As it happened: Brisbane on Thursday, March 13

The Save Victoria Park group has briefed barristers Stephen Keim SC and Dr Chris McGrath in preparation to challenge any state government decision to build a new Olympic stadium in Victoria Park.

A sign at a protest earlier this year.Credit: Save Victoria Park

The Games Independent Infrastructure and Co-ordination Authority handed over its 100-day review report as planned on Saturday, and the findings and the government’s response will be made public on March 25.

Save Victoria Park spokeswoman Sue Bremner said if the premier broke his election promise not to build a new stadium “we will use every legitimate legal avenue available to save [Victoria Park]”.

Last night, Nine News reported the government was considering building the athletes’ village at Bowen Hills next to the showgrounds.

It has also reportedly consulted with Swimming Australia this week on a proposal to move the planned Brisbane Live arena to the former Goprint site next to the Gabba.

Nine political reporter Tim Arvier has previously cited sources saying the unreleased 100-day review supported a new stadium at Victoria Park. Recommendations are not binding, and the government has not said if it will adopt them.

Read our reporter Cameron Atfield’s stories about some of the submissions to the Olympic infrastructure review here.

Thanks for joining us today for our live coverage of news in Brisbane. Here are some of the stories that have made headlines today.

Brisbane council officers have begun a crackdown on the city’s rough sleepers, saying they will be given 24 hours to move on and tents will be removed from parks.

The Minister for Immigration wants hunting influencer Sam Jones out of the country after she posted a video that shows her allegedly taking a baby wombat away from its mother.

Winston Churchill’s grandson has voiced his dismay at Donald Trump’s apparent sympathies toward Russia, accusing the United States of a “deep and profound misunderstanding of the truth” in its foreign policy approach.

In an announcement on Thursday, the Australian Energy Regulator said electricity prices would increase between 2.5 and 8.9 per cent for customers in South East Queensland, NSW and South Australia.

Former Australian spin bowler Stuart MacGill has been found guilty over a cocaine deal but was not guilty of another charge of taking part in a large commercial drug supply.

Gehamat Shibasaki’s journey from the NRL scrapheap to the Brisbane Broncos’ fold has given him a newfound perspective of life as a professional athlete.

And a former Beattie government minister has landed an acting role in one of the most talked about television shows of the past few years.

Clive Palmer says he does not care if he loses another $100 million if his party’s candidates fail to get elected.

Palmer spent $100 million during the last election, with only Senator Ralph Babet successfully winning a seat.

Clive Palmer holds up a Tim Tam during an address to the National Press Club of Australia.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“My vested interest is with this country and with the people that are here.

“I’m not standing for election, you know; I’ve got nothing to lose.

“I could lose another $100 million out of this election. Well, that’s OK, but I think democracy is important,” he said.

Palmer said his decision to launch a party and engage with the media “is my golf”.

“The point about it is, we’re Australians, and you know, to be happy in this life, I found you need to have a woman that loves you. Lucky I’ve got that, you need to have a good meal and a nice, comfortable bed. Everything else is an illusion. It’s like playing golf,” he said.

“This is my golf; at 70, I could join many Australians and play lawn bowls. I find this more exciting, talking to you, than playing lawn bowls.”

Asked what was happening to his plans to build a second Titanic, Palmer said he was still working to get the project under way.

“[The company] who built the original Titanic went to liquidation six months ago, so we’ve now got to find another shipyard”, he said.

Deputy Mayor Fiona Cunningham has dismissed criticism from the Greens and Labor over the LNP council’s stance on “dangerous encampments”.

Again referring to the parties as a “coalition of chaos,” Cunningham said their candidates had consistently opposed development proposals in their local areas while seeking to criticise the LNP record on housing.

Cunningham, who has responsibility for finance and city governance, said the Greens and Labor criticism today was “utterly pathetic but not surprising”.

“They simply don’t understand our parks should be safe for all Brisbane residents, not turned into no-go zones because of violence, drug use and anti-social behaviour,” Cunningham said.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner put the issue on the agenda for the incoming government in October, when he first referred to certain parks as “no-go zones” and called for help making them safe again.

Paul Slater from Northwest Community Group, which provides support to homeless people, said those he had spoken to had not been offered accommodation.

“I was out with people last night, and I was talking to them about putting the tent up because I didn’t want to put all the tents back up after the cyclone,” he told 4BC this morning.

Founder of Northwest Community Group Paul Slater at a BBQ for homeless people. Credit: Northwest Community Group

“But they have nowhere to go, they’re literally just going to sleep on the footpath, they haven’t been offered accommodation.”

Slater said he had no idea where people would go when they were moved on from Brisbane’s parks if they could not find accommodation.

“I guess they’ll have to go down to Sydney or Melbourne or something,” he said.

“Nobody wants to live on the streets, it’s horrible. If you weren’t a drug addict before you went on the streets, you will be after a couple of weeks because it’s a horrible life to live.”

People are sleeping in parks because of a chronic underfunding of housing and homelessness services, according to Greens housing spokesman and Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather.

There were 47,820 people on the Queensland social housing waitlist in September, growing 11 per cent in just one year.

“No one chooses to sleep rough in a park when they have better options,” Chandler-Mather said in a statement.

“Hostels are not safe for people fleeing domestic violence or trying to stay sober.

“People with complex mental health issues dumped into a hotel with no support are not going to be off the streets for long.”

Speaking on 4BC this morning, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said before cyclone Alfred, everyone sleeping rough in Brisbane was approached and offered secure housing.

“One example I got given, there was a particular day where 100 people were approached and only four accepted the offer for accommodation,” he said.

“I think we all have a great deal of compassion and empathy for people who are down on their luck and doing it tough.”

Tents in South Brisbane’s Musgrave Park.Credit: Courtney Kruk

Schrinner said when people were sleeping in tents in parks, it was assumed there were no options for them.

“The state government’s telling us they do have crisis accommodation available, and it’s being knocked back,” he said.

Schrinner said after the Moreton Bay City Council’s crackdown, homeless people said they were moving to Brisbane.

“We obviously can’t let that happen, you know, we’ve got enough challenges with the people already in the parks in tents,” he said.

“We’re now withdrawing the option to live permanently in a park in a tent.”

Schrinner said officials would begin talking to rough sleepers in parks today, and they would be given 24 hours to leave.

Pam Barker, from the Brisbane Youth Service, says young people do not choose to sleep rough and homelessness is never a choice.

She is responding to news the Brisbane City Council will evict rough sleepers from parks over the next 24 hours.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said virtually every rough sleepers in Brisbane was offered secure accommodation before cyclone Alfred, but the “vast majority refused”.

Tents in Musgrave Park, South Brisbane, last week.Credit: Courtney Kruk

But Barker said there was an unprecedented number of young people seeking housing support, and on many nights, all available beds were taken.

“As of yesterday, there were no available safe options in temporary accommodation for young people in Brisbane,” she said.

“Tents in public parks are not a safe option for young people needing housing. But removing the only option some have, without providing an alternative, only puts them in greater danger.”

After an almost six-month global search for a chief executive, Nine Entertainment has confirmed that acting CEO Matt Stanton will run the media company on a permanent basis.

Matt Stanton (right), will replace Mike Sneesby (left) on a permanent basis.Credit: James Brickwood

Stanton was Nine’s chief strategy and financial officer before taking on the top job on an interim basis in September to replace Mike Sneesby, who stepped down after a turbulent few months for the company and a sustained period of share price decline last year.

Read the full story here.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the rise in default power rises shows the importance of the government’s energy bill relief.

Bowen has responded to the Australian Energy Regulator’s draft decision to increase price caps for hundreds of thousands of customers on standing retail plans – meaning prices would increase between 4.2 per cent and 8.9 per cent for much of the eastern seaboard.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“We know cost of living is the number one issue for Australians. We know Australians, like people right around the world, are doing it tough the increases in cost of living in recent times,” he said.

“That’s why they deserve a government on their side, a government making decisions like short-term energy bill relief and longer-term plans to introduce more cheaper, more reliable energy.”

Read more about the energy bill increase here.