Info

Please note that these do not include accommodation.

Member Developed – £400
Member Other – £250
Non-member developed – £550
Non-member other – £400
Delegate companions – £200
Single-day – £200

The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre is immediately adjacent to the hotel. Rydges South Bank offers comfortable Brisbane accommodation located in the heart of city’s arts and entertainment precinct. Guest accommodation at the Rydges South Bank Brisbane hotel includes guest rooms and one-bedroom suites. Some rooms offer private balconies and stunning views of the Brisbane City and River. All feature HD LCD televisions, high speed internet access, microwave, refrigerator, mini bar and more.

The CBA have arranged special conference rates at Rydges Hotel, which can be accessed through a special CBA customised Rydges page. These rates are only available for bookings during the conference period. The conference rates are only guaranteed for booking made before 21st March.

If delegates prefer to email their booking requests they can email Ms Susan Fishburn, Group Reservations Coordinator at Rydges directly at susan_fishburn@rydges.com or call on +61 7 3364 0800. When booking this way, delegates will need to mention they are staying as part of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association.

Another option for delegates wishing to stay at Rydges is to register on the Rydges Priority Guest Scheme. Registration is free and enables room rate discounts and other benefits such as 50% off room internet access. This scheme is particularly beneficial to those delegates staying outside of the main conference dates. However, these Priority Guest Scheme bookings must be made directly through the main Rydges South Bank website.

Mantra Hotel (300m from BCEC and ABC building)

Mantra South Bank sits opposite the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River. Contemporary in design and style, the property consists of hotel rooms, studios & apartments. All room types feature air-conditioning, bathroom facilities and are spaciously appointed with quality interior fittings. All apartments also feature fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities and private balconies, some with city views. For business guests, all room types offer direct-dial ISDN telephones, voice-mail and broadband internet access.

The CBA has arranged a special booking form for CBA conference delegates which you can download.

Riverside Hotel (750m from BCEC and ABC building)

The Riverside Hotel South Bank is a 4 star hotel located within the South Bank cultural precinct. The complex has an array of facilities designed to make your stay a comfortable and enjoyable experience, from a refreshing swimming pool and free secured parking, to a guest laundry and dry cleaning service. All suites are air-conditioned with private balconies (on rooms above the first level), colour TV, foxtel selection, direct dial telephones, clock radio/alarm, hairdryer, dial up internet access, refrigerator, tea and coffee making facilities.

The CBA has arranged a discounted rate of $140AUD per room per night for a studio hotel room or $180AUD per room per night for a one bedroom apartment. Both rooms have a maximum of 2 guests per room.

Delegates looking to stay here will need to contact Ms Megan Larnach, Group Reservations Manager at the Riverside Hotel directly on functions@riversidehotel.com.au or call her on +61 7 3846 0577. Guests must provide a credit card at the time of making the booking.

Edmondstone Motel (700m from BCEC and ABC building)

This is motel style budget accommodation. Each room has Cable TV, air-conditioning, kitchenette and safe. There is Wi-Fi and most rooms have a private balcony. There is also a pool and laundry available to guests. You can make a reservation through their website or by calling +61 7 3255 0777.

Available for download is a Brisbane map with the key conference locations marked out. Locations and further information about the events and programme can be found on the programme page.

Brisbane Airport (BNE) is around 16km northeast of the city centre, and has separate International and Domestic terminals almost 3km apart. Travel from the city to the Airport can be done by the Airtrain (20 minutes, $29 AUD for an Adult Return ticket, operates from 5.30- 22.30 daily, every 15 minutes in peak times. Check the timetable for availability). Transfer between terminals is also possible by the Airtrain for $5 AUD, or free if you are travelling on connecting Virgin Australia flights. See website for details.

There are also local taxis available from the City Centre to the Airport. Taxi ranks are located at both International and Domestic Terminals; simply follow the signs upon arrival. Local buses do not run to the airport, as Coachtrans is the Airport’s only licensed operator. Coachtrans meets all flights, Domestic and International on a door-to-door basis and services all major accommodation houses (around $32 AUD adult return ticket).

Many Brisbane Hotels also offer shuttle buses/cars to the airport upon request.

Bus

Brisbane’s main terminus is the Roma Street Transit Centre, about 500m west of the City Centre. There are also booking desks for all major long-distance buses and trains (the Coachtrans to Brisbane airport also departs and drops off here).  The CBD (Central Business District) serves as the central hub for all public transport services. Ask at your hotel reception for local bus services.

Trains

The Roma Street Transit Centre is Brisbane’s main station for long-distance trains. Trains also operate through the six train stations in the city centre and surrounding areas, making travel around Brisbane hassle-free. For information and reservations, call into the Queensland Rail Travel Centre (309 Edward Street, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia; 7am-5pm Mon-Fri; 0061 7 3235 1323 if calling internationally, 07 3235 1323 if calling locally). Alternatively, search and book online: www.qr.com.au.

Car Hire

Brisbane is a vibrant city, with beautiful surrounding areas, and so hiring a car is a good option if you wish to explore the city surroundings during your stay. All of the major car companies (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and Thrifty) have offices at the Brisbane airport terminals and throughout the city.

There are also several smaller car rentals in Brisbane, with fewer locations but are cheaper options. Ask at your hotel reception for options.

With a growing population of 1.8 million, Brisbane is Australia’s third largest City behind Sydney and Melbourne, and over the last few decades has succeeded in its struggle to compete with its sister cities. Brisbane has been described as undergoing a transformation into a ‘sleek, cosmopolitan city complete with world-class art galleries, a booming live music scene and a fabulous café culture’. Many visitors to Brisbane will find themselves with large range of activities; wandering through South Bank’s markets and swimming in the lagoon, cycling through the City Botanic Gardens, gliding down the Brisbane River or taking a ferry to some of the vibrant inner-city villages. There are numerous art galleries and museums, and culture lovers can watch performances by the Queensland Ballet, Opera or Orchestra, watch local live music, or watch theatre in the Brisbane Powerhouse.

2011 Floods

In January 2011, Brisbane experienced devastating floods. At least 70 towns and over 200,000 people in Queensland were affected, with a total of 35 deaths and 9 people still missing. Residents in 2100 Brisbane streets were told to evacuate, with many western suburbs cut off for days. Visitors to Brisbane will notice continued work in certain areas, existing visible damage, and many efforts to provide continued support to those affected. Since the flood, many inquiries into the flooding have been commissioned In August 2011 Prime Minister, Anna Bligh, was handed a report containing 175 recommendations to better equip the city with flood warnings and preventions. The city has since begun to put preventative measures in place, with appropriate steps to flood preparedness being taken before the next wet season.

Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall is the City’s main shopping hub, at the heart of the city. Myer is the central department store, with many additional shops and cafes located on the street. There are also numerous independent shops found on Southbank and on the streets leading away from Queen Street Mall and its surrounding areas.

A 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) was recently introduced in Australia. Under the Tourist Refund Scheme, foreign visitors are entitled to a tax refund on purchases costing over AUD$300 bought in the same shop and purchased within the last month of your stay in the country. To benefit from this service, visitors will need to hand over their respective receipts at customs and your refund will be paid without hassle.

Your hotel will be able to provide you with information on specific airline carriers. For more details of all airline carriers operating from Brisbane Airport, please see their list of Airline Contacts.

In the first instance of an illness, please seek help from the CBA Conference Secretariat.

Royal Brisbane Hospital- International (0061) 7 3636 8111, Local  (07) 3636 8111; Bowen Bridge Road, Herston, QLD 4029; 24hr switchboard and casualty ward)

Day & Night Pharmacy- (07) 3221 4585; Queen St Mall, 141 Queen St, Brisbane; 7am-9pm Mon-Thu, 7am-9.30pm Fri, 8am-9pm Sat, 8.30am-5.30pm Sun)

Southbank Pharmacy- (07) 3846 6091; Shop 2, 189 Grey Street, Southbank, QLD; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun.

Travel Clinic- (07) 3211 3611, after hours 0412 452 400; Level 1/245 Albert St, Brisbane, QLD 4000; 7.30am-7pm Mon-Thu, 7.30am-6pm Fri, 8.30am-5pm Sat, 9.30am-5pm Sun. 9.30am-4pm Public Holidays.

Travellers’ Medical & Vaccination Centre (TMVC)- (07) 3221 9066; Level 5/247 Adelaide St, Brisbane, QLD 4000; 8am-5pm Mon & Fri, 8am-7pm Tue, 8am-9pm Wed, 8am-4.30pm Thu, 8.30am-2pm Sat. Vaccin­ations and medical advice for travellers.

Brisbane Sexual Health Clinic- (07) 3837 5611; Level 1/270 Roma St, Brisbane, QLD 4000; 9am-4.30pm Mon, Tue & Fri, 8.30am-Midday Wed, 10am-4.30pm Thu) Walk-in clinic.

Queensland State-wide Sexual Assault Helpline (1800 010 120); 24hr

Police, Fire and Ambulance: 000

Policelink 131444 is the number to report non-urgent incidents

There are many foreign exchange bureaus in both international and domestic terminals at Brisbane Airport, as well as ATMs that will accept foreign cards. Please check with your bank about international use prior to your arrival. Most banks also have ATMs and Foreign exchange bureaus.

Travelex- Brisbane City Centre, c/ HSBC, Ground Floor, HSBC Building, 300 Queen St, Brisbane, QLD 4000; 9.30am-4pm Mon-Thu, 9.30-5pm, Closed Weekends; or Shop 149F, The Myer Centre, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane, QLD, 4000; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Thu, 9am-8pm Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; (07) 3210 6325

The currency is Australian Dollars (AUD) $1 = 100 Cents. Notes are in denominations of AUD$5, AUD$10, AUD$20, AUD$50 and AUD$100, and the coins in use are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, AUD$1 and AUD$2.

0061 is the International Country Code for Australia and 07 is the code for Brisbane. Local calls from public phones cost 40 cents for an unlimited amount of time. Long distance calls can also be made from almost any public phone. Many phones accept Telstra pre-paid phone cards which come in denominations of AUD$5, AUD$10, AUD$20 and AUD$50, and are available from any retail outlet that displays the logo.

Please check with your carrier to see if you are able to use your mobile phone internationally. Delegates wishing to choose the cheaper option of purchasing a pre-paid SIM card can do so upon arrival at the airport, or can enquire at any large supermarket or phone shop. Main carries are Optus, Virgin and Telstra.

Wide reaching Wi-Fi has yet to be implemented in Brisbane. Most hotels offer wireless internet, although you may have to pay for access. Please ask your hotel reception upon arrival for options. Some cafés located in the City Centre, the CBD, West End and Southbank offer Wi-Fi. This is occasionally free with a purchase, however, more often than not Wi-Fi is available at a cost either per hour or for a day’s use and rates can sometimes be expensive. Click on the links for information on free Wi-Fi restaurants in the Wi-Fi restaurants in the West End and CBD.

Brisbane is ten hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Brisbane weather conditions during April are generally cooler with lower humidity levels than the summer months. There is generally ample sunshine with light to moderate winds most days. Temperatures range from around 27°C in the day to dropping to around 17-18?C at night.

Smoking is prohibited in all pubs, clubs, restaurants and workplaces, commercial outdoor eating and drinking areas, outdoor public places and within 4 meters or non-residential building entrances.

Tipping is not obligatory in Brisbane. A tip is generally given for good service, with 10% of the total bill normally considered as an acceptable appreciation. When paying by Credit or Debit card, customers can sometimes choose to tip via that method of payment. In some cases, however- this tip will be taxed and/or the full tip may not reach the intended waiter/waitress. If in doubt, you can ask or ensure you always carry cash.

Brisbane is a safe city by world standards, but does experience crime. As with anywhere you travel you should take steps to keep yourself safe:

• Take care travelling at night on your own
• Make use of bus services where possible rather than walking long distances at night
• Never leave personal belongings unattended
• Avoid giving out personal information to strangers
• It is always beneficial to take note of any security guidelines provided by your hotel

The main national daily newspaper is The Australian. Brisbane also has a few newspapers, such as The Courier Mail (daily tabloid) and mX (free daily).