Brisbane ratepayers to cop 2.5% rate rise
Brisbane ratepayers have been hit with a 2.5 per cent rate rise, or an extra $40 per year, as part of the 2018-19 budget.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says the extra $10-per-quarter will deliver on the important issues of infrastructure, liveability and lifestyle.
It comes five weeks after Lord Mayor Graham Quirk ended speculation and confirmed he would nominate to run in the 2020 Brisbane City Council election.
Pensioners and part-time pensioners will be eligible to remission on their rate bills.
8am Zedlines 13/6/18
An overcrowded asylum seeker ship will be welcomed in Spain after being refused by Italy and Malta and other Zedlines.
The Aquarius rescue ship carrying over 600 asylum seekers will travel to Spain this week after Italy and Malta refused to let the migrants dock.
The boat has been afloat in the central Mediterranean sea since Sunday and is heavily overcrowded, sparking concerns the 4-day trip would be too much for its already exhausted passengers.
Eyes Ninety: Glaucoma Chameleon
- As I grow ever older and increasingly apathetic towards almost all things, sometimes it’s reassuring that rock’n’roll dogs like Eyes Ninety both exist, and on occasion, release records. Hailing from the swampy stank capital of Australia, Brisbane’s Eyes Ninety craft feverish, no-bullshit garage rock that makes me feel slightly better about hauling my human carcass around day in and day out.
Snail Mail: Lush
- Transitioning from well received debut EP on a small D.I.Y punk label to a debut full-length on a major independent label has been taken in the confident stride of Snail Mail’s sole creative force, Lindsay Jordan. On her new record Lush, Jordan continues her raw venting ways over moody, jangling indie rock being strained through folk and slowcore influences. As you’d expect from a debut album, the rough edges have been filed back into an easier to digest shape and benefit from a cleaner, grander production.
Neko Case: Hell-On
- There’s a certain contrariness about the latest Neko Case record. She’s one of America’s best regarded alt-country, indie-rock voices and songwriters and one of the most commanding too, in sheer, rounded volume as much as anything else. Still even with all that power streaming out and on Hell-On -never fear- it still does, Neko doesn’t exactly follow the path she’s beaten in the course of her own career. In fact, it can be a little hard to get a handle on where she’s going at all.
Vital Idles: Left Hand
- Left Hand is the first full-length album from Glasgow-based DIY band Vital Idles. They utilise the typical array of rock instrumentation with a raw and sensitive ear, moving in understated and minimal tidal pools across the fourteen tracks of mostly short, and tightly wound garage pop tunes. The songs are underpinned by a simple rhythmic sensibility, allowing singer Jessica Higgins’ vocals to float over the steady and intently primal pulse of the band.
11am Zedlines
This has been Natalie and Kate with your 11am Zedlines.
Image source: Wikipedia
The meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is due to commence today at 11am AEST.
The leaders will talk one on one with translators only, before heading into a larger meeting on pressing nuclear issues.
The White House has said that the US President will also speak to the media after the summit.
United Nations withdraws staff from Yemen, fearing military assault
The United Nations and the Red Cross have withdrawn their staff from Al Hudaydah, fearing an imminent attack from the Arab coalition.
Approximately 80% of foreign humanitarian aid entering Yemen comes through the port city, with over 75% of the Yemeni population is dependent on food aid.
US Representative Ted Lieu says another attack on the city would plunge Yemen into further humanitarian crisis.
Asbestos traces found on Darwin beaches
Traces of asbestos are being found on beaches in Darwin.
Locals believe the asbestos has been on the beaches for years, following the dumping of household debris near the coastline.
There are signs on beaches that warn people of the potential asbestos hazards, but locals consider these to be insufficient warnings.
No extensive effort has been made to remove the asbestos, but a representative of the Darwin Council has encouraged people to report large pieces to the Northern Territory government.
Campaigner calls for changes to coffee cup packaging
An environmental campaigner is calling for warnings to be placed on takeaway coffee cups in the style of tobacco packaging warnings to reduce the number of coffee cups that end up in landfill.
Campaigner Anna Warren aims to get signatures from 25,000 supporters to her online petition to present it to Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg.
Ms Warren suggests that a warning should be placed on disposable cups, especially cups with a waterproof coating as they cannot be recycled.