Phil and Gary Hogan are the last men standing as Eagle St Pier demolition moves closer

A popular eatery is the only tenant left in the soon-to-be demolished Eagle St Pier and the owners won’t budge. Here’s why.

Jade Buddha owners Phil and Gary Hogan are the last men standing down at Eagle St Pier in the Brisbane CBD.

Over recent weeks, all the major eateries at the pier have closed their doors in preparation for a major redevelopment of the iconic site by Dexus.

But the Jade Buddha is still operating with Phil Hogan telling your diarist earlier this month that unlike other tenants he has not been given a valid notice to quit under his lease.

This week Dexus updated the tenant list on the sign in front of the pier – and it’s a lonely one with Jade Buddha listed as the only occupant.

Phil Hogan says Dexus has yet to give them the required notice to quit and so they are trading on. “Our position hasn’t changed,” says Hogan. “We’ve been here 18 years so it’s not our first rodeo. Until we receive proper, valid notice as required under our lease, which we haven’t at this stage, it’s business as usual.”

Dexus declined to comment, noting the details of the lease were commercially confidential. Jade Buddha has attracted a raft of celebrities over the years including Sir Bob Geldof, Kate Hudson, George Clooney and Kim Kardashian. But let’s hope the Hogan boys have a few hard hats on hand in case the wrecking balls start flying.

Jade Buddah is the last man standing at soon-to-be-demolished Eagle St Pier

WHAT A GAS

It seems the global push for carbon neutral transportation is even extending to the boating mad Gold Coast.

Poseidon Marine H2, located just down the road from luxury yacht builder Riviera at Coomera, is planning to build a versatile boat that will operate off multiple fuels, including hydrogen and diesel.

Poseidon Marine H2 director Peter Mastalir (illustrated) says the plan is to allow customers and manufacturers to purchase a vessel capable of running off current fuels and a carbon-free alternative when the infrastructure is in place.

Mastalir, who has 40 years of engineering experience, says the marine sector globally contributes between 5 and 6 per cent of carbon emissions so the onus was on the industry to shift to renewables.

He says the company has appointed a technical partner to work on computerised modelling of the vessel power plant. He says the company’s target market includes defence forces, ferry operators, police and other maritime operators.

The company plans by early next year to have a provisional patent and certification in place to allow insurance coverage. That will allow the company to begin finalising agreements with large boat manufacturers.

Mastalir says that once there is a proof of concept the company will seek to commercialise the product via a planned public listing in 2024.

Griffith University has signed on as strategic partner in the project and will support the manufacturing of the prototype vessel.

Hydrogen is flagged as one of the renewable fuels of the future

KING COAL

The Australian Institute of Progress (AiP) makes no bones about its support for carbon fuels. The think tank will hold a lunch next week at the Brisbane Club to discuss a report by economist Gene Tunny that it commissioned on the cost to Queensland of closing the coal, oil and gas industries “as demanded by the Greens.”

The think tank says that while the report could be read pessimistically, optimism and the way ahead will be supplied at the lunch by industry leaders Mick McCormack and Nick Jorss in a panel discussion with Tunny, to be moderated by AiP Executive Director Graham Young. McCormack is chair of emerging gas producer Central Petroleum and the former chief executive of Australia’s largest energy infrastructure group APA.

Jorss was the man behind the success of Stanmore Coal and is now executive chair of Queensland’s newest metallurgical coal exporter Bowen Coking Coal.

Nick Jorss is executive chair of Queensland’s newest metallurgical coal exporter Bowen Coking Coal. Picture: Annette Dew