As it happened: Brisbane on Tuesday, November 19

A Brisbane developer says it’s working with investigators after two men were seriously injured at an inner-city construction site this afternoon.

One man suffered a life-threatening head injury, and another an injury to his chest, when a piece of metal reportedly fell just after midday at the Le Bain Newstead project in Wyandra Street.

A representative for Cavcorp, which is behind the development, told Brisbane Times it was doing everything it could in response.

“We are working with all parties involved in the incident and are ensuring support is provided as required,” the company rep said.

Queensland police confirmed they were still on the site as of 3pm and “will be assisting Workplace Health and Safety with the investigations”.

Le Bain Newstead is a unit development on the site of a former Italian community club.

Thanks for following today’s live coverage of the news. We’ll return tomorrow, so please join us.

If you’re just catching up, here are some of the stories that made headlines today:

Brisbane City Council’s transport figurehead has conceded the administration might have “failed in communicating” its expectation that the much-hyped start of its Metro bus project was only a trial.

The case against a prominent Brisbane chef accused of raping a woman in the Calile Hotel has been dropped after a magistrate ruled there was not enough evidence for it to proceed to trial.

A war of words has broken out over reductions to storytime sessions at Brisbane City Council libraries, with Labor and the Greens accusing the LNP administration of misplaced priorities.

Alan Jones has been hit with fresh charges as the number of alleged victims grows, while high-profile supporters of the former broadcaster are divided over whether to continue backing him.

A colleague of one of two Melbourne teenagers on life support in Thailand after a suspected mass poisoning has told of their concern for the young woman, described as a “bundle of joy”.

An analysis of federal Transport Department data reveals Brisbane drivers prefer Japanese-made cars over European models. Check the 10 most popular vehicles in your area.

And from the creators of Donna Chang comes a beautifully revised version of their Portside classic, Byblos, featuring a killer signature cocktail list and Lebanese wines. Take a look.

Byblos has reopened at Portside Wharf with a lighter, brighter look.Credit: Kirsty Sycz

A Queensland mining technology company will be the first business to receive money from a multibillion-dollar federal manufacturing fund.

The Toowoomba-based Russell Mineral Equipment will get $40 million to keep manufacturing jobs in Australia under the Labor government’s $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund.

The fund aims to drive investment in seven priority areas: resources, agriculture, transport, medical sciences, renewables and low-emissions technology and defence.

Industry Minister Ed Husic said this first investment – more than a year after the fund was set up – marked the start of the government’s plan to strengthen Australian manufacturing.

“It’s an investment we’ve made on behalf of the Australian people, an investment that will secure financial return, as well as keeping a great Aussie company in Aussie hands,” he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

Husic said announcements on other businesses in line for funding would be made soon, as this masthead reported last week. The decisions would be made independently, Husic said.

AAP

The Crisafulli government has given a boost to another cableway project, announcing $5 million in funding for the proposed Skyway at Airlie Beach.

Visiting Airlie Beach today, Tourism and Environment Minister Andrew Powell said the LNP government would also “make sure the approval process is as efficient is possible.

“This attraction is exactly the sort of showcase we need to give tourists and locals alike a real understanding of the incredible natural beauty of the Whitsundays,” Powell said.

“We know visitors are looking for these unique experiences, and I’m confident this will be a world-class facility.”

One of the proponents for the Whitsunday Skyway is Elizabeth Hackett from the Australian Adventure Tourism Group, who was last week honoured with the Marie Watson-Blake award at the Queensland Tourism Awards.

A Brisbane developer says it’s working with investigators after two men were seriously injured at an inner-city construction site this afternoon.

One man suffered a life-threatening head injury, and another an injury to his chest, when a piece of metal reportedly fell just after midday at the Le Bain Newstead project in Wyandra Street.

A representative for Cavcorp, which is behind the development, told Brisbane Times it was doing everything it could in response.

“We are working with all parties involved in the incident and are ensuring support is provided as required,” the company rep said.

Queensland police confirmed they were still on the site as of 3pm and “will be assisting Workplace Health and Safety with the investigations”.

Le Bain Newstead is a unit development on the site of a former Italian community club.

An eight-storey commercial tower at Milton, built as part of the Milton Green Office Row, may be given a new life as housing.

Under plans submitted to Brisbane City Council for approval, Urbis, on behalf of Shayher Properties, has proposed the tower be converted to 126 short-term accommodation units.

The tower, at 30 Little Cribb Street, is walking distance to Suncorp Stadium, the CBD, and the cultural precinct at South Brisbane.

“The repurpose of the existing tower responds to market demand for increased short-term accommodation in Brisbane’s CBD, and as such the development proposal leverages the significant growth opportunities for Brisbane’s CBD to provide a connected and liveable inner-city realm,” council has been told.

Under the plans, the tower would have 98 1-bedroom units and 28 2-bedroom units, with communal and co-working spaces. There would be 173 car spaces for tenants.

A man is fighting for his life after a metal object reportedly fell from a construction site in Brisbane.

The incident occurred just after midday on Wyandra Street in Fortitude Valley.

One man suffered a “significant” life-threatening head injury and another sustained chest injuries.

Both were taken to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

It was not clear exactly where the incident occurred.

Back to the Brisbane Metro pause, and Labor’s former transport minister Bart Mellish has publicly disputed the council’s claim that the use of the vehicles on the 169 bus route was meant to only be a trial.

Mellish was a signatory to the funding deal between the state government and council in July which included “rapid deployment” of the service before their operation on the official Metro routes began.

The comments are the strongest to-date from the former Labor government, with new Premier David Crisafulli noting only this week that talks with council about the full rollout of its project were going “good”.

Here’s what Mellish had to say:

“In July it was agreed between the State Government and Brisbane City Council that Brisbane Metro vehicles would commence on the 169 route from October - not trialled or previewed, commenced.

“This was the basis of our funding arrangement.

“David Crisafulli and the LNP must step in and ensure Metro can operate.”

The case against a prominent Brisbane chef accused of raping a woman in the Calile Hotel has been dropped, after a magistrate ruled there was not enough evidence for it to proceed to trial.

Kelvin Zachary Andrews, who was formerly the head chef at SK Steak and Oyster, at the luxury hotel in Fortitude Valley, was accused of one count of rape last year.

Kelvin Zachary Andrews leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court after a magistrate ruled there was not enough evidence for his case to proceed to trial.Credit: Cloe Read

Andrews sat quietly in the public gallery of the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday for his committal hearing, where three witnesses, including the complainant, gave evidence.

His defence barrister Angus Edwards told the court the pair had consensual sex in the Sushi Room, another restaurant in the Calile, on the night of March 12, 2023.

The prosecution’s case rested on what happened after that.

Read the full story.

Almost 10mm of rain has fallen in Brisbane since 9am, with heavy bursts around the CBD causing traffic problems on Coronation Drive and the Margaret Street off-ramp to the Riverside Expressway.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, which had forecast up to 30mm of rain across Brisbane today, just under 10mm was recorded in Brisbane and at Brisbane Airport during the three hours to midday.

The wet weather comes after a rainy weekend that saw flash flooding in low-lying areas.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

While the traffic issues were expected to be resolved quickly, more rain and a possible storm is forecast, due to a rain band that extends from the south-east through to the Gulf Country.

“Storms may be severe, with heavy rainfall about the Central Highlands extending into the Darling Downs Granite Belt, and also about the Maranoa and south-east coast,” meteorologist Sarah Scully said.

People in those areas are urged to heed warnings after weeks of wet weather that has already left the ground saturated.

North-eastern NSW was also expected to experience widespread showers, potentially heavy, and isolated thunderstorms.

A boy who was missing from Victoria Point has been found, police said in an update this morning.

The 13-year-old had been missing since Sunday night, and an alert was issued last night in a bid to track him down.

Police thanked the media and the public for their help.