As it happened: Brisbane on Wednesday, September 25

An exclusion zone has been established in Woolloongabba while 15 fire crews battle a large inferno that has spread to three buildings, including the Lussh wedding venue, and landed one man in hospital.

A Queensland Fire Service spokesman said seven crews were initially sent to the single-storey commercial building at Hubert Street at 4.30pm.

Firefighters battle the huge blaze affecting at least three buildings in Woolloongabba.Credit: Reddit

Crews quickly ordered bystanders away from the burning building, citing asbestos in the air.

Forty minutes later, police issued a public safety notice and created an exclusion zone around the site, including Reid and Gibbon streets, and sections of Hawthorne and Stanley streets.

“Members of the public are advised to avoid the area, and those within the exclusion zone are asked to remain indoors until further notice,” they said.

Paramedics took a man suffering from airway burns and smoke inhalation to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. The ambulance crew has since returned to the scene.

Police established an exclusion zone under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) for the Woolloongabba fire.Credit: Queensland Police

Bystanders said the fire’s heat could be felt 50 metres away, and that nearby trees burnt like kindling.

“I was on my top-floor apartment and I saw a bunch of black smoke accumulated pretty quickly. [It] took about seven to 10 minutes for the fire brigade to come,” said one bystander named Phillip.

No one was believed to be in the building at the time, but crews were yet to enter the building due to the ferocity of the blaze.

Thank you for joining us on this Wednesday. We will be back with our rolling news coverage tomorrow so do join us.

Here are some of the stories that made headlines today:

First up, some good news for motorists in the city’s west – Indooroopilly’s two-lane, heritage-listed Walter Taylor Bridge is reopening five days early tonight, after being closed for major repairs.

Federal Labor MPs have backed a move to explore changes to negative gearing – even as a new report highlights the political risks of sweeping change.

The Bureau of Meteorology triggered confusion and mild panic this morning when it briefly issued a tsunami warning for Brisbane.

The state-owned Queensland Investment Corporation is still talking up its 2032 Olympic Games role despite the Miles government ditching plans to rebuild the Gabba. The QIC has a monopoly on developing the above-ground sites at new Cross River Rail stations, including Woolloongabba.

Beam has commissioned its own investigation into council claims it exceeded its e-scooter cap across Brisbane.

The equivalent of almost another whole ‘Brisbane’ visited Brisbane in the last 12 months, with the city welcoming 1.2 million visitors.

A young woman accused of attempted murder by stabbing her grandmother has been granted bail after her solicitor offered multiple conditions and mental health monitoring upon her release.

There has been mixed reaction to the Matildas tribute unveiled at Suncorp Stadium yesterday, with at least 31 per cent of respondents to our online poll saying the $330,000 bronze relief was a “total waste of money”.

And, our food and culture editor Matt Shea introduced Brisbane’s Sandwich Watch. Every month we’ll highlight a sandwich that deserves your attention, and today Matt kicked things off with a Reuben, banh mi and a famous lobster roll.

An exclusion zone has been established in Woolloongabba while 15 fire crews battle a large inferno that has spread to three buildings, including the Lussh wedding venue, and landed one man in hospital.

A Queensland Fire Service spokesman said seven crews were initially sent to the single-storey commercial building at Hubert Street at 4.30pm.

Firefighters battle the huge blaze affecting at least three buildings in Woolloongabba.Credit: Reddit

Crews quickly ordered bystanders away from the burning building, citing asbestos in the air.

Forty minutes later, police issued a public safety notice and created an exclusion zone around the site, including Reid and Gibbon streets, and sections of Hawthorne and Stanley streets.

“Members of the public are advised to avoid the area, and those within the exclusion zone are asked to remain indoors until further notice,” they said.

Paramedics took a man suffering from airway burns and smoke inhalation to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. The ambulance crew has since returned to the scene.

Police established an exclusion zone under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) for the Woolloongabba fire.Credit: Queensland Police

Bystanders said the fire’s heat could be felt 50 metres away, and that nearby trees burnt like kindling.

“I was on my top-floor apartment and I saw a bunch of black smoke accumulated pretty quickly. [It] took about seven to 10 minutes for the fire brigade to come,” said one bystander named Phillip.

No one was believed to be in the building at the time, but crews were yet to enter the building due to the ferocity of the blaze.

With news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today that inflation fell to a 2.7 per cent annual rate in August, the Queensland government has been quick to spruik its efforts.

“Miles Labor government carries the country in bringing down CPI” the headline on a media release from Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick says this afternoon.

The figure was the lowest in almost three years, and the decline was in large part due to federal and state energy rebates driving a record 17.9 per cent drop in electricity prices nationwide.

While the state government said the ABS “specifically highlighted” Queensland’s $1000 rebates, these came into effect in July. Federal rebates of $300 for most states began in August.

But the ABS did note a 5.2 per cent monthly fall in urban transport fares, “driven by the introduction of the Queensland government’s 50-cent public transport fares initiative”.

With the cost of living the biggest concern for voters before next month’s state election, Dick said the government was tackling the issue while putting downward pressure on inflation.

“Our government has done the heavy lifting on inflation, and now the Reserve Bank of Australia should cut interest rates,” he said.

On Tuesday, the bank said not to expect a rate cut any time soon.

A man suffered life-threatening injuries when a Volkswagen SUV crashed into a parked car in Brisbane’s north in the early hours of the morning.

The turquoise 2023 Volkswagen T-Cross SUV collided with an unoccupied white 2024 Hyundai Tucson parked on Rode Road about 4.30am.

The impact of the collision pushed the Hyundai into another unoccupied parked car.

A 31-year-old Caboolture man, who was a passenger in the Volkswagen, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The Volkswagen’s two other occupants, a 27-year-old Sheehan woman and 36-year-old Burpengary man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are assisting police with their investigations.

“Officers are particularly interested in speaking to any motorists parked along Rode Road whose vehicle may have been damaged prior to this collision,” police said in a statement.

“Anyone travelling along that road at the time, especially if you have dashcam vision of the crash, is urged to contact police.”

If you have information contact Policelink on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

We’re less than one week from the official start of the Queensland election campaign, but with seven Labor frontbenchers holding media conferences across the state, and the LNP popping up on the Fraser Coast, anyone would think it’s already in full swing.

The theme of the day’s announcements has been heavy on crime, particularly youth crime, but worksite productivity has emerged as another issue du jour after the LNP highlighted recent ABS data showing Queensland had the most lost work days to industrial disputes.

Speaking in Maryborough to announce an upgrade of a key Bruce Highway/Maryborough intersection, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli claimed the data showed Queensland had a “record number” of days lost, which meant “our lifestyle has been compromised”.

But Brisbane Times sought clarification from his office about what exactly he was referring to because the figures for lost days are among the lowest in four decades.

Treasurer Cameron Dick – speaking from the University of Queensland to spruik the expansion of a 1000-bed student accommodation project after a loan from the Queensland Treasury Corporation – pointed out this long-term trend on lost days.

He also brushed off criticism of $9 billion budget blowout, saying $2.2 billion of that was cost-of-living relief, such as energy rebates, and had been voted for by the LNP.

Responding to broad legal sector criticism of his party’s pledge to change laws around what can be captured on a child’s criminal history and be carried into adulthood, Crisafulli declined to detail any stakeholders consulted but said: “What’s happened in the last decade hasn’t worked.”

The LNP is tracking ahead in the polls to win the election, looking to overturn Labor’s three terms in government.

Queensland’s justice system is falling behind those in other states due to technology issues and security concerns, the peak legal sector body says.

New courthouses are desperately needed in Beenleigh and Townsville to address security concerns, the Queensland Law Society says.

Brisbane’s Supreme and District courts building.Credit: Robert Shakespeare

Ahead of October’s state election, the QLS is calling on the next government to rectify several issues within court precincts, saying victims and witnesses have significant concerns about safety.

“In [Beenleigh and Townsville] and other courthouses, current security and layout deficiencies cause safety concerns for court attendees, including witnesses, victims, and other vulnerable people,” the QLS says.

The QLS also says court users, particularly those in rural or regional areas, are being adversely affected by poor accessibility to digital services.

“Given the contribution of law firms and their clients to Queensland’s economy, the loss of efficiencies due to [the] use of a paper-based system has broad flow-on effects,” the QLS says.

Speaking of statues (see our earlier post on the Matildas bronze tribute), Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner was asked this morning about whether a statue should be erected in honour of the Lions’ three-peat when they won consecutive premierships in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

“A statue is one option, but I think there’s other things as well we can do,” Schrinner told 612 ABC Brisbane.

The question was raised after a bronze ‘mural’ of the Matildas was unveiled at Suncorp Stadium yesterday.

Lions Cam Rayner celebrates a goal in the Lions come from behind victory of Geelong last weekend.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images

The mural was commissioned to commemorate the Matildas’ run to the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup last year, the first time an Australian team had made the final four of a FIFA World Cup (men’s or women’s).

Brisbane’s Story Bridge will be lit up in Lions’ colours for this weekend’s AFL grand final.

The Lions take on the Sydney Swans at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

Darcy Fort has been confirmed as the man to replace Brisbane Lions’ star ruckman Oscar McInerney, after the latter suffered a dislocated shoulder in last week’s preliminary final triumph of Geelong.

It pits the 31-year-old, who has not played in the AFL since round seven, against Sydney Swans giant Brodie Grundy, in a battle which will draw memories from his 2022 semi-final exploits against Melbourne Demon Max Gawn.

Oscar McInerney has been ruled out of the Brisbane Lions’ grand final against the Sydney Swans.Credit: Getty Images

Lions coach Chris Fagan confirmed on Fox Footy that Fort had edged out young gun Henry Smith for the daunting task, and Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley backed the club to fill McInerney’s enormous void.

“It’s obviously a massive out for us, but O has been a huge supporter of us on and off the field,” Dunkley said.

“I think there’s a hard luck story every year in most grand final teams. It’s the theme of next soldier comes up … whoever gets that opportunity I’m sure is going to take it with both hands and play a really important role for us.”

The inflation rate has fallen to 2.7 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

It fell in part to a huge drop in electricity prices which have been pushed down by government subsidies. The annual inflation rate for electricity, which was 7.5 per cent in June, fell to a record low of minus 17.9 per cent in August.

But it was not just electricity prices bringing down inflation.

The Reserve Bank’s governor Michele Bullock.Credit: Martin Ollman

Petrol prices through August also fell, taking the annual rate down to minus 7.6 per cent. Since then, petrol prices have continued to drop.

And amid a debate about housing affordability, rent inflation has fallen from 7.7 per cent in March to 6.8 per cent in August.

Annual inflation for a host of other sectors also declined through the month, leading to falls in the annual rate. They include food and non-alcoholic beverages (from 3.8 per cent to 3.4 per cent), bread products (from 4.4 per cent to 2.5), clothing (from 1.9 per cent to 1.7 per cent) and communications (from 1.9 per cent to minus 0.2 per cent).

The result helps the federal government, which has been trying to convince the public that it is tackling the cost of living without adding to inflation.

Read more here.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking to reporters in Brisbane after this masthead revealed that the Labor government is looking at scaling back negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions.

You can watch his press conference below: