Industry News

The Western Australian government has granted Alcoa  a five-year extension to expand its Wagerup Alumina Refinery.

The expansion of the existing refinery to a maximum production capacity of 4.7 million tonnes per annum was approved in September 2006.  However, implementation has not substantially commenced due in part to the impact of the global financial crisis.

Environment Minister Bill Marmion asked the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to review Alcoa’s application to extend the time limit.

“The EPA recommended that as the environmental factors of the proposal had not significantly changed and no new factors had emerged since the initial approval, the time limit be extended a further five years,” Mr Marmion said.

Mr Marmion said prior to construction, Alcoa would still require a Works Approval from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

“Further public consultation will be undertaken by the DEC as part of the assessment process prior to a Works Approval and an amended licence being issued,” he said.

Under regulation 17 of the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997, the EPA also recommended the Minister approve a variation of the allowable level of noise emissions from the refinery for a two-year period in which Alcoa must use its ‘best endeavours’ to purchase the remaining noise-affected properties.

“This approval sets noise limits at several residential locations surrounding the refinery and is based on Alcoa’s commitment to not increase its noise emissions if the expansion proceeds,” Mr Marmion said.

Western Australian Treasurer Christian Porter has announced that Expressions of Interest will be sought for the provision of the Government Employees Superannuation Board’s (GESB) administrative services.

Mr Porter said the move followed the decision to allow State Government employees to choose their super fund from March 30, 2012, the central reform recommended in the Whithear Review.

“As a result of this choice reform - which has been overwhelmingly supported by public sector employees - GESB will not have the economies of scale to offer the most cost effective administration services in the long run,” he said.

“If GESB is prevented from exploring options to lower the cost of providing administrative services, the effect could be higher costs to those who do choose to remain with GESB.”

Mr Porter said procuring administrative services from a specialist external provider would be aimed at achieving lower costs to members.  Outsourcing should also enable GESB to keep pace with the many superannuation reforms and other challenges in a rapidly changing industry.

Mr Porter said many super funds across the industry were currently procuring administration services from external providers to minimise operating costs and gain efficiencies through economies of scale.

“The Government is undertaking this reform so that GESB will be able to ensure their administrative costs are competitive,” he said.

Mr Porter said the provision of GESB’s superannuation administration services was expected to appeal to the market and should result in better outcomes for both existing members and future State employees, primarily from competitive fees and services to members, particularly over the longer term as the superannuation industry continued to consolidate these services.

“This opportunity to compete for the provision of these services offers the market an exciting opportunity to engage with the State and GESB in these reforms to maintain competitive services to members,” he said.

Invitations for Expression of Interest for provision of administrative services will be issued to the market in June and it is anticipated that transition to new superannuation administration service arrangements will begin in the second half of 2013.

A new ‘hot floor’ will be developed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital to treat emergency patients who need to be admitted and to assist the flow of patients through the Emergency Department.

The ‘hot floor’ will bring together the Acute Medical Unit, Acute Surgical Unit and Acute Orthopaedic Unit to create a one-stop assessment area alongside the Emergency Department.

The model of care for patients will be based on that to be provided at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital when it opens in 2016. Patients will spend up to 48 hours in the 68-bed area while they are stabilised and undergo diagnostic tests prior to surgery or admission.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital intends to introduce the new arrangements later this month, once consultations with unions have been completed.

Health Minister John Hill said nearly $11 million had been invested over the past three years to support the quicker movement of patients through the RAH’s Emergency Department.

“In collaboration with the Commonwealth, we have set a target for our public hospital Emergency Departments to see, treat, admit to a bed or discharge 90 percent of their patients within four hours.

“This is now both a State and a national target and hospitals are working to achieve this target for the benefit of patients, irrespective of whether they are admitted to the hospital or discharged.

“Our Emergency Departments perform consistently at a very high level and a national report last week showed that South Australian hospitals are among the best performing in the nation in relation to Emergency Department waiting times.”

RAH General Manager, Professor Villis Marshall, said the new ‘hot floor’ would be supervised by consultant staff, experienced junior staff and a higher ratio of nurses.

“Staff in the Emergency Department and acute assessment area will work together to ensure patients receive the most appropriate care before they undergo emergency surgery or are admitted to hospital.

“Many patients can spend extra time in emergency awaiting tests and results. This new arrangement will provide a high level of care in a dedicated area specialising in the patient’s needs.

“On average, it can take three hours to get a CT scan and report and this can add to the pressure experienced during busy times in the Emergency Department.”

The RAH has also introduced a team, under the oversight of an Emergency Department consultant, which is working to ensure patients spend less time in the Emergency Department.

The Queensland Government has announced a new wages framework providing pay increases of up to 3 per cent to public servants in return for productivity savings.

Treasurer Tim Nicholls said that with headline inflation running at 1.6 per cent nationally, the wages framework was "very fair and reasonable and fulfils our commitment to good faith bargaining".

“The Newman LNP Government is removing Labor’s arbitrary 2.5 per cent wage cap because we know the public service can and will deliver real benefits through savings and improved productivity in return for higher wages", he said

The Queensland Government has initiated a study into the need for a new venue for Brisbane.

Arts Minister Ros Bates said the study will compare Brisbane to other interstate and international cities and analyse the need for a new venue by considering current and projected demand from local producers and companies, national and international touring acts, and audience trends.

It will set out thinking on medium and long-term (20 years) venue needs, including seating capacity and type of venue and consider the factors to ensure any future performing arts venue infrastructure is sustainable.

“For the performing arts to continue to thrive, we need to know that we have the right balance of venues in Brisbane,” Ms Bates said.

Arts Queensland will manage the study which will be completed by September.

The Queensland Housing and Public Works Minister Bruce Flegg is examining a number of reforms, including legislative changes, to help sub-contractors receive payment for their work.

Dr Flegg said non-payment was an issue throughout the economy because of ongoing financial difficulties and the ‘cascading’ payments system of the building industry often meant those at the base of the industry were hardest hit.

“I am working closely with the Building Services Authority on implementing a number of changes which I hope will expedite and improve sub-contractor payments in the future,” Dr Flegg said.

The changes include an overhaul of the unsatisfied judgment debts system, whereby contractors will have their licence cancelled if they fail to comply with a court-ordered payment, without lodging an appeal.

“Contractors are currently able to incur three judgment debts before their licence is cancelled, which is unacceptable. I will legislate to have their licence cancelled after the first failure and if a second failure occurred in future, that would result in a life ban.”

Dr Flegg said he was also looking at legislative changes to void items within a contract that were ‘unfair’.

‘Unfair contractual clauses that inappropriately or unjustly favour one party will be outlawed. There will be consultation with industry groups on this but I want to see a fairer, more streamlined contractual system in the industry.”

Dr Flegg said he had also asked the BSA to better integrate the information available on its main website and its Building and Construction Industry Payments Agency (BCIPA) website.

“This will provide more information to sub-contractors about any adjudication decisions recorded against the entity they are contracting with.”The Minister said he would also be consulting with the industry on possible mechanisms to help ensure sub-contractors received payment when it was due.

He said he was also encouraging sub-contractors to use BCIPA, which had proven an effective tool in obtaining debts owed to them through adjudication.

“I want to try and get subbies to be more familiar with BCIPA and to be more willing to use it to help them.”

Uiversities Australia has commended Minister Evans and the Government for its decision not to step back from its program of higher education reform, even under difficult fiscal circumstances.

"This is a strong budget for the university sector," Universities Australia Chief Executive, Belinda Robinson, said.

"Over the past few years the Government has achieved a number of very significant outcomes in higher education. These include: indexation of base funding, streamlined visa processing for international students, the introduction of the demand-driven system, an increase in infrastructure investment, and funding to meet the indirect costs of research.

"These reforms have played a key role in renewing universities capacity to compete in the Asian century.

"That there has been no rewind, no back-sliding on its important teaching, learning and research program in a very tough budget environment is testament to the priority the Government continues to place on the role universities play in Australia's future prosperity.

"Universities are fundamental in underpinning productivity growth, innovation, economic security and the nation's long-term well-being.

"Universities Australia welcomes the additional $23.4 million to support those from disadvantaged backgrounds and students needing additional preparation. This support is vital for such students to succeed at university," Ms Robinson said.
The Government has announced the end to the upfront HECS discount to the undergraduate students enrolled in maths and science.

"Universities Australia accepts that this high cost measure was not particularly effective at encouraging students to study maths and science at university. Nor did it address the very real need to focus the attention on schools, where student study choices are made, and teaching, where students get their inspiration.

"The Government's announcement in response to the report released tonight by the Chief Scientist of $54 million to support the teaching of maths and science at schools, and maths and science teacher education, is strongly supported to address the urgent need to lift the proportion of Australia's workforce educated in maths, science and engineering.

"The Chief Scientist's recommendation for a Flagship Program, in Mathematics and Science Teacher Education, has significant merit and we note that the Government will be giving it serious consideration as part of its response to the Base Funding Review.

Ms Robinson also introduced a timely reminder that "there remains some important un-finished business on the Government's higher education reform agenda".

"Momentum needs to be maintained particularly in relation to settling a sustainable long-term investment platform for research infrastructure and addressing the Government's review of base-funding that recommended an increase in the level of public investment in universities on a per student basis.

"Universities Australia welcomes the Minister's acknowledgement of this unfinished business and his stated intention to work closely with Universities Australia in progressing this critical work."

The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson has announced  the appointment of Mr Greg Bourne as acting chair of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency board.

ARENA commences on 1 July 2012 with responsibility for $3.2 billion in funding for renewable energy innovation under the Clean Energy Future package.

Dr Brian Spalding has also been appointed to the ARENA board, in addition to the ex-officio appointment of Mr Drew Clarke, Secretary of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET).

Mr Bourne was formerly a director of Carnegie Wave Energy and chief executive officer of the World Wildlife Fund Australia from 2004 to 2010.

Dr Spalding is a current Australian Energy Market Commissioner with more than 30 years’ experience in power system operations, as well as providing continuity from the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy board. 

Minister Ferguson is currently considering the four remaining ARENA board appointments and will make further announcements in due course.

The Federal Government has released the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) Review report, finding that more must be done to bring the telecommunications industry into line with the TIO scheme.

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said the report was the result of extensive consultation between the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, a wide range of industry stakeholders, consumer interest groups, and the broader community.

“The telecommunications environment has changed substantially over the past 20 years. It is essential that the TIO can continue to provide high-quality dispute resolution services, especially as Australians increasingly make use of new technologies and services.”

The report’s recommendations include:

• new incentives to encourage participants in the telecommunications industry to comply with the TIO scheme
• an improved governance structure to strike a better balance between consumer and industry interests
• improvements to assist the TIO to quickly identify and respond to problems affecting groups of consumers
• improved reporting requirements to more clearly demonstrate the TIO’s performance in resolving complaints
• improvements to the TIO’s policy for escalating complaints to help ensure complaints are resolved faster.

“These recommendations will make the TIO more effective, more transparent, and more in touch with the expectations of the Australian people.”

“The report complements the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) Reconnecting the Customer Inquiry and the Communications Alliance’s review of the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code, which is under consideration by the ACMA,” Senator Conroy said.

Access the report, along with information about the review, by visiting:
www.dbcde.gov.au/consultation_and_submissions/TIO_reforms

The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) has announced it has selected Primus to test new software designed to make it easier for telecommunications or ISPs to offer traditional analogue telephone services to consumers over a fibre network.

The NBN Co is confident that a successful test will give consumers greater confidence in choosing from a wide range of providers and be able to switch from the existing copper network to fibre and maintain a quality telephone service.

NBN Co Chief Operating Officer, Ralph Steffens said: “We understand that there will be a number of people who only want a telephone service and that we need to offer quality telephone services while making the transition to fibre as easy and straightforward as possible.

“By undertaking these tests we want to ensure it is easy for retail service providers to offer their customers the services they are familiar with using the equipment they already have.

NBN Co selected Primus after a call for expressions of interest from retail service providers who wanted to be involved in the test. Primus has national and international experience in the development and provision of telephone services.

Primus CEO Tom Mazerski said: “We believe this program will enable us to offer a quality voice product to all NBN consumer and business fibre customers. Our vision, working with NBN Co, is to ensure that our customers get a quality voice connection whilst transitioning from copper to fibre.”

The test is due to run for four weeks.

Researchers are an important step closer to finding a vaccine that protects against a wide range of strains of meningococcal B - the most common cause of meningococcal disease in Western Australia.

New research published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed the trials of the potential vaccine had found it to be safe and that it stimulated an effective immune response.

The report's author, Associate Professor Peter Richmond, from The University of Western Australia,\ School of Paediatrics and Child Health heads the Vaccine Trials Group, a collaboration between the UWA-affiliated Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Princess Margaret Hospital.

Dr Richmond said the trial data showed that the potential vaccine produced protective antibodies against 90% of the invasive meningococcus serogroup B strains tested.

This phase 2 trial enrolled 539 healthy adolescents from 25 sites across Australia, Poland and Spain to test the safety and immune response of the lipoprotein 2086 vaccine.

The B strains of the bacteria account for more than 90% per cent of meningococcal cases in WA.

"Meningococcal B can cause meningitis and blood poisoning and can progress very quickly with devastating effects," Dr Richmond said.

"Children between the ages of one month and one year are most at risk from meningococcal with a second peak in adolescents.

"This is the last major cause of meningitis for which we don't have a vaccine so we are very excited about the progress towards developing a safe and effective vaccine."

Dr Richmond said the next stage of development would involve bigger trials in a wider range of age groups.

Xstrata Zinc has announced moves to accelerate the production of its Lady Lorrtta underground mine and further extend the life of the Handlebar Hill open cut operation in Queensland, which is expected to result in a net increase in annual zinc production of 5 per cent, or 25,000 tonnes.

The announcement comes after construction of the Lady Loretta project has progressed rapidly, with decline development, surface infrastructure and services being delivered well ahead of schedule.

Xstrata has delivered a further $57 million in funding for the accelerated development of the mine, increasing the annual ore production rate from 1.0Mt to 1.2Mt and bringing forward the start of production by one year to late 2012.   Work has commenced immediately to secure key equipment and redesign the development infrastructure, mining plan and associated road upgrades to accommodate the increased annual ore volume.

Xstrata Zinc Australia Chief Operating Officer Brian Hearne said expansions of both mines through a total additional investment of $87 million would realise significant value from our Australian zinc business, including an estimated 30 new direct jobs.

“We are accelerating the delivery of ore from Lady Loretta to Mount Isa by developing the upper ore bodies independently to the deeper underground resources,” Mr Hearne said.

“At the same time, we are investing in a further expansion of the Handlebar Hill operation following improvements in mining methods and metallurgical performance since the mine was designed in 2007.”

In an Australian first, surgeons at Fremantle Hospital and The University of Western Australia believe a new method of repairing perforated ear drums could be a major advance in ear health.

Professor Gunesh Rajan, Head of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in UWA's School of Surgery, and a consultant at Fremantle Hospital, said tympanic membrane perforation, or hole in the ear drum, affected around 100,000 Australians and more than 80 million people worldwide.

Professor Rajan heads a research team of Australian ear, nose and throat specialists and said the new regenerative method had been pioneered by Professor Shin-Ichi Kanemaru in Osaka, Japan.

"The current conventional treatment is a time-consuming, complicated operation that requires a general anaesthetic and this is frequently beyond the reach of developing countries as well as Australia's indigenous children in remote communities," he said.

"Professor Kanemaru's ingenious method involves a five-minute procedure that stimulates the body to close the perforation itself, using naturally occurring bio-engineered growth factor substances which are applied to the rim of the perforation.

"The remarkable healing qualities of the human body grow back the tissue and close the hole completely, restoring the ability to hear."

The new technique reduces the operation time from 35 minutes to five minutes and, for adults, can be done in an outpatient clinic.  Professor Rajan said a trial involving adults and children was now under way at Fremantle Hospital to replicate the Japanese trial while another trial was also due to start soon at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia say that "next frontier" of agricultural science is understanding the root system and function of crop plants to significantly increase Australian grain production, keep farms viable and help continue to feed the world despite the onset of increasing drought and climate change.

In a project at The University of Western Australia, researchers experimented with lupin roots with an overall aim to improve the water use and nutrient uptake of narrow-leaf lupin varieties that account for half of all grain legumes produced in Australia - an industry worth more than $600 million a year.

The study, published this week in the international journal Plant Soil, warned that Australian grain producers faced increasing threats from poor local soils, harsh growing conditions and declining, less-predictable rainfall due to climate change.

To help address this, a team led by UWA-based Chief Investigators Winthrop Professor Zed Rengel and Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique used new screening techniques and advanced computer modelling to understand lupin root systems variability.

Similar approaches could also be used to identify genetic variation in root system and function in Australian cereal crops such as wheat and barley, said Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique, Director of the Institute of Agriculture at The University of Western Australia.

Professor Siddique said climate change and increased risk of drought made it imperative for Australia to develop new ways to make crops more water and nutrient-efficient.

Roots efficient in acquiring soil resources (water and nutrients) are fundamental to growing high-yielding crops in Australian soils, but have been largely ignored by scientists - "it's the next frontier of agricultural science", he said.

The Commonwealth Bank has announced the resignation of Group Executive Retail Banking Services, Ross McEwan, after he accepted the role as Chief Executive Officer, UK Retail with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Mr McEwan has been with the bank since 2003, having occupied the position of Group Executive Retail Banking Services since 2007.

Commonwealth Bank CEO, Ian Narev, thanked Mr McEwan for the ‘significant contribution’ that he hade to the bank.

“For the last five years he has been a highly valued member of the Group’s Executive Committee. During that time, his leadership of Retail Banking Services has led to all-time highs in customer satisfaction, a strong performance for shareholders and a high level of people engagement,” Mr Narev said.

The bank has yet to make an announcement for a replacement, but Mr Narev has indicated the bank will conduct a global search for a candidate. 

Retail giant David Jones has announced a number of key management appointments in addition to a significant head office reshuffle.

The reshuffle, according to David Jones’s CEO Paul Zahra, is aimed at aligning its management structure towards a new future strategic direction of the company.

“Our announcement today delivers the skill set and capability within the realigned structure that we promised in our Future Strategic Direction announcement and is one of the first steps in delivering our Three Point Strategy.”

The appointments will see Donna Player appointed to the new role of Group Executive – Merchandise, reporting directly to Mr Zahra. The Merchandise Office has been consolidated under the new structure.

Meanwhile Matthew Durbin has been appointed to the newly created role of Executive – Strategic Planning with the task of ensuring the company continues to have an ongoing strategic planning function to manage structural changes and macro economic challenges the company faces.

Sacha Laing has been promoted to Group Executive – Marketing and Financial Services, reporting directly to Mr Zahra. 

The Federal Budget has provided $6 million in funding to construct a Family Medical Practice on the Charles Sturt University ‘s Bathurst Campus as part of the University's health and wellness precinct.

However, Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said the University was disappointed that funding was not provided for its bid to establish a new private training hospital in Bathurst, or to establish new medical schools in Australia to address rural doctor shortages.

He said the new Centre will be built alongside the University's existing $5 million Community Dental and Oral Health Clinic, and $7 million Community Engagement and Wellness Clinic (funded by Health Workforce Australia) that will begin construction this year.” 

"The funding provided will deliver an important expansion of health services to our communities, and provide an important inter-professional training facility for our health and nursing students.

"Nonetheless, the decision not to fund the Stage 4 private training hospital development will be a big disappointment for the Bathurst community."The University is also disappointed that the government did not use the Budget to address the low number of rural students getting into city-based medical schools, and the continuing shortage of Australian medical graduates entering rural practice.

"There are two current proposals with the government to establish new rurally-focused medical schools in Australia, at Charles Sturt University and Curtin University, and neither was funded in this year's Budget.

"The fact is that the government had a major budget deficit to overcome this year and new rural medical education initiatives were simply not high enough on the agenda.”

Professor Vann said the failure to address this issue in the 2012/13 budget will only compound rural doctor shortages into the future, and will increase pressure on the government and opposition to come up with solutions in an election year.

"Health Workforce Australia reported two weeks ago that current rural medical education strategies have failed to solve the rural doctor shortage, and will not do so in the future,” Professor Vann said.

"We strongly believe the government should fund a new medical school at Charles Sturt University in the near future because it is the only institution in the region that can prove its ability to attract rural students and get graduates into rural practice.

"It will no doubt be disappointing to rural communities that the opportunity was not grasped in this budget.

Conclusive proof that water once flowed on the Martian surface has been found in a huge ancient impact crater named after Captain Cook’s ship.

A paper by an international team of researchers, which includes the University of Tasmania’s Professor Paulo de Souza, published  by the journal Science, reports findings from an investigation of the rim’s stratigraphy by the rover Opportunity.

Dr de Souza, who joined the UTAS Human Interface Technology Laboratory in Launceston from CSIRO early this year, has been part of NASA’s Mars team since 2002.

The rover Opportunity landed on January 24 2004, three weeks after its twin, Spirit, set down. Eight years later, Opportunity is still exploring the Martian surface (Spirit operated for more than five years before becoming irrecoverably stuck in a sand trap).

It is scheduled to be joined in August by the Mars Science Laboratory, a rover named Curiosity, which is about five times the size of Spirit and Opportunity.

“We never thought the Opportunity mission would last as long as it has, so initially the Endeavour crater was only considered a long-term goal,” Professor de Souza said.

It took the rover seven years to navigate the 33 kilometres from its landing spot to reach a feature on the crater rim named Cape York. The effort was rewarded with the discovery of gypsum, a key geological indicator of the historical presence of water and not found elsewhere by either of the two rovers.

“We cannot dig more than a few centimetres with the rover so the best way is analyse soil is to approach craters,” explains Professor de Souza. “The whole structure of a crater will reveal what’s in the subsoil.

“Fortunately for us, there are a large number of craters on Mars which are well-preserved. For geologists it is as if time has stopped. The crater rims have not been eroded by the elements as they have been on Earth.”

“The big question still to be answered is, how long was water present on Mars–and was there enough time for life to be formed? Perhaps Curiosity will shed some light on that.”

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has hit out against the Victorian Government over the proposed cut of $20 million to the Green Light Plan, saying the move will hurt local councils trying to convert to energy efficient street lighting.

Cr Bill McArthur, President of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) condemned the cut and called for the program to be reinstated to ensure the Baillieu Government delivered an important election promise to Victorian communities.

“The Government’s decision to cut its $20 million Green Light Plan will significantly reduce the capacity of councils to achieve cost savings for ratepayers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The surprise benching of this key green reform program is a blow to Victorian communities given that many councils will have to pass on rising energy costs through rates when the carbon price starts in two months.

“There are high upfront costs to change Victoria’s 300 000 local road street lights using old, expensive lamps to energy efficient lights. It’s simply beyond the capacity of many councils.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk have conducted the first meeting to start work on forming a new partnership between the State Government and the Brisbane City Council.

Mr Newman said the meeting had resulted in an in-principle agreement on a number of issues, including work to upgrade rail crossings, the hand back of state-ruin parklands to Council and a resolution on the stalled Howard Smith Whareves redevelopment.

“My Government believes that local councils are best placed to determine what is right for their local communities and unfortunately many of the issues discussed at the meeting were used as a political football by the former State Government,” Mr Newman said.

“But we’re going to get on with the job and re-empower the Brisbane City Council and local councils right across the state to provide practical and appropriate solutions to local issues.”

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk welcomed the new partnership, saying his top priority was to start work on a timeline and budget program to build flyovers at dangerous rail crossings at Robinson Road Geebung and Telegraph Road Bracken Ridge.

“We’ll be allocating money in the coming budget to kick start these works to upgrade these dangerous rail crossings,” Cr Quirk said.

Cr Quirk said the agreement reached meant that Brisbane City Council could get on with delivering for local residents.

“This is an example of the sort of things that can be achieved when you have a state government that’s prepared to work with local government, not against them,” Cr Quirk said.

An in-principle agreement was reached on:

• Handing over the management of South Bank, Roma Street Parklands, Roma Street Forum and Emma Millar Place to the Brisbane City Council, with funding to ensure the BCC is not out of pocket;
• The re-activation of the Brisbane City Council’s Howard Smith Wharves proposal to build a wonderful parkland and boutique hotel;
• The re-submission of the South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan to allow 12 storey buildings to be built between Montague Road and the river;
• The establishment of a Land Use and Transport Planning Working Party made up of representatives from the BCC and State Government to better co-ordinate land use and transport planning between the two levels of government;
• The hand-back of ULDA areas – Carseldine, Woolloongabba, North Shore Hamilton, Bowen Hills to be handed back to the Brisbane City Council with ULDA powers; and
• Work to immediately begin on a timeline and budget program for the upgrade of open level crossings at Robinson Road, Geebung and Telegraph Road, Bracken Ridge.