Mike from Cairnsblog is advertising a sustainability forum in Cairns today for mayoral candidates. Seems, though, that the mayor, Kevin Byrne, is not showing up...

It will be a mayoral candidate's forum without the mayor today.

CAFNEC's ‘Vision for Our Future’ forum will focus on 'sustainability', runs from 12-1.30pm at the Courthouse Hotel in Abbot St. Pat Morrish from ABC Far North will facilitate the meeting.

The candidates will be quized on ecological sustainability, and their vision for achieving this within the next 20 years.

Land use planning; public transport; climate change; natural environment; energy and water, are all

Mayor Byrne has turned down the invitation to meet the community and discuss sustainability. Instead, he will save a few carbon emissions by having a pie at the ground floor Council staff cafe.

QUT colleague and member of our research team Barry Saunders has done an interview with Brisbane Lord Mayoral candidate, Bryan Crawford. One of the many candidates who are opposed to Campbell Newman's emphasis on private transport.

The litter campaign, introduced in May last year into the CBD, resulted in Brisbane winning a Litter Prevention award at the inaugural Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Cities Awards.

Cr Newman today announced he would expand it into the suburbs if he were re-elected with a Council majority. And, in the spirit of nationwide Tidy Towns awards, the city’s suburbs would be able to complete to become Brisbane’s “Spotless Suburb”.

There's a fair bit of coverage in today's Sunday Mail of Greg Rowell's campaign launch. He's up against it, with polling showing that Campbell Newman's approval rating up around 70%.

Of course everyone knows that in his former life, Rowell was a first class cricketer. Thanks to reader Allan, I was led to to look up his stats. Graphic links to his cricinfo page - Allan asks, "can we trust a fast bowler who averaged over 30?" But we can also ask a more important question: who knew he was born in New South Wales?!?