A sold-out crowd packed St John’s Cathedral for the Anglican Church’s milestone 25th annual Loaves and Fishes charity luncheon

The rather odd pairing of High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel as guest speaker and Wallaby legend Tim Horan as MC entertained attendees at the annual Loaves and Fishes luncheon.

Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall. Picture: Jack Tran

LOAVES AND FISHES

THE Bible tells us that Jesus somehow managed to feed up to 5000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

Fast forward 2000 years or so and a smaller but still devoted group of followers quaffed down a similarly modest meal in Brisbane on Tuesday.

A sold-out crowd of about 640 packed in to St John’s Cathedral for the Anglican Church’s milestone 25th annual Loaves and Fishes charity fundraising luncheon.

The rather odd pairing of High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel as guest speaker and Wallaby legend Tim Horan as MC entertained attendees as they used plastic cutlery to wolf down fish’n’chips in little straw baskets.

Unfortunately, Kiefel served up a rather dry address on the Constitution.

That prompted a bit of much-needed humour, with Horan wondering if the great document could be amended to guarantee a Wallaby win over the All Blacks once every three years.

No, someone responded, because that would require NZ to change its constitution!

As in years past, the so-called “corporate lunch with a difference” attracted the usual array of politicians, bizoids and men of the cloth.

Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall was there, of course, as was his predecessor, former governor-general Peter Hollingworth.

Racing Queensland head honcho Steve Wilson, rail campaigner Everald Compton, construction titan Scott Hutchinson and funeral home boss Alex Gow, along with Justice David Thomas and retired Judge Michelle May, also put in appearances.

Labor Senator Claire Moore and embattled Logan Mayor Luke Smith were spied too.

They all helped raise about $60,000 for the Aunties and Uncles charity, a Brisbane-based outfit which provides mentoring and intervention for vulnerable and socially isolated kids across Queensland.

Over the years, the Loaves and Fishes event has attracted top-shelf speakers, including former PM John Howard, businesswoman Therese Rein and the rather controversial Professor Gillian Triggs.

It has also raised money for plenty of worthy causes, including BushKids and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

MAHA’S BACKER

SEEMINGLY lost in this week’s tributes to the late Terry Mackenroth was the crucial role he played in making the Springfield project a reality.

Springfield Land Corporation boss Maha Sinnathamby told City Beat yesterday how the former deputy premier spurned scepticism from planners and helped shepherd key approvals through Parliament in the late 1990s even after the Goss government had lost power.

Plenty of people thought Sinnathamby was mad to pay $7.2 million for
2860ha of scrubland between Brisbane and Ipswich in 1992.

But 26 years later, Springfield is now Australia’s biggest masterplanned community, valued at $23 billion.

Going full circle, Mackenroth ended up working as a key consultant for Sinnathamby starting in 2014 and going right through until his untimely passing on Monday night.

CUDECO ON EDGE

STRUGGLING copper hunter Cudeco remains perched on the proverbial knife edge.

The Brisbane firm, which has suffered enormous losses, suspended trading in its shares last month since it still had not finalised financial statements for the half-year to December.

But Cudeco released a financial snapshot yesterday and it wasn’t pretty.

It showed $8.7 million has been chewed up in operating costs since July 1 and just $4.2 million in cash remains.

Worse still, all loan facilities and other lines of credit valued at nearly $79 million have been drawn down.

Cudeco, which reported a $135 million net loss last year and $127 million in red ink the previous year, says it expects to release the half-year update by May 15 and then resume share trading.