Construction is underway on an expansion of the all abilities playground at Leslie Patrick Park in Arana Hills, a facility also used by families from nearby Albany Creek.
The upgrade will introduce a new play area aimed at supporting children and adults with low or no vision and other sensory needs. Works began in February 2026 and are expected to continue for approximately eight weeks, weather permitting.
Extending A 2019 Playground Milestone
The inclusive playground at Leslie Patrick Park opened in late 2019 and was identified as the first of its kind in South East Queensland. The current works will connect an additional play section to the existing playground.
Planning for the expansion followed consultation with speech pathologists, occupational therapists, access consultants and park users with lived experience. A community engagement day was also held with children and parent volunteers from Vision Australia.
Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook
New Accessibility Features
The added play space will feature a braille trail, pavement art, a beehive cubby, a sensory hangout area, a vibration post, overhead optic sensory panels and a picnic shelter. A social media update about the project also referred to gardens with sensory plants as part of the design.
The upgrade has been reported as a $500,000 Local Community Infrastructure project.
Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay/Facebook
Community Suggestions Raised Online
Comments shared online in response to the announcement included calls for increased shade over play areas and the addition of another toddler swing.
Construction continues at Leslie Patrick Park in Arana Hills, with the expanded facility expected to provide additional inclusive play options for local families.
The Carers Foundation Australia, in collaboration with Brendale businessman Mike Arieni and Solar Bollard Lighting, runs the Josh Arieni Legacy program to honour unpaid family and community carers by granting them an experience of their choice to rest, rejuvenate and feel genuinely appreciated for the work they do.
The program was established in 2023 in memory of Mike’s son Josh, who cared for his grandmother for several years before his death in a car accident in 2020. Josh Arieni was born in 1992 and was known for his kindness and compassion. Mike worked with The Carers Foundation to create a legacy that reflected those qualities, focusing on carers who give without recognition and rarely ask for help.
Photo Credit: The Carers Foundation
About The Carers Foundation Australia
The Carers Foundation Australia was established in 2015 under the leadership of founders Ronnie and Michael Benbow, delivering wellbeing programmes for unpaid family carers across Queensland and beyond. The organisation runs carer wellbeing retreats, wellness days and annual Christmas lunches across the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane and beyond, with each event attended by approximately 80 or more carers. All carers at Christmas lunches receive gift bags, recognising that many will not receive gifts on the day due to their caring responsibilities.
Photo Credit: Rhubarb Photography
The Carers Foundation sits within a broader context of significant unpaid care across Australia. Hundreds of thousands of Australians provide full-time unpaid care for family members, saving the health system billions of dollars annually while receiving little to no government support. Young unpaid carers number in the hundreds of thousands, with some as young as eight caring for a sick parent or sibling.
What the Josh Arieni Legacy Program Does
Each year, Mike Arieni dedicates funding through Solar Bollard Lighting, alongside contributions from supporters, to grant a small number of carers an experience of their choice. Community members, family or support workers can nominate a carer they know, or carers can nominate themselves, through The Carers Foundation website. Recipients receive a fully funded experience tailored to what they most need.
Past recipients have included George, who cared for his ageing mother while managing his own health challenges and fulfilled a lifelong ambition to complete a camel trek through outback South Australia. Samantha, who cared for her mother and uncle around the clock and had reached a breaking point, attended a five-day writers retreat that allowed her to reconnect with a creative life she had set aside.
Louise, a sole carer for more than two decades for her son who lives with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, spent two nights at Hastings Street, Noosa, and enjoyed a pamper day at a day spa. Bob and Val, who have cared for their daughter for more than 55 years following her birth with significant disabilities, received a five-night stay at Golden Beach. Anne, the mother of two boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy both requiring 24-hour care seven days a week, fulfilled her dream of visiting Sea World and swimming with dolphins.
John and Anna, the couple referenced in the source article, are among those receiving a gift this year through the program — a weekend away to recharge, which John described as something the couple was unaccustomed to but deeply needed after years of balancing full-time work with full-time caring responsibilities.
How to Nominate or Support the Program
Nominations for the Josh Arieni Legacy program are open to the public. Community members wanting to nominate a carer can do so through the nomination form at thecarersfoundation.org/josh-arieni-legacy. Those wishing to contribute financially to the program can donate at the same address. Solar Bollard Lighting, Mike Arieni’s Brendale business and the program’s founding supporter, is at solarbollardlighting.com. Further information about The Carers Foundation Australia’s full range of carer wellbeing programmes is at thecarersfoundation.org.
Dr Yi Pu, locally known as Dr Terry, has won Australian Young Dentist of the Year at the 2025 Australian Dentistry Awards, strengthening his reputation as one of the country’s rising leaders in oral health. The founder of Platypus Dental in Strathpine, he is a familiar face to thousands of patients across Brisbane’s north, with his practice also named a national finalist for New Practice of the Year at the same ceremony.
The awards were presented at a gala ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on 9 December 2025, drawing nominees and finalists from across the country in the inaugural year of the Australian Dentistry Awards. For the Strathpine community, the national recognition confirms what many patients have known for some time: the practice at 5/32 Dixon Street is doing something measurably different from the dental industry around it, and the profession has now taken formal notice.
A Deliberate Departure from the Corporate Path
Dr Terry graduated from the University of Queensland in 2015 and launched Platypus Dental in Strathpine, building it from scratch at a time when the received wisdom in dental education was that independent practice ownership was a diminishing proposition. The rapid corporatisation of the Australian dental industry across the 2010s had concentrated market share in large group practices, and many graduates were advised to seek employment within those structures rather than invest in building something of their own.
Dr Terry chose a different path. He built Platypus Dental around a model centred on transparency, longer consultations, ethical procurement and team culture, believing that patients who encounter that approach become the most reliable source of growth any practice can have. The practice has grown from zero to more than 2,000 patients and runs consistently fully booked weeks in advance, a result that reflects sustained community trust rather than marketing spend.
That philosophy extends to how Dr Terry approaches the economics of running a practice. When health professional support staff wage increases came into effect in January 2026 under the Health and Allied Services award, Platypus Dental responded by absorbing the additional cost rather than passing it on to patients, committing to hold treatment fees steady until at least June 2027. Dr Terry reduced his own income to make the commitment workable, describing it as a straightforward expression of where Platypus Dental places its priorities.
What the Award Recognises
The Australian Young Dentist of the Year award, presented by Australasian Dentist magazine, recognises practitioners who combine clinical excellence with a broader positive impact on their profession and community. The New Practice of the Year finalist recognition sits alongside it as an acknowledgement that Platypus Dental has not simply delivered strong individual outcomes but built an organisation that operates with genuine coherence between its stated values and its daily practice.
Platypus Dental holds accreditation from the Quality Innovation Performance framework, carries membership of the Australian Society of Implant Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and operates as a Guided Biofilm Therapy certified clinic. It uses Australian-made dental materials wherever possible and supports local suppliers. Dr Terry is currently completing a Master of Business Administration at the University of Melbourne alongside his clinical work, deepening his leadership capability as the practice grows.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
For Dr Terry, the recognition matters because of what it signals about the model itself: that a purpose-driven, independently owned practice built on transparency and ethical care can compete at a national level against well-resourced competitors, and that the communities that support that kind of practice are making the right call.
Serving Brisbane’s North
Platypus Dental serves patients from Strathpine, Albany Creek, Petrie, Brendale, Lawnton, Warner and across Brisbane’s northern corridor. The practice offers general dentistry, dental implants, All-on-X full mouth reconstruction, clear aligners, wisdom tooth extraction, Airflow dental spa treatments, teeth whitening and sedation. It accepts all health funds and holds preferred provider status with a number of major funds.
Bookings can be made at platypusdental.com.au or by calling (07) 3881 2887. The practice operates Monday to Friday with extended hours and is located at 5/32 Dixon Street, Strathpine.
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall has marked 40 years of operation on 20 February 2026, having welcomed more than 19 million people through its doors across 2,875 events since opening night in 1986, and holding a Billboard Magazine ranking as the number one venue in Oceania and ninth in the world for its capacity category.
Four decades after ice skaters Torvill and Dean performed to a sold-out crowd of 10,000 on opening night, the entertainment centre that transformed what was a 64-hectare paddock in Boondall into Brisbane’s most significant indoor entertainment destination reaches its milestone in stronger shape than at any point in its history. The venue has delivered record-breaking years since emerging from the pandemic, and with Linkin Park, Mumford and Sons, Hilltop Hoods, Guy Sebastian and the Harlem Globetrotters all booked across the coming months, 2026 is already shaping as another standout year.
For the communities of Boondall, Nudgee, Zillmere, Carseldine and Albany Creek that have grown up around the venue across four decades, the entertainment centre has been a constant presence, a place where first concerts, family outings, school excursions and unforgettable nights out have accumulated across generations.
From Paddock to Global Top Ten
The 64-hectare Boondall site was first announced in 1983 as part of Brisbane’s Bicentenary Project and a broader push to strengthen the city’s bid for the 1992 Olympic Games. Brisbane architect Jacob de Vries designed the building in a star shape, although builders ultimately constructed only two of the four points. Watkins Pacific, now known as Watpac, completed the venue ahead of schedule at a cost of $71 million. The centre opened on 20 February 1986, with Torvill and Dean performing to a first-night crowd of 10,000, and ten additional shows attracting more than 100,000 people during the opening season alone.
The ticket prices that night were $22.90 for adults and $15.90 for children. Forty years later, the entertainment centre holds a Billboard Magazine ranking as the best venue in Oceania and ninth globally in the 10,001 to 15,000 seat capacity category, a standing that reflects both the quality of its production infrastructure and the strength of Brisbane’s live entertainment market.
Six employees from the original 1986 team still work at the venue today. Queensland Leisure took on management of the entertainment centre just one month before it opened and has remained involved for four decades. The company now operates the venue under the Legends Global banner, formerly known as ASM Global, following a major international merger. Two of the original board members from 1986 remain connected to the operation.
The Acts, the Records, the Moments
The entertainment centre’s 40-year program has spanned international headliners including Prince, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Elton John, Metallica and Madonna alongside homegrown artists including Cold Chisel, Kylie Minogue, Keith Urban, Paul Kelly and Powderfinger, as well as family productions including Les Misérables, Disney on Ice and The Wiggles.
P!NK holds the record as the venue’s most frequent performer with 32 shows, including 11 in a single year in 2009. Metallica drew the largest single crowd in the venue’s history, with 14,454 fans in attendance in 2010. The entertainment centre has handled some of the heaviest touring productions in the industry, including How to Train Your Dragon which weighed 98 tonnes, and has accommodated as many as 35 trucks for a single show. From Leonard Cohen performing at 79 years old to JoJo Siwa taking the stage at 17, the venue has genuinely spanned generations of artists and audiences.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Beyond concerts, the entertainment centre has been woven into Brisbane’s broader civic life in ways no one planned. It also operated as a mass vaccination hub during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and later served as a sandbag depot ahead of Cyclone Alfred in 2025. Producers filmed all three series of the original Australian Gladiators there in 1995, and organisers staged the Lions International Convention at the site. Over the years, the centre has also hosted conferences, gala dinners, religious conventions and trade shows, drawing millions more visitors beyond its ticketed events.
Meanwhile, the Sports Centre at the entertainment centre, which opened in 1997, has hosted approximately seven million people of its own. Boondall Railway Station opened in 1986 specifically to support access to the venue, and the 4,000-space supervised car park remains one of the largest single-venue parking facilities in Brisbane’s north.
A Full Circle Moment and What Comes Next
In one of the more poetic turns of the anniversary year, Torvill and Dean, who opened the entertainment centre on its very first night in 1986, returned to perform multiple shows in 2025, bringing the venue’s first four decades to a close in the company of the artists who began them.
The 40-day anniversary celebration running from 20 February includes a competition offering four groups of ten people the chance to attend an event of their choice across the next year, with entry by sharing a favourite entertainment centre memory on the venue’s Facebook page. Tickets must be used by 1 April 2027, and VIP parking, drinks and snacks are included for each winning group.
Upcoming shows at the entertainment centre include Linkin Park on 3 and 5 March, Hilltop Hoods, MGK, Mumford and Sons, Jimmy Carr, Carl Barron and the Harlem Globetrotters. The full event schedule and competition details are available at brisent.com.au.
Kim Lunt, Manager of Brendale-based Compassionate Funerals Queensland, is stepping into a very different kind of spotlight. The local community figure will take to the stage as the only Moreton Bay representative among this year’s Singing Heroes at the upcoming Unsung Heroes Gala, supporting the Carers Foundation and its Unsung Legacy Program.
The program is working to build long-term, sustainable support for Australia’s unpaid carers, including what would be the country’s first dedicated carers wellbeing centre, planned for the City of Moreton Bay.
Kim admits the invitation caught her off guard and frightened her. As someone who has never performed publicly and doesn’t consider herself a singer, she says the prospect was daunting, but insists the cause is far bigger than her fear.
Kim’s Campaign for the Unsung Heroes
Kim has set herself a fundraising goal of $20,000, with every dollar going directly toward the Carers Foundation’s Unsung Legacy Program. The program is focused on expanding respite services and establishing a dedicated wellbeing hub, a physical space where unpaid carers can access support, rest and connection, and one that would be the first of its kind in Australia.
She has less than six weeks to prepare for her performance, and in that time she’ll also be out across Moreton Bay meeting with local businesses and seeking sponsorships to help reach her target. It’s a big ask, but one she is committed to seeing through.
Kim believes that if the wellbeing hub is to become a reality locally, it will take the whole community standing together to make it happen. As for what she’ll be singing? That’s under wraps for now. She’s sworn to secrecy on the song choice, but has hinted at a touch of country charm and a little sparkle on the night.
Kim says that if carers can show up every single day for someone else, the least she can do is face her nerves on a stage for a few minutes. For her, courage comes down to saying yes when it would be far easier to say no.
A Career Built on Compassion
Photo credit: Compassionate Funerals Queensland
Kim has spent more than 25 years working alongside families during some of life’s hardest moments. As Manager of Compassionate Funerals Queensland, she has supported families with dignity and respect through some of their hardest chapters. The not-for-profit funeral service she leads donates all surplus funds to charity, and has already returned more than $7 million to community causes.
Through that work, she has seen firsthand how demanding and exhausting caring for others can be. Kim notes that unpaid carers shoulder a full-time responsibility that weighs heavily on them physically, mentally and emotionally, and that burnout and isolation are far too common among those in caring roles.
Rooted in the Moreton Bay Community
Beyond her professional life, Kim is thoroughly embedded in the fabric of this region. She’s a proud mum to Emily and Jaidyn, wife to Jarrod, and devoted owner of dogs Kingsley and Camilla. When she’s not at work, you’re likely to find her out on Moreton Bay with a fishing line in the water, at the beach, or cheering on her beloved Dolphins in the NRL and the Swans in the AFL.
That deep connection to the Moreton Bay community sits at the heart of why she put her hand up for this campaign. The wellbeing centre Kim is helping to fund wouldn’t just be a resource for carers across Australia — it would be right here, in the community she calls home. Kim has spoken about the quiet, relentless dedication of unpaid carers, and her belief that the broader community has a role to play in supporting them.
Kim’s fundraising page is live now, and locals are encouraged to get behind her before gala night. Whether it’s a small donation or sharing her page with family and friends, every bit of support counts toward building something lasting for carers right here in Moreton Bay.
Mumford & Sons are scheduled to perform in Boondall, with the Brisbane Entertainment Centre listed as the Brisbane venue for the band’s 2026 Prizefighter Tour.
The concert will take place on Tuesday 28 April 2026 at 8:00 p.m. at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall. The Brisbane date sits between performances at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on 24 and 25 April 2026 and Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on 29 April 2026.
The Boondall show is presented by Live Nation and Secret Sounds. Special guests listed for the event are Folk Bitch Trio and Hudson Freeman.
Mumford & Sons formed in London in 2007 and currently consists of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane. The band has released six studio albums, including Rushmere in 2025 and Prizefighter in 2026.
Prizefighter is listed as a February 2026 release. The album features collaborations with Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Chris Stapleton and Gigi Perez.
The Australian arena dates follow a one-night performance at the Sydney Opera House in March. Following the Boondall concert, the tour continues internationally with dates scheduled across North America and Europe during 2026.
Tickets for the Boondall concert are available through Ticketek, with a transaction limit of six tickets. Mastercard Preferred Tickets are available to Mastercard cardholders when purchased through the Mastercard network.
The event is listed as all ages. Patrons aged 15 years and under must be accompanied or supervised by an adult. Conditions also outline arrangements for infants under 12 months in reserved seating areas.
Bag restrictions apply at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall. Backpacks of any size are not permitted, and other bags must be under A4 size.
VIP Package Options
Two VIP packages are listed: an Early Entry VIP Package for general admission standing and a Seated VIP Package for reserved seating. Inclusions described include a VIP program, litho print, T-shirt, commemorative laminate and lanyard, and designated VIP check-in. Early entry and early merchandise access are included in the early entry option.
A development application has been lodged to reconfigure land at 77 Telegraph Road, Bald Hills, into 38 residential lots under an impact assessable process.
The application, numbered A006934925, relates to land at 77 Telegraph Road. It seeks approval to reconfigure the existing 20,790sqm site for residential subdivision.
The proposal is listed as impact assessable and remains in progress. It was submitted on 7 January 2026.
Photo Credit: DA/A006934925
Assessment records show the confirmation period commenced on 13 January 2026, with the application marked properly made on the same date. An action notice response was recorded on 14 January 2026, followed by a confirmation notice issued on 20 January 2026. An information request was sent on 6 February 2026. A final response date has not been recorded.
Public notification commencement and conclusion dates have not yet been listed.
Subdivision Layout And Lot Details
The Bald Hills subdivision proposes 38 residential lots. Project material identifies a stated lot size range of 350m² to 567m². A separate lot schedule lists numerous residential lots between 310m² and 345m², along with a lot labelled “Council lot” at 406m² and Lot 101 measuring 4,662m².
The proposal includes a new road within the site, a drainage lot and retained trees. Plans also reference a pedestrian path connecting to Telegraph Road and a future road connection. Links to Greenich Drive and Hope Street are noted in the documentation.
Photo Credit: DA/A006934925
Planning Context And Next Steps
The land is identified as being within the Emerging Community zone and the Bracken Ridge and District Neighbourhood Plan area.
As the application is impact assessable, submissions may be made during the public notification period once those dates are published. A decision notice has not been issued.
The Bald Hills subdivision remains under assessment.
Two fighters from All Star Boxing Academy in Lawnton are now in contention for Commonwealth Games selection after standout performances at the Australian Selection Trials.
Jye Dixon, 21, and Darcy O’Malley, 18, won their respective divisions at the recent trials held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
Dixon, born in Caboolture and now based in Brendale, dominated the 55kg division, winning each of his bouts 5–0. His performance places him in strong contention for selection in Australia’s team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
O’Malley, a recent graduate of St Paul’s School at Bald Hills, fought five times in seven days to claim the 60kg title. He is now awaiting confirmation of whether he will be named in the final squad.
Boxing Australia is scheduled to announce the Commonwealth Games team on April 8.
The Pride of All Star Boxing Academy
On their return from Canberra, Dixon and O’Malley were welcomed at Brisbane Airport by a large group of All Star boxers, supporters and family members.
In a public statement, All Star Boxing Academy praised the pair’s achievements.
“To win at this level against the best men in the country is no small feat — it’s a testament to the dedication, sacrifice, and relentless work these men put in every single day,” the academy posted.
The gym also acknowledged coach Paul Utia for his leadership and standards inside the program.
“A huge acknowledgment to coach Paul Utia for his tireless commitment to his athletes and the standards he drives inside the gym. The whole All Star Boxing family is incredibly proud.”
Dixon Reflects on Breakthrough Moment
Dixon said the win ranks alongside last year’s World Championships as one of the biggest moments of his career.
Last year’s world titles were, in his words, the “biggest event in my career so far,” but the trial victory was close behind.
“There was a sense of relief when I won. But at the same time, I thought wow, I actually did it!”
Dixon previously spent time in Glasgow while preparing for the world titles in Liverpool and was close to the Commonwealth Games venues during that campaign.
O’Malley’s Long-Term Development
O’Malley joined All Star Boxing Academy at age 12 and has steadily progressed through state and national ranks.
He is the Queensland Under 19 60kg Champion — claiming his fifth state title — and is also the Australian Schools Youth Champion. The selection trials final marked his first bout without a headguard, signalling his transition into senior-level competition.
Busy Build-Up If Selected
The Commonwealth Games are scheduled for July 23 to August 2. Australia’s selected boxing team is expected to undertake an intensive preparation program, with trips to Brazil and China mentioned as part of the build-up.
With the final team announcement approaching, all eyes are on All Star Boxing Academy and its talented boxers.
Sat, February 21, 2026 (John Fredericks Park – Capalaba FC – Field 1) – FQPL1 – Men – Round 1 • Capalaba FC 1 | Caboolture Sports FC 3
Fri, February 20, 2026 (Eric Evans Oval – Ipswich Knights Soccer Club – Field 1) – Kappa Pro Series – Women – Regional Round 1 • Ipswich Knights 4 | Samford Rangers 2
Fri, February 20, 2026 (Prentice Park – North Brisbane FC – Field 1) – Kappa Pro Series – Women – Regional Round 1 • North Brisbane 6 | Moggill FC 2
Fri, February 20, 2026 (Lanham Park – Grange Thistle Soccer Club – Field 1) – Kappa Pro Series – Women – Regional Round 1 • Grange Thistle 0 | North Lakes United 4
Fri, February 20, 2026 (Albert Bishop Park – Virginia United FC – Field 1) – Kappa Pro Series – Women – Regional Round 1 • Virginia United 1 | Peninsula Power 0
Sat, February 21, 2026 (Wolter Park – Moreton City Excelsior – Field 1) – NPL – Men – Round 1 • Moreton City Excelsior 4 | Gold Coast Knights 1
Sat, February 21, 2026 (AJ Kelly Park – Peninsula Power FC – Field 1) – NPL – Men – Round 1 • Peninsula Power 1 | Eastern Suburbs 0
Sat, February 14, 2026 & Sat, February 21, 2026 (2 Day – Trevor Hohns Field) – Queensland Premier Cricket – Men 1st Grade – Round 14 • Sandgate-Redcliffe Mens 1st Grade 6-322 | Western Suburbs Mens 1st Grade 3-324
Strathpine residents are being asked to help influence how their future water and wastewater services are delivered, as provider Unitywater seeks community feedback on service standards, affordability and reliability across the rapidly growing Moreton Bay region.
The utility has opened a public consultation inviting residents from Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Noosa to share their views on what they expect from essential water services and how they should evolve in the years ahead.
Running from 20 February to 6 March, the online survey forms part of Unitywater’s wider research programme designed to better understand customer priorities, including service performance, value for money and long-term planning.
Community members can also meet Unitywater representatives in person, with a pop-up session scheduled at Strathpine Centre on 5 March. A separate session will also be held at Morayfield Shopping Centre on 26 February.
The consultation comes as authorities plan for continued population growth across the region, which is projected to reach 1.4 million people by 2046. Increasing demand for housing, economic expansion and major upcoming events such as the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to place added pressure on infrastructure and essential services.
Unitywater says feedback gathered from residents will help guide future investment decisions and service improvements, with water and wastewater systems playing a key role in public health, environmental protection and sustainable community development.
The provider currently delivers water and wastewater services to more than 900,000 residents across its service area and manages infrastructure valued at more than $4 billion. Over the next five years, the utility plans to invest $2 billion into new and upgraded infrastructure projects.
