Incoming Passenger Changes into Australia

A quicker and more convenient quarantine, biosecurity clearance is assured when you arrive in Australia now that low-risk products such as commercially prepared and packaged lollies, chips and chocolates need not be declared.

The changes, which have been made on the Incoming Passenger Card, are a result of the latest scientific advice that shows such food poses a lower risk.

Biosecurity officers will now focus on goods such as raw meats, live plants, seeds and fresh fruit and vegetables, which have a “much greater potential to bring diseases and pests to Australia,” Chapman said.

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.

View Source

JLO - Dance Again World Tour (Jennifer Lopez)

Tue 18 Dec - Brisbane Entertainment Centre

The wait is over! The Frontier Touring Company is thrilled to announce that global superstar Jennifer Lopez (a.k.a. JLO) will be touring Australia for the first time ever in her impressive 13 year long career!

JLO will be touring down under as part of her 'Dance Again World Tour' which has already visited countless cities across North America, South America, Europe and Asia in recent months.

On the 'Dance Again World Tour', JLO will be performing hits from across her expansive and impressive career, which features seven studio albums that have sold more than 70 million records worldwide.

Those lucky enough to attend one of JLO's Australian performances will be treated to songs that brought JLO to the world's attention including 'If You Had My Love' and 'Waiting For Tonight' as well as those that have introduced her music to a new legion of adoring fans like 'I'm Into You' and 'Dance Again'.

JLO's impressive catalogue is also celebrated on her recently released greatest hits collection Dance Again...the Hits (out now through Sony Music Australia).

JLO is a woman who knows how to get the party started with her signature blend of killer vocal hooks, pulsing beats and storming synthesizers.

Her arena shows in December are destined to be amongst the dance parties of the year, don't miss the opportunity to join the fun on JLO's first ever Australian tour!

"Jennifer Lopez was glitz and glam through her set. At 43, Lopez is in perfect shape, and it showed through her stepped up choreography." - Edge, Boston

Andy Murray Set for Brisbane Return

Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray will return to Queensland this summer to defend his Brisbane International title.

The World No. 4 is the first player to be announced for the 2013 tournament, hot off his historic Olympic Games gold medal win over current World No. 1 Roger Federer.

“I really enjoyed playing the Brisbane International for the first time this January, and claiming the title was great preparation leading into the Australian Open,” Murray said.

“Brisbane attracts a tough draw with a lot of top players ... obviously I want to play as many matches as possible, and if I can, win. Winning always gives you extra confidence and is the perfect start leading into the first Grand Slam of the year.

“The Brisbane International is a fantastic event with great facilities, and I look forward to returning to Queensland to defend my title,” Murray continued.

Brisbane International Tournament Director, Cameron Pearson, said 25-year-old Murray will be a strong drawcard for the event.

“Andy is our defending champion, so we are thrilled he has again decided to start his year with us.

“It speaks volumes for Queensland that he values the Brisbane International so highly for his Australian Open preparation.

“His Brisbane win was the start of a stellar year for him, going on to reach the final of Wimbledon and then on to win a memorable Olympic gold medal in front of his home crowd,“ Pearson added.

Throughout his career Murray has captured 22 ATP titles and is currently coached by tennis legend Ivan Lendl.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Jann Stuckey, welcomed the news the Scottish champion was returning.

“It is a great coup to have Andy Murray back to defend his Brisbane title. It is another win for Queensland as it strives to cement itself as a major sporting state,” said Ms Stuckey.

“The Brisbane International is a fantastic start to the year for events. Last year’s matches attracted a record 92,802 attendees.

“The Newman Government is proud to support tournaments like this through Events Queensland, as part of our determined strategy to showcase Queensland as Australia’s number one tourism destination.”

In 2012 the ATP recognised the Brisbane International for the best fan experience of any tournament in the ATP International Group, which includes the Middle East, Asia and Pacific regions.

Brisbane International 2013 is presented in association with Events Queensland and will take place at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane, from December 30, 2012 to January 6, 2013.

Brisbane International 2013 series packages will go on sale at 9:00am (AEST) on Wednesday October 3.

AN EVENING WITH DELTA GOODREM WITH SPECIAL GUEST RACHAEL LEAHCAR

Exciting news Delta fans! Delta will be hitting up Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne with her "Top Of My World Shows".

"Dainty Group and NINE LIVE are proud to announce that chart-topping Australian songstress Delta Goodrem is heading home to perform a limited run of intimate and exclusive theatre concerts in October and November.

Delta will play shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, thrilling fans with all her hits, plus previewing songs from her highly-anticipated new album, Child of the Universe."

TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE THURSDAY 16TH AUGUST.

For details on how to get tickets see the below website depending on your city:

Brisbane 

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Sat 27th October
Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

Portrait Of Spain: Masterpieces From The Prado

Masterpieces from the Prado’ has been specially curated for the Queensland Art Gallery by the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid (the Prado). It is the largest and most significant international loan the Prado has ever undertaken, and is also the first exhibition from their collection ever to be shown in the Southern Hemisphere. This exhibition features over 100 masterpieces from one of the most revered collections of European painting in the world and tells the story of the evolution of painting in Spain over three and a half centuries. This ‘portrait of Spain’ shows the internal and external factors that contributed to the development of modern Spanish identity, through developments in painting on the Iberian Peninsula. On display are masterpieces by leading painters of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including El Greco, Velázquez, Ribera and Murillo. Foreign artists who worked for the royal court and directly influenced the development of painting in Spain are also well represented, with superb paintings by Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo and Anton Raphael Mengs all featured. Courtly life under the Habsburg (1516–1700) and Bourbon (1700–1808) monarchs will be glimpsed through outstanding paintings from the Royal Collections, which formed the basis of the Prado when it was established in 1819. These include portraits, mythological scenes, devotional paintings and exquisite still lifes that reveal the splendour of Spain’s ‘Golden Age’. The life and times of various levels of Spanish civil society are portrayed in works by noted artists from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Pre-eminent among these was Francisco de Goya, whose work is represented by major paintings and an important selection of prints from his three extraordinary and confronting series, 'Los Caprichos', 'Los Disparates' and 'Los Desastres de la Guerra' (‘The Disasters of War’). The emergence of a fledgling Spanish national identity in the mid nineteenth century is witnessed in a series of landscapes, portraits, religious scenes and nudes by major figures in nineteenth-century Spanish painting such as Federico de Madrazo, Eduardo Rosales, Mariano Fortuny, Aureliano de Beruete and Joaquín Sorolla. These paintings both reflect the emergence of a modern Spain and demonstrate the ways in which the visual arts assisted in its formation. This is an unprecedented opportunity to see extraordinary works of art, created by some of history’s most renowned and revered painters, from one of the most prestigious and unique museum collections in the world. The Museo Nacional del Prado The Museo Nacional del Prado (the Prado), Madrid, is one of the leading museums of the world, recognised for its unparalleled collection of European painting and sculpture, and, in particular, its holdings of Flemish, Italian and Spanish painting. The Prado’s strengths in these areas are due to the tastes of the Spanish monarchs who, from the fifteenth century onwards, avidly collected art and patronised contemporary artists such as Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, Murillo and Tiepolo. Today, the Prado is one of the most visited museums in the world and, through its dynamic exhibition, publishing, conservation and research programs, continues to influence art historical research and contemporary museology. EVENT TIMES Sunday 9am - 5pm Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm