Brisbane News Live: The parking rule catching out Brisbane drivers; How Maroons can nullify Blues advantage

The real estate lobby has called on Queensland’s two major political parties to deliver an accountable housing delivery plan ahead of next week’s state budget.

“Our overall building approvals, dwelling commencements and completions remain stuck below 35,000 new dwellings each year - which is well below what’s required to catch up to demand,” said Antonia Mercorella from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a 13.5 per cent decline in private dwelling apartment approvals in Queensland in the 12 months to April 2024.

Dwelling commencements also dropped 7.4 per cent, as did completions by 1.4 per cent.

Mercorella said a decrease in construction productivity, combined with tradies being absorbed into large-scale infrastructure projects, had impacted the sector.

“It is now taking more than 50 per cent longer to complete a house in Queensland than it did 10 years ago. This points to declining productivity in the sector,” she said.

“We’re not saying that the principles of the Homes for Queenslanders plan aren’t sound, but we are wondering how they can deliver their targets in the current market conditions.

“Queensland has the longest completion times for apartments in the country at 26 months. Ten years ago, this was only 14 months.”

Thanks for joining us for our live blog. Making headlines in Brisbane today:

Ahead of a formal government review, Brisbane City Council will propose changes to Safe Night Precincts to prevent a repeat of The Zoo closure.

Queensland farmers Nick and Ronnie Adamson have led a class action against state-owned power generators in a bid to “do something for everyone”.

Billy Slater’s selection curveballs ahead of tonight’s State of Origin clash have divided opinion. But given the runs he has on the board, is it time to just believe in his instincts?

In entertainment news, Lightscape and the popular drone show will return to this year’s Brisbane Festival, but there are also plenty of new spectacles on the newly released program.

Last year’s Lightscape drew people out of their homes, and it’s sure to do the same this year.Credit: Lightscape

Elsewhere around the country:

The family of a two-year-old who drowned in a dam after following a puppy onto a neighbouring property have spoken of their anguish.

A jury has been told former pilot Greg Lynn, accused of killing two campers, will be the only defence witness after prosecutors closed their case in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

ABC boss David Anderson has condemned ‘unacceptable’ survey findings, which show the broadcaster is failing to meet its own standards on bullying and sexual harassment.

Four’N Twenty owner Patties Foods has been hit by a data breach in which thousands of documents were leaked online via an unprotected database.

Earlier, we reported on a petition calling for rules about verge parking to be changed within the Brisbane council area.

The practice of popping two wheels up on the kerb of narrow streets is illegal in Brisbane, and council regularly dishes out $116 fines – but in narrow streets of Logan, it’s allowed.

This afternoon, Logan Mayor Jon Raven, speaking on ABC Radio Brisbane, explained the thinking behind his city’s move to change the rules in 1999.

“Councillors just wanted a practical alternative,” he said. “They didn’t really want to be seen to be like big bad Brisbane, who just fined people willy-nilly.

“They wanted to be considerate of residents and let them have a commonsense, polite alternative to having to park on only one side of the road and force people to walk a long way back to their homes, or if they’re visiting someone.”

Read more about the petition.

The real estate lobby has called on Queensland’s two major political parties to deliver an accountable housing delivery plan ahead of next week’s state budget.

“Our overall building approvals, dwelling commencements and completions remain stuck below 35,000 new dwellings each year - which is well below what’s required to catch up to demand,” said Antonia Mercorella from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a 13.5 per cent decline in private dwelling apartment approvals in Queensland in the 12 months to April 2024.

Dwelling commencements also dropped 7.4 per cent, as did completions by 1.4 per cent.

Mercorella said a decrease in construction productivity, combined with tradies being absorbed into large-scale infrastructure projects, had impacted the sector.

“It is now taking more than 50 per cent longer to complete a house in Queensland than it did 10 years ago. This points to declining productivity in the sector,” she said.

“We’re not saying that the principles of the Homes for Queenslanders plan aren’t sound, but we are wondering how they can deliver their targets in the current market conditions.

“Queensland has the longest completion times for apartments in the country at 26 months. Ten years ago, this was only 14 months.”

Let’s turn to some more political news today: the furore surrounding Townsville’s mayor Troy Thompson.

Townsville is Australia’s biggest military city, boasting more than 15,000 defence force personnel.

However, the mayor is accused of misleading voters about his army service.

Troy Thompson spoke to A Current Affair in his first sit-down interview since being elected as Townsville mayor.Credit: A Current Affair

Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli have both called for Thompson to do the “right thing” and stand aside amid the misconduct probe.

“This city is just too important. It needs to have a mayor that can serve them with honesty and 100 per cent dedication, and I think it’s clear just from what he’s admitted to that he can’t do that,” Miles said in Townsville today.

“If he cared about Townsville in the way that he said he did when he ran for election, then he would do the right thing by Townsville.”

Thompson has taken a leave of absence but insists he is still the mayor. This is despite his council colleagues voting unanimously for him to step down on Wednesday.

“I’m still mayor, just taking a break for mental health reasons and also allowing for the investigation to take place without further pressures,” he wrote on Facebook.

Thompson has been referred to the Crime and Corruption Commission over claims made during his mayoral campaign that he had served five years in the military.

He later conceded in an interview on Nine’s A Current Affair he had misled voters about his army record as well as his university studies, blaming “100-plus” concussions.

The council will now write to Queensland’s Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon, asking her to suspend or dismiss Thompson.

AAP

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has labelled LNP leader David Crisafulli’s pledge to accept all funding allocated in next Tuesday’s state budget, without first seeing it, as “absolutely gobsmacking”.

With the October state election approaching amid lagging polls for Labor, Crisafulli doubled down today on Tuesday’s comments that the LNP would keep all funded programs and projects to give “stability” and change “the culture of waste and blowouts”.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli (centre).Credit: Dan Peled

“If projects are fully funded, if they’re in the budget, if they’re under way – good governments, good oppositions honour those,” he told journalists in Townsville this morning.

However, he did cast a cloud over Labor’s flagship Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project.

Speaking in Brisbane, Dick pointed to LNP pledges to fund the full multibillion-dollar rail link to Maroochydore before 2032, lower taxes and lower government debt, while relentlessly criticising the government.

“If David Crisafulli is accepting the four years of spending of our entire budget that I’ll hand down next week, Queenslanders will rightly ask why he has been whinging and whining for the past four years about what our government is doing,” he said.

Treasurer and Deputy Premier of Queensland Cameron Dick.Credit: Jamila Toderas

“The only way David Crisafulli can deliver what he has now committed to is either through cuts, or asset sales, or both.

“The LNP are so certain they’ve got the election won that they are now treating Queenslanders with contempt and arrogance.”

We will bring you all the action, live, from Accor Stadium in Sydney for tonight’s State of Origin opener, so do stay with us.

In the meantime, tell us who you think will win ...

It has been nearly three years since beloved, all-you-can-eat family restaurant Sizzler closed the doors of its last remaining Queensland restaurants.

But one Brisbane restaurant - South Bank’s Fritzenberger - has managed to save an original Sizzler cheese toast machine.

The machine was bought at an auction following the closure of Sizzler’s Maroochydore restaurant. However, the purchase price has not been disclosed.

Sizzler’s popular cheese toast.Credit: Edwina Pickles

The cheese toast will feature in Fritzenberger’s latest promotion - they will give away free slices with any burger or main from June 10 - 16.

Fritzenberger will put their own twist on the cheese toast, but they believe the key to nailing the flavour will come from the original machine.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says there are “some very concerning elements” in the March National Account figures, which showed very weak growth in the Australian economy.

Asked if another rate rise by the Reserve Bank would be enough to push the economy into recession, Chalmers repeated that he doesn’t speak for the bank, but said: “It’s clear to Australians more broadly that the economy is barely growing.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers during his press conference today.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“Although we have a lot going for us in the labour market, in the budget, in terms of real wages, there are some very concerning elements in this,” Chalmers said.

“Whether it’s policy-makers in my part of the shop or the governor’s part of the shop, we take that all into consideration.”

Australians are saving considerably less of their income amid the cost of living crisis, the March National Accounts confirm.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is addressing the media now following the release of the National Accounts, which show the country’s economy barely grew in the first three months of the year.

“Since the second half of last year, the household saving ratio has been around rates not seen in over 15 years,” Chalmers said.

The Treasurer said a drop in the income-to-savings ratio from 1.6 per cent to 0.9 per cent shows “people are under pressure”.

“In lots of ways, that particular indicator is not surprising when you see the slice of people’s household budgets being eaten up by higher interest rates,” Chalmers said.

“These three months of weak growth at the start of the year are primarily a story about higher interest rates combined with some of the other pressures as well, domestic and global, and you see that in the household saving rate.”

There is some conjecture about who first laid down this challenge, but all that matters is that it’s on.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles and NSW Premier Chris will wear the opposing side’s jersey for a day, “or 25 minutes” - and possibly in parliament - if their state loses this year’s State of Origin series.

“He accepted my bet. I know that he didn’t want to and I don’t blame him. But, I was pleased to bet Minnsy that if they win I’ll wear their jersey, but when we win he’ll wear our jersey,” Miles said earlier today.

We will bring you all the Origin action from Sydney’s Accor Stadium live tonight, so do stay with us.