As it happened: Brisbane on Thursday, June 27

Newstead’s residential growth shows no sign of slowing down, with plans for a 22-storey unit tower at the back of the Triffid submitted to Brisbane City Council this week.

Also backing on to the proposed build-to-rent Little Italy complex, the 22-storey tower would have 65 units, made up of 54 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom homes.

Developers have submitted plans for a 22-storey unit tower for 12 Kyabra Street, Newstead, to Brisbane City Council.Credit: Bureau Proberts

“An intentional design approach has been undertaken to ensure that the development incorporates acoustic treatments that are responsive to surrounding noise impacts, particularly to the western and southern facades that face the Triffid at the rear of the site,” town planning firm Urbis said in its assessment report submitted to the council on the developer’s behalf.

Fortitude Valley’s entertainment precinct, which protected live venues from noise complaints, was extended to include the Triffid in 2017.

Thanks for joining the Brisbane Times live blog today. We’ll be back tomorrow morning.

Here’s some of the major stories we’ve been covering today:

Two teenagers armed with a cane-cutting sickle who broke into the Brisbane home of Wallabies star Toutai Kefu have been sentenced, with one of them potentially released back into the community by early next year.

Energy Minister Mick de Brenni has accused the former chief executive and chair of government-owned power generator CS Energy of giving him “incorrect advice” about the status of maintenance work at its part-owned Callide plant.

A single bitcoin donation worth almost $740,000 has been made to Julian Assange’s cause, covering nearly the entirety of the cost of his chartered jet.

Network Ten has agreed to pay less than a third of the $1.8 million in legal costs Lisa Wilkinson had originally asked her employer to cover following Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation suit, as a court ordered Lehrmann to pay $2 million to Ten.

And finally, Supernormal sister venue Bar Miette has opened in a brilliant riverside space, with one-of-a-kind views of the Story Bridge and an all-day, European-leaning menu.

Two teenagers armed with a cane-cutting sickle who broke into the Brisbane home of Wallabies star Toutai Kefu and his family have been sentenced, with one of them potentially released back into the community by early next year.

The August 2021 violent home invasion resulted in Kefu, his wife, and their son being seriously injured, and sparked community criticism over youth crime.

Kefu’s wife, Rachel, woke to the sound of car doors, before finding two boys, who were 15 at the time, inside their Coorparoo home.

Toutai Kefu outside his Coorparoo home after returning from hospital.Credit: Nine News

One of the teenagers, armed with a sickle, demanded car keys and threatened to kill her, before she was struck with the sickle. Mr Kefu rushed to her aid, and suffered a 25-millimetre stab wound to his liver, while their son, Joshua was cut.

The teenagers pleaded guilty to charges including intentionally causing grievous bodily harm relating to the invasion of the Kefu home, and the theft of a car from another property on the same morning.

During their sentencing this afternoon, Justice Peter Davis said the incident was “truly horrific”.

Read more.

Broncos winger Jordan Pereira has been forced to retire from the NRL, after succumbing to nerve damage in his neck suffered last month.

The 31-year-old, who played 45 games between stints with the Dragons and Brisbane, suffered the injury playing for Souths Logan in the Queensland Cup,

Pereira had strong support in garnering an NRL recall from Magpies coach Karmichael Hunt, who told this masthead: “If anyone deserves an opportunity in my eyes it’s JP – he fronts up every week and does the hard stuff.”

Jordan Pereira made his NRL debut for the Dragons before joining the Broncos.Credit: NRL Photos

Pereira said doctors had deemed it too great a risk for him to continue playing.

“It’s not safe for me to continue playing rugby league which is really unfortunate because I love the game and I love being here at the Broncos,” he said.

“Timing hasn’t been on my side because there has been some opportunity through injury and rep footy that I may have been a chance to play some more NRL.

“But instead it’s time for me to reflect on how much I have enjoyed playing this game and how much the game has given to me.”

Road surfacing crews will work all next weekend to fast-track work on the northside’s Beams Road, running between Toombul and Carseldine.

Work will take place night and day, from 7pm Friday, July 5, until 8am Monday, July 8, to repair a site where a roundabout on Beams Road has been removed.

This includes paving of roads and footpaths across the Beams and Dorville roads intersection.

Nightworks to prepare the site begin this Sunday.

Detours will be in place between Cowie Road and Balcara Avenue at Carseldine.

The Beams Road corridor is one of Brisbane busiest northside corridors and there are two linked projects operating to remove the level crossing and widen the Beams Road from two lanes to four lanes.

Police are appealing for information after a 17-year-old boy was found in the middle of a road south of Brisbane with serious injuries.

The boy was found by emergency services near the intersection of Alamein Street and Savages Parade in Beenleigh about 11pm last night after they received reports of a person laying on the road.

The Beenleigh boy had suffered serious injuries, and he was rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious condition, police said.

Police urged any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage in the area to come forward.

Newstead’s residential growth shows no sign of slowing down, with plans for a 22-storey unit tower at the back of the Triffid submitted to Brisbane City Council this week.

Also backing on to the proposed build-to-rent Little Italy complex, the 22-storey tower would have 65 units, made up of 54 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom homes.

Developers have submitted plans for a 22-storey unit tower for 12 Kyabra Street, Newstead, to Brisbane City Council.Credit: Bureau Proberts

“An intentional design approach has been undertaken to ensure that the development incorporates acoustic treatments that are responsive to surrounding noise impacts, particularly to the western and southern facades that face the Triffid at the rear of the site,” town planning firm Urbis said in its assessment report submitted to the council on the developer’s behalf.

Fortitude Valley’s entertainment precinct, which protected live venues from noise complaints, was extended to include the Triffid in 2017.

We’re now into day three of fallout from the draft report into a 2021 explosion at a major Queensland power station, which laid out failings of its part-public owner CS Energy and raised questions about directions to the company by its two shareholding ministers.

While Treasurer Cameron Dick has fronted media on several occasions to defend his and the government’s actions, his colleague Energy Minister Mick de Brenni did not do so yesterday and was announced to be taking leave today amid calls for his resignation.

Mick de Brenni was grilled by media on the Brady report into the explosion at Callide.Credit: Nine

De Brenni has now fronted media in his Springwood electorate to answer questions before returning to what he said was two days of planned leave with his wife to celebrate their 20-year wedding anniversary.

Making no opening statement, de Brenni opened the media conference to questions and was asked off-the-bat whether he regretted previous comments that the explosion did not occur due to a lack of maintenance.

Here’s his response:

Let me be very clear, I provided that advice based on specific information provided to me. Now, I’m not a forensic engineer. I don’t operate power stations.

What I can tell you is that the management, the chair and the CEO of CS Energy, were incredibly … clear with me. They guaranteed that all of the statutory and other maintenance required had been done.

And what we’ve seen from the Brady report is that the advice the CEO and the chair gave me was incorrect.

Energy and Clean Economy Jobs Minister Mick de Brenni is holding a press conference in his electorate of Springwood, amid calls for his resignation after a damning report into the 2021 explosion at Callide power station.

Julian Assange’s wife, legal team and members of the parliamentary group ‘Bring Julian Assange Home’ have just held a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

Stella Assange said the couple’s children had not yet seen Julian, but they were “very excited” when she told them he was being released.

Assange fielded questions about the future of WikiLeaks and Julian’s bid to secure a presidential pardon while repeating her request for Julian’s privacy as he readjusts to life outside prison.

For more updates from the presser, and continuing coverage of Assange’s release, head over to our dedicated live blog.

Two airlines have stepped up to help fill the breach left by Air Vanuatu’s collapse last month.

Before it entered voluntary administration, Air Vanuatu had three flights a week from Brisbane to the Pacific nation’s capital, Port Vila, and one flight a week to the island of Espiritu Santo.

Port Olry Beach, on Espiritu Santo.Credit: Vanuatu Tourism Office/David Kirkland

Starting September 10, Qantas will introduce three Boeing 737 services between Brisbane and Port Vila, with the ability to increase to five based on demand.

“We’re thrilled to offer our customers direct flights between Brisbane and Vanuatu and build on this important route which will maintain essential connectivity for leisure and business travel,” Qantas international chief executive Cam Wallace said.

Solomon Airlines will also add a weekly service from Brisbane to Espiritu Santo from next Thursday.

Vanuatu Tourism Office chief executive Adela Issachar Aru said: “The direct weekly service to Santo from Brisbane is a welcome development in re-establishing our aviation connectivity.”