For today’s news updates in Brisbane and beyond as they happen, follow us here.
For today’s news updates in Brisbane and beyond as they happen, follow us here.
It’s not often people have the opportunity to downsize and stay in the same street, let alone move just next door.
One Clayfield family has done just that. Having lived in a sprawling Queenslander in Clayfield for 20 years, they decided to build a smaller home on their tennis court.
“They were in a very fortunate situation in Clayfield, where properties often have room for a tennis court,” said architect Paul Hotston, director of Phorm Architecture and Design.
The result – Floating Gable House – has now won Australian Institute of Architects’ People’s Choice Award for Greater Brisbane.
“They are still living next door to the house they’ve been living in for 20 years … so they haven’t really moved; they’ve got the same neighbours, the same community connections.
“They were living next door while we built it.”
The family has since sold the Queenslander and love feeling “more connected to the garden and natural light” in their new build.
Curious neighbours will be able to take a peek inside the Floating Gable House during Brisbane Open House later this year.
The 70-year-old man who was driving the Brisbane council bus that mounted a footpath and killed Tia Cameron in the CBD is seeking the advice of a top barrister to determine if he should take the case to trial.
Cameron, an 18-year-old administration worker, had left a lash appointment on March 8, 2024, when the bus pinned her against the wall of the Anzac Square Arcade building.
Bus driver Lindsay Francis Selby has not entered a plea in the case.
At a brief hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning, his lawyer, Claire McGee, told the court Selby was awaiting advice from barrister Saul Holt on whether the case should proceed to a hearing or a sentence.
Take a look inside some of the other new builds that received commendations in the Australian Institute of Architects’ awards for Greater Brisbane:
Birdwood House
Architect: Marc&co
Gold Creek
Architect: Steendijk | Glenn Murcutt in collaboration
one mooloomba
Architect: Paul Butterworth Architect
It’s not often people have the opportunity to downsize and stay in the same street, let alone move just next door.
One Clayfield family has done just that. Having lived in a sprawling Queenslander in Clayfield for 20 years, they decided to build a smaller home on their tennis court.
“They were in a very fortunate situation in Clayfield, where properties often have room for a tennis court,” said architect Paul Hotston, director of Phorm Architecture and Design.
The result – Floating Gable House – has now won Australian Institute of Architects’ People’s Choice Award for Greater Brisbane.
“They are still living next door to the house they’ve been living in for 20 years … so they haven’t really moved; they’ve got the same neighbours, the same community connections.
“They were living next door while we built it.”
The family has since sold the Queenslander and love feeling “more connected to the garden and natural light” in their new build.
Curious neighbours will be able to take a peek inside the Floating Gable House during Brisbane Open House later this year.
In a shock but welcome move for music lovers, this year’s Bluesfest will not be the last, with the beloved blues and roots festival confirmed to return in 2026.
Bluesfest director Peter Noble said the team had been humbled by the overwhelming support from artists and fans since announcing 2025 as the final year, and said the influx of patrons over the weekend “have kept this dream alive”.
“We’ve had the highest attendance of any Australian festival since pre-COVID at 109,000 attendances – the third-biggest event we’ve done in the history of the festival,” Noble said.
“Festivals are back.”
Tickets for Bluesfest 2026 are now on sale.
A building sector industry body has argued Queensland’s hospital expansion works can still be delivered on budget as contractors have identified “efficiencies”.
A long-awaited review of the state’s public hospital capacity expansion program was released today, revealing a massive cost blow-out to $17 billion.
Australian Constructors Association chief executive Jon Davies said the program could still be delivered within budget by taking a smarter approach.
He warned it should be coordinated with other major infrastructure projects, like Olympic-related works, to avoid unnecessary competition for labour and materials.
“Contractors have structured their businesses around these projects – many have turned down other opportunities to focus on this program,” he said.
“Contractors have already identified practical design and construction efficiencies through value engineering. We are ready to work with Health Infrastructure Queensland to put these savings into action without delay.”
In Brisbane’s suburban backyards, there is one dominant, and rather territorial, creature: the dive-bombing, aggressive noisy miner.
Sometimes referred to as one of Australia’s “most hated birds” the noisy miner has topped the list of the most common bird in Brisbane in the latest BirdLife Australia count.
Dr Golo Maurer from Birdlife Australia says this is a concern, even though noisy miners are a native honeyeater species.
“This large aggressive honeyeater will drive smaller species away from flowers and other food sources. With native predatory species grey butcherbird, pied currawong and laughing kookaburra also in the top 10 you can see that life would be tough for smaller birds in Brisbane,” he says.
Top 10 birds seen in Brisbane
- Noisy Miner
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Torresian Crow
- Australian Magpie
- Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
- Australian White Ibis
- Grey Butcherbird
- Welcome Swallow
- Pied Currawong
- Laughing Kookaburra
“A good news signal to be watched is that the small brown honeyeater has been reported more frequently in 2024, moving within the top 30 species.
“Brisbanites can actually help to tip the balance. Small birds generally do better where there are more scrubs and understory, so planting these in your garden, or working with the council to create bushy areas instead of lawn in local parks can help these species.”
The annual backyard bird count is a citizen science project that delivers a snapshot of how our native feathered creatures are faring.
Donald Trump’s global tariff war and the uncertainty he has unleashed on the world will cost the Australian economy more than $13 billion this year and put upward pressure on inflation, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
In a wake-up call to Albanese and Dutton about the economic headwinds fanned by Trump’s policy agenda, the IMF said yesterday the global economy had entered a new era, with America and China to bear the brunt of a substantial slowdown in growth over the next 18 months.
The man accused of killing a woman in a multi-car crash, shooting a driver and committing carjackings on the Sunshine Coast will appear in court today.
Police allege Bradley Donald Towle was behind the wheel of a Porsche Macan SUV involved in a six-vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway at Palmview about 12.10pm on Easter Monday.
Jocelyn Grace Mollee, 22, was a passenger in another car involved in the pile-up, and died.
The 41-year-old Towle is accused of then shooting the driver of a four-wheel-drive in the arm and stealing his vehicle, before crashing that and leaving it upside-down on Steve Irwin Way at Landsborough.
He then allegedly approached a grey Mazda 3 with a gun, prompting the 16-year-old learner driver and her parents to run away.
Towle was arrested minutes later at the intersection of Steve Irwin Way and Forestry Road.
He was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital under police guard, and was later charged with 15 offences.
He is set to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court after 9am today.