The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure plan confirmed that a new stadium will be built at Victoria Park.  This stadium was promised by the Lord Mayor, despite the differing views from the public. Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "We've had a position that's been consistent about no net loss of green space for what's proposed for the Olympics." "I think that's a fair and reasonable claim, but having said that, what's proposed will be a fraction of Victoria Park." "The construction elements that are proposed, including the stadium and the swimming complex, will only take up a fraction of the green space," Lord Mayor continued. 

Akubra's first-ever pop-up store will be open in Brisbane tonight, with an Australian country music icon in attendance.  Lee Kernaghan told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "I'm so excited because today we're launching the Outback Club Hat." "When you go in there, it's just rows and rows of every kind of Akubra that you can imagine." "It's a piece of Australia, and I was talking to some people in there yesterday, and they were from the United States, and they were buying hats to take back as gifts for friends," Mr Kernaghan continued. 

The Prime Minister has called the election for May 3rd, and now, the campaign begins.  Nine's National Affairs Editor Andrew Probyn told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Your listeners might consider whether they are feeling a bit more uncertain about things and whether that does help the Prime Minister.  "I think the political thinking would be that it does." "There has certainly been a bit of a tightening in the polls to Labor's favour in recent weeks, and the Prime Minister is very keen to kind of, curate this image of Peter Dutton being Trumpian with his outlook both on things like migration, defence and the like," Mr Probyn continued. 

Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics will likely boost the local tourism industry through increased visitation, improved infrastructure, global exposure, and long-term growth. Professor of Practice at the Griffith Institute for Tourism and ex-CEO of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council Daniel Gschwind told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "We all have a hook to connect with the Olympics and make the most of it." "Certainly in tourism, the opportunity, the pipeline from tourism is incredibly beneficial to the state and to the community, and it doesn't take much for us to make more of that and the exposure we get." "As you said, it puts not only Brisbane but Queensland, even Australia ,on the map in a much bigger way than ever before," Mr Gschwind.

Apple is set to update its Maps app to display traditional Indigenous names for places across Australia.  The app will also show land borders for Indigenous protected areas, reserves, and display the traditional owners of regions across the country. Sofie Formica said on 4BC Afternoons, "I think there is some validity to making sure that we're understanding where protected areas and reserves are. I think that's just smart." "I think it should have been optional. I think there should have been the option, if you choose not to have that confusion on the maps and all the different names, that should be something that should be available for an operator," Sofie continued. 

It has been revealed that Anthony Albanese will call the federal election shortly. Sofie Formica shared that the announcement was accidentally made on social media, and the post has since been removed.

Yesterday, Premier David Crisafulli unveiled the Brisbane 2032 infrastructure plan, which includes a new Victoria Park stadium and changes to the Brisbane Live Arena.   ASM Global Chairman & Chief Executive Harvey Lister told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "I'm delighted with the decision on the stadium. It's the only thing that made sense to us." "I've never believed we need 100,000 seater, and if we had 100,000 seats, we're still smaller than the MCG. If we had 85,000 seats, we're smaller than Stadium Australia in Sydney." "So, you know, you don't build these things for egos, you build them for economics and the need of your market," Mr Lister continued. 

The federal budget was released last night, with tax cuts, cost-of-living relief, and healthcare at the forefront.  But what about seniors and the aged care sector?  CEO of National Seniors Australia, Chris Grice, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "To be to be truthful, we were feeling a little bit flat, actually, there are some items that, you know will have a benefit for older Australians, but, you know, a number of them were somewhat, I guess you could say superficial." "You look at the energy rebate whilst yeah, that's welcomed, but that's just making up for the increase that was only talked about in energy prices a couple of weeks earlier." "And so there's a number of things in there, even the PBS, concession, the 770, which is fantastic. Don't get me wrong. We should appreciate that. But that was last year's announcement," Mr Grice continued. 

After the infrastructure plans for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games were revealed, the 'father' of the idea shared his thoughts. Former Lord Mayor Graham Quirk told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "These are things that we need as Queenslanders." "They're investments in our future." "So whether people want an Olympics or not, it will benefit everybody at the end of the day," Mr Quirk continued. 

Premier David Crisafulli has announced the infrastructure plans for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  The new stadium will be built in Victoria Park, a Brisbane Arena has been announced for Woolloongabba, and the Games will be the 'swan song' for the Gabba.  Editor of the Brisbane Times, Sean Parnell, joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to break down the major infrastructure announcements. 

The infrastructure plan for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympic Games has been revealed.  Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has confirmed a new stadium will be built at Victoria Park.

Today marks 10 years since Netflix launched in Australia.  In the last financial year, $3.5 billion dollars was spent on streaming services by Australians, with 42% having five or more different subscriptions. Co-Lead of the Streaming Industries and Genres Network at RMIT, Alexa Scarlata, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Some industry insiders predicted that there was only room in Australia for two streaming services, Netflix and one other." "Obviously, those early assumptions were wrong, because now Australia has been able to sustain numerous players of different sizes and ownership and focus," Professor Scarlata continued. 

A study has revealed that 4-wheel drives are causing damage to Australian beaches.  The study investigated 253 dune species, including vegetation, bird life, and marine creatures, across 20 international studies. The research found that the species had suffered negative effects caused by off-road vehicles. Professor of Marine Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Thomas Schlacher, joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to discuss the results of the study. 

Ahead of the release of the federal budget, the government has extended the $150 energy bill rebate for households.  Sofie Formica said on Afternoons, "It's a gesture that's meant to soothe the growing strain on household budgets and to acknowledge the pain of increased energy prices, but how effective is it really?" "$150 might provide a little relief for some, certainly for some more than others, but it's hardly a long-term solution to the continued escalation of energy costs that continue to squeeze families and businesses and supply chains." "It's a one-off payment, and it cannot mask the underlying issue that remains," Sofie continued. 

Police are responding at a business in Virginia, after a suspicious item was found.  Officers were called to Sandgate Road just after 12.30pm, and specialist officers are on route to the scene.  A 100m exclusion One has been set and the business has been partially evacuated. 

With the ACCC handing down its report regarding the major supermarkets, questions are being asked about how customers and suppliers can be protected after they were cleared of price-gouging. ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh says the suppliers are at a "significant disadvantage" bargaining with the supermarkets.

Renowned businessman and philanthropist Stefan Ackerie AM will be honoured tonight as the 58th recipient of the Keys to the City. Stefan told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "It's very humbling." "I was a very lucky young man to discover Brisbane, and somehow I knew it was for me," he continued. 

Fans of the Bunnings Sausage sizzle are in for a treat tomorrow with Bunnings' across the nation selling sausages for a good cause! Director of Stores Rod Caust says people can come in anytime after nine in the morning until 4 pm. 

The Electoral Commission of Queensland is pushing for enrolled voters to ensure they vote after they wrote to about 350,000 Queenslanders who didn't vote in the last state election. Commissioner Pat Vidgen says he would have liked the number to have been lower but welcomes those who didn't vote to contact the commission and explain why.

United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to an immediate pause in strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.  President Putin did not endorse a 30-day ceasefire that the United States is calling for to ensure peace.   CEO of Intelligent Risks, Neil Fergus joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to break down the immediate pause between Russia and Ukraine. 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome impacts around 3.6 million Australians, with common remedies including dietary and stress management.  However, self-hypnosis could alleviate the symptoms of IBS.  Psychophysiologist and gut-directed hypnotherapist, Dr Simone Peters told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Looking at the evidence and looking at the efficacy of this therapy, we realised actually that hypnotherapy works just as well as dietary-based intervention." "So out of the IBS patient population, we know that about 80% of people respond to this as a treatment, and of those people who respond, we see about a 70, 75% reduction in their symptoms," Dr Peters continued. 

The jury tasked with determining if Rajwinder Singh was responsible for the alleged murder of 24-year-old Cairns woman Toyah Cordinglay has been discharged. 4BC Afternoons host Sofie Formica told listeners the jury had been unable to reach a verdict after three days of deliberation.

A leading communications advocacy organisation for consumers is calling on authorities to be better prepared for natural disasters following Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief executive Carol Bennett says there's a need for an alternative for emergency communications.

Brisbanites are being urged to remain cautious in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred as scammers attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. AUCyber chief and corporate affairs officer, Rafe Berding revealed Australians are major targets due to the country's wealth.  

Queensland households are set to face higher electricity bills within months, as plans were released today to raise the maximum prices that retailers can charge by up to nine per cent.  The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has said the increases were driven by higher costs incurred by retailers in procuring electricity and running their businesses and network costs. Compare The Market's Strategic Communications Manager, Sarah Orr, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "The general rule of thumb is if you've been on the same energy plan for more than a year, you're probably missing out on discounts and benefits because they usually expire after about 12 months." "But the good news is that switching is very easy." "Just run a quick comparison online. It will take a couple of minutes and you can see if you can start saving," Ms Orr continued.   

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is calling on the next government to make cost-of-living relief and affordable healthcare a top priority in the upcoming election. The Guild is calling for bipartisan support to make medicines more affordable by lowering the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) co-payment claiming the reform would benefit more than 12 million Australians. Queensland President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Chris Owen told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "We know that research has shown that one in five people, are either delaying, deferring, or deleting medication from their regimen... due to cost."

The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has kicked off in Melbourne today. Nine Radio's Shane McInnes told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Even though there are actually no F1 cars on track today, there's a lot going on behind the scenes." "They're still expected to be around 60 or 70,000 people down here at the park track, just kind of taking it all in." "I think that goes to just show the growth of the sport, so much of it having to do with that, that Drive to Survive documentary from Netflix and also helped by two Aussies on the grid as well," Mr McInnes continued. 

Fire ants have been spotted forming rafts and floating with the current in high-density areas such as Logan, the Scenic Rim, and the northern end of the Gold Coast. Invasive Species Council Advocacy Manager, Reece Pianta, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoongs, "We're getting a lot of reports, and people are sending us photos and videos from across the greater Brisbane area, Ipswich right through to the Gold Coast, of these rafting fire ants floating on the flood waters." "They lock their legs together and they're just able to survive the flooding experience and find new dry land to set up their colony." "If we think we've found fire ants, we need to report them so they can the colony can be destroyed and make sure we're using the right treatment to do that," Mr Pianta continued.

The CSIRO has released research that paints a concerning picture of the nation’s future eating habits. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health reveals that, without intervention, Australians are expected to eat more unhealthy foods while cutting back on healthy options, making it unlikely that the nation will meet nutrition targets.  Senior CSIRO Research Scientist Dr Gilly Hendrie told Sofie Formica, "What we found with the modelling that we did with this decline in diet quality, it's a bit concerning, but we hope that this can be an early warning system to maybe help get us back on track."

The town of Laidley in the Lockyer Valley began its clean-up after it was inundated with major flooding in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred Owner of the Birdhouse at Laidley, Jane Matthews, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "I've been told it was worse than the 2022 flood when it came through quite high, so, it was much worse than last year, and it lasted a lot longer." "I'm glad I did prepare early, even though it's obviously taking a huge hit to my business being closed for that long. But I am glad that I was prepared, because that's the best thing you can do in situations like this is just be prepared, not be complacent, not be arrogant." "Yesterday, the community spirit was amazing. I had so many people come in and help and they were helping all the businesses that were impacted," Ms Matthews continued. 

The Brisbane City Council has provided the latest update on bus, train, and parking services. 

As the rain stops and the sun starts to come out, this means the beginning of mould.  CEO of Mouldmen, Gerard Murtagh, joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to discuss the best way to deal with mould.

Emmanuel City Mission has been working tirelessly alongside Micah Projects to provide safe places in South Brisbane for people sleeping rough amid ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Director of Emmanuel City Mission, Roby Curtis, on 4BC Afternoons, "It proved to be effective and certainly probably sparked a conversation around, what it is to have a facility like that in the midst of a city like Brisbane, the size of which Brisbane is and, what can we do to sort of offset public sleeping in general, not just when there's cyclones." "We've always wanted to increase our hours beyond the daytime space. We believe that it's an incredible opportunity for Brisbane...to approach rough sleeping differently, to have, shelters that have a high capacity, high volume to be able to, offset the sort of sleep within the community and the issues that come with that," Mr Curtis continued. 

Hundreds of thousands of residents across South East Queensland are without power as the after-effects of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continue. Energex Spokesperson Danny Donald told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "We're aiming to get 95% of people back up and running by Friday." "But there will be people on Saturday and Sunday, of course, and they are the places that have been belted and places that we haven't been able to gain access for various issues." "But we are aiming to get 100% of people back up by Sunday night, and they're the people that can be restored," Mr Donald continued. 

Ipswich is bracing for potential widespread flooding across the region, with residents advised to prepare to leave. Mayor Teresa Harding told Sofie Formica, "It is going to be a major flood, and we have the latest flood modelling updated on our disaster dashboard so people can go in there and have a look so they can make arrangements."

As rain begins to ease in some parts of Southeast Queensland, the mammoth task of getting back to life as normal begins. Major General Jake Ellwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority told Sofie Formica, "The first place to go is 1800 173 349, or www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp."

Millions of Queenslanders are preparing and waiting for the first cyclone to cross the state’s southern coast in half a century. Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been delayed in its landfall and is predicted to hit South East Queensland by Friday night or early Saturday morning as a Category 2 system. BOM Senior Meteorologist Dean Narramore told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Its approach and even its impact until as we get into Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning, so delayed about 12 to 24 hours." "We're going to see because of this slow down motion, we're going to see not only more rainfall, a longer period of rainfall, but also longer period of much more intense wave action hitting our beach and coastal areas," Mr Narramore continued.

Lismore and the northern rivers are in the firing line of Cyclone Alfred. It comes as the community is still dealing with the scars of the devastating floods three years ago. Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "My youngest is 13 years old, and she's preparing to evacuate for the second time in three years from her home and everything she knows and everything she's comfortable with."

Meteorologists warn the slower speed of Alfred’s advance means East Coast communities are in for “extended and more prolonged periods of significant and major wave heights and heavy rain”. The storm surge is attracting crowds to line the coastline to catch a glimpse of the rare event, but residents are being warned of extremely dangerous conditions. Gold Coast Acting Mayor Donna Gates told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "Just don't go there." "There's plenty of vision available through the news networks about what's happening on our beaches, no one needs to be on the roads or going there."

4BC has been contacted by numerous listeners regarding the safety of the homeless community as Tropical Cyclone Alfred looms. CEO of Micah Projects, Karyn Walsh, told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "We're trying to really put all our energy into getting motel accommodation. Because that's the safest thing that people have a room in their own space, and we're working with the Department of Housing to make that happen." "Helping people pack up their tents, helping people, we've got a place where we're storing people's belongings that needs, sort of packing them, wrapping them up and making sure they don't lose things," Ms Walsh continued. 

South East Queensland residents are bracing for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, with heavy rain and winds expected to reach the coast by late Thursday night and early Friday morning.  Redlands Mayor Jos Mitchell told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "We are working with state government at the moment to find alternatives for places of refuge." "We have been also working hand in hand with QPS. QPS have done a fantastic job notifying residents that are in low-lying areas." "We've got a great team working here across the city doing all we can," Mayor Mitchell continued. 

Millions of Queenslanders are being told to prepare amid warnings of the first cyclone to cross the state’s southern coast in half a century. Tropical Cyclone Alfred will make landfall in South East Queensland by Thursday night or early Friday morning as a Category 2 system. BOM Senior Meteorologist Dean Narramore told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "It's currently a Category 2 and will cross as a Category 2, not Category 3 at this stage." "Look, there's a tiny window that it might intensify, it's still a low chance. But if we go Category 2 or low-end Category 3, there's really not much difference." Mr Narramore continued. 

4BC will begin 24-hour coverage from 5:30 am tomorrow March 6th to provide the latest around-the-clock updates on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

As Tropical Cyclone Alfred is the first cyclone to impact South East Queensland since 1974, many people have questions about how to best prepare for the event. SES Director of Operations Glenn Alderton joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to answer your questions about the best preparations for Tropical Cyclone Alfred. 

South East Queensland residents are bracing for Tropical Cyclone Alfred with heavy rain and winds expected, which is causing unprecedented demand at sandbag collection centres. Logan City Mayor, Jon Raven, joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to share where Logan residents can get sandbags. 

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has provided an update on the unfolding situation with Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Millions of Queenslanders are being told to prepare amid warnings of the first cyclone to cross the state’s southern coast in half a century. Tropical Cyclone Alfred could make landfall in South East Queensland by Thursday as a Category 2 system. BOM Senior Meteorologist Dean Narramore told Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons, "At this stage, it could go north or south, crossing the coast around that Redcliffe northern suburbs Caboolture area of Brisbane on Thursday night into the early hours of Friday morning. "Now, don't get too hung up on exactly where it crosses because the impacts will be wide ranging with the worst of the wind and rain conditions near and well to the south of where Topical Cyclone Alfred does cross Thursday," Mr Narramore continued. 

The Brisbane City Council has advised anyone who has rubbish collection tomorrow only to leave out the red bin.  The council will collect the green and yellow bins as soon as possible.  Other council services will be closed from Thursday.   

Australia’s coal and gas exports are tied to global fossil fuel prices, and when these prices rise, local electricity costs increase. As one of the world’s largest gas exporters, Australia has no shortage of gas, yet multinational gas export corporations control nearly 80 percent of the country’s gas and its reserves. Executive Director at the Australia Institute, Richard Denniss, joined Sofie Formica on 4BC Afternoons to discuss Australia's gas prices. 

The Brisbane City Council has confirmed that the ferry and CityCat services will be suspended tonight until further notice.