Several playgrounds across Tennyson ward, including four in Graceville, have reportedly reopenedafter the city’s major flood events without adequate cleaning and without a soft fall surface in place.
Soft fall is an impact-absorbing layer that is laid beneath the finished surface of an indoor/outdoor area and can be in the form of rubber, synthetic grass, shock absorbing pads and even wood chips.
Around 12 playgrounds closed in Tennyson Ward after flood waters inundated the locality’s low-lying areas. In Graceville, these are Faulkner Park, Giraween Park, John Walker Park and Fehlberg St Park. Other playgrounds which were affected by flood include Robinson St Park and Norm Rose Park in Fairfield.
Photo credit: Daniel Hunter/Google Maps
During a Council meeting in June 2022, Councillor for Tennyson Ward Nicole Johnston complained over playgrounds reopening with those issues.
Cr Johnston claimed Brisbane City Council reopened them without de-compacting and removing the sewage-contaminated base and soft fall under the play equipment.
Photo credit: Cr Nicole Johnston/Facebook
The Councillor highlighted that these playgrounds, along with some others in the locality, could still be contaminated by floodwater.
Meanwhile, Council assured that they are completing assessments of all city assets, following the flood in February 2022. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner revealed that the major flood event affected over 300 playgrounds across the city.
Cr Schrinner said they are also working as quickly as they can to get the soft fall replaced.
He said officers inspected to determine whether soft fall loss, debris or the presence of other materials, such as mud, warranted the closure of the playground until rectification works were complete, after the playgrounds were inundated by flood.
The Lord Mayor asserted that they will not open a playground that they thought would be a safety risk.
After incurring major damage during the February floods, Bunnings in Oxley seems nowhere near reopening but the Rocklea outlet less than six kilometres away is back in operation with a new format.
Whilst workers at Bunnings Oxley have been reassigned, the Rocklea location has been revamped with a new cafe, new kitchen design area, new bathroom displays, a Trade Desk section and LED lights around the playground for kids.
Jon Fenton, the manager for Bunnings Rocklea, said that the revamping should provide loyal customers with a better shopping experience. He is thankful for the community’s patience as the outlet had to shut down for more than three months so they could make the changes and improvements.
Bunnings Rocklea had two short and simple events for the public last 18 and 19 June 2022 to mark the reopening.
Meanwhile, the future of the Oxley outlet’s reopening is still in the cards but there were projections that it could take a full year to revamp the site. Jason Doyle, the regional manager for Bunnings, said that their utmost priority is the safety and well-being of the workers. Thus, the Oxley store’s revamping will include flood-proofing and other considerations.
Bunnings in Rocklea and Oxley were also impacted by the 2011 flooding and closed for two months. In 2017, the Oxley site also temporarily shut down after the minor flooding.
The Australian Tenpin Bowling team, with Oxley talent Jamie Robinson, competes in Tasmania after winning the bronze medal at the men’s event of the International Bowling Federation (IBF) Under 21 World Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden in June 2022.
Robinson will be heading to Tasmania with team Australia for the Australian Open. The Oxley lad will also bowl at the South Australia and then Toowoomba for the East Coast Challenge Cup (ECCC) in September.
In the semi-finals, Team Australia gave Team USA some competition but it was the latter who ranked second after the Czech Republic. Nonetheless, Australia’s bronze medal win is still a major feat considering 46 countries competed for the top prize.
The team from down under is made up of Robinson, Bernie Grueso Jr (Victoria), Cameron Stein (Queensland), and Nixon Chan (New South Wales).
Photo Credit: Supplied
“I am very honoured to represent Australia in my first international tournament. The team of Australia did amazing and fought some tough games but we did it and came home with bronze,” Robinson said.
“I would like to thank Geoff Bowness, our team coach, for all his hard work, Peter and Rosalee also, for all their hard work, and to my boss, Sue Long, at Zone Bowling for her support on and off the lanes.”
“To my parents, thanks for everything they do but also my community who helped with fundraising and awesome support,” Robinson said.
The IBF Under 21 World Championships was the first international bowling sports event since 2019. At the start of the game, Team Australia qualified at the 13th spot among the competing nations but the men’s team progressed all the way to the semi-finals.
Oxley talent Jamie Robinson, 20, nabs his first major victory in a top TBA event, the 2022 Sydney Youth Cup, and will soon head to Sweden to compete in the World Championships.
Jamie’s win to represent Queensland was a nail-biter as he was in the third or fourth position before overtaking the lead in the finals.
“I am very happy at winning the Sydney Youth Cup, it was a tough weekend for everyone bowling, I’m so glad I was able to come home to Queensland with the win,” Jamie said.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Photo Credit: Supplied
Following his stunning performance, Jamie has also earned a spot in the National Training Squash and will be part of TBA’s Team Australia as they will compete in the World Championships in Sweden in June 2022.
“I’m so proud to be able to wear the green and gold of Australia for the first time in Sweden at the under 21 world championships, I’m practicing nearly every day, working on my spares, and different shots.
“I’m thrilled to be able to represent my country at this amazing sport.”
Photo Credit: Tenpin Bowling Australia
NTS 21 head coach Geoff Bowness said that Jamie is part of a very eager team, some of whom will be playing for the first time internationally. There hasn’t been an international Tenpin Bowling competition for two years thus this trip will also be an unforgettable experience.
When he returns home from Sweden, Jamie will head to the south next for the South Australian Classic, to potentially claim another milestone.
Jamie started bowling at the tender age of eight, after his mother, Sheena, took him to Zone Bowling in Richlands. He has been a part of the facility from the beginning of his competitive career as a bowler.
Martinus Rail, a Rocklea-based family business, has a massive, ongoing hiring program for the large-scale Inland Rail System from New South Wales to Queensland.
In February 2022, the Federal Government confirmed that Martinus Rail will take charge of the $300-million Rail Corridor Program, which will approximately track 570 kilometers.
Following the announcement, the company opened an initial 600 job vacancies and 60 apprentices from TAFE to ensure the timely delivery of the project. The new hires will add to the over 1,000 staff already working in two states.
The hired teams are expected to lay 1.7 million tonnes of ballast and 80,000 tonnes of steel rail, and install nearly 950,000 Australian-made concrete sleepers.
The tracks will cover Narromine to Narrabri in NSW, Narrabri to North Star in NSW (Phase 2), North Star to Border in NSW, and Border NSW to Gowrie in QLD.
“We have a long history of local spending – last year 84 per cent of our spend was with small Australian-owned businesses. We have seen firsthand the benefits of working with local suppliers and manufacturers…and our approach remains the same here,” Martinus Chief Executive and Founder, Treaven Martinus, said.
Photo Credit: MartinusRail.Com.Au
At its peak of construction, the Inland Rail System is expected to create more than 21,500 jobs. Findings from the 2021 Infrastructure Market Capacity Report cite that major public infrastructure activity will double in 2023 and grow from 183,000 people to 288,000.
Incidentally, Martinus Rail is also looking to hire a Recruitment Advisor, a Project Controls Engineer, and a Plant Accountant in its Rocklea headquarters.
Graceville Riverside Parklands will be enhanced with upgrades to sports fields, a new playground, a new water activity hub, a larger pontoon, and improvements to picnic areas.
Brisbane City Council unveiled the Final Precinct Plan for Graceville Riverside Parklands after taking into consideration some of the feedback received from the community during the engagement period.
Based on the feedback, residents would want to see spaces to play, exercise, and relax. These will be executed through improved picnic facilities, lawn space and accessibility for all.
A community green in the centre of the parklands will provide the setting for local community and cultural celebrations and will double as a large open space for informal play and relaxation.
The new pontoon will allow tour boats to drop off and pick up visitors to the Oxley Creek corridor. Opportunities will be investigated to provide hire facilities within the parklands to supply visitors with bikes, canoes and kayaks so they can sample The Greenway and Oxley Creek Paddle Trail experiences.
Another key element of the project is the Water Activity Hub, which will provide a multi-purpose water activity hub, watercraft storage and rigging space. Visitors will be given an opportunity to take in views of the river whilst relaxing at the covered seating area and amenities.
The upgrades at the parklands is part of the Oxley Creek Transformation project, which aims to provide new leisure and lifestyle opportunities in the city, including facilities for kayaking, boating, sports and bike riding.
“The Graceville Riverside Parklands is the third of several precinct upgrades in our plan and will become a major destination for families from across Brisbane to enjoy our outdoor lifestyle,” said Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.
Meanwhile, the overflow car park has been removed from the Concept Plan after the community reinforced their preference to use active transport options to access the parklands, thereby further reducing the likelihood for the need for a short-term, temporary, overflow car park for community events and activities.
The community has also suggested the provision of a CityCat terminal within the parklands.
However, Council said it’s not likely to extend services beyond UQ as previous investigations found it was not feasible because of the potential riverbank erosion impact of CityCat operations.
The business now operates in Hillcrest, which is right beside the Greenbank RSL, after getting complaints from Corinda residents who compared the place to a ‘war zone.’
The smash room has been advertised as the only place in Brisbane where people can go and release all their frustrations by ‘smashing up microwaves, TVs, glassware and printers.’
“People come to the Rage Cage to have fun, de-stress, and break things! Whether it be for a stressful week aty work, a celebration, or even a first date, you’re always going to have an amazing experience here,” the ad on the website reads.
During a session, a guest is provided with full personal protective gear including coveralls, face shield, gloves, and boots, as well as weapons and tools such as bats and sledgehammers.
Responding to the concerns of residents living near the former venue, Brisbane’s City Standards has worked with the owners to ensure that they are working to make the business compliant and that it has the necessary permits.
Council has reviewed the owner’s application for a venue permit, which addressed any noise and environmental impacts.
With regard to the group of residents complaining the smash room, the owner explained that he’s legally running the business in the correct zone, adding that the noise coming from trains at Corinda station were much louder.
The owner also explained that the yard was kept neat and that the smashed goods, which usually include piles of microwaves and other electrical goiods were taken regularly for recycling. Patrons were allowed to bring their own items to smash, except for light bulbs or anything toxic.
Rage Cage, which has a second venue at Southport in Gold Coast, has not received complaints since opening in August 2021.
Developed by Chelmer-based Heart of Australia, HEART 5 launched their fifth truck at a February event held in the RNA Showgrounds. The project was made possible through the partnership with the Queensland Government and Resources Safety and Health Queensland which contributed $2 million towards the build and operation of the mobile unit.
Photo Credit: Heart of Australia / Facebook
The project will see the state-of-the-art mobile unit bringing “high-quality respiratory health screenings to mine and quarry workers in regional and remote parts of the state.”
“This means workers won’t have to travel as far to access highly specialised services, ensuring earlier detection and intervention in cases of mine dust lung diseases like black lung and silicosis,” Resources Minister Scott Stewart said.
HEART 5 is loaded with an x-ray machine and a world-first battery-powered, high-resolution computerised tomography (CT) scanner. Philips and I-MED designed and built the battery technology that will power the CT scanner and will allow HEART 5 to do a CT whilst parked on a mine site.
“HEART 5 breaks down the tyranny of distance, so if you do have a lung disease, we can find it early and quickly,” Heart of Australia founder Dr Rolf Gomes said.
Photo Credit: Heart of Australia / Facebook
“We have implemented the toughest mine safety laws in the world, lowered allowable levels of dust exposure, prescribed requirements for monitoring and reporting, and enhanced health surveillance across the mining sector,” Mr Stewart said.
“We’re proud to have HEART 5 on the road helping to uphold our high standards for health and safety in the resources sector, and our government will continue to support workers, on and off the job site.”
“With the launch of HEART 5, our CT truck, we will be finding more, treating more, and saving more lives,” Dr Gomes said.
Heart of Australia has been delivering specialist medical services to regional, rural and remote area communities across Queensland since 2014. The clinic-on-wheels has so far seen more than 12,000 patients, saved more than 500 lives and served more than 30 communities.
The Sherwood property market has had a staggering 40 per cent median house price growth in the period ending December 2021, an impressive finish amidst a slight slowdown observed in other markets.
Highlights
Sherwood’s housing market posted an astounding 38.91 per cent median growth from January 2021 to December 2021, putting the median at $1,285,000.
Its unit market, whilst significantly lower than the housing market, has also posted a 3.57 per cent median growth, putting the median at $435,000.
The Sherwood property market is expected to continue its upward trend.
Sherwood House Price Growth
Data from Property Market Updates for the period covering January to December 2021 has shown Sherwood’s extraordinary growth of 38.92 per cent. This has drawn the median house price upward from $925,000 in the previous year to $1,285,000 for this period.
The market closed 111 property sales with an average of 37 days on market. Investors bought three- and four-bedroom houses the most as interstate migration continues to drive housing demand. In spite of the increase, affordability has been a key factor in Brisbane’s property market in general compared to other locations.
Sherwood’s housing market has been steadily trending upward for a few years given its family and child-friendly appeal. With heaps of access to parkways and green spaces, this suburb favours a variety of demographics from young families setting their roots, to dynamic professionals or entrepreneurs, and retirees.
The unit market in Sherwood is slowly picking up for this period as well with a 3.57 per cent median growth from last year. Whilst not as strong as the housing market, Sherwood’s median unit price at $435,000 is perfect for first-home buyers or downsizers who do not need a spacious house to maintain.
Apartment sales for this period closed with 137 successful transactions with unit listings staying an average of 49 days on the market. Buyers were mostly keen to pick two-bedroom units which are more compact and manageable for their lifestyle.
At least 17 per cent of townhomes and 17 per cent of apartments make up Sherwood’s unit property market, providing a good alternative for those with a more conservative budget to invest in a detached house.
About Sherwood
Sherwood is found 11 kilometres southwest of the city and is popular for its stately Queenslander homes, leafy riverside location, and wholesome outdoor lifestyle. Bordered by the suburbs of Corinda, Graceville, and Tennyson, Sherwood is the home of the heritage-listed Sherwood Arboretum, a 15-hectare parkland with thousands of trees.
Far away enough from the city bustle, Sherwood has a convenient train station that takes commuters approximately 20 minutes to their work or school in the inner city. The suburb, however, is filled with heaps of quaint shops in an established business district along Sherwood Road, where residents can have all their essentials.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Sherwood has a number of good schools, both private and public, as well. It’s not unusual to see kids cycling around or groups enjoying a picnic or barbecue at the parklands during the weekends. Its laidback lifestyle makes Sherwood such a lovely location to raise a family.
“It has SO much going for it. Not only is it great for resale value, but it’s also close to everything – city, shopping, recreation, entertainment, transport, the river. It has a great sense of community about it, with excellent schools & general facilities. It’s the kind of place we not only want to live in…but would like to invest in also.”
Trio
“There aren’t many suburbs with the old world feel and values left in Brisbane and those that have the same feelings are far and few. Most streets are tree-lined (mature trees), the classic Queenslander architecture and so many well-renovated homes on big blocks and space for kids to run around is wonderful! It’s just a wonderful place to start and bring up your family!”
Record-breaking rainfall and massive flooding have left thousands of residents without power, including households and businesses in several streets across Corinda.
As of 7:00 a.m. of 1 March 2022, around 1,212 residential areas and commercial establishments in Corinda are suffering from power outages because of the flood. Brisbane City had the highest number of outages in South East Queensland after the flooding, with over 28,900 customers affected according to Energex.
Following the torrential rain that caused Brisbane River to burst its banks, many streets have been flooded, including Pratten St, Cliveden Ave, Deniven St, Richmond St, and Oxley Tce in Corinda.
Businesses, including Coles, located on the corner of Oxley Rd and Clewley St, have also closed due to power outages, leaving some residents worried where to buy their much-needed supplies.
“This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, ” stated Energex, describing the situation most of South East Queensland is facing as the flooding disaster grinds on.
Photo credit: Energex/Facebook
“There’s no prospect of us being able to restore power to thousands of people until the waters recede and we can assess, clean, and repair electrical equipment across the area,” Energex shared in a social media post.
The company, which distributes power to 1.5 million homes and businesses in South East Queensland, has also provided safety tips to residents including what to and what not to do during and after power outages.
Energex has already assigned hundreds of staff out in the field todayans assured they will be working around the clock to repair and restore the network wherever and whenever they can.
“We know it’s frustrating not knowing when your power will be back on, but until the water drops, we can’t see what we’re dealing with. As soon as that happens, we’ll be able to give people a better idea of timeframes, which we will update in,” Energex posted.
As per Energex’s website, the next update for their customers in Corinda will be on 4 March 2022, 7:00 p.m. You can follow Energex’s official Facebook page for updates. If you’re affected, you’ll be able to see the outage and restoration time on Outage Finder.
