community news Archives

Aspley Bids Goodbye to The Crepe Cafe as It Heads to Carseldine

Photo Credit: The Crepe Cafe Aspley/ Facebook

A Zillmere Road cafe that Aspley diners can visit every day is packing up, with The Crepe Cafe heading to a new home in Carseldine.

The cafe announced the relocation in a message to customers, saying the team can’t wait to welcome people at the new Carseldine cafe. The Aspley cafe will stop trading after Sunday, 15 November 2026.

The cafe sits inside Aspley Homemaker City at 815 Zillmere Road. Online listings show it trading daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., which covers breakfast, brunch and an early lunch.

Crêpes are the headline act, in sweet and savoury versions. Menu details for the cafe list the Parisian, the Mexican and a classic ham and cheese, alongside Eggs Benedict, omelettes, waffles and the Ploughman’s Hearty Brekky. Younger diners get their own menu. Staff bring orders to the table, high chairs are on hand for families, and takeaway or delivery through the major food apps is available for anyone who prefers to eat at home.

The Crepe Cafe name has Queensland roots. French-Australian founders Jean-Pierre Corgnet and Norbert Baillette created the concept on the Gold Coast in 2001, and the first restaurant opened in Surfers Paradise. A 2013 industry report names BFC Retail Group as the company behind the brand.

Its calling card has always been the open kitchen. Customers see the batter go on the griddle, the crêpe turn over and the filling go in, all within a few metres of their table. The brand later moved into the Middle East in 2007, and its yellow and black colours are now recognised well beyond Australia. In Aspley, that same format has been running out of a Brisbane homemaker centre.

So what should Aspley’s crêpe fans do now? Anyone planning a last visit has until the closing Sunday. Carseldine is a neighbouring suburb, so the new cafe won’t be far away. For the address, opening date and trading hours, the cafe’s own channels are the place to watch.

Published Date 22-October-2026

Geebung Man Learns He’s $4 Million Richer After Missed Calls

A Geebung retiree has discovered a $4 million windfall after his son helped him check an online entry several days after the winning draw. The north Brisbane man held the only division-one winning entry nationally in draw 1697.

His six-game QuickPick secured the entire $4 million division-one prize. The result on 25 August placed the multimillion-dollar win just south of Aspley, in neighbouring Geebung.

Son uncovers the multimillion-dollar result

The retiree remained unaware of the size of his prize until his son visited at the weekend and helped check the entry. His son confirmed that the numbers had delivered a $4 million division-one win.

News of the result left the elderly Geebung resident emotional when he later made contact with officials. He had gone several days without knowing that his entry was the sole division-one winner recorded across Australia for the draw.

Phone habit keeps winner out of reach for a week

Attempts had been made to contact the winner each day after the draw because his entry was linked to an online account. Officials were unable to reach him until he made contact about a week later.

The retiree said he routinely kept his phone switched off, explaining why the repeated calls had gone unanswered. His circumstances differed from many unclaimed-prize cases because organisers had contact details associated with his entry but could not reach him.

Travel and family visits among plans for the money

The Geebung man said the $4 million would give him an opportunity to travel and see more places. He also planned to visit members of his late wife’s family who live up north.

No further details were provided about his intended destinations or when he expected to travel. His plans were among the first changes he identified after learning the full value of the prize.

QuickPick entry takes the only division-one prize

The winning six-game QuickPick was purchased online, with the numbers generated for the entry rather than individually selected by the player. Numbers drawn on August 25 were 4, 27, 43, 2, 21, 47 and 33, while the supplementary numbers were 17, 12 and 19.

Only one division-one entry was recorded nationally in draw 1697. The successful entry belonged to the Geebung resident, giving him the full $4 million first-division prize.

Unclaimed prizes can remain available for years

Unclaimed prizes most commonly arise because people have not checked their tickets and do not realise they have won, according to an unclaimed-prizes fact sheet. Prizes remaining unclaimed for longer than a week or two are described as relatively rare.

Queensland winners have up to seven years to claim a prize. Anyone who believes they hold a winning ticket is advised to keep it safe and contact the organiser on 131 868 to confirm the result and begin the claim process.

People whose winning tickets have been lost, stolen or damaged are advised to make contact as soon as possible. A verification process is available, although clear and irrefutable evidence may be required when an unregistered ticket cannot be produced.

Published 30-Aug-2026

How Smoke Testing Aims to Stop Wet Weather Overflows in Aspley

Photo Credit: Urban Utilities/ Youtube

Residents in Aspley will soon see special-effects smoke billowing from their lawns and roof gutters as water authorities hunt down illegal plumbing connections that are flooding neighbourhood streets with wastewater.

Chasing the Leaks

Starting 1 July, the Wet Weather Overflow Reduction Program targets 31 Brisbane suburbs to stop severe spills. Workers pump harmless, theatrical-style smoke into underground maintenance holes to trace where the system fails.

If the network is healthy, the vapour safely floats out of standard household roof vents. What happens when the smoke escapes through the ground or spills from a gutter? It exposes a major defect. This could be a cracked pipe or a downpipe improperly routed into the sewer. This operation runs until Dec. 31.

The Pressure on the Pipes

Why is this unusual measure necessary? Massive storms and a booming population are currently overwhelming the city’s aging network. Stormwater aggressively floods into wastewater pipes during heavy downpours, pushing the system past its breaking point. The data points to a surprising culprit. Utility figures suggest three-quarters of this excess water originates from private properties, with one in 10 homes hiding non-compliant plumbing.

Backyard Access

*Photo Credit:* *Urban Utilities/ Youtube*

Finding these faults requires property access. Under the South-East Queensland Water Act, connection officers now possess the legal authority to enter private land. They are searching exclusively for customer-side issues like illegal discharges, unapproved connections, or landscaping that pools water over sewer chambers.

Crews will sweep through neighbourhoods on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., occasionally working Saturdays if required. Residents do not need to stay home. Daily life continues as normal, with absolutely no interruptions to local water or toilet services.

Footing the Bill

Fixing the problems brings a new challenge. Following the inspections, Urban Utilities will formally notify homeowners of any discovered faults. While the agency provides free replacement caps for specific low-lying gullies, property owners must shoulder the financial burden for all other private repairs. This intense focus on residential backyards has sparked community questions about the utility’s own decades-old pipes. Addressing these concerns, utility representatives stated that diagnosing private leaks is a crucial step for guiding future upgrades to the broader public infrastructure.

Published Date 13-August-2026