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Max Brenner in Portside Wharf Hamilton Closes

After struggling financially, Max Brenner in Portside Wharf Hamilton is now permanently closed along with 19 other stores across Australia.

Due to escalating costs and tighter retail trade, the directors of Max Brenner Australia have resolved to appoint Voluntary Administrators on 30 September 2018. The Voluntary Administrators appointed to the store are Barry Kogan, Kathy Sozou, and Jason Preston.

Despite saying that Max Brenner stores will still operate on a ‘business as usual’ basis in their previous statement, the beloved chocolatier closed 20 of its stores on Monday, 8 October 2018.

The administrators said that they were left with no choice but to close more than half of Max Brenner Australia’s stores. This came on the heels of their store-by-store review of its operations.

Furthermore, staff from the closed locations will be made redundant whilst administrators try to sell or recapitalise the business and keep the remaining stores operating.

Closed Stores

Remaining Stores

1. Kingston ACT
2. UNSW (Kensington) NSW
3. Wollongong NSW
4. Central Park (Chippendale) NSW
5. Newtown NSW
6. Parramatta NSW
7. Casuarina Darwin NT
8. Gasworks (Newstead) QLD
9. Portside (Hamilton) QLD
10. Milton QLD
11. Townsville QLD
12. Toowoomba QLD
13. Australia Fair (Southport) QLD
14. Rockhampton QLD
15. Coolangatta QLD
16. Carindale QLD
17. Rundle Street (Adelaide) SA
18. Woodgrove (Melton West) VIC
19. Joondalup WA
20. Whitford City (Hillarys) WA

1. Belconnen ACT
2. Macquarie Centre (Macquarie Park) NSW
3. Narellan NSW
4. Doody Street (Alexandria) NSW
5. Charlestown NSW
6. Blacktown NSW
7. Manly NSW
8. Sydney Tower (Sydney CBD) NSW
9. Tuggerah NSW
10. Bondi Junction NSW
11. Surfers Paradise QLD
12. Robina QLD
13. Southbank (South Brisbane) QLD
14. Queen Victoria (Melbourne) VIC
15. Highpoint (Maribyrnong) VIC
16. Craigieburn VIC
17. Doncaster VIC

Redundancy

Photo credit: Max Brenner Australia/Facebook

According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, “When an employee’s job is made redundant their employer has to give them redundancy pay, also known as severance pay.”

The amount of redundancy pay the employee gets is based on his or her continuous service with the employer. Continuous service is determined with the length of time they are employed by the business and doesn’t include unpaid leave.

The staff that were made redundant may calculate redundancy pay with Fair Work’s Notice and Redundancy Calculator.

Employees Still Owed Unpaid Wages

Apart from the expected redundancy pay, some of Max Brenner’s employees claim that they are still owed unpaid wages.

In a letter to the employees, the administrators said they are currently checking the calculation of outstanding entitlements. Those who are owed money by the company are considered as creditors.

Creditors may claim their entitlements which may involve any unpaid wages, the accrued leave amounts (annual leave, long service leave), redundancy pay (if applicable), and unpaid superannuation.

Access to these entitlements depends on the outcome of the administration which will be decided at the second meeting of creditors. The first meeting of creditors was held on Thursday, 11 October 2018.

Enjoy A Frenchy Affair at Hamilton Reach

Hamilton Reach is having a distinctly French celebration on Sunday, 21 October 2018.

It’s a good day to be outdoors when Hamilton Reach hosts A Frenchy Affair at the Northshore Riverside Park. Guests will certainly enjoy a taste of France with local cuisine, tunes, and entertainment at the event.

From 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., families can have a lovely picnic at the park whilst being entertained by acclaimed jazz band Cigany Weaver.

Photo credit: J’adore Les Crepes/Facebook

Visitors will also enjoy free coffee, crepes by J’adore Les Crepes and other Frenchy fare, French-inspired cocktails and drinks at Northshore Harbour Café, and gourmet cheeses from Le Fromage Yard.

There are also several free activities to keep the kids and the kids-at-heart entertained such as a caricaturist, crafts for kids, giant games, and more.

Treats for Early Birds

More free goodies await early birds! The first 100 people to visit the newly completed Riverlight apartments before the event starts can fill their goodie bags with free treats.

Early goers can start collecting free goodies from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. from the pastry station, macaron station, lolly buffet, lemonade and iced tea bar, and French champagne in the penthouse for 18+ only. Picnic rugs and more freebies will be up for grabs on the day. Remember, only one goodie bag is allowed per family.

Travelling to Hamilton Reach

Because of on-street parking limitations along Macarthur Avenue, guests travelling by car may park at the free car park. It is located on the right before the Hamilton Reach roundabout.

Visitors may also travel by CityCat. The Northshore Riverside CityCat stop is just a two-minute walk from the Sales and Display Centre.

Brisbane Airport Corporation Issued a New Request for Proposals For Three New F&B Locations

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) is beefing up its F&B offering with the release of another Request for Proposals (RFP) from premium Food and Beverage operators.

The Request for Proposal is for three food and beverage locations within its domestic terminal, specifically on Level 2 (Departures) of the new Qantas Café Court.

The opportunities range from 18 square metres to 259 square metres. Brisbane Airport Corporation Issued a New Request for Proposals For Three New F&B Location

The sites will be complemented with a new retail mix including fashion, accessories, and other specialty retail occupancy, expected to be completed by 2020. Premium F&B operators are encouraged to submit one or all of the three concepts.

One of the concepts includes operating an Asian style ‘Hawker Market’ inspired curated food precinct with maximum seating and natural lighting from the rear of the precinct.

The other proposed concepts include three side-by-side, quick service offerings with Mexican/Greek/Turkish cuisine, gourmet burgers, and Asian cuisine; and, two high-volume offers such as sushi, burgers, Mexican, Turkish, Greek or Asian.

Stage one of the retail redevelopment to the Domestic Terminal was completed in June 2016. The first stage of the redevelopment involved the AU$15 million upgrade of the Virgin side. The completed works introduced 19 new retail and food and beverage concessions.

BAC will assume entire operational control across the terminal, creating a single terminal with common systems by January 2019. The second stage of the $40 million Retail Redevelopment programme includes the upgrading of the Domestic Terminal and retail offerings in the Northern (Qantas end) and central areas of the terminal.

Once completed, the redevelopment will deliver 51 new and refurbished stores with new retail and dining offers. This will take total number of commercial offerings in the terminal to over 70 which includes food and beverage, fashion, and travel essentials.

The RFP will close on Thursday 1 November 2018.

Hamilton Median House Price Breaches $1.4M Mark, Among Highest in Brisbane

The REIQ recently reported the latest housing market statistics which showed the Hamilton median house price among the highest in Brisbane at $1,442,000, a huge 32.9% increase over the last 12 months, yet according to the REIQ figures, only 0.8% over the last 5 years. In the 2nd quarter of 2018, there were 8 homes sold in the Hamilton.

“Average days on market have been approximately 75 days for homes in Hamilton,” says Loretta Accornero of Harcourts Ascot.

Steady Market Demand

“There has been a -10.91% median price drop for units in Hamilton over the past 12-month period with the median sale price of $495K and average days on market is in excess of 100 days. These figures are due to the amount of units for sale in the “Portside” and “Hamilton Harbour” precinct.

“As a Townhouse and Unit specialist in the ‘4007’ area, there has been a lot of extra demand to purchase townhouses, duplex’s and standalone townhomes with no body corporate fees due to the increasing administration fees in unit and townhouse complexes.

“There have been good numbers attending open homes in both houses and units, very similar to last year,“ she said.

SpeedyCat to Start Services from Northshore Hamilton, New Sports-Themed CityCat Launched

The new SpeedyCat is all set to start services on Monday 24 September 2018 to cut travel times from Northshore Hamilton to Riverside and from the University of Queensland to North Quay. The announcement comes as Brisbane City Council launched a new sports-themed CityCat.

Public and Active Transport Chairman Cr Adrian Schrinner said more than 100 weekly SpeedyCat express services will operate during peak hours on weekdays.

SpeedyCat Brisbane — Photo credit: Luke Hauck (WT-shared) Anewcleardawn/Wikimedia Commons

“The express services will also service terminals at Apollo Road in Bulimba, Teneriffe, Guyatt Park in St Lucia and West End, to boost travel options for residents so they can spend less time travelling and more time at home with family and friends,” Cr Schrinner said.

“The completion of river works for the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade now means we can roll out new SpeedyCat services, however this new timetable will also incorporate changes to other river transport services, including CityCats, CityFerries, CityHoppers and Cross River Ferries.

The same number of CityCat services will remain. However, passengers can expect a go-slow section of the river during construction of the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.

Read: New Express SpeedyCat to Service Northshore Hamilton Through $68 Million Investment

Notices and information will be provided at terminals to inform passengers of any changes due to the ferry services.

TransLink, for its part, has updated the timetables. Commuters can head over to their website to plan their journeys.

CityCat for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments

In anticipation for the upcoming International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS) Global Games in Brisbane next year, a CityCat will carry the colours of the INAS.

This is in line with the celebration of Australia’s first INAS Global Games, recognised as the biggest sporting event for athletes with an intellectual impairment.

Cr Schrinner said the INAS games will strengthen Brisbane’s reputation as an inclusive city.

“With only one year to go, we are today unveiling Brisbane’s 18th sports-themed CityCat that will proudly display the colours of the INAS Global Games, coming to our city in October 2019,” CR Schrinner said.

Robyn Smith, CEO of the Global Games Sports Company, is delighted to hear about the CityCat branding with INAS colours.

“It will not only promote this inclusive event to the Brisbane community, but showcase the world’s best athletes who will compete and demonstrate that their impairment is no barrier to sporting excellence,” said Ms Smith.

The games are expected to attract more than 1,000 athletes from other parts of the world.

Brisbane’s New Runway Achieves Construction Milestone

The construction of Brisbane’s new runway has achieved a critical milestone with the completion of the first portions of the link taxiways. The completed works will connect the new runways system with the existing system and terminals.

The recent milestone is part of the $120 million Dryandra Road Underpass contract, which includes the delivery of a public roadway. The public roadway, due to open in late September, will travel under the taxiways. It will allow access to the General Aviation Precinct and the Plane Spotters’ Area on Acacia Street.

Brisbane’s New Runway – Project Overview

Video credit: Brisbane Airport/YouTube

“As the finish line for the construction of the biggest aviation project in Australia draws close it is easy to forget just how much planning it has taken to get to this point,” Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) Chief Executive Officer, Gert-Jan de Graaff said.

“Brisbane’s new runway has been on Master Plan documents since the 1970s, so to be here where we can physically stand on taxiways and see the foundations of the runway being laid is a huge achievement for the thousands of people who have been involved with this project since its very early days,” he said.

The milestone is a great achievement for the project; it is, however, just the “tip of the iceberg”. Together with the runway and taxiway construction, a number of other constructions will also be underway like the High Intensity Approach Lighting system to both the north and south of the runway centreline and the landscaping of the 300ha site, Mr de Graaff said. These constructions will be completed ahead of the opening in mid-2020.

Landing on Brisbane’s New Runway

Video credit: Brisbane Airport/YouTube

“The Underpass is an engineering feat, being 1.6 metres thick at the deepest point, these bridges are designed to withstand the weight of a fully-laden A380 as well as any planned, future variants,”Jim Frith, McConnell Dowell Managing Director said.

The Underpass, being constructed five metres below sea level, will require a de-watering system that will remove the equivalent of the volume of two Olympic swimming pools in a single, 24-hour period. The physical structure, on the other hand, is comprised of approximately 20,000 m3 of concrete and 4,000 tonne of reinforced steel.

The enormity and complexity of the construction works also meant the employment of around 300 people, Mr Frith said.

Brisbane’s New Runway – Construction Timelapse

Video credit: Brisbane Airport/YouTube

Brisbane’s new runway by the numbers

Brisbane’s new runway site is 360 hectares (2.5 times the size of the Brisbane City CBD)
The runway is 3.3 km long and 60 metres wide
The taxiway system will be made up of 12 km of taxiways (25 metres wide)
The runway is made up of three layers: 2,475 mm sand, 600 mm of crushed rock and 125 mm asphalt
The taxiways are made up of three layers: 1,500 mm sand, 200 mm crushed rock and 490 mm of concrete.

Project contribution to SEQ:

90 per cent of project employees live in South East Queensland (SEQ)
90 per cent of construction equipment to be sourced from SEQ
Up to 675 people to work directly on the project during peak period
Additional $5 billion in annual economic benefit to the region by 2035
7,800 jobs generated by the new runway by 2035

Dryandra Road Underpass

750,000 cubic metres of sand was moved for construction of the underpass
5 km of water and sewer pipes were installed
35 km of conduits installed
Nearly 20,000 cubic metres of heavily reinforced concrete poured
More than 700 concrete piles driven to an average depth of more than 30 metres below ground level
1.1 km of separated roadway
Four lanes – two airside, two landside
Designed to withhold the weight of a fully-laden A380 and future variants (approx. 710 tonne)
More than 700 metres of sheet piles installed

Brisbane Airport Domestic Passengers Registered Biggest Growth in Five Years: FY18 Report

The BAC fiscal year 2018 report indicates the biggest growth in five years for Brisbane Airport domestic passengers. There were additional 263,000 domestic passengers for a 1.5 per cent increase from FY17. The domestic passengers volume totaled 17.5 million.

For FY18, Brisbane Airport international passengers grew by 5.2 per cent or more than 5.9 million. The China and Hong Kong market registered its largest year-on-year passenger volume growth so far, up by 20 per cent. Following China and Hong Kong are Malaysia (up by 19.6 per cent), India (up by 14.7 per cent), and Korea (up by 13.9 per cent).

Video credit: Brisbane Airport/Youtube</span

Overall, the FY18 saw a 2.4 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers, including domestic and international traffic. Passenger numbers grew to more than 23.4 million passengers.

More Direct Flights, Seats, and Partnership With Local and State Government Fueled Passenger Growth

BNE attributes the increase in passengers numbers, both international and intrastate, from direct flights and more seats to and from Brisbane Airport. During the same period, there was also a 5.8 per cent increase in seats to global destinations.

“There’s no doubt Brisbane, South East Queensland and Queensland as a whole, offers many compelling and unparalleled reasons for new airlines to consider bringing their aircraft into this market,” Gert-Jan de Graaff, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) Chief Executive Officer said.

“This is why BAC aggressively competes to attract new airlines, bigger and more efficient aircraft, and additional flights from our city to unserved direct destinations.” he said.

For the first time in three years, intrastate passengers traffic grew owing to increased seat capacity to/from Brisbane. Some intrastate routes showed good growth with Proserpine, Mackay, and Townsville outperforming other destinations and absorbing the additional seats.
Video credit: Brisbane Airport/Youtube</span

“The figures show the considerable efforts we undertake in aviation attraction, along with the contributions our partners in local and state government make through various incentive schemes, trade missions and campaigns, boosts visitors to Queensland, with Brisbane the gateway to the city, as well as the broader region, from northern NSW to Tropical North Queensland,” Mr de Graaff said.

Looking Forward to 2019

“As the opening of Brisbane’s new runway draws near, we remain committed to championing Brisbane and Queensland to the world, while continuing the roll-out of our extensive multi-billion dollar infrastructure program, growing and updating our facilities and services with a keen focus on providing an exceptional customer experience,” Mr de Graaff concludes.

Brisbane Airport Corporation expects that the capacity growth will spill over into the next 12 months. New services will open next year to reinforce international passenger growth. Domestic passenger growth, on the other hand, is expected to show modest growth in FY19.

Upcoming Events at the Dendy Cinemas Portside, Hamilton

Lots of exciting events are coming at Dendy Portside beginning this Sunday, 26 August. Get ready for some treat as Dendy Portside present the 30s and 40s Classics Retro Screening, Cliff Richard Live: 60th Anniversary Tour, Classics Screening: The Producers and lots more. To view the complete lineup of upcoming events and festivals, check out Dendy Portside website.

In the meantime, we have three preview screenings picked here for the comedy and psychological thriller film buffs out there. You might want to check these out.

Preview Screening: THE DEVIL MAY CARE TRILOGY: BLOOD LUST WRATH

plus Q&A with cast and crew

Photo credit: StickyTickets/stickytickets.com.au

“The Devil May Care follows the reluctant rise and fall of Ryan O’Connor (Dave Beamish) across 3 interconnecting short films, each a different genre of movies.”

TIMELINE OF THE NIGHT:

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Red carpet and photos

5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Introduction and displaying other short films and media

6:00 p.m. – Feature screening

6:30 p.m. – Q&A with cast and crew

Ryan O’Connor is an Irish mob heir who was just a young boy when he ran away from his father’s violent legacy. Twenty years later, his past is haunting him and he must now find a way to protect his family.

Jonathan Creed’s The Devil May Care Trilogy screening will feature 3 back-to-back films of different genre (crime/thriller, romance/drama, and psycho horror). Each film has a different filmmaking style and each is intertwining into the same story.

Credit: DMC Trilogy/YouTube

Presented By: Kristian Fletcher

Kristian Fletcher began presenting themed cult movie events when he was just 17. In 2005, he launched a “travelling” retro dance party called Retro-Spekt, which still can be seen at venues around Brisbane.

Ticket Prices

General Admission $17.50

* Includes Sticky Tickets booking fee.

** Ticket prices may vary slightly based on the payment method selected at checkout.

For bookings visit: http://www.kristianfletcher.com/

Preview Screening: The Flip Side

Wednesday, August 29, 6:30 PM

“A feel-good Aussie romantic comedy about what happens when the one that got away comes back.”

A film by Marion Pilowsky, The Flip Side tells the story of Ronnie (Emily Taheny), a deep-in-debt restaurateur who five years ago was left heartbroken when her brief intense romance with British movie star Henry (Eddie Izzard) ended. Luke McKenzie plays Jeff, Ronnie’s good-hearted boyfriend, who unwittingly creates a way for Ronnie and former fling Henry to meet again.

With Henry having the perfect opportunity to seduce her again and she still having feelings for him, how will Ronnie deal with this awkward situation?

Credit: 20thCenturyFoxFilm/YouTube

Ticket Prices

CLUB DENDY $10.00

REGULAR $12.00

For bookings visit: https://www.dendy.com.au/events/preview-screening-the-flip-side

Club Dendy Screening: Beast

Wednesday, September 12, 6:30 PM

“Be careful what you unleash”

A psychological thriller from director Michael Pearce, Beast explores the dark story of a troubled 27-year-old island girl still living with her family. Despite having a domineering mother and a sister who stole her thunder on her debut, she is too beholden to leave her family and ailing father.

However, when Moll met and fell madly in love with Pascal, she felt alive for the first time. She found the strength to move in with Pascal and break away from her family and the conservative community.

After Pascal got arrested as the key suspect in a series of brutal murders, she was left alone and afraid. Amidst suspicion from the community against Pascal, she chooses to stand by her man. As she deals with the circumstances in her life, she will be forced to make choices that will forever change her life.

Credit: Rapid Trailer/YouTube

Ticket Prices

CLUB SENIORS/STUDENT $7.00

CLUB ADULT $9.00

For bookings visit: https://www.dendy.com.au/events/club-preview-screening-beast

Brisbane Commuters to Benefit from Completed Inner City Bypass Upgrade

Trips between the city’s inner-north and western suburbs are now quicker and safer with the completion of the Inner City Bypass upgrade.

One of Brisbane’s most important routes, the ICB and is integral to the city’s economic growth as it provides a vital link in the road network with its connections to Lutwyche Road, AirportlinkM7, Clem7, Legacy Way, and the soon-to-be-upgraded Kingsford Smith Drive.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk marked the project’s completion on 20 August 2018.

“Council is committed to tackling traffic congestion right across the city and the ICB upgrade is one of 1,000 road projects that are being delivered as part of a $2 billion investment,” Cr Quirk said.

“With more lanes and bus priority measures, this upgrade will ensure the ICB can cater for future traffic demands which are expected to grow to 130,000 daily vehicles by 2031.”

Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube

Upgrades to the ICB included the new 150-metre on-ramp, which will provide direct access to the city from the Inner Northern Busway and Bowen Bridge Road.

According to Cr Quirk, more than 50 bus services travel along this stretch of road every day. Upgrades will allow bus passengers to save up to 10 minutes on their journey along the ICB. With this, new timetables will come into effect from 27 August 2018.

Infrastructure Chairman Cr Amanda Cooper said upgrades offered a significant improvement to the ICB.

“Prior to the upgrade, the ICB was operating at 90 percent capacity with vehicles often queuing up to 700 metres at the Herston Road exit and all road users will now benefit from up to 25 percent travel time savings with the completion of this upgrade,” Cr Cooper said.

According to Transurban Queensland Group Executive, Sue Johnson, Transurban Queensland will provide operations, maintenance, and incident response services on the ICB following the completion of upgrades.

Transurban Queensland was the one who delivered the $60 million ICB upgrade on behalf of the Council. To learn more about the project, visit the official page of the Inner City Bypass upgrade.

Aside from the ICB upgrade, the transport along the Brisbane River is also set to improve with the Council’s investment $68 million investment for new express SpeedyCat services. The new express SpeedyCat will be deployed between Northshore Hamilton and University of Queensland and promises to shorten travel time along the Brisbane River.

Hamilton Drop-off Point Opened in Support Of “Dresses for the Drought” Initiative

It started out as a campaign intended to collect about 20-40 formal dresses for teens in drought-affected areas. The movement was initiated by sisters Anita Guyett and Tashoni Hardy which they launched through the Facebook page “Dresses for the Drought Australia”. The sisters called for donations of frocks, suits, shoes and accessories for the school formal of teens in the drought-affected farming communities.

Photo credit: Dresses for the Drought Australia/Facebook

The sisters’ initiative touched the hearts of people across Australia. In just a matter of days, it already garnered thousands of followers. Support has been overwhelming and responses from donors and commenters were very heartwarming.

Donations continue to pour in at Racecourse Road Dental, on 1/33 Racecourse Rd, Hamilton as more people in nearby cities become aware of the ongoing effort.

Heartbreaking

Farmers in New South Wales and Queensland are feeling the effects of the worst drought in living memory. Many teens in these farming areas are facing possibilities that they will have to forgo this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Tashoni Hardy currently lives in Clayfield and her sister Anita Guyett lives in Melbourne. They both grew up in rural Mackay region, known for its wildlife and fishing. This somehow made them feel more connected with the sufferings of their friends who also grew up away from the city, in regional farming communities.

Ms Guyett said that she heard of stories that some schools are calling-off their formals. The situation that the farming communities are facing have saddened them and they felt the need to help and organise something.

Mrs Hardy remembered how amazing the formals were and she felt that “to not have that opportunity as a young woman or a young man” would be sad.

“I think it’s really important for everyone to have that opportunity to have a special night and feel comfortable in their own skin and not have enormous costs involved with it,” Mrs Hardy said.

Government Support

The efforts of Anita Guyett and Tashoni Hardy have also gained support from the government. A government facility in Longreach was opened to house the donations coming from Brisbane.

“I commend the initiative organised by Tashoni and Anita and encourage everyone to dig through their wardrobes and donate formal attire they may not need anymore,” Minister Mark Furner said.

Minister Mark Furner also delivered a box containing donations of dresses and accessories from his ministerial staff. “This is a small thing that the Queensland Government is doing to help this wonderful initiative and I would like to thank the DAF staff for coming on board,” Minister Furner further said.

For more information about the “Dresses for the Drought” donation drive, please visit the Facebook page: facebook.com/dressesforthedrought.

Donation drop off point is at Racecourse Road Dental, at 1/33 Racecourse Rd, Hamilton

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