Local schools and young artists have until 1 October 2026 to submit their best work for a chance to feature in a professional-grade gallery exhibition held at the Albany Creek Community Centre.
The competition aims to bridge the gap between school art rooms and professional exhibition spaces. Students living in or attending schools within the City of Moreton Bay have the chance to submit a wide variety of works, including traditional paintings, drawings, photography, digital art, ceramics, and large-scale installations.
By removing the barrier of entry fees, the program seeks to ensure that every young person, regardless of their background, has an equal opportunity to build their confidence and gain public recognition for their creative efforts.
The awards structure recognises the hard work of students through both individual and collaborative categories. For individual entries, the competition is divided by school year levels and artistic categories, with winners receiving cash prizes, trophies, and certificates.
Schools are also encouraged to enter collaborative projects, which offer a unique chance for groups of three or more students to work together. Winning schools in this category receive a $1000 scholarship, providing them with the funds to host professional art workshops for their students.
Beyond the judging panel, the event invites the public to have a direct say in the outcome through the People’s Choice Award. Visitors to the exhibition are encouraged to browse the gallery, reflect on the different perspectives presented by the students, and vote for their favourite piece. The creator of the most popular work will receive a dedicated trophy, a certificate, and a prize pack of high-quality art materials worth up to $100.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery noted that the event provides a meaningful way for young people to connect with the local arts scene. He added that the program is an important avenue for students to share their imaginative ideas, explore their own identities, and receive feedback from the broader community, highlighting the depth of talent currently growing across the region.
Families in Albany Creek will have plenty of opportunities to keep children busy during the winter school holidays, with Moreton Bay preparing a wide range of free activities across libraries, museums, galleries and recreation venues.
From farm-themed experiences at Pine Rivers Heritage Museum to visits from alpacas and babydoll lambs, this year’s program offers a mix of hands-on learning, creative workshops and active recreation designed to appeal to children of different ages and interests.
The winter holiday schedule includes dozens of activities aimed at helping young people stay engaged during the school break while giving families affordable options close to home.
Farmyard Family Fun Day returns to Pine Rivers Heritage Museum
One of the standout attractions for families in the Pine Rivers region is the popular Farmyard Family Fun Day at Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.
The event has become a regular feature of school holiday programs and gives children an opportunity to connect with farm-themed experiences while exploring one of the area’s key cultural attractions.
The museum will also host other family-focused activities during the holiday period, helping children learn through hands-on experiences that combine history, creativity and play.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Alpacas and lambs heading to library events
Children will also have the opportunity to learn more about natural fibres and wool production through City of Moreton Bay’s Winter Woollies program. The initiative will bring alpacas and babydoll lambs to selected libraries, where families can discover how wool is processed and used in everyday products.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Live demonstrations of carding and spinning will show how raw fleece is prepared and transformed into yarn, giving children a closer look at traditional fibre-processing techniques.
The educational sessions are designed to encourage curiosity while helping children better understand the connection between farming and the products they use.
Creative workshops encourage curiosity and imagination
Libraries across the city will host a range of activities that encourage children to try something new during the holidays. The program includes beginner 3D printing workshops, improv sessions, magic shows and circus-themed experiences.
These activities provide opportunities for children to explore creativity, develop confidence and build new skills outside the classroom environment. The program aims to cater to different interests while helping young people remain engaged during the break.
Sport and recreation round out the holiday program
For children who enjoy physical activity, City of Moreton Bay’s Active Holidays program includes a broad selection of sporting and recreational experiences. Activities include target archery, hip hop dance, tennis, junior boxing, multicultural games and survival skills sessions.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Mayor Peter Flannery said Council’s school holiday program was designed to help young people stay active, explore new interests, spend time with family and create positive memories during the winter break.
Want to go? Check the full details, locations, and booking information below:
Three Albany Creek State High School students have qualified for the Australian BMX Racing Team and will compete at the UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane.
Kaitlyn, Liam McAuliffe and Alex McCabe will represent Australia at the international event, which runs from 17 to 25 July in Chandler. The championships will be held at the Brisbane BMX Racing Track at the Sleeman Sports Complex, where more than 3,000 riders from around the world are expected to compete.
Photo Credit: Albany Creek SHS/Facebook
Three Albany Creek Students Selected For Australia
Kaitlyn, a Year 11 student, has qualified after strong results in two BMX classes. She is ranked Queensland No 3 in the Cruiser class and No 7 in the 20-inch class for 16-year-old girls.
Alongside her involvement in Albany Creek State High School’s Dance Excellence Program, Kaitlyn will race in the Women’s 17–24 Cruiser category at the World Championships.
Photo Credit: Albany Creek SHS/Facebook
Liam, a Year 7 student, will compete in the Boys 12 Years 20-inch category. He is ranked Queensland No 6 in the Boys 11 Years division, has raced BMX since the age of four and has earned multiple Queensland-level plates.
Photo Credit: Albany Creek SHS/Facebook
Alex, also in Year 7, will line up in the Boys 13 Years 20-inch category. He is ranked Queensland No 4 in the 20-inch class and No 3 in the Cruiser class for 12-year-old boys, with results at both state and national level.
Liam and Alex both train at Pine Rivers BMX Club, adding a local club connection to the Albany Creek selections.
Photo Credit: Albany Creek SHS/Facebook
Brisbane Championships Bring Global Field To Chandler
The 2026 championships will be staged on the 400-metre Brisbane track, with Men and Women Elite, Under 23 and Junior riders competing on 18 and 19 July. Challenge and Masters racing will follow from 22 to 25 July, bringing together amateur riders across age categories.
Brisbane previously hosted the third and fourth rounds of the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup. Australia has also held past UCI BMX World Championships in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.
Qualification places the Albany Creek students in an international field at one of the sport’s major events, with the championships being staged in Brisbane rather than overseas.
The school’s announcement of the selections drew congratulatory responses from community members as the three students prepare for their World Championships categories.
Murrumba Downs is one of five suburbs receiving digital water meter installations during June. The initiative forms part of an expanding Unitywater program that has already fitted about 4,000 devices across its service region since March 2026 and issued more than 160 notifications advising customers they may have a leak.
Almost 2,300 properties across Murrumba Downs, Kallangur, Bray Park, Strathpine and Warner are included in this round of installations.
For households nearby in Albany Creek who have not yet received notice of their own upgrade, the rollout represents what is likely coming their way as Unitywater continues expanding the program across its network.
What makes a digital meter different
The digital upgrade provides a more complete picture of water use across Unitywater’s network to help catch issues early. While a traditional meter is typically only read once every three months, this digital technology allows for faster leak identification and earlier notification of potential leaks to customers.
Photo Credit: Supplied
This gives households the opportunity to locate and fix a problem before it shows up as an unexpectedly large, clearer bill.
Unitywater Acting Executive Manager Customer Experience Steve Wimberley explained the operational logic behind why some streets see installations before their neighbours.
“We’re installing the meters in ‘network blocks’, which are defined by the water supply infrastructure layout, rather than street-by-street,” he said. “This means residents may see their neighbours’ meters being upgraded but not theirs yet and this is an intentional operational approach.”
The numbers behind the program
Unitywater’s earlier pilot program delivered substantial results across 10,000 properties. The trial recorded more than 800 million litres of water savings, more than $5 million in customer savings, and early leak identification support for more than 3,500 households.
Properties left unattended for extended periods are particularly vulnerable to undetected leaks. This technology closes that gap by flagging unusual water use quickly, preventing scenarios where property owners return home from a holiday to major, undetected water damage.
How the installation process works
Customers scheduled to receive a digital meter in the next six months will receive a letter from Unitywater, followed by a notice approximately five to 10 days before their installation window. Residents do not need to be home for the upgrade, which takes between five minutes to one hour.
Photo Credit: Supplied
“We don’t always need to turn off your water for this upgrade, but if we do, we will notify you beforehand,” Mr Wimberley said.
The standard installation comes at no additional cost if received as per Unitywater’s schedule. However, customers wishing to have an early upgrade can opt in, which may incur an additional fee.
A young swimmer who first learned to swim at the Albany Creek Leisure Centre is preparing to represent New Zealand on the international stage after a breakthrough performance at the 2026 New Zealand National Championships.
Nineteen-year-old James Leigh claimed the Open titles in both the 400m and 800m freestyle, finished second in the 200m freestyle and secured selection in New Zealand’s senior team for the Pan Pacific Championships in the United States this August.
Reflecting on the result, James said: “I am the NZ open champion in the 400 and 800 free and second in the 200 free. I was also selected for the Senior team to compete at the Pan Pacific championships during August in USA.”
Full Circle at Albany Creek
While James is now racing at international level, his swimming story began much closer to home.
He first learned to swim through the learn-to-swim program at Albany Creek Leisure Centre. Today, he has come full circle, working at the same facility as a learn-to-swim instructor and lifeguard.
For local families, it means the person helping children build confidence in the water is also an elite swimmer now preparing to test himself on one of the sport’s major international stages.
James had set himself the goal of becoming an Open champion at the New Zealand nationals and spent the past year working towards it. His double victory in the 400m and 800m freestyle marked the reward for that preparation.
The result also reflected a sharp improvement in his times. Even where he had hoped to go slightly faster in some events, his swims still represented major personal bests compared with where he had been 12 months earlier.
His most demanding race mentally was the 200m freestyle, where selection pressure added another layer to the event. Physically, the 800m freestyle was the toughest test, requiring him to maintain a demanding pace over a long distance.
From Local Lessons to International Competition
James’ competitive swimming career began while his family was living in the Philippines for three years. After returning to Australia at the age of 10, he joined Marist College Ashgrove Swim Club, where he continues to train under coach James Boyce.
His training schedule now includes around 20 hours in the pool each week across eight sessions, together with three gym sessions.
As a dual Australian and New Zealand citizen with New Zealand heritage, representing the country carries strong personal meaning for him.
Bigger Goals Ahead
The Pan Pacific Championships will give James another chance to gain international experience against some of the world’s best swimmers.
His longer-term ambitions stretch well beyond this year’s meet. He is building towards future World Championships and, ultimately, the Olympic pathway.
James has acknowledged the support of his family, coach James Boyce, teammates at Marist College Ashgrove Swim Club, Albany Creek Leisure Centre, Coast Swim Club and Metropolitan Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club throughout his swimming journey.
For Albany Creek residents, his story is a reminder that international sporting careers can begin in familiar places. From learning to swim at the local leisure centre to earning national titles and a place on New Zealand’s senior team, James Leigh’s journey has brought him back to where it all started—this time helping the next generation discover the sport.
Massive Attack’s Australian tour will include three headline shows, with Brisbane listed alongside Sydney and Melbourne.
The Brisbane performance is scheduled for Thursday, 06 August 2026, at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. The event is listed for 8:00pm, subject to change.
The show places the Queensland stop in Boondall, giving audiences from Albany Creek, Brisbane’s north and surrounding areas access to the group’s first Australian tour since 2010. The venue sits about 16 kilometres north of Brisbane’s CBD and about eight kilometres north of Brisbane’s domestic and international airports.
Massive Attack began in Bristol in 1988, founded by Robert “3D” Del Naja, Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, Adrian “Tricky” Thaws and Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles. The group currently consists of Del Naja and Marshall.
The collective became closely associated with trip-hop, combining hip-hop rhythms, soul elements, dub bass and atmospheric electronic production. Their 1991 debut album, Blue Lines, is often cited as a major work in the genre’s emergence.
The album included Unfinished Sympathy, which became one of Massive Attack’s best-known tracks and reached number one on the Dutch Top 40.
Albums That Shaped The Set-Up For Boondall
After Blue Lines, Massive Attack released Protection in 1994, followed by Mezzanine in 1998.
Mezzanine became the group’s first number one album on the UK Albums Chart and included Teardrop, later recognised by many listeners as the opening theme for the American television series House.
The group later released 100th Window in 2003 and Heligoland in 2010. Across those five studio albums, Massive Attack has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide.
Both Blue Lines and Mezzanine appear on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The group has also worked with recurring guest vocalists including Horace Andy, Shara Nelson, Tracey Thorn, Elizabeth Fraser, Sinéad O’Connor, Damon Albarn and Hope Sandoval.
Their awards include a Brit Award for Best British Dance Act, two MTV Europe Music Awards and two Q Awards.
Tickets for the Boondall show are available through Ticketek. Patrons have been advised to avoid unauthorised resale websites because tickets purchased through those channels may be invalid.
The concert is listed as an all-ages event, and all patrons must hold a valid ticket for entry. General admission standing floor patrons aged 15 years or under are recommended to be accompanied or supervised by an adult.
With only Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne listed for the Australian tour, the Boondall concert stands as the Queensland stop in Massive Attack’s return after more than a decade and a half.
Fire trail works have commenced at 309 Eatons Crossing Road in Eatons Hill and 519 Bunya Road in Bunya, two of five sites across Moreton Bay where access tracks are being established to support controlled ecological burns and protect native species from the threat of uncontrolled wildfire.
The works, which run through to late June, are taking place on land acquired through the Land Buyback for Environmental Purposes Program, a voluntary scheme that has secured more than 100 hectares of key environmental land across the City of Moreton Bay since its introduction in 2020.
For Albany Creek residents, both the Eatons Hill and Bunya locations sit within the Hills District bushland corridor that forms the green backdrop of the suburb’s western and southern edges.
At 519 Bunya Road, the works also include targeted vegetation management to reduce a section of weed infestation and understory bushfire fuel load alongside the fire trail establishment. The same additional vegetation work is occurring at the fifth site, 114 Collins Road in Everton Hills. The remaining two sites in the current program are at 2 Flowers Road, Caboolture and 18 Jagera Court, Closeburn.
Tracks built to follow what was already there
The new fire trails have been specifically designed to minimise ecological impact. The majority follow pre-existing trails or farm tracks that already cross these properties, reducing the need for new vegetation clearing.
Native canopy trees will remain in place throughout, and the design of each trail has been guided by the need to avoid or minimise impact on sensitive ecological features and protected species.
Qualified and licensed fauna spotter-catchers are present on site during all works to monitor and protect native wildlife. It is the same precautionary approach used during the ecological burns themselves, where fauna spotters watch for koalas and other animals in and around the burn area throughout the operation.
Fire as a tool for biodiversity
The purpose of establishing fire trails is not simply about access for fire trucks. In the ecology of South East Queensland’s bushland, controlled fire is an active management tool. Banksias rely on heat to open their seed cones.
Grass trees, abundant in the Hills District bushland, regenerate strongly after burns and produce the flower spikes that provide critical nectar for birds and native bees. Ground-layer species that are gradually suppressed by fuel build-up recover after a burn that removes competing material and allows light back to the soil.
Without controlled burns, fuel loads accumulate to the point where any ignition, whether from lightning, ember cast from a distant fire or another source, produces an uncontrolled fire of much greater intensity. That kind of fire can destroy the nesting hollows, streamside vegetation and ground habitat that koalas, platypus and ground-nesting birds depend on.
The Moreton Bay region has recorded platypus across 37 creeks and waterways, and some of those run through the bushland connected to the Eatons Hill and Bunya sites.
The Land Buyback Program was updated in July 2025 to place greater emphasis on conservation-significant wildlife habitats and restoring native vegetation on previously cleared areas. The program supports a target to maintain 42 per cent native vegetation cover across the City of Moreton Bay, with a view to increasing that figure over time.
Stay informed during burns
Works are expected to run through to late June 2026. Residents near any of the five sites may notice machinery activity in the coming weeks as trail construction progresses. When controlled burns are carried out on these sites in the future, MoretonAlert notifications will go to registered residents in the surrounding area ahead of ignition.
To sign up for MoretonAlert and receive planned burn notifications for your area, click this link. More information about the Land Buyback for Environmental Purposes Program can be viewed here.
Hip Hops Brewers is heading to Japan, joining a Moreton Bay trade delegation bound for SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, one of Asia’s largest global innovation conferences, armed with award-winning beer, a gold medal lager already known in Japan, and serious ambitions for what a small regional brewery can achieve on the world stage.
The timing is significant. The brewery won 19 medals at the recent Royal Queensland Beer Awards, its best result yet, including three gold, 11 silver and four bronze.
That haul arrives just as owner and director Shaun Reeves boards a flight to Tokyo Big Sight, where the three-day event runs from 27–29 April 2026 and draws city leaders from 49 countries, 750 startup exhibitors and more than 10,000 pre-arranged business meetings between organisations looking for international partners and collaborators.
For a brewery that opened inside The Sheds precinct in 2023 and took years to get off the ground through freight delays, construction holdups and licensing complexity, the invitation to join the Moreton Bay overseas trade mission is a meaningful chapter.
“If you look at our little brewery you might say we’re a fair way away from having this sort of capacity to be a major export player,” Reeves said. “But if we had niche collaborations, niche partnerships we could look at possibilities and take advantage.”
The Beer That Already Has a Fan in Japan
Hip Hops Brewers is not walking into Tokyo cold. The brewery already has a profile there, built around one of its most inventive recent creations.
Late last year, when a delegation from Sanyo-Onoda visited Moreton Bay to mark the region’s 33-year friendship city relationship with the Japanese city, Reeves was asked to create a commemorative beer for the occasion.
The result was Tomodachi Lager, which translates to “friendship beer,” a Japanese-style rice lager built around two locally sourced ingredients: sea lettuce grown by researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast Moreton Bay campus and yuzu citrus from a farm in Gympie.
“I had an idea for a sushi beer,” Reeves said. “(We) used fresh Moreton Bay seaweed sea lettuce, produced by UniSC, balanced it with yuzu from a farm in Gympie and came up with a beer we were happy with.”
The beer went on to win gold in the Hybrid Beer section at this year’s Royal Queensland Beer Awards. Last week, the Mayor of Sanyo-Onoda sent Reeves a letter of congratulations. “Which made my day!” Reeves said.
What Tokyo Holds for a Regional Brewery
Moreton Bay is one of the confirmed city partners at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, running its own reverse pitch session at the event, essentially inviting Japanese startups and organisations to identify collaboration opportunities with Moreton Bay businesses.
It is a format designed for deal-making, not just networking, and it places the delegation, and Hip Hops Brewers alongside it, in front of exactly the kind of Japanese organisations the brewery could partner with.
Reeves is going in with two parallel lines of inquiry. Through connections the City of Moreton Bay holds with Sanyo-Onoda and other Japanese partners, he wants to explore whether niche collaboration, perhaps a contract brewing arrangement, a co-branded product or a distribution foothold, could create a genuine export pathway for a brewery of Hip Hops’ scale.
The second thread is about what to bring back. Reeves has flagged one particular ambition.
“Is there a way we can get Queensland’s first sake production going?” Reeves said.
The delegation is paying its own way. Reeves is clear-eyed about what the trip is and is not.
“This is certainly not a junket. It’s a great opportunity to go because it can open doors a business operator would not be able to open,” he said.
He has also been working with Trade and Investment Queensland ahead of the trip to explore specific opportunities, going to Tokyo with groundwork already laid rather than starting from scratch at the conference.
Beers Built from Local Stories
Back in Brendale, the Royal Queensland medal haul reflects a brewing programme that is deeply embedded in the geography and history of the region.
Reeves’ approach to naming his beers, built around alliteration, local history and a genuine love of a good backstory, has produced a range that reads like a map of the Moreton Bay and northern Brisbane area: Lakeside Lager, Samford Sessions, Redcliffe Red, Petrie Pilsner, Samsonvale Stout and Griffin Golden Ale among them.
One recent award winner carries a story worth telling. Brentdale Buddies, which won silver in the Amber Dark Ale category, was a collaboration with Buddy Brewing from Burpengary. Buddy Brewing proposed an Irish red ale, and Reeves went looking for the Irish heritage in South Pine Road’s history.
“It was from the Davis family that (developer) Bill Bowden bought land and named his horse stud Brendale,” Reeves said. “That was after the Davis family’s original property back in Ireland called Brentdale. So there’s no spelling mistake… Bill just shortened it to Brendale.”
Visit the Taproom
Hip Hops Brewers operates from The Sheds at 264 South Pine Road, Brendale, a converted truck workshop with 21 taps, an in-house kitchen, a beer garden, live music and a dog-friendly outdoor area. The brewery is family-friendly and open for walk-ins, with weekend bookings recommended to avoid disappointment. Surcharges apply on public holidays.
For bookings and enquiries, phone (07) 3448 9339 or message via the Hip Hops Brewers Facebook page. Follow the brewery on Instagram at @hiphopsbrewers for updates on the Tokyo trip and new seasonal releases.
Albany Creek is part of the wider Moreton Bay conversation after a new high-tech parking patrol vehicle began operating in regulated zones to detect overstays and illegal parking.
Albany Creek Attention Turns to Smarter Parking Checks
The new patrol vehicle is fitted with number plate recognition technology, GPS and high-resolution cameras, allowing it to monitor regulated parking areas more efficiently. When a vehicle is detected as having overstayed or parked illegally, the system captures time-stamped images and location data. That material is then reviewed by officers before any infringement notice is issued by post.
The vehicle is operating in regulated areas including North Lakes, Redcliffe, Caboolture, Strathpine and Petrie, while foot patrols continue as part of the broader monitoring approach.
The rollout has been presented as a response to increasing parking demand across Moreton Bay, with the aim of improving access to available spaces and keeping turnover moving in busy centres. The broader parking framework focuses on safety, accessibility and fairness for road users, particularly in town centres, school zones and growing residential areas.
Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay
Drivers are expected to follow local signs and parking rules, including requirements around clear road space, intersections, driveways, footpaths and roadside areas. The stated intent is to reduce congestion, support access and keep traffic moving through areas where demand is highest.
Mixed Views as Albany Creek Follows the Debate
Public reaction has been divided. Some residents have backed stronger enforcement, arguing that better compliance could improve safety and reduce obstruction in busy locations, including areas near schools. Others have questioned whether faster and more efficient monitoring addresses the underlying shortage of parking spaces, with concerns raised about whether the system will feel more punitive than practical.
Photo Credit: City of Moreton Bay
Some comments also raised concern about how the technology may affect people already under pressure, while others argued that motorists who park lawfully have little to fear.
For Albany Creek, it is less about a single street and more about a wider regional shift in how parking rules are being enforced. The introduction of the vehicle marks a move towards technology-led monitoring across Moreton Bay, with existing regulated areas now subject to a more automated form of oversight while still relying on officer review before penalties are issued.
A major transformation is planned for James Drysdale Reserve, with the City of Moreton Bay moving to turn the Bunya site into a large-scale sports and recreation hub designed to meet the needs of a fast-growing community.
The plan outlines staged upgrades across the 29-hectare reserve in response to rising demand for quality sporting and community spaces.
Growing demand drives long-term vision
Moreton Bay has been working on the revised master plan for several years, following earlier planning in 2015 that no longer matched current conditions. Changes in waste management operations meant the reserve could not expand into nearby land as originally expected, prompting Council to rethink how the existing space could be used more efficiently.
At the same time, population growth across the Hills District and Albany Creek areas has increased pressure on local sporting facilities. Council identified the need to plan ahead to support both current users and future residents.
Community input shapes the design
Consultation played a central role in shaping the revised plan. In 2023, Council engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including sporting clubs, user groups and nearby organisations.
This process involved surveys, workshops and meetings aimed at understanding how the reserve is currently used and what improvements are needed. Feedback highlighted gaps in facilities, concerns about future changes, and a shared interest in creating a more functional and inclusive space.
The master plan includes a wide range of proposed upgrades designed to support multiple sports and community activities. These include new courts, upgraded playing fields, shared clubhouses and improved open spaces.
Plans also feature a multi-level car park with additional courts, athletics facilities, expanded baseball areas, and outdoor fitness and play zones. Spaces for events and spectator seating are also included to support larger gatherings and competitions.
These additions aim to create a more flexible and accessible precinct that caters to different age groups and interests, while supporting local clubs that have used the reserve for many years.
Part of a broader community network
The project is not being planned in isolation. Council has indicated the reserve will work alongside nearby sites such as Leslie Patrick Park and other future community locations to form a connected network of recreational spaces.
While the master plan has now been adopted, development will take place in stages over time, depending on funding and priorities. Council has already allocated some budget for early improvements, with further works expected in the coming years.
The long-term goal is to ensure James Drysdale Reserve continues to serve as a central gathering place for sport, recreation and community life as the area grows.
