Queensland

THE INNER city of Brisbane is set to grow, with Brisbane City Council approving draft neighbourhood plans for Fortitude Valley and Milton, which indicate increased building heights and population densities, according to the Courier Mail.

The council said the community wanted focused growth around transport and local centres and expects up to 22,000 more residents and 75,000 more workers in Fortitude Valley by 2031. Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the plan responded to affordability concerns.

The draft indicates that building heights in Fortitude Valley could be up to 30-storeys. While Milton could see 20-storey developments close to the central business district and mass transport, with Park Road remaining an entertainment and retail hub.

Reference: Bruce McMahon, '30-storey towers for Valley, Milton as city plan approved', Courier Mail, 3 March 2010, <http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,1,26799113-952,00.html>.

BRISBANE'S first 24-hour bus service, the CityGlider, will start next month to coincide with the opening of the Clem7 tunnel, according to the Brisbane Times.

The first CityGilder bus stops are to be built shortly, with buses to run in a loop between West End, South Bank, the CBD, Fortitude Valley and Newstead. It is expected the service will have frequency of 5 minutes during peak times and 15 minutes at other times.

The 24-hour CityGlider service was announced as part of last year's council budget and is estimated to cost $4.5 million a year.

BRISBANE'S first inner-city toll road, the Clem Jones Tunnel (Clem7), is set to open as early as March, with the operator of the toll road, Rivercity Motorway, announcing to the ASX on Monday that it has received "20 business days notice" from the builder Leighton Contractors and Baulderstone Bilfinger Berger Joint Venture.

While the building completion date is less than 20 business days away, an independent verifier of the project will have up to three weeks from the completion date to formally certify that the toll road and tolling system are ready for the tunnel to open.

The Brisbane Times reports that Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has confirmed that the toll road will open to traffic early next month (March). Car drivers will be charged a $4.28 toll per journey toll to use the tunnel.

THE Gold Coast Airport $100 million passenger terminal redevelopment was officially opened yesterday by Federal Transport and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Deputy Premier Paul Lucas.

The new 30,000 square metre terminal – double the size of the previous terminal – was completed two months ahead of schedule.

Mr Lucas said that the Gold Coast airport was the sixth busiest in the nation and 35 per cent of all domestic tourists arrived by air compared to 29 per cent in Queensland. The top 5 busiest airports are all capital city airports.

"Gold Coast Airport contributes more than $1 billion to the region's economy every year and employs more than 1,200 people on an ongoing basis," Mr Albanese said. "It is one of the fastest growing airports in Australia and is a vital gateway to some of Australia's most popular tourist destinations in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales," he said.

[Queensland Government Media Release]

A new draft planning instrument for Queensland's coastline will have particular relevance for new coastal development in Far North Queensland when finalised, Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said today.

Releasing the Draft Queensland Coastal Plan in Cairns, Ms Jones said the document would be available for public comment this Friday (28 August [2009]).

"Far North Queensland residents can help shape the future management and protection of the coastline by providing comments on the draft plan," she said.

"The new draft plan factors in a predicted sea level rise of 80 centimetres by 2100.