Albany Creek residents and their pet dogs will soon be able to enjoy an off-leash area for dogs at John Leitch Memorial Park.
Construction work has begun for the facility. Councillor Mark Charlton announced on his Facebook page that works on the project started on the 4th of Feb. It is estimated to be completed within two weeks, weather permitting.
The off-leash area within the park will have separate enclosed facilities for small dogs and large dogs. Each area will also have water bubblers, waste disposal bins and ample seating for the owners.
Trees will also be planted and set-up at the park to provide the shade and cool air for park visitors.
The Moreton Bay Regional Council approved the construction of the off-leash dog area with a $40,000 budget. It has been included in the Council’s 2018/19 funding for Division 9 roads and infrastructure upgrades, as well as facilities renovation projects.
“Council’s 2018/19 budget focuses on local road and waterway projects, while continuing to promote a healthy and active lifestyle in our region through investment in sport and recreation facilities in Division 9,” the press release cited.
The South East Queensland (SEQ) Council of Mayors has lodged a proposal to link Bald Hills to Stafford Road and Alderley Rail Station. The planned infrastructure improvement is part of a $6.5 billion project for the North West Transport Corridor (NWTC).
The NWTC currently flows through Gympie Road and the Strathpine Station to the north and the Bridgeman Downs, McDowall and Everton Park from the south to connect to Shand Street in Alderley and the Alderley Station. The proposal is aimed at reducing the gridlock commuters from northern and western Brisbane experience every day.
Photo Credit: Council Of Mayors South East Queensland
Based on the SEQ People Mass Movement Study, the NWTC improvement is part of 28 proposed infrastructure projects for the region, which should be carried out from 2019 to 2031. In total, however, the Council of Mayors have 47 infrastructure projects in the pipeline until 2041 with estimated spending of almost $63 billion.
“Forty-seven major projects are prioritised in the SEQ People Mass Movement Study for delivery over the next 23 years,” Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk told the press. “This total investment rate achieves the vision of 45-minute regional connectivity and 30-minute smart cities,” he added.
Queensland is expected to grow its population by 30 per cent in 2031, the study further cited. Thus, the region must prepare to support transport demands to maintain its global competitiveness and sustainability, as well as provide a high-quality way of life for its residents.
The annual Brisbane Beer Fest at Eatons Hill Hotel is now on its sixth year. The beer festival will be held on Saturday, 23rd February 2019, at 11AM.
With more than 130 beers and ciders
available, the event promises to be the largest beer festival in Queensland.
There will be a variety of international food trucks to challenge your taste
buds, besides live entertainment to set the mood for the full day of booze and
food.
Also, team events like the inflatable
beer obstacle course, keg-stacking comp and life-sized game of foosball add to
the high spirits.
The annual Beer Fest On The Grass has definitely come a long way since its first year.
2018 Brisbane Beer Fest (Photo credit: Brisbane Beer Fest/Facebook)2015 Brisbane Beer Fest (Photo credit: Brisbane Beer Fest/Facebook)1st Brisbane Beer Fest in 2014 (Photo credit: Brisbane Beer Fest/Facebook)Fun games at beer festival (Photo credit: Brisbane Beer Fest/Facebook)
Beer was introduced to Australia when the British first colonised the continent. Since then, beer drinking has become an Aussie favorite. Pretty much any occasion from a good day (or a bad day) at work to a funeral, a birth or even going to bed is reason enough to have some beer.
Photo credit: Brisbane Beer Fest/Facebook
Beer festivals contribute to the
constant improvement of the brew as beer makers vie for coveted awards.
But more than that, beer festivals simply spell fun for every ale lover.
So gather your mates and join a day’s celebration of beer at the 6th Annual Brisbane Beer Fest.
It’s the kids’ chance to channel their inner mermaid at Albany Creek Leisure Centre as Neptunes Synchronized Swimming Club presents a free Come & Try Synchro session on Saturday 26 January 2019.
The session is ideal for boys and girls from 7 years to 17 years of age. Participants should be comfortable in the water and can swim unaided for 25 metres to 50 metres, whether using freestyle or another stroke.
The club welcomes new members throughout the year and the come and try session is a perfect opportunity to see if a kid has the potential for the sport.
Event Details:
What:
Come N Try Synchro
When:
Saturday 26 January 2016
Where:
Albany Creek Leisure Centre,
Corner Explorer Drive and Old Northern Road, Albany Creek
Can’t make it to the free Come & Try session? No need to worry as Neptures holds come and try days throughout the year. The club also takes bookings for trial sessions.
For enquiries, email president@neptunes.qldsynchro.org.au to register your interest in a Come & Try Synchro session. The club will offer the next available day and time for a trial session.
Neptunes Synchronized Swimming Club, based at the Albany Creek Leisure Centre in Albany Creek, has been welcoming swimmers into what’s been regarded as one of the most enjoyable water activities available.
Synchro is a fun and unique aquatic activity that combines swimming, dance and gymnastics. Through the sport, children can develop grace, strength and endurance. The discipline and skills that the kids develop throughout training are sure to aid them in other aspects of life.
The club’s Albany Creek home base welcomes swimmers from the vicinity and Brisbane’s northern suburbs. As part of its expansion, it also now offers synchro lessons at Dunlop Park Memorial Pool in Corinda for the western suburbs.
Following the completion of $368,000 worth of upgrades, Albany Creek Library is going to be celebrating its grand reopening on Saturday, 19 January 2019.
From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., visitors can enjoy lots of fun activities and explore the newly renovated library.
When: Saturday, 19 January 2019; 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Albany Creek Library
Albany Creek Library Grand Reopening
Photo credit: Moreton Bay Region Libraries/Facebook
Some activities lined up for the kids include face painting, storytime, and The Gecko Wild Life Show.
Meanwhile, morning tea will be available for the grown-ups. Local history talk will also be providing everyone with an insight into the stories of the local community.
This event is free for everyone to enjoy.
Albany Creek Library Upgrades
Credit: Moreton Bay Region Libraries/Facebook
As part of its upgrades, the library now includes roving library assistance and RFID Smart Shelving to make returning items faster and simpler.
Other improvements to the library include special study zones with new comfortable benches and booths with power and WiFi throughout. Because of this, connecting and recharging at the library is easier.
Kids are also bound to have more fun at the new children’s space in the library.
Furthermore, the addition of new informal lounge areas, chairs, and coffee tables give visitors more spaces to relax and unwind.
“Public libraries are lifeblood to learning, promoting reading, nurturing and knowledge so it’s important the community has the chance to experience these opportunities in a comfortable and relaxed environment,” Councillor for Division 9 Mike Charlton said when he first announced the renovation in June 2018.
“In the past year the Albany Creek Library has welcomed more than 100,000 residents and visitors through its door. I know the community along with local groups will be really excited to see this space come to life with a fresh look,” Cr Charlton said.
With the completion of the modernisation upgrades, Albany Creek Library now offers an abundance of modern spaces that aims to connect, inspire, and engage.
Head over to the Albany Creek Library’s grand reopening to find out more about their new offers.
Albany Creek is poised for a house price growth in 2019, along with 28 other Brisbane suburbs, according to research.
There are twenty-nine Brisbane suburbs that should be watched for this 2019, according to Hotspotting’s Price Predictor Index. The report tracks increases in sales demand, which is generally seen to lead to price growth. Moreton Bay Region tops with seven suburbs lead by Albany Creek with a current median price of $585,000.
Brisbane-south region follows with five suburbs in the list. Overall, Brisbane-west’s Indooroopilly is among the three hottest Greater Brisbane suburbs, along with Graceville and Kippa-Ring.
This 2019, Domain predictsthat Brisbane house prices will rise by four percent and by about five percent in 2020. Moreover, house prices will grow at a faster rate than any other markets this year, a stark contrast to its 2018 performance which saw house prices remain unchanged.
Unit prices are expected to grow as well by three percent in 2019 and 2020. This rebound comes after unit prices slipped by about six percent in 2018 and falling by about nine percent from its 2016 peak of $411,000.
Photo Credit: J Brew [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons The Greater Brisbane Suburbs to Watch in 2019 According to The Price Predictor Index:
(Region / Suburb / Median Price)
Moreton Bay
Albany Creek – $585,000
Banksia Beach – $560,000
Clontarf – $445,000
Eatons Hill – $600,000
Kippa-Ring – $430,000
Redcliffe (Houses) – $440,000
Redcliffe (Units) – $415,000
Burpengary – $465,000
Logan
Bethania Logan – $365,000
Logan Reserve – $410,000
Redland
Alexandra Hills – $470,000
Cleveland – $620,000
Mt Cotton – $550,000
Ormiston – $680,000
Brisbane-south
Annerley – $720,000
Corinda – $745,000
Mansfield – $680,000
Sunnybank Hills – $680,000
Tarragindi – $775,000
Brisbane-north
Bald Hills – $440,000
Geebung – $545,000
Gordon Park – $845,000
Stafford Heights – $605,000
Ipswich
Camira – $407,000
Brisbane-west
Graceville – $905,000
Indooroopilly (Houses) – $905,000
Indooroopilly (Units) – $475,000
Kenmore – $700,000
Brisbane-east
Tingalpa – $555,000
Wakerley – $755,000
Wynnum West – $540,000
Factors that will likely trigger price growths in the Brisbane housing market in 2019 are relative housing affordability, rise in population, dropping unemployment, infrastructure spending, and tightening supply.
The first section of the newly widened Gateway Motorway consisting of three new lanes between Nudgee and Deagon are now open to traffic.
The recent completion is part the $1.1-billion Gateway Upgrade North project which aims to decongest traffic during peak hours. The new lanes stretch from Southern Cross Way and Depot Road, Deagon (northbound), and southbound between the Sandgate Road bridges and Nudgee.
The Gateway Upgrade North project is jointly funded by the Queensland Government and the Australian Government, which is shouldering 80 percent of the costs.
“We want to get Brisbane motorists home sooner and safer and the Gateway Upgrade North is making that a reality,” Federal Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said.
“The newly opened stretch will be temporarily posted at 80 kilometres an hour while final works are completed progressively into early next year, after which time the speed limit will be raised,” Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said.
“Remaining works include the final layer of asphalt being placed along the motorway between Deagon and Bracken Ridge, new line marking and signage, and installation of Intelligent Transport Systems.”
Pedestrians and cyclists will also benefit from the improved road safety that this project brings, Federal Member for Petrie Luke Howarth noted.
Video Credit: TMRQld / YouTube
“Works are also progressing to complete the construction of an off-road shared pedestrian and cycle path between Nudgee to Bracken Ridge, which is expected to be opened in stages,” Mr Howarth said.
“The opening of these lanes will be welcomed by motorists getting ready for the busy holiday season,” added State Member for Sandgate Stirling Hinchliffe.
“Provision has also been made to widen the motorway to four-lanes in each direction along this stretch of the motorway when needed, so this major investment shows we are delivering relief for motorists now and planning for future growth,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
A major freight route, the Gateway Motorway supports south-east Queensland communities. With the upgraded section, the motorway provides critical transport corridor for more than 83,000 vehicles each day who will now benefit with less congestion during peak hour traffic.
The newly opened lanes will temporarily have an 80km/hour limit, which will be increased once works are completed in early 2019. Currently progressing is the placement of the final layer of asphalt surfacing along the motorway between Deagon and Bracken Ridge. This will include new line marking and signage, and installation of Intelligent Transport Systems.
The design is now underway for the upgrades at the Albany Creek Road (also known as South Pine Road) intersection with Wruck Crescent and Ferguson Street.
According to Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, the safety improvements at the intersection will get an allocation of $595,000 under the Queensland Government’s Safer Roads Sooner (SRS) initiative.
Safer Roads Sooner is one of the government’s strongest road safety improvement programs. These initiatives focuses on high-benefit, cost-effective treatments at known and potential crash locations.
Albany Creek Road Upgrades
Albany Creek Road intersection with Wruck Crescent and Ferguson Street. Photo credit: Google Street View
Albany Creek Road is a popular route for commuters between the north-western suburbs and Brisbane’s CBD. Because of this, the road is also an accident-prone area.
“The history here shows a trend of crashes involving vehicles turning right into Wruck Crescent or Ferguson Street,” Mr Bailey said.
“That’s why we have allocated funding to modify the traffic signals to fully control right-turn movements from Albany Creek Road into Ferguson Street and Wruck Crescent,” he added.
Upgrades also involve extending Albany Creek Road right-turn lanes. Photo credit: Google Street View
Safety upgrades will also include the extension of both right-turn lanes on Albany Creek Road. This is to further accommodate motorists waiting at the signals.
These improvements will help minimise the potential for crashes and greatly improve safety at the intersection.
Moreover, the Department of Transport and Main Roads will work with key stakeholders in the area as the design progresses.
Eatons Hill Hotel has been awarded the best entertainment venue both at the QHA Awards for Excellence 2018 and AHA National Awards for Excellence 2018.
Eatons Hill Hotel bested seven other hotels for the QHA best entertainment venue award including The Foundry at Elephant Hotel (Fortitude Valley), Finn McCool’s (Fortitude Valley), Mon Komo Hotel (Redcliffe), and Press Club (Fortitude Valley). Winners were announced at the Gala Presentation Dinner at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre last 8 October.
The recognition marks the fifth time that Eatons Hill Hotel has won the prestigious QHA award. The hotel also bagged three other awards from the QHA, namely:
Hall of Fame – Best PubTAB
Best Marketed Hotel 100+ Employees
Best Meeting & Events Venue
Photo Credit: Eatons Hill Hotel/eatonshillhotel.com.au
Eatons Hill Hotel: New Years Day 2018 Video Credit: Eatons Hill/YouTube
In September 2018, Eatons Hill Hotel took home the Best Entertainment Venue Award for the third time from the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) at the gala event held at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on the Gold Coast.
The Crafers Hotel in South Australia bagged the Overall Hotel of the Year award (Metropolitan) whilst The Headlands Hotel Austinmer in New South Wales was awarded the Overall Hotel of the Year (Regional).
Winners were chosen from more than 5,000 members across Australia, revealed AHA National President Scott Leach. “Our staff and venues combine as the heart and soul of our industry,” Mr Leach said.
“One brings our industry to life each and every day while the other forms its ‘bricks and mortar’ backbone – constantly evolving and changing to ensure we stay at the top of our game.
“The hotel industry is the most dynamic in the nation and a week rarely goes by without the launch of new ideas, renovations or complete re-developments at venues right across the country.
“In a time of great change – when every customer is a potential reviewer – our industry continues to set the standard internationally and I congratulate all nominees and winners,” he said.
About Eatons Hill Hotel
Eatons Hill Hotel, located at South Pine Road, services the areas of Brendale, Albany Creek, Eatons Hill, Samford, Dayboro, Warner, Cashmere, Boondall, Chermside, and Enoggera. The hotel is a premiere entertainment destination being home to local and international artists and djs. Its outdoor concert area accommodates about 6,000 patrons and 2,100 at the Grand Ballroom.
Albany Creek State School, along with 29 other Queensland state schools, will be taking part in a pilot project to find ways for schools to get actively involved in the Container Refund Scheme which took effect in November 2018.
Under the scheme, also called Containers for Change, eligible containers such as those made from glass, plastic, aluminium, or liquid paper board, ranging from 150 ml to 3 litres in size can be exchanged for a 10-cent refund per item.
Video Credit: Queensland Environment/YouTube
“This is a fantastic scheme and one that I would love to see school communities from across the state get behind,” Education Minister Grace Grace said.
A grant of $100,000 towards the $150,000 total cost for P&Cs Queensland—government partner in this pilot project. The project is aimed at encouraging schools to find the best way “to get involved and maximise the benefits.”
“The participating schools will trial ways to collect containers within their school communities and work to harness the energy of everyone associated with their school, including parents and carers, students and teachers.
Photo credit: Envirobank Recycling/Facebook
“P&Cs Qld will report back to the government by mid-2019 on the success of the pilot project and we hope to use these findings to encourage more schools to join the scheme,” Ms Grace said.
“We see the Container Refund Scheme pilot program as an ideal opportunity to establish on-site donation points in Queensland state schools and we will be working with Refund Point Operators on a sustainable and safe plan to maximise benefits flowing to these schools,” P&Cs Qld President Gayle Walters said.
“The scheme has the potential to provide invaluable education for our students on caring for their environment as well as providing a real boost to P&C funding,” Ms Walters said.
Photo credit: Envirobank Recycling/Facebook
In partnership with Refund Point Operators—Return.It Schools and Envirobank–Bag Drop Pilot, P&Cs Qld will work with the following state schools across Queensland:
Brisbane Southside
Chatswood Hills State School
Kimberley Park State School
Loganholme State School
Mansfield State High School
Mansfield State School
Robertson State School
Rochedale South State School
Shailer Park State High School
Brisbane Northside
Albany Creek State School
Aspley State Special School
Aviation High
Earnshaw State College
Eatons Hill State School
Mitchelton State Special School
Nundah State School
Wooloowin State School
Cairns
Balaclava State School
White Rock State School
Yorkeys Knob State School
Gold Coast
Bellevue Park State School
Coombabah State School
Sunshine Coast
Mountain Creek State High School
Townsville
Currajong State School
Pimlico State High School
Townsville Central State School
Townsville Community Learning Centre
Townsville South State School
Woodstock State School
Toowoomba
Harristown State High School
Highfields State School
Return.It Schools – Purple Wheelie Bin Pilot
Envirobank – Bag Drop Pilot
Most Queensland schools will one day benefit from this scheme, Ms Grace said.
Like other countries that offered financial incentives to boost success of their recycling programs, the current initiative could increase the approximate 40 per cent recycling rate that Queensland has now, to up to 80 percent.
