As it happened: Brisbane on Monday, December 16

Labor councillors have criticised Brisbane City Council’s decision to drop one of two remaining green bridge projects following the opening of the Kangaroo Point Bridge yesterday.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner revealed yesterday that the council had abandoned its St Lucia to West End green bridge, but would continue with a bridge to connect Toowong and West End, amid budget constraints.

Council opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the LNP-led council had the wrong priorities, criticising its spending on “lavish parties” – a reference to an event for the trial of the Brisbane Metro bus service in October.

“Yet again, this LNP council is trying to use expensive opening parties and media ops as a distraction from what’s really going on under the surface,” he said of yesterday’s bridge opening.

“I hope the napkin the green bridge policy was scribbled on has been kept for posterity.

“It can be wheeled out as a reminder of the complete failure of this lord mayor and the rest of his regime to actually do anything they commit to, let alone on time, or on budget.”

Schrinner said the decision to axe the St Lucia to West End crossing was in line with the council’s promise to keep costs down.

“By not building this bridge, we can invest more in critical projects in the future,” Schrinner said.

As we mentioned earlier, this will be our last regular daily news blog for 2024. Thanks for joining us today for live coverage of news in Brisbane and further afield. We’ll be back with these live news updates in January 2025 – until then, you can find our in-depth reporting on our home page.

If you’re just catching up on today’s headlines, here’s what was making news:

A two-year-old boy has tested positive for measles, with Queensland Health warning residents the child was infectious in Brisbane’s northern suburbs since December 9.

Broncos star Ezra Mam has apologised and promised to become a better person after pleading guilty to drug driving and driving without a licence.

An Indigenous teen drowned as a “tragic consequence” of following his brother into a river to avoid being caught by police after driving in a stolen car, a coroner has found.

One of the country’s most distinguished economists and two high-profile business leaders will form part of the biggest reforms to the Reserve Bank since its inception, but borrowers hopeful for mortgage relief will still have to wait months for any cut in official interest rates.

A rare five-bedroom, two-study mini-mansion in Underwood has smashed the suburb’s house price record – selling for $2.4 million in a blockbuster auction that capped Brisbane’s pre-Christmas market.

Scott Rush was smiling as he left Bangli Narcotics jail, in Bali’s north, for the final time last Friday. “He was happy, of course. But not overly emotional,” said Agus Setiawan, a prison officer.

Fox Sports commentator and former England cricketer Isa Guha has apologised for labelling Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah a “primate” during the third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane.

And take a peek inside the yard of Jamie and Laeticia Lehmann, a Mansfield couple who moved house especially to accommodate their elaborate, sprawling Christmas lights display.

After striking last Friday, council workers and garbage collectors in Ipswich have threatened further action tomorrow, claiming the council has continued to refuse renegotiations.

After Transport Workers’ Union representatives and members met with the Ipswich City Council today without reaching agreement, union officials said the council had “failed to listen to their workforce”.

TWU members in Ipswich council and garbage collection services threatened further strike action across Tuesday and Friday this week.Credit: Transport Workers' Union Queensland

TWU Queensland director of organising Josh Millroy said workers didn’t want to strike again, but had been left with “no choice”.

“Our members are severely disappointed in the Council’s unwillingness to resolve this dispute, which will result in tens of thousands of bins not being picked up by these essential workers,” he said.

Striking workers warned suburbs from central Ipswich to the south-west – including Willowbank, Swanbank, and Ipswich – and some parts of the Somerset council area would not have their bins collected tomorrow.

The union also notified additional strike action was planned for Friday this week, which would leave residents put out by last Friday’s strike with full bins until after Boxing Day.

New footage linked to an unsolved sexual assault in Brisbane has been released.

A woman was grabbed and abused by an unknown man on Blamey Street in Kelvin Grove about 12.30am, December 10.

The alleged attacker fled the scene on foot and has not been seen since.

Footage shows an individual with dark skin and hair, with a solid build. He’s wearing a white shirt, black shorts and crocs.

An anonymous tip-off about 11:49pm that night said a man was behaving suspiciously in the Kelvin Grove area.

Police are appealing for the person who lodged the tip to recontact them.

Anyone else with relevant footage or information is urged to come forward.

Police are investigating the cause of an unexplained fatal car crash overnight in Brisbane.

A white Hyundai I30 left Blunder Road in Oxley and hit a truck about 10.45pm on Sunday.

The 64-year-old male driver from Forest Lake died at the scene.

Witnesses or anyone with relevant footage is urged to contact police.

The Forensic Crash Unit has been brought in for the investigation.

A two-year-old boy has tested positive for measles, with Queensland Health warning residents the child was infectious in Brisbane’s northern suburbs since December 9.

Health officials at Brisbane’s Metro North Health Unit confirmed the case on Monday after the boy went to the paediatric emergency department at the Prince Charles Hospital several times across the week.

Dr Megan Young said Metro North had worked with the boy’s family to determine a list of possible exposure sites, including Brisbane Airport’s domestic terminal, and a QUT graduation ceremony at The Star on Tuesday, December 10.

Read the full story.

For those searching for Christmas light displays in the city’s east and west, here are some crowd favourites ...

East

The residents of 19 Nemarra Street in Wynnum West claim they are the owners of the largest inflatable Santa in Australia. Their lights display features snow machines, bubble machines, and a 10-metre-tall light tree.

Is this Australia’s largest inflatable Santa?Credit: Christmas Light Search

The display at 16 Elkhorn Street in Mount Cotton also provides great photo opportunities with a full-sized sleigh and Minion characters.

West

It is rare to have nearly every house on one street decorated with lights for Christmas, but the residents of Everard Street and neighbouring Raeside Street in Westlake rise to the challenge. It makes for a perfect evening stroll.

The family at 20 Curragundi Road in Jindalee have been putting up Christmas lights for 23 years. Their multi-award-winning display features a 10-metre handmade train, Santa’s sleigh and a children’s maze.

The residents of 1 Moncrieff Court in Mount Ommaney have been delighting locals with their Christmas lights display for years, but are hanging up their festive caps for good this year. Their final display features a snow machine and a handmade sleigh and reindeer.

Another highlight in the west is 71 McPherson Road in Sinnamon Park.

It wouldn’t be Christmas in Brisbane without taking a stroll on a balmy night to check out the neighbourhood light displays.

So, we’re taking a look at some of the Christmas light displays across Brisbane.

North

Three houses on Sugarloaf Street in Wavell Heights have synchronised music and Christmas lights.

Clark Terrace at Sandstone Point and Annie Street in Bracken Ridge also have multiple houses with displays.

Christmas lights on Clark Street in Sandstone Point.Credit: Christmas Light Search

South

As we mentioned in our previous post, 2 Brochet Street in Mansfield is a crowd favourite. But so too are 101 Kempsie Road at Upper Mount Gravatt, and 242 Stanley Road at Carina.

Such is their passion for Christmas, Jamie and Laeticia Lehmann moved house especially to accommodate their growing festive lights display.

The couple left Coopers Plains last year for a smaller house, with a much larger storage shed, in Mansfield on Brisbane’s southside.

The result is an elaborate, sprawling lights display that elicits squeals of delight from young children. On Sunday night, the Lehmanns’ yard was teeming with parents, toddlers and children, as well as elderly couples.

The Lehmanns’ Christmas lights display.

Three large beams of light, visible from surrounding suburbs, are projected into the sky from Lehmanns’ house.

“In a conscious effort to focus on our Christmas passion and streamline our operations, we made the decision to downsize our living space,” the couple wrote on the Christmas Light Search website.

“This deliberate move led us to an older property in Mansfield, chosen for its ample storage capacity, particularly an expansive shed that now houses our beloved lights throughout the year.

The Lehmanns’ Christmas lights display on the corner of Ham Road and Brochet Street in Mansfield.

“This strategic choice has not only optimised our storage solutions but also allowed us to dedicate more time and energy to curating a truly spectacular Christmas lights display.”

The couple start creating their display in September, “ensuring that every corner of my property will be transformed into a winter wonderland of enchantment”.

This year, their display features a life-size sleigh with reindeer, a giant teddy bear, Disney characters, Bluey and a menagerie of illuminated animals.

You can find the Lehmanns’ Christmas display on the corner of Ham Road and Brochet Street in Mansfield.

The Lehmanns moved from Coopers Plains to Mansfield to accommodate their Christmas lights display.

Police have arrested a Brisbane man after he allegedly used a metal pole to steal a mobile phone.

The 42-year-old allegedly assaulted another man, also aged 42, at a property near Edmondstone and Cordelia streets in South Brisbane about 6pm on Sunday.

Police said the alleged attacker, who was arrested nearby and charged with threatening violence, armed robbery and assault, knew the victim.

He was due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today.

The victim was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment.

Brisbane News Live will be back in mid-January, but while we take a break, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

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