, how things have changed! I had always been a cinephile, but the last decade has heralded some huge changes in my own tastes for cinema, but also for the film industry at home and overseas.
More of us are watching films in our own hi-tech theatrettes, and cinemas have reacted for the most part by finding ways to increase the cost of going to the movies, with the latest debacle involving surcharges for 3D glasses that drive the cost of a ticket in excess of $20 for some screenings. DVDs are going the way of VHS, with Blu-Ray positioning itself as what may become an ill-fated replacement in the face of downloading.
Almost eight hundred reviews later, my personal highlights include a terrifying interview with Helen Buday, who seemed well cast as the deranged housewife in Rolf de Heer’s Alexandra's Project. The Schonell also cemented what has become my central passion (for Korean cinema), after I went there to see Park Chan Wook’s gloriously violent Oldboy.
And reporting for The Independent back in 2009, I sat on a Brisbane Film International Film Festival jury that chose Robert Connolly’s powerful Balibo as Best Film. I cannot finish up without offering a parting jab at my film reviewing counterparts at The Independent’s sadly-missed sister journal, The Bug.
I still consider the castigation of my sixty word review of Hollywood Homicide by David Pomeranian and Margaret Strappon as entirely unfounded. Despite this single lowlight, writing for this paper has been a great pleasure, and I look forward to many more years of working with Don and our other colleagues, especially given our exceedingly generous remuneration packages, which have doubled each and every year!
Tim Milfull
THE BINGE
Worth a trip to the DVD store
Steve Coogan Live now available through Roadshow
Thirteen (MA15+) available through Icon from 14th September
Babies (G) now available through Madman
The Illusionist (PG) screening from 1 September at the Blue Room
The Magnificent Tati (G) now available through Madman
Roadshow has recently released a very funny DVD compiling two stage shows by British comedian, Steve Coogan, whose faux-documentary The Trip is still on screens around the country.
Painting Coogan as a painfully egotistical performer surrounded by a long-suffering support cast and crew, Live ‘n’ Lewd and The Man Who Thinks He’s It sees the comedian trot out a series of well-crafted characters, and occasionally offers a glimpse of the man behind the impressions; or is this just another construction?
A few years ago, I was stunned by Géla Babluani’s film 13 Tzameti, and the director evidently impressed someone in Hollywood as well, because the film has been remade as Thirteen, and features some big names. Sam Riley (Brighton Rock) stars as Vince, a struggling electrician who steps into the shoes of an overdosed junkie to take on a job he knows nothing about. Unfortunately, the junkie was due to take part in an elaborate game of Russian Roulette, and while the stakes are high, the rewards are even greater.
Alongside True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård, Jason Statham, and Mickey Rourke, Riley quickly ratchets up the tension in this taut thriller.
For some, the prospect of eighty minutes of screen time about brand new babies would be tantamount to poking blunt pencils into one’s eyes. But Thomas Balmès’s fascinating film, Babies, is surprisingly engaging. Over the course of a year of filming in San Francisco, Mongolia, Namibia and Tokyo, the director watches the growth and learning of four children.
The resulting story — without any narration or dialogue — is utterly absorbing and entertaining.
Almost a decade ago, writer-director, Sylvain Chomet brought the beautiful animation The Triplets of Bellville to our screens. With The Illusionist>,(pictured above) Chomet returns to his glorious, understated form telling the story of a magician forced to leave the stage in France for a career in the backblocks of Scotland.
Using a screenplay written by the famed absurdist, Jacques Tati, Chomet’s quietly gorgeous story eschews dialogue in favour of form, and the result is enchanting. In fact, if you wish to know more about The Magnificent Tati, check out Michael House’s fascinating documentary about the multitalented writer, director and actor. have doubled annually over the last five years.
Tim Milfull
Where am I?
This very old advertisement - for a long-gone carhire company - has recently been exposed as a new building gets under way somewhere in the Indie’s circulation area.
If you have an idea as to where exactly, email your answer to: editor@theindependent.com.au to reach us no later than 5pm on Friday week, 9 September 2011. Or drop us the answer in the post by the same deadline to PO Box 476 Valley Q 4006. All correct entries will go into the barrel for the chance to win a $60 food and drink voucher at the Brunswick Hotel in New Farm.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Is it curtains for a quick flick return?
NEWS
By Susannah Thomsett
Hopes by local residents, traders and film buffs for a return of the iconic Village Twin complex any time soon appear to be dashed.
Securing capital for the project appears to be the latest stumbling block for the site’s redevelopment, with construction now tentatively scheduled for 2012, according to BMD Group senior investment manager Dare Power.
“It is difficult to say when the project will be finished; I have set dates before that obviously didn’t come to fruition,” Mr Power said.
“But if I can get the finance I need by this September or October, construction could begin in 2012 and be completed in late 2012 … however, there are a lot of variables in those dates.”
Mr Power said he got development approval for the Village Twin from City Council late last year, and was now working through issues in raising sufficient capital.
“Due to the demolition this has become significantly more expensive project than we set out with, which is problematic given the current economic climate,” Mr Power said.
Councillor for Central Ward David Hinchliffe told The Independent the Village Twin’s progress was one of the most common issues he gets asked about.
“Generally I think the community is desperate to see the Village Twin development under way,” Cr Hinchliffe said.
“The businesses in this area of New Farm have suffered over the last six years as a result of the hiatus on Village Twin. Not only are these businesses not benefiting from the extra custom from a new Village Twin, but they have had to put up with a loss of parking. As well, the area doesn’t look its best if a major property is mothballed.
“Now the future of the Village Twin, like so many other developments at the moment, is in the hands of the financiers.”
BMD acquired the New Farm heritage-listed site in 2003, and intended to restore the cinema as closely as possible to its original glory.
Mr Power said when BMD bought it, after Village Twin’s tenure ended, the site was in much the same state as when it closed, with both cinema auditoriums left completely unchanged.
“Part of the reason I spearheaded the acquisition of the site was that both auditoriums were so beautiful,” Mr Power said. However, Mr Power said a previous developer’s applications revealed the building’s structural integrity “hadn’t been in good shape for the past 20 years or so”.
“When push comes to shove it would be irresponsible to do nothing to the structure at the rear, the only way to keep it safe [for people to use] was to demolish it.” The rear auditorium, the blue room, was demolished in November 2008, a task that blew out both the time frame and cost of the Village Twin project.
Mr Power said reconstructing heritage-listed buildings was governed by “heritage citations – what council declares is heritage value”.
“Originally this meant all the fixtures and fittings needed to be retained, it was going to be a very onerous job,” Mr Power said.
“The purple room auditorium is still in its 1970s [state], it’s still intact, we will use what original materials we have to effect repairs; there’s not a lot to spare … it’s going to require a little bit of management. “A side effect of the demolition is, armed with the knowledge that a suburban art-house cinema was unlikely to often need a 500-seat auditorium, reconstructing the rear cinema with 200seats makes room for sympathetic retail uses,” Mr Power said.
He saw restaurants, cafes and bookshops sharing the finished building, “nothing glaringly at odds with a cinema”.
Mr Power said who would ultimately run the completed cinema “is something we’re still grappling with, whether to keep it in-house … or talk to an established cinema group.”
“We want to put twin cinemas back on site to be what is had always been – a local cinema that belongs to the community and draws on the community,” Mr Power said.
Public input sought on RiverWalk options
NEWS
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has released five different plans for rebuilding riverwalk at New Farm, – and he’s asking for community feedback on which one is the best.
Cr Quirk said the five options ranged from a fully floating walkway to more economical alternatives such as a fixed boardwalk or retaining wall and cost anywhere between about $50 million and $70 million to build.
Built in 2003 the popular walkway was devastated in theJanuary floods, with sections of the walkwa washed away downstream.
“I am conscious that many residents want to see a cost-effective replacement delivered while maintaining its famous views, which is why we have put forward five different options for the community to give their views on,” Cr Quirk said.
The New Farm RiverWalk was one of Brisbane’s most loved pieces of infrastructure, with more than 3000 cyclists and pedestrians using ity daily.
“January’s devastating floods saw the RiverWalk wash away right before our eyes, but Council is committed to providing a new facility to cater for the many commuters and recreational walkway users.”
After successfully lobbying the Federal Government to cover the cost of the rebuild counil had now come up with a range of different options to ensure that happens." Cr Quirk said community feedback, along with other factors such as cost, environment, constructability and flood impacts would be considered when choosing the preferred design.
“While the previous floating Riverwalk was a beautiful piece of innovation in theory, in reality its design came with an expensive maintenance regime and ultimately led to it being washed away during January’s flood,” he said.
“I want to see the best value for money delivered and am mindful that we need to consider the yearly price of maintaining the structure as there will be no reimbursement of these costs.” C
r Quirk also said directly affected property and land owners, as well as body corporates, would be consulted this month, with consultation with the broader community to follow. The project would be funded by the Federal and State Governments at a cost of up to $75 million, funds that Council could only use to rebuild the riverwalkway. Construction on a new riverwalk was expected to commence in early 2013 and would be completed in mid-2014.
THE FIVE PLANS
Design Concept A: floating structure, closer to the bank with vessel moorings on the outside: Capital cost estimate $68.6m; estimated maintenance cost over 100 years $39.3million. Total $107.9million
• Design Concept B: fixed structure, on the original alignment with an opening for vessels, moorings on the bank; Capital cost estimate $67.1m; Estimated maintenance cost over 100 years $30m Total $97.1m
• Design Concept C: fixed structure, closer to the bank with vessel moorings on the outside: Capital cost estimate $61.4m; Estimated maintenance cost over 100 years $6m; Total $67.4m •
Design Concept D: (shown above): retaining wall, following alignment of riverbank with moorings on the outside: Capital cost estimate $54m; Estimated maintenance cost over 100 year $2m; Total $56m
• Design Concept E: re-design of the original floating Riverwalk – Capital cost estimate $75.1m; Estimated maintenance cost over 100 years $66.6m Total $141.7m
Park saga ‘not over yet’
NEWS
City Councillor David Hinchliffe has warned that the State Government’s recent canning of the re-zoning of Howard Smith Wharves parkland to allow for new hotel and commercial development might not be the endof the controversial project.
“If there is a change of government and former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman becomes Premier, a new hotel plus three new commercial buildings on that small parkland site will be back on the agenda,” Cr Hinchliffe believes.
“I know Campbell and he’s stubborn. The four new buildings for this area were his baby. He won’t give up easily even though it was severely flooded in January.
“This area is zoned ‘parkland’ and already has four heritage listed buildings. It’s hard enough coping with four buildings that could potentially be flooded let alone another four, including a 13,000sqm seven-storey hotel.
“I have $404,000 in my Ward Parks Trust Fund earmarked for this park. I want to have that money spent on cleaning the site up and turning the area not covered by the existing buildings into parkland.
“If the area was converted to parkland now and boutique coffee shops etc in the wharves and the Water Police building, it will be so much harder in years to come to build on the parkland area.”
City Councillor David Hinchliffe has warned that the State Government’s recent canning of the re-zoning of Howard Smith Wharves parkland to allow for new hotel and commercial development might not be the endof the controversial project.
“If there is a change of government and former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman becomes Premier, a new hotel plus three new commercial buildings on that small parkland site will be back on the agenda,” Cr Hinchliffe believes.
“I know Campbell and he’s stubborn. The four new buildings for this area were his baby. He won’t give up easily even though it was severely flooded in January.
“This area is zoned ‘parkland’ and already has four heritage listed buildings. It’s hard enough coping with four buildings that could potentially be flooded let alone another four, including a 13,000sqm seven-storey hotel.
“I have $404,000 in my Ward Parks Trust Fund earmarked for this park. I want to have that money spent on cleaning the site up and turning the area not covered by the existing buildings into parkland.
“If the area was converted to parkland now and boutique coffee shops etc in the wharves and the Water Police building, it will be so much harder in years to come to build on the parkland area.”
Let the 2011 show begin!
NEWS
After last summer’s natural disasters, Queenslanders are being urged to attend this year’s Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) to enjoy a 10 day showcase of what makes this state great.
RNA Chief Executive Jonathan Tunny said the state had endured much hardship and it was time to celebrate all things Queensland. “It’s been a tough year for many communities across the state, from the city to the bush,’’ he said.
“The impact of the January floods caused much heartache and devastation but also stirred communities to rally behind one another in a wonderful outpouring of civic pride and true mateship.” Mr Tunny said the Ekka was the state’s oldest, proudest and most loved community event and this year more than ever, the show was truly about bringing city and country together.
“The great community spirit and the traditions that personify the Ekka are at the heart of the show,’’ he said. “The Ekka is the people’s event, a celebration of the best of the best and a chance to come together with family and friends to enjoy an event unlike any other.”
Now in its 134th year, the 2011 Ekka features an amazing line up of show stopping entertainment including performances by Grammy and ARIA award winners, a culinary heaven including some of the nation’s finest food and wine, Australian first technology, about 23,000 competition entries, plus an amazing 10,000 animals. Mr Tunny said about 400,000 visitors are expected to attend Queensland’s biggest event, which offers families unbeatable value with more than 70 per cent of the RNA Showgrounds dedicated to free activities.
“On average, a visitor to Ekka spends seven hours at the show, which equates to about $3.50 an hour with no need to spend more, as we encourage people to bring their own food and drinks and enjoy lunch and dinner in our chill out zones.
“Combined with hundreds of free activities to choose from each day including fashion parades, concerts, competitions, food and wine sampling, free kids shows plus the two hour night time entertainment program, it’s hard to find better value.”
And show organisers are promising that the famous Ekka Strawberry Sundaes: that for more than 20 years have helped fund vital transplant research through the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. will be better than ever this year. T,he sundaes will now feature award winning hand made ice-cream from the Mammino family of Childers; 50 per cent more strawberries and all ingredients are 100 per cent Queensland grown. It’s home grown produce supporting home grown research. A great way to support Queensland farmers while making a donation to transplant research.
The Ekka at a gance
Tickets: Adult admission 15 years of age and older $25.00 Child admission 5 years of age to 14 years of age (inclusive) $15.00 Infant - no ticket required 4 years of age and under Free Concession admission Includes students, seniors, and other groups. Check accepted concession cards $19.00 Family A Two adults and two children $60.00 Family B One adult and one child $35.00 Seniors Discount only valid on Thursday 11 August and Thursday 18 August, and only with accepted Seniors Card. Check accepted Seniors Cards $15.00 Family Ride Bundle Family A pass plus a strip of 55 carnival coupons $105.00 Single Ride Bundle One adult pass plus a strip of 55 carnival coupons $67.00
Times: Ekka's gates open at 9:00am daily and close at 9:00pm. Some attractions within Ekka may finish earlier. Check the table below to make sure you don't miss out! Ekka IgNITES presented by B105 starts each night at 6:00pm in the Energex Community Arena (with the exception of opening night, Thursday 11 August). Public transport: To find the most efficient way to get to Ekka, visit TransLink to use the Journey Planner. You can also call TransLink on 13 12 30, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
Trains: CityTrain arrivals and departures platforms are located in the middle of Ekka. A loop service operates between Roma Street, Central and Fortitude Valley stations. Trains leave these stations every 10 minutes from 8:20am, returning frequently until 10:00pm.
Only one suburb left with homes under $300,000
PROPERTY News
Brisbane only has one suburb left where the median house price is under $300,000, new research by PRDnationwide reveals.
The analysis reveals Inala recorded a two per cent drop in house prices in the six months leading up to March 2011 – pushing the median house price below $300,000 for the first time in xx years. The Brisbane Market Update identifies the top ten most affordable suburbs and the top ten premium suburbs for both houses and units.
Josh Brown, PRDnationwide research analyst, said looking at the areas with the cheapest units and houses – nine out of the top ten in both markets recorded price decreases of up to 18 %. Three in four of the Top 10 most affordable unit suburbs are located in the north of the city – Kedron, Lutwych and Wooloowin.
“This region has undergone significant development over the past couple of years – in particular the Airport Link Tunnel and Busy Way,” said Mr Brown.
“This means when those suburbs start to witness price recovery – it could be accelerated due to coinciding with improved amenity and investor interest,” he said.
“Apartments in these areas mainly appeal to first home buyers and investors, given the affordable entry point, convenience and strong rents being achieved.” Looking at areas with the cheapest houses – topping the list were Inala, Acacia Ridge and Darra – all registering a median house price under $355,000.
“These regions attract buyers who have little reliance on the CBD and surrounds for employment,” said Mr Brown.
The top ten most expensive suburbs were also identified – with New Farm emerging as Brisbane's most premium suburb registering a median house price of $1.3 Million. The most expensive median unit price of $554,500 was recorded in Bulimba - it recorded 23 transactions over the six month period.
“The top ten premium unit suburbs are almost all within a five kilometre radius of the CBD in well serviced areas, with a high degree of amenity,” he said.
Brisbane only has one suburb left where the median house price is under $300,000, new research by PRDnationwide reveals.
The analysis reveals Inala recorded a two per cent drop in house prices in the six months leading up to March 2011 – pushing the median house price below $300,000 for the first time in xx years. The Brisbane Market Update identifies the top ten most affordable suburbs and the top ten premium suburbs for both houses and units.
Josh Brown, PRDnationwide research analyst, said looking at the areas with the cheapest units and houses – nine out of the top ten in both markets recorded price decreases of up to 18 %. Three in four of the Top 10 most affordable unit suburbs are located in the north of the city – Kedron, Lutwych and Wooloowin.
“This region has undergone significant development over the past couple of years – in particular the Airport Link Tunnel and Busy Way,” said Mr Brown.
“This means when those suburbs start to witness price recovery – it could be accelerated due to coinciding with improved amenity and investor interest,” he said.
“Apartments in these areas mainly appeal to first home buyers and investors, given the affordable entry point, convenience and strong rents being achieved.” Looking at areas with the cheapest houses – topping the list were Inala, Acacia Ridge and Darra – all registering a median house price under $355,000.
“These regions attract buyers who have little reliance on the CBD and surrounds for employment,” said Mr Brown.
The top ten most expensive suburbs were also identified – with New Farm emerging as Brisbane's most premium suburb registering a median house price of $1.3 Million. The most expensive median unit price of $554,500 was recorded in Bulimba - it recorded 23 transactions over the six month period.
“The top ten premium unit suburbs are almost all within a five kilometre radius of the CBD in well serviced areas, with a high degree of amenity,” he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
