In Kangaroo Point, an early morning call for help became a quiet act of support when an 80-year-old man stranded in wet weather was helped by police to reach an Anzac Day dawn service.
Michael Darby had been trying to make his way to a dawn service near Manly RSL when he missed his bus in the early hours of Saturday 25 April. At about 1am, he was alone in the rain at Kangaroo Point and needed assistance to continue the journey.
Acting Sergeant Ryan Baillie and Acting Sergeant Andrew Kitas responded after the call for help and checked on his welfare. After learning that Mr Darby was trying to attend the Anzac Day service, they stepped in to help him get there safely.
Photo Credit: QPS/YouTube
Officers Help Him Continue The Journey
The officers dismantled Mr Darby’s mobility scooter and loaded it into their police vehicle before assisting him into the car. The situation remained good-natured despite the wet weather and the disruption to his plans.
Their help meant Mr Darby was able to continue towards the service rather than miss the commemoration he had set out to attend.
A Timely Arrival For Anzac Day
Mr Darby arrived safely and in time to take part in the dawn service. His connection to the day added weight to the moment, with the 80-year-old having served as a civilian who helped organise support for refugees and assisted with the deployment of medical teams to Guam during the Vietnam War.
Photo Credit: QPS/YouTube
The incident drew warm public reaction, with several comments praising the officers’ assistance and others suggesting more practical transport support for elderly people and those with service connections attending early commemorative services.
For Mr Darby, the outcome was simple but meaningful. A missed bus, wet weather and an uncertain start to the morning ended with timely help, allowing him to be present for the Anzac Day service he had planned to attend.
A vacant Kangaroo Point block could be transformed into a 15-storey apartment tower, with plans lodged for a mid-market residential project at 39 Lambert Street.
The proposal outlines a new residential tower on a 1,012 square metre site at 39 Lambert Street, where the land has been vacant since around 2018. The block was previously occupied by a two-storey white-brick apartment building.
The plan is for 52 apartments across 15 levels, with the project positioned as a mid-market offering in the inner-city suburb. The apartment mix is weighted heavily towards two-bedroom homes, with 48 two-bedroom apartments and four three-bedroom apartments proposed.
Keylin Lambert Street Pty Ltd is listed as the primary applicant, with Mewing Planning Consultants involved in the planning process. The application was submitted on 23 April 2026 and remains in progress.
Photo Credit: DA/A007007696
Greenery And Rooftop Amenities Shape The Design
The tower has been designed with a strong focus on greenery, with planting planned across balcony areas, landscaped ledges and the building façade. The design also includes deep planting zones and curved balcony forms intended to soften the tower’s appearance.
Photo Credit: DA/A007007696
The project includes a rooftop communal area of about 262 square metres. Planned resident amenities include a pool, spa, gym, lounge areas and flexible wellness spaces.
Parking is also included across three basement levels, with additional ground and mezzanine parking. The proposal provides 66 car spaces in total.
Photo Credit: DA/A007007696
Lambert Street Proposal Remains In Progress
The plans describe a slender tower form shaped by setbacks, orientation and spacing from neighbouring buildings. The proposal includes separation of up to 20 metres from the nearby Point Hotel and between 9 and 17 metres from nearby residential developments.
If progressed, the project would return the vacant Lambert Street site to residential use at a larger scale, adding another apartment proposal to Kangaroo Point’s inner-city housing mix.
The pontoon at Kangaroo Point’s heritage-listed Naval Stores is among eleven riverfront sites now open to commercial expressions of interest, with operators invited to propose new experiences at designated sites along the Brisbane River ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
From floating restaurants and wellness hubs to water sports and river tours, the call for proposals marks the most significant push to activate Brisbane’s river in decades. The pontoon at the heritage-listed Naval Stores is one of three inner-city floating sites added to the process following a market sounding late last year, which drew 16 submissions from operators in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
For Kangaroo Point residents who look out at one of the most storied stretches of Brisbane’s waterfront every day, the question now is what form that activation will take.
A Waterfront With a Long Memory
The Naval Stores site at 34 Amesbury Street is already steeped in history. The original complex comprised a pair of two-storeyed iron-clad stud-framed buildings and a wharf, constructed between 1886 and 1888, built at the height of colonial Queensland’s anxieties about Russian naval power in the Pacific. The complex served as the base of the Queensland Navy until the formation of the Royal Australian Navy after Federation, and radio communication history was made in 1903 when the first Australian ship to use wireless telegraphy, HMAS Gayundah, sent signals from Moreton Bay to the Stores.
Photo Credit: SLQ Richard Stringer
Added to the Queensland Heritage Register in October 1992, the site has been home to adventure company Riverlife since 2005, offering kayaking tours, rock climbing and equipment hire along the famous cliffs. The new push invites operators to bring additional experiences to the water itself, with the three inner-city pontoons described as operational but potentially open to future upgrades depending on what proposals come forward.
What the River Could Become
BCC opened the expressions of interest process on 2 April 2026, with submissions closing at noon on 15 May. The process covers eleven sites across the River Access Network, spanning from Northshore Hamilton to Riverhills. The network includes two major river hubs at New Farm Park and the City Botanic Gardens, capable of handling larger vessels and opening opportunities for dining cruises and expanded tour boat operations, six recreation hubs designed primarily for kayaks and canoes that have remained largely under-utilised, and the three pontoons at Mowbray Park, Newstead Park and Kangaroo Point’s Naval Stores.
The river has long been treated as a backdrop rather than a destination, despite being one of Brisbane’s greatest assets. There is now a clear push to bring more life and activity onto the water, with calls for bold ideas that can turn the river into a stronger drawcard for the city.
The ambition draws on two historical precedents. Expo ’88 fundamentally shifted how Brisbane related to its waterfront, transforming it from a working waterway into a gathering place. Barcelona’s waterfront transformation ahead of the 1992 Olympic Games produced a precinct that became central to the city’s global identity. With 2032 approaching, the vision is for the Brisbane River to follow a similar arc.
The Numbers Behind the Push
Brisbane’s visitor economy reached a record $17 billion in 2025, according to Brisbane Economic Development Agency CEO Anthony Ryan, driven by visitors staying longer and spending more. Ryan said activating the river directly supported that momentum. “Visitors here for holidays or events already love hopping on a 50-cent CityCat to explore our riverfront precincts,” he said. “As we head towards Brisbane 2032, this will create more to discover at every stop, supporting local jobs, businesses and billions in economic activity.”
Committee for Brisbane CEO Jen Williams identified complexity as the key historical barrier. “The Brisbane River is central to our identity and relaxed, outdoor lifestyle, but due to the complexity of the approvals and authorising environment and the cost to deliver new infrastructure, it has long been under-utilised,” she said. The plan’s use of existing infrastructure, she argued, removes the major barriers that have long stalled waterfront activation.
Approval will be required before commercial operators can begin on any of the sites.
How to Get Involved
Operators interested in submitting a proposal must register through the SAP Ariba supplier portal and request an invitation to participate through the River Access Network tender process. Expressions of interest close at 12 noon on 15 May 2026. Full details can be viewed here.
A Kangaroo Point man is among two Brisbane men charged after police allegedly uncovered dozens of 3D-printed firearms during a vehicle interception at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
Container in Vehicle Leads to Major Firearm Seizure
Police intercepted a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and conducted a search of the vehicle, locating a black plastic container in the boot. Inside, officers allegedly found 34 Glock-style 3D-printed handguns along with approximately 800 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition. The items also included handgun magazines, rifle magazines, plastic rifle trigger guard assemblies, and a hard drive containing blueprint material for manufacturing firearms.
The driver, a 43-year-old man from West End, and a 39-year-old man from Kangaroo Point were taken into custody and transported to Southport Watchhouse. Both men were refused bail and later appeared before Southport Magistrates Court.
Photo Credit: QPS
Kangaroo Point Property Searched As Investigations Continue
Search warrants were executed at properties in West End and Kangaroo Point as part of ongoing investigations. Authorities have not indicated whether additional items were located during those searches.
The two men have been charged with multiple offences, including supplying and possessing Category H firearms, unlawful possession of weapons, possession and distribution of blueprint material for firearm manufacturing, possession of short firearms in a public place, and possession of dangerous drugs. Investigations remain ongoing as police continue efforts to address the alleged possession and supply of unlawful firearms.
Photo Credit: QPS
Police Highlight Risks Linked to 3D-Printed Firearms
The investigation follows broader concerns raised by police about the use of 3D printing technology to produce unlawful firearms. Authorities have indicated that intelligence-led operations are being used to disrupt access to these weapons and associated materials.
The Kangaroo Point connection forms part of the current investigation, with officers focusing on the alleged movement and possession of firearms identified during the vehicle search.
A secret sale at Kangaroo Point’s Walan building has rewritten the suburb’s apartment record books, with a full-floor penthouse at 14/2 Scott Street changing hands for $14.75 million — surpassing the previous high by $3.7 million and making it the largest apartment sale in Brisbane so far this year.
The deal was handled quietly by Heath Williams of Place New Farm, who said the sale was never publicly advertised. Rather than a broad marketing campaign, the property was introduced directly to prospective buyers through a selective network of trusted contacts — a strategy Williams says is becoming more common at the top end of the Brisbane market.
The Walan is a 14-storey residential building completed in 2018, comprising just 14 whole-floor apartments. The penthouse itself offers sweeping views of the city skyline and river, generous entertaining terraces, and the kind of layout that prioritises both scale and privacy.
For locals who walk past the building on Scott Street — tucked neatly between the cliffs and the river — it might come as little surprise that one of its residences commands such a price. The building has long been considered one of the more architecturally considered addresses in the suburb.
The previous record for a Kangaroo Point apartment was $11.05 million, paid last year for an off-the-plan purchase in the Heirloom development, which is still under construction. The suburb’s house price record remains $15 million, set in 2021 for a property at 1 Leopard Street.
According to PropTrack data, the median unit price in Kangaroo Point now sits at $840,000 — up 16.4 per cent over the past 12 months — reflecting a broader upward trend that this latest sale sits well above.
Williams said buyers and sellers at this price point are typically experienced property owners making considered moves rather than entering or leaving the market altogether. The appeal, he suggested, is less about fanfare and more about finding the right match between a property and the right buyer, at the right moment.
The Kangaroo Point sale came shortly after Williams also negotiated an off-market deal for Teneriffe House, which set a suburb record of its own. That sale price has not been officially disclosed, though industry sources have indicated it exceeded the recent $18.5 million sale of a New Farm property on Elystan Road, making it the highest recorded residential sale price in Brisbane in 2026.
According to Queensland Police Service media, the incident occurred around 1.20pm on 23 January when a 16-year-old boy allegedly rode an e-motorcycle through the tunnel and crashed. The rider was transported to hospital with minor injuries, and no other injuries were reported.
Police allege the teenager was part of a group of juveniles riding e-devices throughout inner Brisbane shortly before the crash occurred.
The incident prompted search warrants at two residential addresses in the following weeks. On 29 January, officers from the Brisbane City Tactical Crime Squad executed a warrant at a Scott Road property in Herston, where they seized a non-compliant e-bike and a mobile phone.
A 15-year-old Herston boy was subsequently charged with publishing material about particular offending behaviour (known as a ‘post and boast’ offence), unlicenced driving, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle. He was dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
A second search warrant was conducted on 1 February at a Wexford Street address in Kenmore Hills, resulting in the seizure of another allegedly non-compliant e-bike.
The 16-year-old involved in the Clem 7 crash was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlicenced driving, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle. He was also dealt with under Youth Justice Act provisions.
North Brisbane District Inspector Matt Blunn said the seizures send a clear message to both parents and young riders about the consequences of road offences.
“Every guardian and rider have an important obligation to ensure any device ridden is compliant and being used in a safe manner,” Inspector Blunn said in the police statement.
He expressed concern about juveniles operating devices classified as unregistered electric motorcycles on major roads, describing such behaviour as “deeply concerning”.
Inspector Blunn warned that police take these offences seriously and will continue enforcement, engagement and education efforts regarding e-mobility device safety, stating that those who break the law can expect police to follow up.
Information about e-mobility device compliance and safety requirements is available through the Queensland Government’s StreetSmarts website.
Anyone with information about similar incidents can contact Policelink through the online suspicious activity form at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
A dramatic incident unfolded in Kangaroo Point on Friday afternoon when a 31-year-old man allegedly stole two vehicles in quick succession, causing significant traffic disruption on the Story Bridge.
According to Queensland Police, the Woolloongabba man is accused of stealing a black Toyota Yaris from a business on Logan Road in Eight Mile Plains around 11pm on Thursday evening. The vehicle was reportedly driven dangerously through several Brisbane suburbs, including Toowong, Greenslopes and the CBD, before crashing on MacDonald Street in Kangaroo Point at approximately 3pm on Friday.
Police allege that just ten minutes later, the man approached a red Toyota Corolla on Main Street in Kangaroo Point and forcibly removed the 43-year-old female driver from Mango Hill from her vehicle. He then allegedly fled in the stolen Corolla, driving erratically onto the Story Bridge where the vehicle struck multiple other cars before rolling onto its side.
The incident occurred during the afternoon peak hour, causing major traffic delays. Northbound lanes of the Story Bridge remained closed for more than an hour, only reopening around 4.20pm. Traffic congestion persisted well into the evening as motorists sought alternative routes.
The crash timing coincided with school pick-up, affecting students at All Hallows School. Staff moved students to a classroom as a safety precaution, with parents advised to contact their daughters by mobile phone so teachers could coordinate safe collection.
Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics assessed two people at the scene. The alleged offender was detained by police and transported to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital with minor injuries.
The man has been charged with two counts each of unlawful use of a vehicle, driving without a licence, and dangerous operation of a vehicle while affected by an intoxicating substance, along with one count of armed robbery involving violence. He was expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday.
New children’s hospital data from South Brisbane showing a sharp rise in serious e-scooter injuries has renewed safety concerns in Kangaroo Point, where residents say busy Green Bridge paths are becoming one of the city’s most dangerous pinch points for riders and pedestrians alike.
Doctors at Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane had recorded a steep increase in children admitted with serious e-scooter injuries, including head trauma and fractures requiring surgery or intensive care. While the study focused on hospital admissions, clinicians warned the injuries reflect how e-scooters are being used across Brisbane, particularly in high-traffic shared spaces.
Doctors involved in the hospital research said many injured children were riding without helmets or using devices not suited to their age. The injuries they reported were often consistent with high-speed impacts rather than low-level falls, raising broader concerns about how scooters interact with pedestrians in crowded areas.
Those concerns have already surfaced in Kangaroo Point. In June 2025, a Queensland Police data and a parliamentary inquiry into personal mobility devices referenced a submission that specifically mentioned the Green Bridge and the surrounding Kangaroo Point paths. The submission raised issues about fast-moving scooters, limited space on shared paths and devices being left in ways that obstruct walkways.
The Green Bridge has become a key link for commuters, walkers and cyclists, increasing the volume of traffic through narrow riverside paths. Residents say the mix of pedestrians, families and riders travelling at different speeds has heightened the risk of serious crashes.
Injury trend continues despite existing rules
In 2024, emergency department presentations linked to e-scooters were rising across Queensland, even after safety rules were introduced. Doctors warned that falls at speed can cause life-changing injuries, particularly when riders are not wearing helmets or riding in crowded areas.
Police data included in that coverage showed thousands of infringement notices issued for offences such as riding without helmets and carrying passengers. Health experts said enforcement alone has not yet reduced the number of serious injuries presenting at hospitals.
National reporting has echoed concerns that hospital and police data may understate the true scale of e-scooter injuries because not all crashes result in formal treatment or reporting. Doctors believe incidents go unrecorded, particularly near busy urban corridors.
For Kangaroo Point residents, the combination of rising hospital admissions and local warnings about the Green Bridge has sharpened calls for safer behaviour on shared paths. Community members say slowing down in crowded areas, wearing helmets, and keeping footpaths clear would go a long way toward reducing risk before more riders end up in the hospital.
School zone monitoring data has identified Leopard Street in Kangaroo Point as the leading location for speed compliance, with 1.66 million vehicle movements recorded within the posted school zone limit during the most recent reporting period.
The figures were captured as speed awareness monitors, known as SAMs, returned to operation around schools across Brisbane as students resumed classes. The monitors aim to influence driver behaviour by displaying speed feedback in active school zones rather than issuing penalties.
Kangaroo Point Performance
The Leopard Street result stands out among monitored locations, placing Kangaroo Point at the top of compliance outcomes during the reporting period. The data was collected between April and September last year, when traffic volumes were assessed across school-adjacent roads.
Over the same six months, more than 82 million vehicles were recorded citywide. Around half of drivers travelling above the speed limit reduced their speed after encountering monitoring signage.
Dedicated school zone SAMs were first introduced in 2021. There are now 100 units operating near schools, forming part of a broader network of 287 monitors across Brisbane.
Since “Slow for SAM” signage was introduced in 2013, more than 1.4 billion vehicles have passed monitored locations. The program reports an average speed reduction of 6.3 km/h across monitored roads.
The most significant speed improvement during the reporting period occurred on Frasers Road in Ashgrove, where average speeds dropped by 9 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. The highest recorded speed captured through monitoring was 187 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Nudgee Road, Nundah.
Data collected through the program is not used for enforcement but contributes to road safety planning and driver awareness initiatives.
Photo Credit: BCC
Broader School Safety Measures
Speed awareness monitoring operates alongside other school safety measures, including flashing signs, high-visibility road markings and targeted infrastructure upgrades.
Active travel programs are also continuing, with almost 17,000 students from 30 schools expected to participate in walking and riding initiatives in 2026. Safer School Precinct upgrades are planned or underway across several suburbs, focusing on pedestrian safety, traffic calming and improved connectivity around schools.
Recent monitoring results place Kangaroo Point among the strongest performers for school zone speed compliance, as safety programs continue during the return to peak school travel periods.
Brisbane City and Kangaroo Point residents, commuters and visitors can once again move freely along a key stretch of riverfront, with the rebuilt CBD Riverwalk now reopened as a wider shared path linking two of the inner city’s busiest walking and cycling routes.
The upgraded section has been closed since 2023 during construction at the Waterfront Brisbane site. Developers say the reopened strip will restore the riverfront link between Charlotte Street and Alice Street and create a continuous path stretching from the Story Bridge through to the City Botanic Gardens, with Brisbane City involved in an official reopening event.
A pinch point beside the Kangaroo Point Bridge
The reopened Riverwalk section sits near the city-side access points for the Kangaroo Point Bridge, which can be accessed from Scott Street in Kangaroo Point and from the corner of Alice Street and Edward Street in the CBD. With more people using the bridge approaches, the restored Riverwalk link is expected to provide walkers and riders with a clearer way to move along the waterfront without being forced into longer detours.
During the closure, some pedestrian and cycling groups publicly criticised the loss of a key public route, saying the blocked section made daily trips harder.
Developers say the strip has been rebuilt rather than patched. A new concrete path and steel railings, along with public-facing artwork, including a mural visible from the riverfront side.
Project material for Waterfront Brisbane states the Riverwalk is being widened from a narrow route to a minimum of six metres and up to 15 metres wide in places, designed as a shared zone for pedestrians and cyclists with improved access points between Eagle Street and the river.
Public space and dining plans along the river edge
The Riverwalk reopening is one part of a broader riverfront redesign at the former Eagle Street Pier precinct. The wider plan includes public open space, landscaping, and future outdoor dining set back from the walkway. Developers have also flagged end-of-trip facilities for cyclists, including secure storage and e-bike servicing, to support regular commuting.
Construction activity on the larger site is expected to continue behind hoardings, with the overall Waterfront Brisbane development targeting completion in late 2028.
The development next door and why it caused a long closure
Waterfront Brisbane is a multibillion-dollar redevelopment led by Dexus with builder John Holland, replacing the old Eagle Street Pier site with two office towers and a mix of shops, food venues and public space. John Holland has outlined its role in earlier stage works in a project announcement.
Dexus has previously attributed delays and cost pressures to adverse weather and the challenges of construction along the river, while stating that the Riverwalk reopening has been prioritised.
A wider shift toward safer walking and cycling routes
The Riverwalk update comes as other key routes have also been under pressure in recent years. The Story Bridge restoration works have included new footpath decking and accessibility upgrades, which Council says are part of a longer program to maintain the bridge.
For Kangaroo Point residents and CBD workers alike, the reopened Riverwalk section is expected to make everyday river crossings and waterfront trips easier, especially at the bridge approaches, where foot and cycle volumes are growing.
