It was leukemia, or blood cancer, that recently claimed the life of former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer at the age of just 73.

A first of its kind snapshot of blood cancer in Australia released today has found it is underestimated, under reported and the numbers of people suffering it is set to double by 2035.

In response Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the formation of a national Blood Cancer Taskforce.

 

Leukemia Foundation CEO Bill Petch tells Mark it’s a very welcome development.

The combined water level of the dams on the southeast Queensland water grid is now at its lowest level since the Millennium Drought, at just 65.5%.

Of most concern is that the region’s largest and most important drinking water source, Wivenhoe Dam, is now at just 53% capacity.

Seqwater has its fingers crossed for some good summer rains but the outlook from the BoM is far from encouraging.

Spokesman Mike Foster tells Mark there’s no reason to hit the panic button... yet.

https://www.seqwater.com.au/waterwise

It’s set to be near perfect weekend across the southeast, a great chance to get out and enjoy some great events.

Olympia has some great suggestions, brought to you by The Good Feet Store.

Brisbane has a rich and very proud history in the Australian music scene, one that is sometimes not fully appreciated.

That’s a wrong that is being righted with a new exhibition at The Museum Of Brisbane called High Rotation.

Curator Madaleine Johns tells Mark it charts the last 30 years of the local scene and some of the biggest names in Australian have been very generous with their contributions.

https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/whats-on/high-rotation/

The explosion of craft and independent breweries in Australia has put a serious squeeze on the market share of the big players.

The response from the majors is increasingly to buy up the small players.

It’s meant that about 90% of the beer consumed by Brisbane drinkers actually comes from one of the big boys, even if the label appears boutique.

One of the true Brisbane independents is the Newstead Brewing Company and founder Peter Howes explains to Mark that his company has needed to get bigger to compete.

Wynnum local and father-of-two Phil Sargeson has been named the 2019 Queensland Father of the Year.

In 2015, Phil and his wife Samara launched Cereal for Coffee, a charity that provides a healthy breakfast for kids who miss out.

Each week the charity feeds 1,100 Brisbane children.

Phil tells Mark the award gives him a chance to share his experiences as a father with other men.

Moreton Bay is the natural jewel in Brisbane’s crown but it is under pressure like never before.

The population boom in its catchment, climate change and rising sea levels mean it is facing some serious challenges.

Tomorrow a new group will bring together researchers, community members, traditional custodians and government representatives to work on the bay’s protection.

The Moreton Bay Foundation has been made possible by the Goodman Foundation and director James Goodman tells Mark it is vitally important work.

https://moretonbayfoundation.org/

When Jules Verne wrote Around The World In 80 Days in the late 19th century it was an almost impossible fantasy.

In the 21st century circumnavigating the globe could almost be considered a routine travel experience, albeit still a challenging one.

That is of course unless you had a specially chartered Jumbo jet at your disposal.

That’s the prospect on offer to travelers through Journeys Worldwide.

https://www.journeysworldwide.com.au/

The federal regulation that forces the big supermarkets to show unit prices on their shelves is due to expire at the end of October after a decade.

The Queensland Consumers’ Association is calling on the Morrison Government to release its plan to renew the regulation, arguing that unit pricing has saved consumers a fortune over the last decade.

Association spokesman Ian Jarratt tells Mark it’s time unit pricing was actually extended to include all supermarkets, big and small, and a range of other retailers as well.

It seems barely a week goes by in Brisbane lately without protesters causing no end of chaos and disruption in the CBD.

The most recent, this week, was to protest for the right to protest as demonstrators marched against new laws proposed by the state government.

The President of the Queensland Council Of Civil Liberties Michael Cope argues that sometimes inconvenience is the price we must pay for democracy.

It is not an argument that found much sympathy with Mark.