Brisbane economy bouncing back after coronavirus lockdown, council data reveals
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FebFebruary 2021 at 6:39am
foot traffic is returning to the CBD, currently at 58 per cent of its normal capacity.
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The Brisbane economy has started to bounce back from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, with retail spending in the 2020 November-to-December period one of the biggest in a decade, new data released by the Brisbane City Council shows.
Key points:
Foot traffic peaked over the Christmas period, with people returning to Brisbane s CBD to shop
Job numbers are also on the rise and on track to recover to pre-pandemic levels by March 2022
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A ferry service linking Brisbane s CBD with North Stradbroke Island, which the Palaszczuk government promised would open by Christmas, is yet to take a single passenger because it has not been certified by council.
In September, then-tourism minister Kate Jones announced three new pontoons would be built at Howard Smith Wharves.
Howard Smith Wharves is a step closer to having its own CityCat terminal.
The project would be a game changer for Brisbane residents, especially those living in the north and west of the city, who have to drive about 30 kilometres from the CBD to the Cleveland terminal.
Construction of one of the pontoons has finished but is waiting on Brisbane City Council certification before it can be used as a passenger terminal , a Tourism Department spokesman said.
Brisbane NYE to kiss goodbye to pashing strangers, fireworks and 2020
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Brisbane s fireworks bonanza was cancelled weeks ago and midnight kisses and cuddles with strangers were discouraged this week – like 2020, this New Year s Eve will be very different.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said coronavirus-related New Year s Eve gathering restrictions meant a maximum of 50 people in a home and 100 in public spaces.
FILE IMAGE: There will be no crowds and no fireworks at Brisbane s South Bank this New Year s Eve.
Credit:Glenn Hunt Here in Queensland, given that we don t believe we have community spread currently, we can allow gatherings to continue, which they ve not been able to allow in NSW, she said.
The moments that made 2020 the most bizarre year ever. Photo: Supplied
Offbeat by Sophie Chirgwin
Premium Content There is no doubt 2020 has been a bizarre year which no one anticipated. From schools being closed, state borders slammed shut, international travel banned and fines for leaving your home - 2020 brought unprecedented changes to our livelihoods. Queensland s fast reacting response to COVID-19 has been applauded around the world, with the state recording 1,246 total cases since the outbreak reached our shores - in a pandemic which has so far infected 81 million globally and killed 1.7 million. While Queenslanders are currently enjoying more freedoms than most of the world, even the harsh restrictions during the March lockdown now seem hard to fathom.
Thousands of development applications lodged, a handful rejected
Thousands of development applications lodged, a handful rejected
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Brisbane City Council lost 75 court cases to stop various developments in the past financial year, new data shows.
During the 2019-20 financial year, council received 4183 development applications, rejected 134, and lost 75 court battles against rejected DAs.
More than 4000 development applications were lodged with Brisbane City Council in the past financial year.
Credit:Lydia Lynch
The applications approved through the Planning and Environment Court after council rejected them weren t necessarily lodged in 2019-20, with some appeals taking years to process.
The court cases that council lost were often over DAs that had been rejected because of issues such as oversized developments, resident objections, or a lack of compliance with the planning codes.