As it happened: Brisbane on Thursday, January 23

The Queensland Heritage Council is considering an application for Victoria Park, also known as Barrambin, to be protected from any development that would undermine its historical significance to Brisbane.

Dr Neil Peach, who represents a Spring Hill community group, has applied to have a vast area of the park added to the heritage list.

The application provides the extensive history of the area, including its use as a golf course, and notes Brisbane City Council’s more recent master plan.

The only reference to a stadium is that it was proposed by the Quirk review and “rejected by the Queensland government”.

However, that was Labor, and the LNP government has come under renewed pressure to use the park to build an oval stadium as a centrepiece for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

An expert panel is currently reviewing the venue plan. While Olympics boss Andrew Liveris is open to the Victoria Park option, even though Premier David Crisafulli has previously ruled out any new or additional stadium site, the terms of reference allow the review panel to make the final call.

Submissions on the heritage application are due by February 17, only weeks before the review panel will report back to government.

Thanks for joining us today. We’ll be back tomorrow morning. If you’re just catching up, here are some of the stories that made headlines:

The Crisafulli government will seek to rebalance the budget in June, after Treasurer David Janetzki delivered a mid-year economic update detailing what he said were unfunded Labor promises and projects.

It is “highly likely” that Queensland’s credit rating will be downgraded as a result, Janetzki said.

Meanwhile, former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has torched her former deputy and successor, as well as the current LNP government, over preparations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The legal team for former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann will apply for a judge-only trial over the allegations he raped a woman he met at a Toowoomba nightclub on a drug-fuelled night in 2021.

Overseas, Donald Trump granted his first one-on-one interview back in the Oval Office to his friend Sean Hannity at Fox News in a predictably soft-ball exchange that barely challenged the US president on his barnstorming return to executive power.

You have just 12 weeks left to check out one of Brisbane’s best little seafood spots, after the owners of One Fish Two Fish announced the upcoming closure of their popular Kangaroo Point restaurant.

And a three-day weekend is coming up. If you’re staying close to home, here’s our roster of things to do in Brisbane and nearby. Bonus: half of them cost nothing.

Fresh off the Brisbane International, Pat Rafter Arena will once again host some of Australia’s finest emerging tennis stars as the Australian Open draws to a close.

World No.91 Adam Walton and grand slam doubles champion Rinky Hijikata have been locked in to feature 2025 Brisbane QTC Tennis Internationals, taking place from January 26 to February 2.

The competition will also feature compatriot Tristan Schoolkate, who ended world No.1 Jannik Sinner’s streak of 29 consecutive set victories at the Australian Open.

On the women’s side of the draw, Queenslanders Lizette Cabrera, Kaylah McPhee and Emerson Jones will be joined by Maddison Inglis, Talia Gibson, Astra Sharma, and Taylah Preston, along with Victorian standout Destanee Aiava.

The competition will launch back-to-back Brisbane QTC International events, with the second taking place from February 2 to 9 and all free to the public.

“The Brisbane QTC Tennis International is a fantastic chance to experience world class tennis right here in Brisbane. With a dynamic mix of rising local stars and international tennis players, this event promises to be an unforgettable week of competition,” tournament director Francis Soyer said.

“We’re thrilled to see the qualifying rounds kick off this Sunday, and with such a strong line-up, it’s shaping to be a spectacular week of tennis.”

Speculation regarding who will shoulder the Brisbane Broncos’ captaincy has been put to bed, with Adam Reynolds retaining the job for what is expected to be his final NRL campaign.

Incoming coach Michael Maguire, who won a premiership at South Sydney with Reynolds as his halfback, has backed the 35-year-old to guide the club back to finals reckoning, after the veteran’s leadership position was called into question at times last year.

Ben Hunt, Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan and Kotoni Staggs round out the revealed leadership group.

“I’ve had a deep connection with Reyno for many years and am proud of his journey, and I know how hungry he is to keep leading from the front for this group,” Maguire said.

“The past few months has given me an opportunity to see the leadership styles we do have in the team, and I’m confident we’ve got the right pieces of the puzzle in this group.”

Queensland Treasurer Janetzki said his government will seek to rein in deficits and debt in a “calm and methodical manner” as he unveiled the state budget update this morning.

But he declined to foreshadow the measures that would be necessary, nor how far the LNP was prepared to go.

Treasurer David Janetzki says measures to rein in the budget will be necessary.Credit: Markus Ravik

He says it’s “highly likely” that Queensland will lose its AA+ credit rating, which will increase borrowing costs.

“A key part of our plan is listening to our credit rating agencies and talking with them – and talking with them seriously,” he told journalists.

Read more here.

Long-time Brisbane City Councillor Krista Adams has announced she will step down from her role as the city’s deputy mayor and will not contest the next council election.

Adams, who represents the Holland Park ward, was first elected as a councillor in 2008, and was appointed deputy mayor in 2019.

Brisbane’s outgoing deputy mayor Krista Adams.

She is relinquishing her position as deputy, as well as her cabinet role as chair of the Economic Development, Nighttime Economy and Olympic Games Committee.

Adams, whose mother Gail Chiconi was a Brisbane City Councillor for nine years, said she felt “incredibly lucky” to have contributed to the city, but that it was “time to start considering a new path”.

“My roles over the past 17 years have been challenging and complex, but most of all they gave me the opportunity to make the suburbs I am so passionate about even better,” she said.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he was sad about Adams’ decision to step down, but added that it allowed the council to “renew our leadership team and refresh our cabinet” well in advance of the 2028 election.

“Krista’s decision to step down this early in the term is just another demonstration of what an incredible team player she is,” he said.

The Crisafulli government will seek to rebalance the budget in June, after Treasurer David Janetzki delivered a mid-year economic update detailing what he said were unfunded Labor promises and projects.

Having delayed the budget update to conduct a more thorough review, Janetzki on Thursday said the LNP would seek to rein in deficits and debt in a “calm and methodical manner”. He declined to foreshadow the measures that would be necessary.

Janetzki said Labor left services underfunded, ranging from police to child safety and housing, despite borrowing more to cover everyday expenses as well as projects that had blown out in cost.

Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki gives an update on the state of the budget.Credit: Markus Ravik

While much has been made of Queensland’s debt levels, largely tied to capital works and major projects, the budget forecasts revenue remaining largely unchanged as expenditure rises – resulting in operating deficits of more than $9 billion in the next two financial years, when Labor was forecasting surpluses.

Read more.

The organisers of annual music festival Splendour in the Grass have announced a break for 2025, but have yet to call time on the embattled event.

In an announcement posted to social media today, the organisers said they would take “a little more time to recharge”, but promised to rejuvenate the flailing festival for future years.

“Lots of other huge events on the horizon so keep an ear to the ground in the coming months – we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on,” the announcement said.

The announcement comes a week after Brisbane appointed a nightlife commissioner to support the city’s night-time music and entertainment scene amid reports of industry strife.

Last year’s Splendour in the Grass was cancelled because of poor ticket sales.

With the days warm and a long weekend looming, water safety authorities have urged south-east Queenslanders to remain careful as crowds take to the waves.

Over the past five years, 64 people have died in water-related incidents, and last year the state recorded about 277,000 registered recreational marine vessels.

Police and Marine Rescue Queensland expected to increase patrols, focusing on life jackets, speeds, licences, and drink-driving.

They urged people planning to use vessels and watercraft across the long weekend to log journeys, fuel up, and bring safety equipment, including an emergency locator beacon and life jackets.

Queensland Police acting superintendent Mark Bradford said boaties could call 131 MRQ to be connected to their local marine rescue unit, use radio channel VHF-16 or call triple zero.

“It’s important everyone returns home safe at the end of the day … we want people to have fun and enjoy themselves this weekend,” he said.

Police Minister Dan Purdie added: “Whether you’re on the road or on the water, the holiday weekend doesn’t mean you can take a break from doing the right thing.”

Here is a sneak peek of the giant art wall being installed at the new Cross River Rail station at Boggo Road.

This art piece by Teho Ropeyarn is called Ataga Ulumu, which means red clay/road:

The legal team for former federal Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann will apply to have his Queensland rape allegations heard before a judge-only trial.

Lehrmann was last year committed to stand trial over allegations he raped a woman he met at a Toowoomba nightclub on a drug-fuelled night in 2021.

He is then accused of consoling her before allegedly raping her again.

Bruce Lehrmann leaves the Magistrates Court in Toowoomba in June 2024.Credit: Dan Peled

Lehrmann has denied the allegations.

In Toowoomba District Court on Thursday, Crown Prosecutor Caroline Marco told the court there would be three applications made ahead of Lehrmann’s trial.