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Harry Kirby Park To Be Retrofitted With Shade Covers

Aspley’s Harry Kirby Park will be retrofitted with shade covers in 2023 as part of the city’s Sun Safe Suburban Playgrounds Program.

Read: Kids Can be Fish Wise at this Free Session in Bald Hills

The park will be among the first 41 playgrounds in Brisbane set to receive shade over the next six months or by early 2023.

Brisbane City Council has allocated $10 million to ensure every playground in Brisbane has shade which will help protect parents, carers and children and potentially save lives.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said under the Sun Safe Suburban Playgrounds Program, Council will identify those playgrounds that need cover and ensure they receive it over the next three years.

“Brisbane has an enviable lifestyle as well as a network of more than 2000 fantastic parks that make for great free fun for families,” said Cr Schrinner.

“However, we also live in a state that’s known as one of the world’s skin cancer capitals,” he added.

Harry Kirby Park — Photo credit: Zaid Isaac/Pexels

“While we incorporate shade in all our new playgrounds when required, there are unfortunately some that still need to be retrofitted with some form of cover.

Cancer Council Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mr Andrew Donne supports the Brisbane City Council Sun Safe Suburban Playgrounds program as a great step in reducing skin damage and risk of skin cancer for Brisbane kids.

“It is well known that Australia has the highest rate of melanoma in the world, and without sun protection skin damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes,” Mr Donne said.

“What I must convey however, is that skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers.”

About Harry Kirby Park

Harry Kirby Park is a recreational park which features a playground and shared pathway network. It also includes facilities for Aspley Leagues Club and the Aspley Rugby League.

The park was named after Harry Kirby, an advisor from the Northern Suburbs Devils or simply Norths, who oversaw the setting up of the club and decided to stay with the rugby league club Aspley Broncos.

Read: Zillmere Library Refurbishment Ongoing

The park is located at 29 Kirby Rd, Aspley.

Zillmere Library Refurbishment Ongoing

Zillmere Library is up for upgrades and will soon be transformed into a fit-for-purpose facility for the community.

Refurbishments have started at Zillmere Library as of February 2023 and will entail a new dedicated site for children and young adults. New seating will be brought in to make the library more conducive to reading and studying.

The toilet amenities will be upgraded with modern fixtures, alongside the addition of new lighting, furniture and carpet. Visitors to the library will see landscape improvements on the site’s external appearance.

Zillmere Library will get a bush tucker garden as a cultural and learning focal point for the library and the local community. Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander horticulturalists/specialists and groups will be developing and growing this garden.

In line with the construction, some access and restrictions will be enforced in stages that may disrupt work and visits to the library. Jenning Street will be temporarily closed off for staging works and machinery access.

The last refurbishments done on Zillmere Library were from 2007 to 2008. Thus, the current construction and improvement works are much warranted.

Council estimates that this project will be completed in mid-2023. For questions or feedback, phone 1800 884 681 during business hours or 07 3403 8888 after hours.

Speed Awareness Monitors Installed At St Dympna’s Primary School

New speed awareness monitors (SAM) have been installed across Brisbane, including one at St Dympna’s Primary School in Aspley just in time for the start of the 2023 school year.

Read: Holy Spirit College Fitzgibbon, New Secondary Catholic School in 56 Years, Officially Opens

St Dympna’s Primary School has been chosen as one of the 22 locations for the SAM signs as part of the SAM for Schools program, to help create safer environments for students to travel to and from school.

Like how it works in other locations across the city, the monitors will display a smiley face when vehicles are travelling at or below the speed limit. However, if vehicles are travelling above the posted speed limit, it will display the vehicle’s speed followed by a reminder to “slow down.”

Photo credit: St Dympna’s Primary School/Google Maps

Council considers some factors when assessing if a certain location will be suitable for the speed awareness monitors. Factors include:

visual impact on adjacent residents
obstructions such as trees and other traffic signs
clearance from driveways and infrastructure such as power poles, service pits and pipelines
clearance from power lines and lower-hanging communication cables
adequate sunlight for the monitor solar panels
separation between other traffic signs to ensure drivers have sufficient time to read messagesst

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Facebook

All monitors are individually solar-powered and fitted with a Doppler radar. They are limited to measuring only a single approaching vehicle at a time within its radar range of 3 km/h to 255 km/h.

At present, there are already 200 monitors in place across Brisbane and around 31 have been installed near schools. Council is planning to install 69 more over the next three years.

“Nothing is more important than kids’ safety and this is just one of the projects we’re investing in as part of our school safety initiatives,” said Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

Read: New Underground Rail Station Could Be Built In Bridgeman Downs

The monitors have been placed to alert motorists with their speed and not to issue infringement notices.

New Underground Rail Station Could Be Built In Bridgeman Downs

Bridgeman Downs could soon have a new underground rail station, as part of a proposal that would upgrade the Strathpine to Albion station.

Read: Ca Phe In Bakery-Cafe Now Open, Replaces Zillmere Bakery

One of the two new rail tracks could be built in Everton Park, which would be adjacent to Everton Park State School at Deakin Street.

This comes after Brisbane City Council finalised the program business case for the North west transport network and has submitted it to Infrastructure Australia, the Australian Government’s independent infrastructure advisor, who will consider the business case recommendations.

Councillor Andrew Wines, Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, said the business case speaks about a 160km/hr train at 24 trains per hour.

According to the business case, there is a potential for eight to 12 extra trains in the peak hour, along with 24 trains per hour service pattern by 2041.

Because the trains would be faster, it will not be possible to build stops at McDowall and Stafford, although there would be a park-and-ride at Bridgeman Downs that can accommodate 750 vehicles and another one at Everton Park with 175 spaces.

If approved, works for the underground rail station at Bridgeman Downs are anticipated to be complete by 2041.

Strathpine to Albion station upgrade

The 14-kilometre underground line between Albion and Strathpine, has been proposed to increase capacity for more express service and connections to public transport network and employment, services and facilities.

Because of the increase of trips in Brisbane’s north west, Council believes there’s a need to change how we move around the network, whether it’s for commuting, freight, tourism or leisure.

Read: New Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan to Be Adopted in 2023

“Transforming the network requires a range of solutions that cater to the growing demand for these different trip types while making it easier to choose sustainable transport options,” said Council.

The program business case, which sets out a suite of projects for the NWTN, has been submitted to Infrastructure Australia for consideration. This may result in some or all elements being included in their Infrastructure Priority List.

Longest-serving Paramedic At Sandgate Ambulance Station Looks Back At His Career

Craig Claassen, Sandgate’s longest-serving paramedic, looks back at his 40-year career at the Sandgate Ambulance Station which its centenary in 2022.

Read: 53-year-old ANZ Building In Sandgate Could Be Lost To Demolition

Mr Claassen started his career as an Honorary Officer at Caloundra. He got a permanent position at Rockhampton in 1985 before moving to Spring Hill in 1988.

Since 1988, Mr Claassen has been serving at Sandgate Ambulance Station, where he has many memorable moments. At the time, they had no equipment and women were not allowed to work in the service, only until 10 years later, when they have become a big part of the service.

Mr Claassen remembered the good old days, especially after seeing the photos of the old stations.

“We used to have the bowls club behind us, and people used to walk straight through the station to the shops on the other side instead of just going around the footpath. You would walk out and find some of the local characters in the middle of the station,” he said.

Although he has many memorable moments at QAS over the last 40 years, his favourite one was the first time he used a defibrillator.

He was at a church in Red Hill and a gentleman had collapsed on the altar. They defibrillated him, got him back and transported him up to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where Mr Claassen saw him in CCU a couple of days later.

Mr Claassen inspired many people, including his own father who also became a paramedic. In fact, he was the one who trained him as an Honorary Officer. His father, who already retired from service, enjoyed the job as much as he did.

Sandgate Ambulance Station’s Centenary Celebrations

Photo credit: Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS)/Facebook

Sandgate Ambulance Station celebrated its 100th year last November 2022, with barbecue, face painting, and coffee. Vintage ambulance vehicles were also put on display and attendees got to learn some life saving CPR skills from experts.

Read: New Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan to Be Adopted in 2023

Sandgate station originally started out as a sub-centre of the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade at the local town hall in 1922. The first station was located at 137 Brighton Road, in a house called “Laguna,” which was rented to become a temporary station.

In August 1924, The first purpose-built ambulance station in Sandgate officially opened. The building was replaced with a new one in 1967.

Sandgate Ambulance Station was relocated in 2001 to Bracken Ridge, where it’s currently located.

Kids Can be Fish Wise at this Free Session in Bald Hills

Did you know that a free fishing lesson is set to take place at the Bald Hills boat ramp this school holidays? Fish Wise is open for kids between 10 to 17 years old, who will be taught the basics of fishing by 2 Bent Rods.

Samantha and Jeremy Beckmann, the award-winning team behind 2 Bent Rods, has been operating since 2004. Aside from teaching fun fundamentals of fishing, the pair also imparts safe and responsible fishing practices as a life skill for kids.

Fishing allows kids to unplug from technology and gain the benefits of spending time with nature. Learning the skill develops their confidence and brings a positive feeling of empowerment. The memories of that first catch will always be very special.

The activity is also a fantastic teachable moment in understanding marine life and the food chain, as well as gaining insights into conservation and fishing regulations.

Fish Wise in Bald Hills will run on Sunday, the 22nd of January 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Kids will be taught to tie a fishing knot, gather bait, cast a rod and hopefully land a fish. Equipment and bait will be supplied but the children are asked to bring their own sunglasses.

Booking is essential for this activity. Phone 0403 713 820 for more information.

New Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan to Be Adopted in 2023

The revised Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan is almost ready, and will be adopted in March 2023. Here are some changes coming to Sandgate and neighbouring suburbs once the amended plan becomes official.

Read: Residents Thumb Down 5-Storey Developments in Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan

The Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan includes the suburbs of Sandgate, Deagon, Shorncliffe and Brighton.

The plan received support from the Queensland Government with no changes required, after a huge majority of the LNP Council voted for the plan in November 2022. There were only seven from Greens, Labor, and independent councillors who voted against the revised plan.

Sandgate

Sandgate, one of the oldest bayside villages in Brisbane, will undergo major changes as part of the new neighbourhood plan, as it would allow a maximum building height of five storeys for the Lagoon Street sub-precinct.

The draft amendment package also seeks to maintain and enhance the Sandgate centre as the primary centre for the area, providing a balance of commercial and residential development close to public transport.

Deagon

Separated from Sandgate from a series of lagoons, Deagon is a residential suburb which has been selected as one of the focus of the neighbourhood plan.

Council has removed plans to rezone the area around Deagon railway station to low-medium residential (units and townhouses) after some residents raised their concerns regarding the plan.

The draft amendment package retains the Low-density residential zoning and Character residential zoning around the Deagon railway station.

Connaught St, located north of Deagon sports grounds will be retained to low impact industry zoning to support local employment and business opportunities in the area.

Shorncliffe

Shorncliffe, which was once part of Sandgate, became a separate suburb in Brisbane in 1975.

Shorncliffe has been identified as one of the study areas having potential growth. The draft proposes character residential zoning in Shorncliffe to better protect traditional building character in the suburb.

The bayside suburb is home to many character homes or those built in 1946 or earlier. Many homes in Shorncliffe even have a history that dates back to the early 1900s.

Brighton

Brighton, an established area of low-density housing, was not included in the neighbourhood planning process. All current planning outcomes for Brighton are retained in the draft amendment package.

The draft Sandgate District Neighbourhood Plan became a subject of discussion in the last three years, after the initial plan suggested up to six storeys for Sandgate’s main street, Brighton Rd. The draft plan was eventually revised after residents voiced their opposition. No major policy changes have been proposed to the suburb, based on the updated draft.

Read: Brighton Residents Seek Upgrade of 1946 Drainage to End Flooding for Good

To learn more about the Sandgate Neighbourhood Plan, visit Brisbane City Council’s website.

You’re Invited! Sing-Along to Christmas Carols at Aspley Hornets FC

Photo credit: David Beale on Unsplash

As we usher into the festive season, the Aspley Hornets would like to invite the whole family to come and enjoy free Christmas Carols on the Field.

Sing and dance, as the Aspley Hornets bring you four hours of family entertainment this coming 3 December 2022 from 3 pm to 7 pm.

And to make the event even more special, Santa’s sleigh bells will be ringing and jing ting tingling too as he makes a stop off at the Hornets to join in the festivities and meet the kids and get a photo with him. Apart from meeting Santa Claus, kids will also get to enjoy free rides, face painting and jumping castles.

Don’t forget to bring your own camp chairs or picnic blankets whilst singing along to the greatest Christmas hits that we have all loved through the years as performed by the great New Black Band.

But if you need to be somewhere else in Brisbane this December, you may want to check out these other Community Carols happening across the city.

Centenary Community Carols – Middle Park: 4 December 2022 at Peter Lightfoot Park from 3.30 pm to 8 pm
Wakerley Carols – Wakerley: 3 December 2022 at Wakerley Park from 3 pm with fireworks at 8 pm
Multicap Christmas Carols – Eight Mile Plains: 3 December 2022 at Multicap HQ, 269 Padstow Road Eight Mile Plains from 3 pm to 7.30 pm
Christmas in the Park – Calamvale: 3 December 2022 at Calamvale District Park from 4 pm to 7 pm
Jingle all the Bay – Sandgate: 3 December 2022 at Sandgate Town Centre from 3 pm to 9 pm
Creekside Christmas Carols – Morayfield: 4 December 2022 at Creekside Community Church at 3.30 pm, carol sessions at 4.30 pm to 6 pm
North Lakes Christmas Carols – North Lakes: 4 December 2022 at Kinsellas Sports Complex from 4 pm to 8 pm
Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols – Brisbane: 10 December 2022 at Brisbane Riverstage from 6 pm to 9 pm, gates open from 4 pm.
Redcliffe Christmas Carols – Kippa-Ring: 11 December 2022 at Nathan Road Sports Ground from 4 pm to 8 pm
Bray Park Christmas Festival – Bray Park: 18 December 2022 at Oasis Church from 4 pm to 7 pm
Pine Rivers Christmas Carols – Strathpine: 18 December 2022 at Pine Rivers Park from 4 pm to 8 pm

Don’t forget! The Aspley Hornets Christmas Carols happen this 3 December 2023 from 5 pm to 9 pm at the Aspley Hornets FC.

Check their social media for more updates.

Aspley Hornets Football Club | 50 Graham Rd, Carseldine QLD 4034, Australia

Commuters On Shorncliffe Line Can Now Pay Using The Smart Ticketing System

Did you know that passengers on the Shorncliffe train line can now pay for their journey using their bank cards, smart phones, and even smart watches?

Read: Brighton Residents Seek Upgrade of 1946 Drainage to End Flooding for Good

This comes as Queensland’s smart ticketing system for adult full-fare customers went online for both the Shorncliffe and Doomben lines, on Monday, 14 November 2022.

For the Shorncliffe station, the trial applies to anywhere between Shorncliffe, Sandgate, Deagon, North Boondall, Boondall, Nudgee, Banyo, Bindha, Northgate, Nundah, Toombul, Eagle Junction, Wooloowin, Albion, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley/ and Central stations.

This new smart ticketing trial also comes on the heels of the success of the Gold Coast light rail trial, which started in December 2020. The Gold Coast trial has recorded up to 1.7 million trips on the network since it started.

Smart ticketing was introduced to Brisbane in August 2022 and is now being rolled out across the Redcliffe Peninsula, Ferny Grove, Springfield, Ipswich/Rosewood, Caboolture, and the Sunshine Coast.

TransLink encourages commuters to try smart ticketing because it offers contactless payment methods in addition to Go Cards and paper tickets to pay for public transport.

Passengers who would like to use their bank cards will be able to tap on and off to pay for travel using their Visa, Mastercard, and American Express linked card or device.

“The current card-based system is more than 19 years old and is approaching end of life, meaning the current system and equipment does not have the capability to evolve with changing technology and customer needs and has been superseded by new cloud-based ticketing systems and secure contactless payment technology,” TransLink stated.

Shorncliffe — Photo credit: translink.com.au

Meanwhile, those who would still like to use their go cards may continue doing so. Paying with the go card also still applies to customers travelling on a child or concession fare and those who travel beyond Roma Street station or using a connecting bus service.

Read: Point-To-Point Speed Cameras at Stretch Between Nudgee Rd and Deagon Deviation of Gateway Motorway

For more information about using the smart ticketing system, visit translink.com.au.

Brighton Residents Seek Upgrade of 1946 Drainage to End Flooding for Good

Photo Credit: Peter Hansler/Deagon Ward Flooding Action Group/Facebook

Recent flooding during heavy rains, impacting more than 800 homes in Brighton, has once again ignited calls to upgrade the locale’s stormwater drainage originally built in 1946.

A petition, currently with over 200 signatures, has been the second filed this year asking Council to address this longstanding problem amidst the ongoing developments in Maclean St that could further clog the outdated drainage.

According to Marni Linnell, who created the petition, there are over 50 developments in Brighton that raised concerns about flooding in the area. Despite her previous petition in April 2022, which received 710 signatures, Council has apparently continued to “dodge” their concerns as the developments are still moving forward sans the drainage fix.

“BCC responded to community concerns by asking a developer to model the difference in flood to 200 ha upstream of Beaconsfield Bridge,” Ms Linnell said. “This fundamentally placates and dodges our concerns that there’s insufficient capacity for drainage for development to proceed.”

Brighton residents flooding issues — Photo Credit: Marni Linnell/Deagon Ward Flooding Action Group/Facebook

“We insist on a stop of Maclean Street development until this code assessment is complete for compliance with section 7 of BCC City Plan (stormwater).

“Given federal and state governments have offered to pay 50% of upgrade costs, this is an urgent call to action for Colin Jensen to upgrade Flinders and Beaconsfield Bridges to comply with City Plan prior to the upcoming third La Niña event.”

One local recalled that the last upgrade to the drainage near Beaconsfield bridge was in the 1970s but the shift to a concrete pipe design did not mitigate the floods.

Reports cited, however, that Council believes a drainage upgrade might not solve completely solve the flooding problems of residents near Brighton creek as it is a low-lying area.

Meanwhile, Brighton residents, including those impacted by the Brighton Wetlands during heavy rains, have set up the Deagon Ward Flooding Action Group to save their homes from further flooding damage.

“It absolutely blows my mind that the community is having to take the initiative and do this. Speaks volumes to the reactive rather than proactive approach of government,” one local said.