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Backyard Bonanza 2019: Huge Family Event Returns to Bracken Ridge

One of the biggest family events in Brisbane is back at the McPherson Park in Bracken Ridge. This is a free event you shouldn’t pass up because it will be a treat for your kids and even your dogs!

Backyard Bonanza is happening on Sunday, the 26th of May 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be two main stages for this event where simultaneous activities for both kids and adults will take place.

The highlight of this year’s Backyard Bonanza will be the new locomotive train, Sunny, from Bracken Ridge Lion. There will also be lots of games and mascot entertainment for the kids, while professional bands will play the adults’ favourite music.

Heaps of shopping and foodie booths will also be present at the Backyard Bonanza. It won’t just be fun and games, however, because there will be an educational workshop where participants may learn how to plant bean sprouts, as well as make recycled pots for plants.

Stick a while longer to watch the Pooch Parade at the Backyard Bonanza. Residents may register to showcase their lovely four-legged family members and make a gold donation to benefit the Animal Welfare League.

Some 5,000 people are expected to attend the Backyard Bonanza coming from Bracken Ridge, Aspley and other nearby suburbs.

Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre: All Year Round Swimming Facility in Fitzgibbon

The Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre in Fitzgibbon is a state-of-the-art facility offering swimming lessons, squad programs, and aqua aerobics, but most of all, a great place for families and friends to bond and enjoy.

Opened in 14 February 2016, the Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre is located at 532 Telegraph Road, Fitzgibbon and features two heated 25-metre pools — an outdoor pool and an indoor programs pool — each with accessible ramp.

The facility was named after Emily Seebohm, who is an Olympic medalist and former world record holder. Emily Seebohm was the first Australian woman to finish the 100m backstroke in under the 1:00 mark. Seebohm is also a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her services to sport.

The facility also offers plenty of space for everyone to relax and have a chat in-between dips with its large, grassed leisure area and shaded seating area as well as barbecues and kiosk.

Apart from ramp access, other specialised equipment include: ceiling mounted patient hoist for people with disabilities; adjustable height adult change table for people with disabilities; submersible wheelchair; and accessible changing place room.

The venue hire is available for gatherings and events like birthday parties. Entry fee for adults,15 years and over, is $5.70 whilst children, two to 14 years old, is $4.10. Use of the facility is free for children under two years of age.

Council pools also honour the Queensland Government Companion Card which will allow free entry for anyone accompanying a person with a disability who requires attendant care support.

Check here for a full list of admission and membership fees.

Pool Safety With Kids

The Council endorses Keep Watch: a public education program of the Royal Life Saving Society Australia intended to prevent drowning incidents and deaths of children under five years of age.

Video Credit: RoyalLifeSavingAust / YouTube

Adults accompanying and supervising a toddler by the pool are encouraged to observe the following measures:

for zero-five year olds and non-swimmers, a parent or guardian be in the water at all times within arms’ reach of the child/non-swimmer
for six-10 year olds, they be actively supervised by a parent or guardian. Carers should be prepared to get wet and enter the water with this age group
for 11-14 year olds, parents or guardians should physically check on children on a regular basis.

Mandarin Beginner’s Class for Kids Happening at Aspley State School

The Lyrebird Language Centre is conducting a Mandarin Beginner’s Class for kids every Sunday morning at the Aspley State School.

It is never too early to start learning a second language. In fact, studies have shown numerous benefits of learning foreign language to young children. Some of the benefits include:

Boosts problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and listening skills
Improves the child’s memory and concentration
Gives the child the ability to multitask
Enhances creativity and mental flexibility

Apart from these benefits relating to a child’s cognitive development, children who are exposed early to other languages also learn to embody cultural sensitivity. This is primarily because language and culture are very much intertwined; and by learning a new language, it offers a child cultural understanding that will lead for him/her to display a more positive attitude towards the culture that is associated with that language. Hence, foreign language allows young children to open their minds and appreciate the world and its diversity even more.

Lyrebird Language Centre

If you are interested in enrolling your child to a foreign language class, the Lyrebird Language Centre is opening a new Mandarin Beginner’s Class for Term 2 every Sunday morning at the Aspley State School.

This class is ideal for kids who don’t speak Mandarin at home but would want to learn the language and overall an introduction to Chinese culture. The beginner’s class being offered by the Lyrebird Language Centre allows kids to have fun whilst learning through various games and songs. Aside from playing and singing, kids will also learn a few basic Chinese characters and the proper Chinese pronunciation called Pin Yin.

For 9 sessions, the goal of this Mandarin Beginner’s Class for kids is to cultivate their interest in learning Mandarin and also to build a proper foundation for their possible Mandarin study in the future.

Schedule

Date	28 April 2019 – 30 June 2019
Time	9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

To know more about the classes being offered by the Lyrebird Language Centre, click here.

Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge Coming to Cabbage Tree Creek in Carseldine

The State Government will build a $1-million pedestrian and cycle bridge across Cabbage Tree Creek. The project aims to improve accessibility to the Carseldine station, Aspley State High School, and the currently under construction Carseldine Urban Village sport and recreation precinct.

The bridge will divert pedestrians, mostly Aspley State High School students, away from nearby roads and provide a safe way for them to access transport and sporting activities

“While it is discouraged, we know that students and residents regularly use a water pipe to cross the creek, or they walk along the busy Dorville and Beams Roads,” Member for Aspley Bart Mellish said in his announcement.

*.Photo Credit: Bart Mellish MP / bartmellish.com*

“Soon though, they’ll be able to walk or cycle across a new footbridge, allowing them to move seamlessly between the school, the sports fields and Carseldine train station.

“The new bridge will also connect to existing cycling infrastructure around Cabbage Tree Creek.

“The proposal includes lighting, so we’ll have a better and safer integration of the school, the village precinct and the broader community, and we’ll see more people on their bikes, using public transport, and taking advantage of our green space, which is a real win for the community,” Mr Mellish said.

Aspley State High School Principal Jacquita Miller welcomed the announcement of a new bridge as it will “create an opportunity to supplement the school’s current sports facilities with the new Carseldine Urban Village sports precinct during major sporting carnivals.”

“It will also encourage students to take part in extra-curricular sporting activities outside of what the school offers, enhancing a healthy lifestyle and broadening their community connections,” Ms Miller said.

Construction of the project will commence later this year and is expected to be finished by early 2020. Funding will be provided through the State Government’s Growth Area and Regional Infrastructure Investment Fund amounting to $900,000 as well as an additional $100,000 coming from Queensland’s Department of Education.

Aspley Special School: Promoting Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Through Recycling and Composting

Aside from educating and preparing students with disabilities for post-school life, Aspley Special School also promotes sustainability through community recycling and composting.

Kingfisher Recycling Centre

Aspley Special School’s community recycling and composting hub and garden first started can recycling in 1983 as a work experience option. Since then, it has become one of the largest school-based recycling programs with tonnes of recyclables processed through the years.

Students engage in e-waste processing, can crushing, glass sorting, cardboard packing, lid removal, stamp recovery, tree planting and mulching as part of their recycling skills training. The skills training help students develop and practice employment-related skills including the ability to display good work ethics, follow quality control and work safety practices, and staying on task.

Kingfisher Recycling Centre, located at 31 Dorville Road in Aspley, accepts donations of recyclables: aluminium cans and steel; stamps and envelopes; glass bottles and jars; computers, laptops, TVs; whitegoods, hot water systems; cardboard boxes and packing materials; car batteries; magazines, books, and newspapers.

Kingfisher Community Garden

Aspley Special School also has a community composting hub where locals are encouraged to drop off their food scraps to be turned into compost for the community garden. The Kingfisher Community Garden is located at 751 Zillmere Road and features raised garden beds, shed filled with tools, compost bays, and concrete pathways throughout the garden.

What started as a way to bring families and friends of the school together to enjoy gardening, the Kingfisher Community Garden now welcomes more volunteers, even those without gardening experience, and groups associated with the school to join the activities.

The community garden is open before and after school hours during term times, on weekends, and all day during school holidays with working bees and workshops held every second Saturday from 10am until noon.

Aspley Village Precinct Project Works Underway

(Photo Credit: brisbane.qld.gov.au)

In February 2019, significant works to refurbish and revitalise the shopping district at Gympie Road in Aspley have already commenced.

Now that the Aspley Village Precinct Project is underway, locals are looking forward to see the Brisbane City Council’s $5.9-million streetscape improvement project for Gympie Road.

To make the precinct safer and more accessible for both locals and visitors, the Council will upgrade the footpaths and will install a signalised pedestrian crossing upgrade on the road.

Other proposed improvements include a new streetscape furniture including seats, bins, bike racks and drinking fountains as well as unique seating including coloured urban stools and custom-designed seats.

To make the shopping precinct on Gympie Road more attractive, there will be public artwork and artwork murals, street trees for shade and garden beds as well as an Aspley welcome signage.

Artist impression of proposed works, inbound at 1331 Gympie Road (Photo Credit: brisbane.qld.gov.au)

Construction will primarily take place between 7:00 pm to 5:00 am, Sunday to Thursday. The majority of works will be undertaken at night when traffic volumes are lowest to ensure the safety of motorists and workers, and to minimise disruptions to businesses.

While some daytime constructions will be required, the Council assured they will minimise the impact of works on the community as much as possible.

Depending on weather and construction conditions, works at Aspley are expected to be completed in November 2019.

About the Village Precinct Project

The Council launched the project in September 2018 to improve the precinct’s amenity and attractiveness. It is part of the Brisbane’s Future Blueprint that aims to create vibrant suburban centres for local communities.

Before proceeding with the project, the Council consulted Aspley’s local residents and business owners to find out what they want and the amenities they need for their local area.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk believes the Council’s delivery of Village Precinct Projects will help to rejuvenate and improve the amenity of Brisbane’s local retail villages.

“We have already seen significant improvements to the public realms at Chermside and New Farm and now Council is getting on with creating liveable places and welcoming neighbourhood centres for the local community and visitors to enjoy elsewhere across the city,” Cr Quirk said.

Cr Quirk said the Village Precinct Projects are all about supporting local businesses, driving economic growth in local retail areas and helping enhance the local identity of the areas.

“Delivery of new street furniture such as seating, bins, bike racks and drinking fountains as well as upgrading footpaths can dramatically change the accessibility and feel of a local shopping street,” he said.

To stay up to date on the Aspley Village Precinct Project, follow the Brisbane City Council website.

This Bridgeman Downs Property Is Among Most Sought-After Million-Dollar Homes in 2018

Cashed-up homebuyers across Australia look to Queensland to purchase their dream million-dollar home, such as one luxurious property in Bridgeman Downs.

Just 11 years old, this Bridgeman Downs million-dollar home at 33 Bridgeman Road was sold in October 2018 for $2.715 million. It was also one of the most viewed listings in the $2.5 million – $5 million price bracket last year, with over 25,000 page views, according to data from realestate.com.au.

The main house features a spacious living area, wide hallways and high ceilings. There is a self-contained guest house that has both an internal and an external private access as well as two bedrooms, 2-way bathroom, kitchen, lounge room, and internal laundry.

The master bedroom features a carpeted flooring, walk-in robe, and ensuite. Bedrooms two, three, and four also have plush carpeted flooring, built-in wardrobes and security mesh. Bedroom five, also the second master bedroom, features a private study.

The living and entertaining area overlooks the inground pool and manicured lawn. The family room is situated next to the kitchen and meals area, whilst the formal dining area is located close to the kitchen. The enclosed Sala, on the other hand, opens to the outdoor entertainment area via floor to ceiling glass stacker doors.

The six months to August 31, 2018 data showed that properties in the $1M – $2.5M range are the most searched in QLD. About 5,009 and 3,494 prospective buyers from NSW and VIC, respectively, look to buy properties in the $5 million and above price bracket. Over 17,000 Queenslanders, on the other hand, searched for the $5M+ properties during the same period.

Houses in the $1M – $2.5M price range are still the most popular among property searchers, with 90,715 coming from QLD, 20,228 from NSW, and 9,171 from VIC. The 10 most sought-after suburbs was led by Surfers Paradise, followed by New Farm, Noosa Heads, West End, Ashgrove, Paddington, Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach Waters, and St Lucia.

Experts say that buyers are finding more value for their money in QLD which is a sign of growing confidence in the state’s economy and interstate migration.

Carseldine is Among Top Brisbane Suburbs for House Price Growth in 2018

Annual house prices across Australia recorded its biggest drop in 15 years and Brisbane showed flat growth in 2018. Carseldine, however, performed better as it posted house price growth, according to the latest figures from Domain.

The recently released Domain House Price Report for December 2018 quarter, showed house prices in Brisbane falling 0.20 percent quarter-on-quarter, with several suburbs emerging resilient and managing to post price growths over the 12 months.

With an 8.9 percent year-on-year house price growth and a median price of $621,000, Carseldine was the ninth best performing suburb in Brisbane. On the other hand, latest suburb data from realestate.com.au shows the median house price for Carseldine at $642,500, higher than the QLD median price of $490,000. A total of 162 houses changed hands from Feb 2018 to Feb 2019.

Sandgate was best performing Brisbane suburb for houses in 2018, in terms of year-on-year price increase, with an 18.8 percent growth and a median price of $750,000. Six other suburbs had price growth above 10 percent: North Ipswich (17.3%), Hammant(12.5%), Kenmore(11.8%), Graceville(11.8%), Paddington(10.7%), and Bardon(10.1%). Burpengary East and Brookfield round out the top 10 with 9.4 percent, and 8.8 percent growth, respectively.

For the December quarter 2018, Brisbane property market posted an almost flat year-on-year growth, wiping out its previous quarters gains. Industry experts point to the tighter credit access that’s crippling housing market in other capital cities, as the reason for the slowdown. Optimism still remains high, though, as Brisbane housing market continues to ride on Queensland’s strong fundamentals.

Queensland remains to be a favourite among interstate migrants and overseas buyers; with QLD’s improving economy, better job prospects, and great schooling. With these factors considered, Brisbane housing market is seen to remain stable, if not growing.

Aspley Memorial Bowls Club Green 1 Cover up by end of May 2019

The Aspley Memorial Bowls Club will be installing a cover for its Green 1 which should be completed by end of May 2019, but Carseldine locals have concerns about the project.

The cover, fitted with lights underneath, will provide an all-weather shelter for its Club members and casual bowlers’ use, to enjoy the facility during daytime and at night, all-year round. The Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities under the Community Development Grant Programme, has made the project possible through a $590,000 grant.

Video walk-through from Lightweight Structures

Video Credit: Trevor Scott / YouTube

At 7.5 metres at its highest point, residents are concerned about the structure’s height which will effectively block the view and sunlight from the houses close to the Club. Locals are also concerned about the rainwater going straight to the creek due to the structure, as well as causing more cars parking close to the shade thus increasing traffic in the area.

Photo Credit: Google Earth

Overall, they fear its negative impact will cause the values of neighbouring properties to fall. They suggest moving the structure close to the clubhouse instead and far from Nemira Street.

The Club said that the planned cover over Green 1 was voted upon with the elderly members in mind. Once the shade structure is in place, the covered green will provide a way for the members, especially the elderly, to stay active and socialise, rain or shine. In the future, its two other greens will also have their own covers installed.

Active Collision Technology on Trial at Busy Aspley Intersection

Robinson Road West on intersection with Gympie Road in Aspley is currently testing the Hold the Red technology as part of efforts to reduce collisions caused by motorists running red lights.

The Ministry for Transport and Main Roads selected the Aspley intersection after it was identified as a potentially dangerous intersection. It is one of the busiest intersections in Queensland, with more than 68,000 vehicles passing through the intersection every day. In the past five years, there were 24 crashes and 11 serious injuries due to crashes at the intersection.

The technology uses radar to see if vehicles are about to run a red light. When this happens, the opposing traffic lights are forced to stay on red to prevent a possible collision.

Preventing Collisions

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey revealed that the technology is already being used in Florida where it has been instrumental in the significant decline of collisions at intersections.

Mr Bailey said that around 11 percent of critical road casualties in the state happened at intersections with traffic lights.

“During the past five years, 42 people have been killed and more than 3,000 hospitalised in crashes at signalised intersections in Queensland,” said Mr Bailey.

“Red light running is a complex problem. There is no single reason why drivers do it but what we do know is that resulting accidents are likely to be T-bone crashes, which have a higher potential of causing death or serious injury.

“Hold the Red lowers the risk of a crash at sites where it is installed while still allowing for offenders to be penalised.

“This will keep other drivers safe, while still acting as a deterrence to offenders.”

Queensland’s peak monitoring body RACQ lauded the introduction of the Hold the Red technology at crash prone intersections.

RACQ’s Head of Technical and Safety Policy Steve Spalding believes that the system could help prevent T-bone crashes.

“We look forward to the results of the trial and are always interested in new technologies that can reduce crashes,” Mr Spalding said.