Roberta2

I do think a lot depends on the Principal, which is why it's a good idea to make an appointment to see him/her. My granddaughter (8) was removed from an overseas school in March, and has been living with me in an inner northern suburb of Brisbane until her parents return next year. The local state school, about 7ks from the CBD, has a fairly low ICSEA (socio economic status) ranking, and draws a lot of kids from public housing. Aboriginal and Torres St Islander kids comprise 15%. There are quite a few refugee kids too. Unlike many of the local schools, it is not catchment controlled. (The main reason is that as a consequence of the postwar baby boom and high levels of immigration at the time, it once had 1500 kids; now it has fewer than 300, although that number is steadily increasing.) So we didn't know what to expect, but have been very impressed. The Principal is a youngish go-getter. Having successfully pushed for airconditioning for the whole school (by no means universal in Brisbane, despite the summer heat and humidity), she has now succeeded in getting the pool not only refurbished but heated. She runs a tight ship as to discipline, uniforms etc. The school's NAPLAN scores have been steadily improving. The P and C is active, and out of hours school care is available. My granddaughter is thriving there; her only complaint is that boys outnumber girls in her class by 2:1. (No idea why.) So I am glad I didn't listen to someone who told me it was a "bad" school. Pure snobbery - she was quick to make it known that her toddler was already enrolled in a so called elite private school. Snobbery can be very expensive in Australia. and the opportunity costs of sending kids to an expensive private school can also be high.

The individual states run public education in Australia, so each system is somewhat different - although moving towards more conformity. One thing to consider is school catchments. You can see these on a Queensland Department of Education map. The most desirable schools are catchment controlled, so you have to prove you live in the area. This includes both primary and secondary schools. The most in-demand schools won't enroll you until you have a signed lease document or proof of purchase, and they can insist that you have six months utility bills in your names. The most in-demand high school, Brisbane State High (partially selective and my old school), is especially sticky (not least because of widespread fraud.) I heard recently that a couple moving up from Sydney could not enroll their kid until they produced the six months worth of utility bills. For comparing all schools, see the MySchool website run by the federal government. Of course, there are also many private schools - one third of Australian kids go to those.

Also happy with Mindahome.

I think these projects will go ahead. The Labor government under Palaszczuk has been returned, this time with a workable majority. She has shown herself to be a pretty canny politician, and just sacked (kicked upstairs) her dud Treasurer. The economy has been kept afloat after the end of the mining boom by the residential housing boom, largely a consequence of historically low interest rates. Thus the government is looking to infrastructure. Cross River Rail also deserves a mention. Brisbane house prices are roughly half of those in Melbourne and Sydney, so interstate migration looks like picking up. One million in Brisbane will buy you a pretty decent house within 5ks of the CBD.

Roberta is signing out for a while. Off soon to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba. Grandfather was in the famous Charge, with the Fourth Light Horse Regiment. Turnbull will be there of course. They all love to wrap themselves in the flag.

Report it to DIBP. There is always someone dumb enough to fall for a scam.

Looks like a scam or a con. They will probably ask for your bank account details when you want to apply for reimbursement.

The Bill will be thrown out unless it passes the Senate by 18 October. The High Court will not have resolved any of the citizenship cases by then. Senator Xenophon has not given a date for his resignation. Senator Sinadinos is on leave for health reasons; he will be given a pair. So nothing material has changed.

Parliament is still in recess.

No one can predict what this Senate will do. We saw Nick Xenophon and Pauline Hanson in an alliance of convenience last week in relation to the new media laws. Xenophon outfoxed Pauline, of course.

I meant when did Dutton ever say the bill was 100% non negotiable? I would be very surprised if any cabinet minister would say any such thing, given the nature of the Senate.

When did Dutton say that?

I wonder if they have really learned much. The whole area west of Montague Road is a flood plain. The aborigines told the Europeans never to build there, for good reason! Time will tell, in the next big flood. I did buy a unit there a while ago, but kept the latest flood map in my hot little paw as I trotted around. But of course it doesn't matter as much if you are renting. Certainly plenty to choose from now.

PS. There is an open Facebook group called Keep West End Weird. It will give you an idea what goes on there.

Yes, the public transport in West End is excellent. Bike paths are being improved too. It's only about a 20 minute walk to the CBD. Easy walking distance to the public pools, restaurants, parks etc on the river at Southbank. Not sure I would want to live too close to the river though. Severe flooding in 2011. I went to the West End State School fete recently - it's a very diverse area, with quite a lot of public housing, many students living in shared houses, but rapidly becoming gentrified. Median house prices are now well over a million - which is expensive for Brisbane. It has elected the first Greens Councillor in Queensland, who is stirring the pot quite a bit, and the Greens and the Labor Party are at daggers drawn for the forthcoming State election. The West End Community Association is very active. Probably the most interesting Brisbane suburb.