William and Kate Touch Down in Brisbane

Prince William and wife Kate have touched down at Brisbane Airport for a brief stop on their way to the UK after their royal tour. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were expected to spend about 90 minutes at the airport.
The couple flew out of the Pacific island of Tuvalu on Wednesday morning, wrapping up their nine-day tour of Southeast Asia and the Pacific on behalf of the Queen.

The trip was overshadowed by a media row over topless photos taken of Kate during a holiday at a private estate in southern France.

The Duchess looked relaxed in a light, floral-patterned, summer dress and beige patent heels as she strolled along the tarmac beside the Duke.

A tanned Prince William was equally casual in a jacket and white shirt, which was unbuttoned at the neck.

The smiling couple were escorted from their jet to the terminal by airport staff.

Their arrival in the building caused a stir among passengers waiting for flights, who rushed to get a glimpse and take photos of the young royals as they were whisked to a private lounge.

After coming up an escalator into the departure area, the couple waved to travellers as well as members of the public standing behind glass on a viewing platform on the next floor.

A Brisbane resident, who would not give her name, said the Duchess looked beautiful.
"It's such a shame about the photos in France," she told AAP.

"People should just leave them alone - they're only human."

Japanese national Yoko Asano said she'd just arrived from the Solomon Islands and had seen the royal couple there during their recent visit.

"I'm kind of following them," she joked.

"I didn't really expect to see them here but it was good because it was less crowded here.
"I could get a good look at them."

New Zealand man Tim Bott said the brief royal visit was totally unexpected.

"I didn't even know what was going on until I saw all these guys (cameramen)," he told AAP.
"I went and had a look and saw them coming down the steps and up the escalator.

"I wasn't going to go over but I did - you kind of have to, don't you?"

The Duke and Duchess were understood to be relaxing in a private lounge while they awaited a Singapore Airlines flight scheduled to depart at 2.30pm (AEST).

Sydney has the Opera House, Paris the Eiffel Tower, and London has Big Ben. Does Brisbane Need an Icon to Compete Globally?

DOES Brisbane need an icon? 
 
As the council pushes forward to place Brisbane firmly on the map as major events city the question begs: has we got enough to make the place memorable?

World renowned architect John Mainwaring, of JMA Architects at Newstead said he believed there was no "real icon'' that identified Brisbane from other states such as Sydney and Melbourne.
And he would know. Mr Mainwaring directed the 1998 Queen Street Mall design refurbishment project which won a RAIA State Merit award for civic design. He is also known for his works with Hastings St in central Noosa.

Mr Mainwaring told City News: "Sydney has the Opera House and the bridge and we have the Brisbane River''.

"Places like Singapore have iconic structures and Saigon has just built an iconic tower.
"Does a subtroprical place like Brisbane need an icon?''

Mr Mainwaring said locals needed to "come to terms'' with the infatuation of the Brisvegas stigma.
"It's led us to where people are putting coloured lights on rock walls such as Kangaroo Point which are just blue and red and now it's happened at City Hall,'' he said.

"Proper lighting needs to be used to showcase our topographical features such the cliffs at Kangaroo Point.''

He said real icons evolved over hundreds of years.

"Brisbane has already made huge yards over the last decade and installed one of the best galleries at South Brisbane.

"We turned out backs on the Brisbane River and now it's become big there with plenty of activities - it's like an Asian river.

"Melbourne is one of the great southern hemisphere cities and far nicer than Sydney in many ways, but Melbourne is a far more recognised urban designed city,'' he said.

Mr Mainwaring said Brisbane once had the chance to build an icon called Vision Tower, in the heart of Brisbane City, however the development received the bullet during the Global Financial Crisis.
The design was 72 storeys high, and would have become Brisbane's tallest, Queensland's second tallest, and Australia's third tallest building if completed.

"I feel that would have given Brisbane an iconic status, that was a real shame,'' he said.
"But the moment we start saying we have to have an icon, then we have problems.

"I think until our culture develops, I'm not sure we're ready for it.''

He said the Storey Bridge "to a certain extent'' was a mini icon for Brisbane, but nothing compared to the great bridges of the world.

Brisbane City Councillor Vicki Howard (Central Ward) said Brisbane did not really have anything to relate itself to.

"What about City Hall? I like that but I'm not sure people relate to it,'' Cr Howard said.
"I don't think we need an icon because we have an iconic lifestyle.''

Cr Howard said urban villages as well as New Farm Park, Anzac Park, James St and the China Town Mall were 'mini icons'.

"We are developing areas that complement our lifestyle,'' she said.

But Brisbane Central state MP Robert Cavallucci said: "Brisbane has plenty of icons''.

"South Bank and the big cultural precinct attached to it is iconic. The new William St precinct will be big and most definately iconic in a few years to come,'' he said.

"Generally I don't think we need another icon, it takes time to develop.''

Meanwhile, the State Government's plan to renew the Government Administrative Precinct has sparked a strong response with 13 expressions of interest received to re-develop 1 William Street, Brisbane.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development and Planning Jeff Seeney said to start the redevelopment, the Government called for registrations of interest for the construction of a new office tower of between 60,000 to 75,000 square metres at 1 William Street.

"This vacant site, currently being used as a carpark, has been designated for government office development since 1974 and is the logical site for government administration given its proximity to Parliament," he said.

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