Brisbane: This weekend, the subtropical Australian city of Brisbane will emerge from the shadows of its flashier cousins Sydney and Melbourne when it welcomes leaders from the world's 20 largest economies along with thousands of delegates and journalists for a global summit.
It's a major event for a city that, despite being the nation's third-largest, is still dismissed by some as a big, sleepy town. So how has Brisbane, better known as “Brissy,” steeled itself for the G-20 onslaught?
POLICE POWER
Ahead of the summit, the government passed a special security act temporarily giving police more power to search members of the public including permission to strip search anyone they believe is carrying a weapon or any other prohibited item. And speaking of prohibited items...
LEAVE YOUR CROCS AND WHIPS AT HOME, PLEASE
People are banned from carrying a litany of items in secure areas—from the expected, such as guns and knives, to the less so, such as whips, cattle prods, eggs, reptiles, toy cars, paper bags filled with flour, bows and arrows, kites and kayaks. Also a no-no: “a noxious or offensive substance, including, for example, urine or animal manure” and: “A thing capable of emitting a sound that can distress or upset a dog or horse.” If you're caught with any of these—and don't have a good excuse such as, say, heading home with groceries to make an omelet—you can face a fine of 5,500 Australian dollars ($4,800).
