Albany Creek nursing home resident Betty Scott didn’t plan on having a gainful venture when she started sewing face masks at the height of the coronavirus lockdown. But stuck inside the home care with her husband, Pat, Betty’s daughter encouraged her to sew colourful face masks for selling.
Initially, the mother and daughter sold one or two face masks at a time. But as orders kept pouring in, Betty and her daughter were selling face masks to Melbourne and even as far away as England.
Betty is a regular at the church and is no stranger to fundraising. This year, however, she couldn’t visit the parish as much as she wanted and there have been no fundraisers due to COVID-19.
The grandmother said that she will keep sewing masks for as long as her daughter provides the materials so she could still raise money for the church. It’s her way of giving back to the community, amidst this challenging period.
Betty said that she still feels fortunate to be able to hear mass at the All Saints Parish via television twice a week, as well as receive the Holy Communion at the nursing home.
Construction has started for the South Pine Sports Complex (SPSC) redevelopment in Brendale, where a new state-of-art building will stand. The work is part of a major overhaul of the complex to benefit around 15 different sports clubs in Moreton and Brisbane.
Bunyee Demolition cleared out the existing grandstand, canteen and offices in June to open up space and make way for the extension of the indoor sports centre.
Once completed, the facility will boast of the following features:
three multi-purpose indoor sports courts
canteen and spectator areas
offices, multipurpose function room/event space with supporting servery facilities
retractable grandstand seating
storage areas
universal change rooms
officials’ rooms
compliance and first aid rooms
spectator amenities
A new Rugby Union Clubhouse will also be built in the complex that will have universal changing rooms, gym, canteen, storage, merchandise rooms, and different spaces for clubhouse meetings.
Photo Credit: Moreton Bay United/Facebook
The SPSC will also become the new home of the Brisbane Roar Women and will likely attract more international sports competitions, such as the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Olympics.
“The facilities could be used to host elite sports players and international teams for major events like the upcoming World Cup and if we’re successful in a 2032 Southeast Queensland Olympics bid,” Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said. “It’s just another way council is driving visitors to our region to support our local economy.”
A new electronics manufacturing facility has been inaugurated in Brendale with funding assistance from the Queensland Government as part of efforts to uplift the economic situation which took a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd and Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing Glenn Butcher launched the new state-of-the-art production plant at Elexon Electronics on 15 July 2020.
Elexon received $891,325 from the $46-million Made in Queensland (MiQ) program. The leading Brisbane engineering and electronics maker invested a total of $2 million to build the new production facility.
“Pre COVID-19 the company had growing demand from customers who were wishing to manufacture onshore,” said Elexon CEO Frank Faller.
The demand has since increased as the coronavirus health scare grew since many customers failed to source or ship because of restrictions and as manufacturers abroad also felt the impact of the pandemic.
“In order to expand our production capabilities, Elexon Electronics heavily invested in a state-of-the-art, automated surface-mount technology (SMT) equipment from the leading European electronics machinery producers Mycronic and Asscon,” Mr Faller said.
“The intelligent material handling system and an X-Ray inspection for ultimate quality assurance set us apart from the competition.”
Elexon also recognises the grant’s importance in helping keep existing manufacturing jobs in Queensland.
“Despite the difficult global economic environment we find ourselves in, programs like Made in Queensland are helping local manufacturers to expand their businesses and employ more Queenslanders,” said Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd.
“Elexon is a great local example of how our government’s continued support of Queensland manufacturers is helping them to navigate tough global economic conditions and find new opportunities to grow and prosper.”
Photo: Supplied
“In addition, the grant has ensured Elexon can continue onshore manufacturing and positioned the company to plan for future expansion.
“This is great news because it means more jobs for locals.”
Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing Glenn Butcher said that Elexon’s manufacturing line upgrade allows the company to double its productivity while reducing costs to stay competitive.
“The company has been able to put on two new full-time workers, upskill six existing workers and retain its full workforce as a result of the MiQ project.
“Elexon are also partnering with companies to assist in high-tech product development from wildlife tracking equipment, ground movement measuring systems, to precision water testing.”
Mr Faller said that the grant from the state government not only helps to keep industrial jobs in the region, but it also allows Elexon to cater to new markets such as the aerospace and defence industry.
Fritzenberger Albany Creek’s temporary closure is soon to be over as it is slated to reopen on 29 July 2020. This, following a 129-day closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of the restaurants, pubs, and clubs in Australia were forced to close after the government issued its highest level of restrictions on the 23rd of March 2020.
Fritzenberger, which only opened in November 2019, was among the venues that had to close its doors temporarily because of the stricter health safety rules to defend against the coronavirus disease.
From 29 July, however, the burger and beer place will reboot to welcome dine-in and takeaway customers. The Albany Creek venue will be following COVID health safety guidelines from the government.
Photo: Supplied
“It’s great to get our doors back open to the supportive Albany Creek community, and to welcome our staff back after the Government restrictions closed our venue back in March,” says General Manager Andrew Jeffreys.
Currently, the other Fritzenberger venues at Petrie Terrace and Wilston are open for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery. Another Fritzenberger is also set to open in South Bank.
On its reopening, Fritzenberger Albany Creek will operate from Wednesday to Sunday, from 12:00 noon up to 8:00 p.m.
Those opting to dine in are encouraged to make a booking online at Fritzenberger.com.
Address: Cnr Ferguson Street and Albany Creek Road, Albany Creek
More than just providing shade on a sunny day, the two hoop pines that stand like sentinels at St Paul’s Anglican School in Bald Hills actually have an interesting story to tell.
The taller hoop pine is approximately 200 years old. Meanwhile, the smaller one which is possibly a seedling from the older tree and is said to be more than 150 years old.
That’s not the most surprising fact about these hoop pines. Interestingly, the two trees have survived despite the prevalence of logging and tree removal for agricultural properties since the 1820s. They’ve also been spared from the extraction of most of the hoop pines from the Moreton Bay region over the past 50 years.
The pair of heritage-listed Hoop Pines are significant to the history of the locality as rare examples and surviving evidence of the valuable stands of Hoop Pine which made the Moreton Bay district so attractive for early colonial settlement.
These trees also raise horticultural interest, being rare specimens of trees of this age surviving in the Brisbane area. Furthermore, the two hoop pines are particularly linked to the earliest development of the Bald Hills district.
History of Bald Hills
Logging trees has been one of the principal attractions for the establishment of a penal settlement at Moreton Bay. Photo credit: CC-BY/Aussie~mobs/Flickr
Thomas Gray, a Brisbane bootmaker who had emigrated to New South Wales in 1841/1842 from Scotland, is partly responsible for attracting agricultural settlers to Bald Hills.
Gray was the one who convinced his fellow Scots, Stewart and Duncan families to leave the flood-stricken Hunter River district and move to Bald Hills in the mid-1850s.
John Stewart made a preliminary trip to the district c. 1855. He sought to select suitable land, not just for himself and the Duncans, but also for a large number of Hunter River settlers who were equally interested. Stewart applied to the New South Wales survey office to have the land surveyed. The land was not proclaimed available for sale until December 1856.
The Stewart family finally purchased land in February 1857. However, due to the delay in the survey, other interested Hunter River settlers moved to the Clarence River instead.
Only the Stewart and the Duncans families took up land at Bald Hills. They moved onto their selections in early October 1857. Because of this, they were recognised as the first non-indigenous settlers at Bald Hills.
The newcomers immediately developed their lands for agricultural purposes. John Stewart had early experimented with arrowroot and cotton, for which he won bronze and silver medals at the London International Exhibition of 1862.
Stewart and his family were well respected in the Bald Hills community. They were also active members of the local Presbyterian church, John serving as an Elder for nearly 40 years.
The Stewart home also held the earliest Presbyterian services in the Bald Hills district as well as many local events.
A photograph dated 1906 shows the residence with the two already mature hoop pines forming a natural frame to the front entrance. From this evidence, it is clear that the trees were not late 19th or early 20th century plantings. Moreover, it would have been unusual for them to have survived to the 20th century, were they not incorporated within the earlier Stewart house garden.
Albany Creek ranks among Brisbane’s heaviest drinkers, consuming more than two standard drinks per day, new data reveals. This comes as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) revises its Alcohol Guidelines to reduce the risks of alcohol-related diseases and injuries.
Some of Brisbane’s heaviest drinkers live in Albany Creek, the latest national Social Health Atlas data shows. That’s 20.9 percent of residents, where consumption of alcoholic drinks is more than two standard drinks per day or an equivalent of 14 standard drinks per week.
That weekly standard drinks consumption is now above the recommended levels, according to the proposed new Alcohol Guidelines. The National Health and Medical Research Council is currently in the process of revising its Alcohol Guidelines to reduce the risk of alcohol-related disease, injury and other harms to health, as well as reduce the risk of harm to a pregnant woman’s unborn child.
The proposed guidelines include suggested drinking of no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day, which according to evidence and mathematical modelling keeps the lifetime risk of dying from alcohol-related disease or injury remains below a level of 1 in 100.
“We’re not telling Australians how much to drink. We’re providing advice about the health risks from drinking alcohol so that we can all make informed decisions in our daily lives. This advice has been developed over the past three years using the best health evidence available,” Professor Anne Kelso, CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council said.
The top Brisbane suburbs where residents drink more than two standard drinks per day include Brisbane Port – Lytton/ Wynnum ( 23%), Victoria Point (22.6%), New Farm (22.3%), Wellington Point (22.2%), Ashgrove/ Bardon (21.9%), Cleveland/ Ormiston ( 21.8%), Paddington – Milton/ Red Hill (Qld) (21.6%), Albany Creek/ Eatons Hill (20.9%), Belmont – Gumdale/ Birkdale/ Thorneside (20.9%), Redland Islands (20.3%).
According to the Australian Department of Health, excessive alcohol drinking could put one at risk of illnesses including heart disease, liver disease, cancer, diabetes and damage to the brain.
Public consultation on the draft guidelines concluded last February 2020 and will undergo expert review before it is finalised by the third quarter of 2020.
It looks like Bracken Ridge is quite popular among first-home buyers, thanks to a boost provided by the government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, the latest research by the REA Group says.
The latest realestate.com.au data reveal that in terms of inquiries for houses from first-home buyers, Rochedale South was the top suburb. First-home buyers also flock to Springfield Lakes, Bracken Ridge, Morayfield, and Forest Lake to shop for their dream home. Meanwhile, Brisbane City and Toowong had the most inquiries for units, followed by Taringa, Nundah, and West End.
Consequently, a rise in first-home buyers have been observed in Brisbane, an increase of more than a third in January from the same month in 2019, data from realestate.com.au said.
First Home Loan Deposit Scheme was introduced on 1 January 2020, and since then, there have already been more than 700 people who gained pre-approved place in First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) in Queensland. Almost 6,000 of the 10,000 places have been guaranteed nationwide, whilst another 3,000 places have moved to the pre-approval stage.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics also seem to reflect the interest generated among first-home buyers by the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, even before the scheme officially started.
As revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of first-home buyer loan commitment have risen 6.2 percent in seasonally adjusted terms in December 2019. The annual percent change for owner occupier first home buyer commitments was also up 21.3 percent from December 2018.
The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is an Australian Government initiative that aims to help eligible first home buyers purchase a home with a deposit of as little as five percent. The scheme allows NHIFC to guarantee part of the first-home buyer’s home loan from a participating lender, beginning 1 January 2020.
National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) has already released 10,000 First Home Loan Deposit Scheme places and another 10,000 will be made available from July 2020.
The loan guarantee is subject to criteria including a taxable income of up to $125,000 per year for singles or a taxable income of up to $200,000 per year for couples; incomes would be assessed for the financial year preceding the one in which the loan is entered into.
The list of participating lenders can be found here.
The much needed intersection upgrade at Albany Creek Road (South Pine Road), Wruck Crescent and Ferguson Street is all set to begin.
As part of the Queensland Government’s Safer Roads Sooner (SRS) program, the upgrade is aimed at minimizing potential crashes thereby improving safety at this intersection. A total funding of $595,000 has been allocated for the upgrade project which will involve modifying the traffic light phasing, upgrading the right-turn lanes, and extending of both right-turn lanes to improve capacity and accommodate more motorists as they wait at the signals.
Separate signal phases will be installed for motorists who are turning right either from Ferguson St or Wruck Crescent. To improve pedestrian safety, a pedestrian fence will also be installed, whilst drainage, road signs, and markings will also be upgraded.
A popular route for commuters between the north-western suburbs and Brisbane’s CBD, the Albany Creek Road intersection has become an accident-prone location with a number of crashes involving vehicles turning right into Wruck Crescent or Ferguson Street.
The Safer Roads Sooner (SRS) program is Queensland Government funded minor capital works program aimed at improving road safety by implementing high benefit, cost effective, road engineering measures. These in turn will help address known and potential high severity crash sites on state-controlled roads.
SRS targets crash types that often result in high severity outcomes (fatalities and serious injuries) including intersection crashes, run-off road crashes, and head-on crashes.
The upgrade works funded through Safer Roads Sooner include: improving intersection and signal, improving surface skid resistance, installing guardrails, removing roadside hazards, installation of rest areas, and installation of audio-tactile line marking (ATLM).
Did you know that upgrades to the South Pine Sporting Complex in Brendale have commenced this February? Included in the redevelopment will be a new single-storey clubhouse for the Albany Creek Brumbies Rugby Union Club.
According to the Moreton Bay Regional Council, the construction work is expected to last for 12 months. Brumbies Club President Col Langton said there will be no disruptions to the activities for the 2020 season. In fact, club members are eager to see the development completed as they will benefit from the new clubhouse.
The Brumbies’ new home, which will cost $1.5 million, will include the following features:
universal change rooms and officials’ rooms
first-aid room, storerooms, merchandise room
gym space, spectator amenities and canteen
separate club meeting rooms for the rugby union and touch football clubs
Mr Langton said that the upgraded clubhouse will be done by the time the club celebrates its 25th season in 2021.
With exciting changes underway, Mr Langton also said that now would be the perfect time for families to register their kids. Visit the club’s official page for detailed information about membership.
Photo Credit: Moreton Bay Regional Council
Aside from the new clubhouse, the South Pine Sporting Complex redevelopment project will also include the addition of three indoor multi-purpose sports courts, wider spectator areas, retractable grandstand seating, event spaces, offices and function rooms.
“We all know the importance of staying fit and healthy but in this busy world, I believe it’s increasingly important for councils to provide recreation opportunities close to home,” Deputy Mayor and Divisional Councillor Mike Charlton said. “The centrepiece of this investment is a multi-million-dollar commitment to improvements at the South Pine Sports Complex.”
The most exciting Brisbane Beer Festival is back! With over 130 beers and ciders to sample from 50 Australian and international breweries, the ultimate beer heaven is happening for the seventh year in a row in Eatons Hill.
Mark your calendars and tell your cider and beer-loving friends to reserve Saturday, the 15th of February 2020, for the thirst-quenching affair. Happening from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., this party will be taking over the grounds of Eatons Hill Hotel on Pines Road.
The Brisbane Beer Festival is the largest ever gathering of distillers and brewers in Queensland hence you won’t want to skip this fantastic summer event. But which distillers and breweries can guests expect at this festival? Here’s just part of the mouthwatering line-up coming from all over Australia:
A range of food trucks filled with international food fares will be lining up as well to make this beer heaven even more flavourful. Guests may also join a few adults-only competitions to win amazing prices or chill out with some soothing or danceable live music playing in the background.
Grab your tickets to this beer festival online. This is a strictly 18+ event.
