Soorley raises a few eyebrows at ASX
FORMER Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley has managed to raise a few eyebrows at the ASX over a $42,000 share splurge.
City Beat
New direction for pet care boss
HE’S been looking after your cats and dogs for years. Now he wants to take care of you. Well, a certain part of you.
No word on why business boss quit
A TOWERING figure in the Queensland natural gas industry has abruptly quit his latest gig and it’s not entirely clear why.
High-street fixture’s shock closure
BRISBANE’S horror run of upscale restaurants shutting down has continued with the closure of another award-winning eatery after only 14 months of new management.
What brings Dick to Queensland?
IT’S been a rough couple of weeks for Aussie entrepreneur Dick Smith. He’s taking a break and heading to Queensland … with plans to go right off the beaten track.
Donation ban scares away pollies
THERE was a sizeable drop off in the number of politicians who rocked up to Brisbane’s biggest property industry bash of year, which played out this week at The Triffid.
Blue Sky reaches for a lifeline
STRUGGLING Brisbane funds manager Blue Sky Alternative Investments confirmed speculation yesterday that it was in talks with an LA-based investment management firm.
Brisbane lawyers in $17.5m claim
THE liquidator of a failed Gold Coast funds manager has lodged a court claim seeking more than $17.5 million from a group including a team of Brisbane lawyers and the manager’s former CEO.
Former Blue Sky boss on his bike
WE had wondered what the former boss of Blue Sky Alternative Investments had been up to since he quit the embattled Brisbane fund manager in April. He’s gone into business with the son of one of Queensland’s most prominent businessmen.
Will Trump let Brisbane backer Dow-n?
HE’S a Trump supporter who just swapped a life of perks as Dow Chemicals boss for a board position in Brisbane. And Trump’s latest move might be bad for business.
Delay hits $850m Brisbane project
A BRISBANE developer and his team have found the going a little tougher than they expected with an $850m project on Brisbane’s southside. But he says a six-month delay might actually work in their favour.
‘Generous, energetic, indomitable’: City champion dies
A WOMAN hailed as a ‘champion of Brisbane’s heritage’, and who was a major player in the city’s hospitality and tourism sectors, has died.
Why a 25-year legal career is over
IT looks like the end of the road for a high-flying Brisbane legal eagle who spent more than 25 years in the arena. The Queensland Law Society has refused to elaborate, but we’ve learned what prompted the move.
Making tracks for new city bar
A NEW bar and cafe has opened on the ground level of a Brisbane CBD office tower. And it couldn’t have come at a better time for some of the people who work upstairs.
New look for historic Brisbane pub
Lachlan Furnell and a few silent partners quietly picked up the rundown Hotel LA in Brisbane last year and have almost completed a major rennovation.
Circus boss gets cushy Brisbane Festival job
THE former boss of a contemporary circus has taken over as the new CEO of the Brisbane Festival, which kicks off its annual three-week run in September.
Technology outfit raises $8m for a float on ASX
CALIX, a technology outfit chaired by UQ adjunct professor Peter Turnbull, has raised $8 million and expects its shares to start trading on the ASX next Friday.
Rival TV presenters on catwalk
Rival newsreaders Melissa Downes and Sharyn Ghidella will strut the catwalk together at the launch of the new ICON fashion series in the courtyard of the Treasury Hotel tonight
Di Bella gives blessing to major coffee merger
BRISBANE coffee baron Phil Di Bella – who offloaded his empire to now-struggling Retail Food Group in a $47m deal four years ago – has given the green light to RFG’s merger plans.
Hogan sets sail after exiting Totally Workwear
TOTALLY Workwear founder James Hogan is taking off his work boots and high-vis vest as he looks forward to a bit more sailing time on Moreton Bay.
Formidable crime fighter returns
Former crime fighter and lawyer Mark Le Grand will speak on Saturday at a fundraiser for a small non-profit group aiming to stop the $1.4 billion Toondah Harbour project at Cleveland
Race recreated 100 years later
GRAHAM Crittenden used his 1912 Overland racing car “Old Whitey’’ to recreate the record-breaking run from Brisbane to Toowoomba set 100 years ago.
Harmony Club not so harmonious
A GROUP of old blokes who call themselves the Harmony Club and have been meeting regularly for decades for wine-fuelled long lunches are effectively homeless after getting booted from two of Brisbane’s most prestigious private clubs.
Former adviser in ASIC’s sights
ASIC alleges a former Sunshine Coast financial adviser applied $1.4 million in client funds for his own personal use and for the working capital of his business.
Retirees put Shorten firmly in their sights
OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten now has one more headache to deal with as the Longman by-election rapidly approaches: A growing army of angry retirees.
Blue Sky’s family connections
SOME of the family ties connecting the key players from embattled fund manager Blue Sky Alternative Investments to the outside world of politics and law are very intriguing.
Super yachts sailing into Coast precinct
It’s described as “the ultimate travelling private resort” and it will soon be available for charter along Australia’s east coast. It won’t come cheap, but if you’re looking for upmarket holiday options, you can check it out on the Gold Coast this weekend.
Rossi’s Rolodex spawns headache
DAMIEN Anthony Rossi has a rather awkward problem on his hands as he plans to celebrate his recent appointment as the Star Entertainment Group’s first “ambassador’’ in Queensland.
Innovation offers opportunities amid challenges
IT was perhaps no surprise that Uli Becker showed up to lunch at one of Brisbane’s poshest eateries yesterday wearing his runners.
Vets memorial could fall victim to collateral damage
AS QUEENSLAND police confirm an investigation into the alleged $1.3m fraud of a veterans charity, the fate of a Brisbane project to honour Aussie troops killed in Afghanistan hangs in the balance. And the man hoping to get it off the ground is gutted.
Another Blue Sky share buy up
The parade of big shots at Blue Sky Alternative Investments taking advantage of the share price plunge to top up their holdings continues apace.
Warnings on Blue Sky ignored
THE warning signs that all may not be right in the house of Blue Sky Alternative Investments have been around for quite a while.
Class actions loom over Blue Sky
TWO law firms have announced possible class action lawsuits against embattled Brisbane fund manager Blue Sky Alternative Investments, headed by Rob Shand.
Betting group aims to raise $60m
HE’S the serial internet entrepreneur who has already made mega-millions from online porn and bookmaking. Now this businessman is breaking fresh ground by raising up to $60 million with his own version of Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency dubbed “nedscoin’’.
Damian Griffiths’ chequered past
THE rise and recent fall of Brisbane hospitality identity Damian Griffiths has been well documented. Less well known about the now-bankrupt Doughnut Time entrepreneur is the chaos and dysfunction that also dogged his previous career.
Clive Palmer’s Easter egg run
LOVE him or hate him, Clive Palmer has just established a new philanthropic organisation and it has already carried out its first mission.
Cost-cutting sees company reduced to shell
THE dwindling cash and prospects of a Queensland resources company has prompted another “please explain’’ from the ASX, as it pointed out the business has a mere $182,000 in the bank and is forecast to chew up another $100,000 in the next quarter.
Complex web in Griffiths bankruptcy case
FAILED Brisbane restaurateur Damian Griffiths restructured his assets before declaring personal bankruptcy, declaring a series of barriers between himself and his creditors, who are owed $3.3m.
Damian Griffiths bankrupts himself
WITH news that hospitality guru Damian Griffiths has declared personal bankruptcy, with $3.3 million owing to unsecured creditors alone, come revelations of his lavish spending on property in Paris and New York.
Premier tiptoes around the looming trade war
ON a day when US President Donald Trump ramped up his mad global trade war, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk chose not to talk about it.
Peak body boots out bean counter
Craig Morrissey has now been banned from working as an accountant or auditor after more than 20 years in the industry
Fallout from FRB collapse continues
FRANCHISE Retail Brands, which fell over in January and is currently being wound up, may owe unsecured creditors at least $7.6 million and could even be as high as $14 million.
Dalby theme park for Robbie?
Ross Patane is stepping down as boss of Crowe Horwath but will stay on as a senior partner focused on hospitality, tourism and leisure deals, including the proposed Brisbane Aquarium.
From office rental to buffalo dairy
FORMER high-flying executive Susie Martin has traded in her 18-year career to launch a unique business – a buffalo dairy.
Legal eagle takes it to the banks
IT has been a big week for barrister Rowena Orr QC, the counsel assisting the landmark banking royal commission headed by former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne.
Deal maker on the move
IT’S clear why Brisbane’s James Canning-Ure is known by the acronym LDM, or the “local deal maker.” He has his fingers in a lot of different pies.
Why our franchisees are doing their dough
SOME of the nation’s biggest retail brands have been embroiled in controversy over poor treatment of franchisees and staff. Now a man considered one of the founders of franchising in Australia has spoken out.
Brisbane incubator for manufacturing bright sparks
PEOPLE with a good, innovative idea for a product often lack the resources to test it, let alone bring it to market. A new Brisbane venture aims to solve that.
More taxpayer money for rail line to nowhere
THE State and Federal governments are preparing to spend $1.5 million on a consultant’s report about linking the proposed Brisbane to Melbourne inland rail project to the Port of Brisbane.
Women in resources pick up top gongs
THERE were champagne corks popping at Rio Tinto when executive Jo-Anne Dudley picked up a gong at the Queensland Resources Council’s women in mining and resources awards.
Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/business/citybeat/page/30