Aspley Archives - Page 7 of 9

Former Aspley Local Justin Turner Climbs in Australian Chess Players Ranking

Justin Turner, a former Dux of Aspley East State School, has climbed the ranking of Australian chess players after gaining a chess rating of 1873 following two successful tournaments in Spain.

The son of Madeleine Turner of Aspley is now in the top 160 Australian chess players after he managed to tie in 6th place at an Alicante tournament for Under 2200, where he won in the final game against a player with a 2020 chess rating.

Prior to the tournament, Justin was ranked 26th among the entrants consisting of 89 players from 10 countries.

He then competed in the Under 2400 tournament in Valencia, where he finished 3rd place among 101 entrants, beating the 4th seed with only 15 moves. His competition was a 12-year-old prodigy, who had gained 800 points in a year to be currently rated at 2214.

The wins come after Justin had a successful season at the Valencian Chess League, where won against a player rated 2040 in the final round in May, where eight teams from 70 clubs in the Valencia Region competed in five divisions.

Justin worked as a former civil engineer before deciding to shift careers and re-train as a teacher of English as a second language. He flew to Valencia in Spain a few days before the pandemic lockdown in March 2020 and found a place to live off his savings for more than a year.

The move, however, accorded Justin a Spanish Government contract as an English language teaching assistant for the 2021 to 2022 school year, which was recently renewed for another full year until 2023.

“The primary school at which I worked last year, and again for another year from this October, has a special focus on chess,” Justin said. “I did not know that before being assigned to that school. There is a dedicated room for chess tables and about 80% of the children play regularly.”

Students who finished their tasks in the classrooms may choose to play chess. During the end-of-school-year activities, Justin played 12 games simultaneously in each class.

Justin Turner has pretty much established a routine in his life in Spain: three hours of chess study; three hours studying languages, Spanish and Italian; and five hours at school.

“Despite the frustrations, I find the successes that come with working with young people are more enjoyable than being bound in an office faced with computer-aided design for much of the working days.

“For example, in May one new student arrived from Ukraine. I played some chess with him. Teachers are struggling a bit, given that he speaks Ukrainian and a few words in English, but zero Spanish. Not ideal but at least he’s safe from bombs.

“I decided to let him win the second game. It’s amazing how hard it is to lose on purpose, given I spend 3 hours a day studying how to win. Winning is like a natural reflex.

“I let him take my Queen but it got a smile out of him when he checkmated me.”

Aspley Little Athletics Club Captain Sophie Porter Named Athlete of the Year

Aspley Little Athletics club captain Sophie Porter, a Year 12 student from All Hallows’ School, has been named as one of 13 national Coles Little Athletes of the Year for season 2021/22.

The 17-year-old was one of 110 nominees across Australia to be recognised for their sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, and health. She has been with Aspley Little Athletics since she was barely 6 years old.

“It was a complete surprise to hear I won because I didn’t even know my club had nominated me. I felt very excited and am honoured to be chosen as one of the national winners,” Sophie, who recently completed her 12th and final season, said.

“It was pleasing to be recognised for my contributions towards setting up and packing up the equipment on competition days and encouraging and mentoring our younger members in enjoying their time at the club regardless of results.”

As a Little Athlete of the Year, Sophie will receive a $500 Coles gift card and will undergo a virtual mentoring session with Olympian and Australian pole vault record-holder Nina Kennedy and dual Paralympian and triple medallist at Tokyo 2020 Jaryd Clifford.

Aspley Little Athletics centre manager David Heidrich said that the community is very proud of Sophie, who is a great role model for the rest of their athletes.

“She consistently helps with the younger age groups as well as helping to set up and pack down at weekly competitions and regional championships. Unfortunately, this is her last year in Little Athletics and will be greatly missed,” Mr Heidrich said.

Sophie acknowledged Mr Heidrich as well as race walking coach Shane Pearson for shaping and training her athletic abilities.

“David steered me towards helping coach the younger generation of Aspley walkers, something I would like to continue doing next season now that my time as a Little Athlete has come to an end.”

Coles Little Athletics Australia President Sherrie Boulter said that the annual Coles Little Athlete of the Year awards are not just about recognising talents but also motivating the kids to be their best on and off the track.

“That’s why our motto is “be your best” and it’s great to have an award that recognises sportsmanship, leadership, health and teamwork like the Coles Little Athlete of the Year,” she said.

In addition to supporting the Coles Little Athlete of the Year award, Coles has donated more than 3.7 million bananas and distributed over $2 million in sports equipment grants to Little Athletics centres across Australia since 2017.

Dorville Road Improvements Project Now Complete

Following a few months of works, the Dorville Road improvements project near Cabbage Tree Creek in Aspley is finally complete.

Read: Here’s A Sneak Peek Into The New Sands Social Sandgate

Dorville Road was widened to provide a new on-road parking lane between Cabbage Tree Creek and the Kingfisher Recycling Centre. The works involve formalising the eastern road edge with new kerb and channel.

The project also included the replacement of a 90-metre section of footpath on the eastern side of Dorville Road, resurfacing the road between Cabbage Tree Creek and the Kingfisher Recycling Centre road line marking, landscaping and turf.

The Dorville Road improvements project was completed to formalise street parking, improve drainage, eliminate washouts, and improve pedestrian safety, notably for local school students and market goers in the area. It is funded under the Australian Government’s Local Road and Community Infrastructure grant program.

The $2.5-billion Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recently completed work is one of the road and intersection projects north of Brisbane. Extensive road resurfacing has been done on Robinson Road West, as well as multiple roads across Aspley are being resurfaced.

“Despite a world pandemic, we have not slowed down and in fact there are so many projects that have been completed or close to completion,” said Cr for Bracken Ridge Ward Sandy Landers.

Aspley Property Market Shows Brisk Activity, Strong Growth

A significant number of suburbs in Brisbane have shown strong performance in the property market, including the family-friendly suburb of Aspley where the median prices for houses and units have risen and average days on market reflect brisk buyer activity.

House Price Growth

Data from Property Market Updates show a 9.67 per cent increase in Aspley’s house price for the period of July 2020 to June 2021, pulling its median house price up to $680,000. The data also reflects a quick turnaround in buyer activity as houses stayed an average of only 33 days on the market.

Some 223 properties were sold during the said period as families put “access to top schools” as their foremost criteria for house-hunting, regardless of their budget. Many are drawn to Aspley because of the popularity of Aspley State School or Aspley East State School. These two educational institutions rank within the top 25 per cent of good schools across Queensland, retaining their over 90 score over the years, according to Better Education.

Along the tree-filled streets of Roebig Street, a 978-square metre house sold for $1,375,000 in February 2021, the highest price within the 12-month period from July 2020 to June 2021. Featuring emerald granite floors, high ceilings, and a commercial-grade kitchen space, this spacious family home has multiple living areas for entertaining and recreation, and bedrooms with its own private balcony.

The house is a short drive to Aspley State School and several secondary schools, and is within walking distance of several bushland walking trails in the north for outdoor activities. It is also very close to convenient shopping sites with a diversity of options, such as the Aspley Hypermarket. All these underscore the value placed by people on homes near good schools, recreational places, and lifestyle amenities.

Unit Price Growth

Moderately more robust than the housing market, Aspley’s unit market has grown by 12.70 per cent. Although Aspley is not traditionally a unit demographic as buyers in the suburb tend to look for houses first, savvy buyers consisting mostly of downsizers, retirees, and renters keen on low maintenance homes were quick to snap up value-packed two to three-bedroom apartments, pushing the median unit price up to $415,000 for the period ending June 2021.

Some 51 units sold during this period, with transactions lasting an average of 45 days on market.

About Aspley

Some 13 kilometres away from the CBD, Aspley is an entrenched location with access to good schools, medical facilities, transportation, and shops like Hypermarket and the redeveloped Robinson Road Marketplace (formerly Aspley Village Shopping Centre). Once a sleepy suburb for mature families and older couples, Aspley has become a burgeoning residential suburb for professionals who work in the city, the Brisbane Airport, or the trade coast precinct, who also have young kids.

Active community and sports clubs for both ageing residents and young families abound in Aspley. Urban renewal is happening at every turn. Whilst Westfield Chermside is quite close, residents basically have all they need within their reach. Though there is no railway line in Apsley, an extensive bus network more than makes up for its accessibility.

“The convenience is amazing, and the people are friendly. We have settled and enjoyed our 7 years in Aspley so far – it is the perfect location to raise a family. NBN connection is excellent, and working from home has been seamless. The kids have friends and other families all around.”
Siobhanr2, Homely

“We moved to Aspley one year ago and this has been such a good decision. We have all the conveniences nearby, the massive Marchant Park, heaps of shopping options, restaurants, cafes, medical centres, bus terminus and inspite of all these amenities you can live on a good-sized block.”
Richa Nahatar, Homely

“Friendly neighbourhood with established gardens. Quite hilly with views over Chermside, Clayfield to the city. We walk/ride everywhere – Westfield Chermside, Aspley village, Marchant Park, kid space, bus stops. We are so lucky to live in such a convenient area.”
Aliwaugh, Homely

Indian Restaurant Sankalp Opens New Location In Aspley

Photo credit: Sankalp Restaurant - Aspley/Facebook

There’s a new place to get a taste of India in Brisbane. Those hungry for dishes such as dosa and idli can head to Sankalp, a world-famous Indian restaurant that recently opened in Aspley.

Read: Wallflower Expands, Opens New Shop in Deagon

Here, diners can order authentic South Indian dishes including dosas or thin crepes that come with non-vegetarian flavours; idli or rice pancakes; and uthappa, a thicker version of dosa usually served with toppings.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Sunil Thakkar and Kandarp Makadia, who opened the city’s first Sankalp restaurant in Annerley in 2017. The two Sankalp restaurants in Brisbane are among the 150 Sankalp locations worldwide.

Sankalp’s famous dish ‘idli’/Photo credit: https://www.sankalp.com.au/

The restaurant, which occupies the space previously occupied by Fasta Pasta on Gympie Rd, looks very similar to its first location in Annerley. The 125-seat venue’s simple interiors, dominated by hues of red and touches of wood, keep the customers’ focus on the food.

Sankalp Aspley (Photo credit: John Smith/Google Maps)

They are proud to use traditional recipes for their curry bases, which are all made with gluten-free and dairy-free ingredients. They use tandoor, a special type of oven made of clay when cooking their naan. Naan is a bread made from maida, an Indian white flour that is similar to pastry flour.

Aside from their flavourful dosas, Sankalp’s paneer methi garlic, a curry made with 28 spices is a crowd favourite in their original location.

Sankalp offers takeaway and delivery services in addition to dine-in. For more information about Sankalp Aspley including trading hours and contactless delivery, visit their website or follow them on social media.

Sankalp Aspley

Phone: +61 484 757 905

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sankalpaspley

Instagram: @sankalpbrisbane

Kerbside Collection Returns to Geebung and Others After Hiatus

Mark your calendars! Kerbside collection is returning to Brisbane one year after the service went on hiatus, and Aspley and Geebung are among the suburbs due to receive the service in October and November.

After a yearlong hiatus, kerbside collection is finally returning to Brisbane in a slew of suburbs — two of which includes Aspley and Geebung. The service was brought back early after the Brisbane City Council was able to save $6 million across 2020-2021. Geebung residents can expect to see the service return to the suburb starting the 18th of October 2021, whereas Aspley residents will receive the service on the 22nd of October 2021.

Kerbside collection has been a regular Council service created to help people get rid of large household items that would be difficult to dispose of otherwise. All one has to do is leave the belongings they no longer want on the kerbside at 6:00 a.m.

Acceptable items include bath and laundry tubs, bicycles and sporting equipment, carpets and rugs, furniture, household appliances, and wood products smaller than 1.5 metres among many other things. Conversely, bricks, car parts, garden waste, glass and mirrors, hazardous waste, and liquids will not be collected.

Labor councillors worked to have the popular service return as it was a basic and essential service that many Brisbane residents relied on. However, Lord Mayor Schrinner had commented that he had no regrets putting the service on hold.

The service was paused in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in a bid to save $13 million over two years, however it is returning ahead of schedule, starting with the suburbs that were affected by its sudden hiatus.

Of the $6 million saved as a result of Kerbside Collection’s temporary cancellation, half was given to community groups, charities and sporting clubs to recover from the pandemic and prosper. Business fee waivers were also given to small businesses that were negatively affected by the virus.

Kerbside collection is scheduled to return to the following suburbs at the following dates:

Brighton, Deagon, Sandgate and Talgum: September 13, 2021
Shorncliffe: October 4, 2021
Boondall, Zillmere and Virginia: October 11, 2021
Geebung: October 18, 2021
Aspley: November 22, 2021

For more information, read about the service here.

Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grants Boost Aspley, North Brisbane Recovery

The economic climate has drastically changed due to the pandemic but businesses in North Brisbane, including Aspley, have gotten a much-needed boost from the Queensland Government through the Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grants.

Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman met with nearly 100 Aspley business owners at the Geebung Bowls Club on Wednesday, 19 Aug 2020, to discuss the help extended to small businesses.

So far,15,000 struggling companies were given over $885,000 in grants, including the management of the bowls club. Almost $200 million in grants have been set aside.

Geebung Bowls Chairman Richard Mason said that since the greens have been closed and unused for months during the lockdown, the club had to seek a $10,000 Small Business COVID-19 Adaption grant. The money helped pay for maintenance, electricity and water supply.

Mr Mason, however, said that he’s glad people are slowly returning to the club amidst the relaxation of restrictions.

“We are returning to pre-COVID trade levels and appreciate the support of some very loyal locals and government financial assistance,” the chairman said. “I would also like to thank Minister Fentiman and our Local Member Bart Mellish for their continued support and commitment to our club.”

Aside from the grants to businesses, a Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs program has been set up to help the unemployed. North Brisbane residents may avail of the following support:

Free online TAFE courses
Free apprenticeships and traineeships for under 21s
Payroll tax relief
Energy rebates for households and small and medium sized businesses
25% procurement target for small and medium sized businesses – $4 billion of support each year.

“We know businesses across the state including here in the North Brisbane region have been doing it tough during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Fentiman said in a statement. “Because of the great job we’ve done on the health response to COVID-19, we can now focus on our economic plan for recovery.”

For enquiries about the grants, the job recovery program and other benefits, phone 1300 654 687 or visit Business Queensland.

Aspley State High School Upgrade To Bring 47 New Jobs

Two brand-new buildings will soon rise in Aspley State High School, delivering a new multi-purpose sports hall and a music centre. The project, costing $16 million, is also expected to bring in 47 new jobs for the locals.

On Thursday, 9 July 2020, Aspley MP Bart Mellish and Education Minister Grace Grace gamely turned the sod on the construction site.

Ms Grace said that Broad Construction has been given the contract to build the new centres and the company will provide jobs that will help with the state’s economic recovery, amid this coronavirus crisis.

“This has ensured a pipeline of work has continued to flow throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Education Minister said.

Mr Mellish, on the other hand, said that the music centre was overdue for a replacement after 35 years. The sports facility, on the other hand, will deliver opportunities for the students.

“The $12 million sports hall will feature two sports courts, two general learning areas, a gym, canteen, staff office, storage rooms and a kinesiology lab. It’s part of our $235 million Renewing Our Schools Program, one of 26 state schools benefitting from this funding,” Mr Mellish said. “Meanwhile, the $3.8 million music centre will include visual arts, music, drama and dance classrooms as well as practice rooms and a staff office. I can’t wait to watch these projects come to life.”

Aspley State High School’s new sports and music centres are expected to be completed by March 2021.

Aspley & Other Brisbane Suburbs Can Now Enjoy First Class Pet Sitting

Pet ownership entails a lot of responsibility as another living creature depends on you for love and care. What do you do when other responsibilities and commitments get in the way and threaten to take time away from your beloved pet? Times like these call for First Class Pet Sitting, a Brisbane premium pet care sitting service.

First Class Pet Sitting has helped many paw-rents since 2012. This quality and convenient service was established by Kylie, a former veterinary nurse, dog trainer, animal rescue volunteer and teacher. She works alongside a team of dedicated, knowledgeable and passionate staff.

Among the services of First Class Pet Sitting are:

Doggy Day Care Adventure	4 hours of outdoor exercise (park or beach) Limited to four dogs per Pack Leader First Class Pet Sitting will collect the pets from their home for a run, play, swim and fun time with their furry friends. They’ll go home happy and exhausted, ensuring a good night’s rest. The dogs will be transported in a comfortable van during their day out.
Pet Sitting	Duration varies, including overnight stay at your house. Professional pet sitters can look after your furbabies in their pet-friendly home. Furparents can visit the house and meet the pet sitter before entrusting the animals to them. Pet sitters may also watch your dog in your own home if you have to leave for a day or require an overnight companion for your pooches.
Dog Walking	Duration varies Experienced dog walkers will walk dogs regardless of size or breed. The walkers are trained to apply various psychology-tested strategies to make dog walking a breeze.
First Class Pet Wedding Assistant	Average of 3 hours (also applicable for funeral pet sitting) Professional pet sitters can accompany your furbaby on your wedding day. The pets can also witness you and your betrothed exchange “I do’s” with the pet sitter ensuring that there will be no episodes to ruin the wedding.
Pet Taxi	Duration varies Pet sitters can bring your dog to their grooming or veterinary appointments, whether you join the ride or not.

*Photo Credit: First Class Pet Sitting/Facebook*

“It is part of our pet sitter’s daily duties to send pictures of your pets via either mobile phone or email so you remain in the loop each day you’re away,” Kylie said in explaining what makes First Class Pet Sitting different from other services. “We follow your detailed instructions and treat your pets as if they were our own.”

Kylie also adapts a complimentary meet and greet between the pet sitter and the animal to establish familiarity and bond.

First Class Pet Sitting covers South, East, West and North Brisbane, Inner City Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Redland, Logan, Toowoomba, Tweed Heads and Perth. For questions about the service, refer to their FAQs or phone the company at 1800 738 748 (1800 PET SIT) or 0420 264 216.

Aspley Homemaker City to Host Free Spring Carnival

One of Brisbane’s biggest homemaker centres is hosting a Spring Carnival to welcome the new season! Bring the whole family to Aspley Homemaker City on Saturday, the 21st of Sept 2019, to enjoy this free event.

The Spring Carnival at the store’s site on Zillmere Road will open from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will feature exciting rides and attractions like:

Mega Dodgem Cars
Super Slide
Cup & Saucer
Caveman Capers Inflatable Obstacle Course
Whirlwind

The first 150 guests to arrive will receive ice cream for free, as well as gift bags from participating retailers. There are at least 30 stores inside Aspley Homemaker City.

*Photo Credit: Aspley Homemaker City/Facebook*

Whilst you’re already there, you may also shop for home items during the mid-season sale. A few new items for spring season have also arrived at some of the stores so this might be a good time to update your bedding and other decorations. Get the chance to win one of eight $100 gift cards to be given away when you make a purchase.

Aspley Homemaker City is open from Monday to Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Trading hours are extended from Thursday to Sunday.