A “workplace incident’’ allegedly triggered the shock suspension of Public Trustee Peter Carne

Details about the suspension of Queensland’s public trustee remain cloaked in secrecy but a City Beat source says it allegedly revolves around some kind of “workplace incident”.

Peter, Carne has been suspended as the Public Trustee of Queensland.

SHOCK SUSPENSION

What did he allegedly do?

The thought crossed the minds of countless Queenslanders yesterday after news emerged that seasoned lawyer and well-established Labor figure Peter Carne had been immediately suspended as the state’s Public Trustee.

Details remain cloaked in secrecy and Attorney- General Yvette D’Ath would reveal only that he faces “serious allegations that could amount to misbehaviour’’.

But City Beat has learned that Carne’s surprise removal, pending a show-cause notice, revolves around some kind of “workplace incident,’’ as one source put it.

Peter Carne has been suspended as the Public Trustee of Queensland.

It’s a shock development for a prominent figure who has spent all but two years since 2009 as head of the body which oversees six philanthropic trusts and $2.7 billion in assets.

Carne made a name for himself back in the 1980s as a law partner in Goss Downey Carne with the late Wayne Goss, who, of course, went on to become Premier.

During that time Carne specialised in family law, helped establish the Caxton Legal Centre and acted at one time for the late Eddie Mabo before his groundbreaking High Court case.

In subsequent years, he went on to serve as head of the Queensland Law Society and spent time as a director on the boards of Tarong Energy and Australia Post.

His LinkedIn page features glowing references from the likes of QIC boss Damien Frawley and past QLS boss Bill Potts.

Carne could not be reached for comment yesterday.

BUDGET PITCH

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner made a post-budget pitch to the city’s property powerbrokers yesterday and deftly avoided any mention of that unwelcome 3.5 per cent spike in commercial rates.

Instead, he talked up his transport, urban renewal and green space agenda to more than 300 Property Council lunch guests gathered at the Sofitel Hotel.

Armed with a $10 million grant from the Federal Government, Schrinner said plans are under way to extend the Brisbane’ mooted metro system to the underserviced northwest part of the city.

Urban renewal efforts will be expanded to outer suburbs in a bid to avoid what he called a “latte line’’ separating cool inner city areas and neglected fringe suburbs.

Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner.

The initial focus of that campaign will be Moorooka and Salisbury but, he joked, that won’t include a green light for anything like 20-storey unit towers.

Schrinner semi-apologised to golfers for his plans to convert the Victoria Park public course in to a huge new green space, which he hailed as a “once in a generation opportunity’’ that will be readily accessible by public transport.

Mercifully, we learned, the existing function centre and putt putt links will remain intact.

Asked about south east Queensland’s looming bid for the 2032 Olympics, Schrinner noted that Boris Johnson had deftly used the opportunity as then-mayor to promote London ahead of the 2012 games.

But if we win the bid, he said, improving rail links to the north and south coasts, as well as out west, will be vital.

ABSOLUTELY NUTS

Speaking of budgets, we are still getting an earful of anger at the State Government’s surprise decision this week to hit natural gas producers with a 25 per cent jump in royalty payments.

Legendary resources player Bob Bryan has long since retired from the game after selling his Queensland Gas to BG in a $4.8 billion takeover in 2008.

But that didn’t stop him yesterday from telling City Beat that the royalty plan, which boosts the rate from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent from July 1, is “absolutely nuts’’.

Queensland gas industry pioneer Bob Bryan.

“It will act as a disincentive for people to put up risk capital to find more gas that people say is in such short supply,’’ Bryan said.

“It’s hardly a smart move and people such as Energy Minister Angus Taylor must be ropeable because it’s bound to increase the price of gas.

“There no chance of developing gas in Victoria and New South Wales is slow so everything depends on Queensland.

“Commercial and secondary industry is really going to feel the pinch and it’s just bound to increase the tendency for these industries to move off shore.’’