Moreton Bay Archives - Albany Creek News

Excitement Builds as Moreton Bay Welcomes Back Beloved Hills Festival

Moreton Bay’s ‘The Hills Festival’ returns for its seventh spectacular year, shaping up to be the biggest and most diverse yet, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Read: Pandemonium Tour Rocks On Despite Line-Up Shake-Up and Venue Changes, Moves Brisbane Show to Eatons Hill

Here are the free activities to look forward to each week at the 2024 Hills Festival:

Week 1

3 May 2024

The Hills Festival will kick off on May 3 with a “Movie in the Park” event at Eatons Hill, where attendees can enjoy an outdoor screening of the 2023 animated film Trolls Band Together.

In the movie, Poppy discovers that her friend Branch was once part of a popular boy band called “BroZone” with his brothers Floyd, John Dory, Spruce, and Clay. When Floyd is kidnapped, Branch and Poppy embark on a journey to reunite the band and rescue him.

Please note that closed captions will be provided during the film to ensure accessibility for all attendees.

Week 2

12 May 2024

The following weekend, on Mother’s Day, the Ferny Hills community will host a “Jazz & Shiraz” celebration, pairing smooth sounds with delicious local wines.

Spread out a picnic blanket and sample delectable bites from food trucks as you soak up the musical atmosphere. The Jazz & Shiraz event will feature a licensed bar offering an excellent selection of regional wines, local craft beers, and gourmet cheese platters.

Week 3

18 May 2024

Mark your calendars for May 18, from 1pm-5pm as Music in the Valley Samford promises an unforgettable experience at the Samford Showgrounds. Featuring a delightful lineup of local artists, food trucks, and festive face painting activities, this captivating event ensures an afternoon filled with joy, harmony, and a strong sense of community spirit.

What to Bring:

Picnic rug
Chairs
Hat
Sunscreen
Refillable water bottle

Week 4

25 May 2024

The Hills Festival culminates in the annual Hills Carnivale, a free, family-friendly event on May 25 at George Willmore Park. This one-day celebration features an action-packed program across two stages, with one area dedicated solely to activities for kids.

Little ones will delight in amusement rides, workshops, games, and roving entertainers in the designated Kids Zone. Meanwhile, parents can explore the numerous lifestyle markets and multicultural food stalls while enjoying live music from local artists.

Read: Echoes of Pink Floyd to Recreate Historic Pink Floyd Tour at Eatons Hill Grand Ballroom

For a full schedule of events and ticket information, be sure to visit the festival’s website at www.hillsfestival.com.au. With so much on offer, this year’s Hills Festival is shaping up to be the best one yet.

Published 17-April-2024

Back-To-School Vaccination to be Conducted at these Moreton Bay Schools

Three schools in the Moreton Bay region have set up pop-up back-to-school vaccination clinics before the start of the new school term as part of the program to improve the vaccination rates of school-aged kids in Queensland.

Albany Creek State School, Eatons Hill State School, and Norris Road State School in Bracken Ridge (Brisbane) will open the clinics on campus from Saturday, 29 January until Sunday, 6 February.

“With the start of the school year locked in for Monday 7 February to avoid the peak of the Omicron wave, parents can take advantage of the opportunity to get their kids vaccinated,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in announcing the Back-to-School vaccination blitz.

“There is widespread community transmission of the virus reaching all corners of this state. Adding a vaccination to the back-to-school list for your child is the best defence.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said that the first dose would add a layer of protection for the children against the virus that could land them in hospitals if they were unvaccinated.

Back-to-school vaccination — Photo Credit: 14995841/Pixabay

“We have already seen an excellent uptake of the vaccination for our kids aged 5 and over, but with school going back in February we want to see every child have the opportunity to get vaccinated,” Ms D’Ath said.

“Whether you are heading to a pop-up vaccination clinic at your local school, a Queensland Health hub, your GP or local pharmacy – please come forward and get yourself and your kids vaccinated if you haven’t already.

Albany Creek State School, Eatons Hill State School, and Norris Road State School join 47 other schools across the Queensland region participating in the program. To check for more Queensland Health vaccination locations visit the official site.

Albany Creek Property Growth Driven By Investors Looking For Affordability and Space

Young interstate families are finding their dream homes in Albany Creek, charging up another property boom in this south Moreton Bay area. Due to its affordability and space, the former “retirement” suburb has been attracting professionals who were once tied to work in the inner-cities but now see the benefits of acreage properties.

House Price Growth

Property growth in Albany Creek between July 2020 to June 2021 continued its stable upward trend by 10.35 per cent, putting the house median price at $685,000, per data from Property Market Updates.

Buyer activity was definitely competitive and energetic in the 12-month period with 258 houses sold within an astonishing 24 days on the market. Most of the houses sold were four-bedroom homes but the fastest sales to close in less than 10 to 18 days of negotiations, have been three-bedroom properties.

A six-bedroom private haven on Havenwood Court, which has its own secured oasis surrounded by bushlands, sold at the highest price for the period. With a breezy indoor to outdoor layout, this house has a large family lounge that offers ample space for entertaining and relaxation.

Unit Price Growth

While house price growth has been strong, Apartment property sales in Albany Creek had minimal growth at 2.94 per cent in the period ending June 2021.

Sales remained stable, with 59 units sold during this time period, with inventory staying on market for 45 days. Most four-bedroom units remained listed for 261 days, indicating an oversupply.

About Albany Creek

Established on a hilly section near the South Pine River, Albany Creek is a quiet, family-friendly northern suburb some 17 kilometres off Brisbane CBD. Home to many professionals who work in the city, nearly half of the residents fully own their three to four-bedroom homes to raise a family. Most houses have their own pools and are situated in a cul-de-sac block.

A former rural area, Albany Creek’s development as a suburban town began in the 1960s primarily featuring brick homes, when the metropolis expanded to open more schools in the north, such as the Albany Hills State School, the Albany Creek State High School, and the All Saints Primary School. Though the closes train to the city is a few kilometres drive to the neighbouring suburb of Strathpine, there are plenty of buses servicing commuters regularly that takes residents to shopping centres in Chermside or Aspley.

For leisure and recreation, this town has the Albany Creek Leisure Centre hosting various sports clubs and community activities. Families enjoy plenty of green spaces at the Tom Simpson Park and the Jaracanda Park. Tight-knit community engagements are high in this peaceful suburban locale and there are limited high-rise developments.

“We’ve lived here for 15 years now and absolutely love it, It’s superb for kids of all ages, great state school and 3 excellent primary schools. Virtually no crime at all, we thoroughly enjoy life here.”
Markj13

“Having lived in the Albany Creek area for 16 years and had our children grow up in the area we would find it hard to move to anywhere else. There are all the local type shops that are necessary but not the impersonal hype of the city or other central locales. Being anywhere in 10 minutes is a great bonus, as you can go to larger shopping centers and then leave the hustle and bustle behind. Our street is filled with caring neighbors in a wide range of ages, which is great for family living. We have a total of 5 primary schools within 2 minutes of us, both private and public and the High school is 1 minute away.”
HappyinAC

“Quiet, clean suburb with leafy streets and lovely locals. We hunted around the whole of Brisbane looking for a place to settle and came across Albany Creek on the off chance. The suburb gives you that Quiet, Safe and Clean feel for your family to live happily.”
Taff