Brisbane City Council Archives - Over The Walter Taylor Bridge

Fire Pit Complaints Slightly Increase One Year After Council Lifts Ban

Fire pit complaints across Brisbane’s suburbs have had a slight increase nearly one year since the Council overturned the ban and following a trial that came about because of an incident involving an Oxley mum.

In September 2020, Brisbane City Council amended the order on brazier and fire pit use in residential areas.

Under the new law, backyard fire pits are now allowed provided it’s safe, compliant, monitored at all times, and at least 2.5 metres away from the property. The smoke shouldn’t be burned overnight or impact the neighbours, especially those who have respiratory issues. or be burned overnight.

According to Councillor Kim Marx, the Community Health and Safety Chairperson, Council had 487 complaints pertaining to backyard fire pits and 136 complaints about smoke nuisance since June 2020.

Yet Ms Marx said most of the residents have been following the safety practices as the ban has been lifted after the three-month trial.

In contrast, before the trial and the amended order, an Oxley mother’s backyard fire pit party for her kids in April 2020 received 158 complaints and 11 smoke nuisance complaints. The following month, the complaints increased to 203 and 40 for backyard burning and smoke, respectively.

The Oxley mother’s experience raised awareness for the Council’s laws on brazier and fire pit use, which many residents said they were not aware of until this incident. Ms Marx said that the law has been existing since 2000 under the Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law.

Backyard fire pits became popular in 2020 due to the lockdowns as families tried to find other activities with their children.

Worries Surface About Possible Disruptions Once Indooroopilly Bikeway Construction Begins

Photo credit: Google Street View

Construction for the Indooroopilly bikeway along Radnor St is anticipated to begin in early 2019.

With that in mind, Councillor Nicole Johnston shared her thoughts on the possible impact and repercussions that the project may have on life in the community.

Cr Johnston is concerned that residents will have to deal with noise disruptions and traffic for a project that will have “little or no benefit” for residents living on the south side.

“The project is a good one but it will not benefit Ambrose Treacy College students, and other cyclists and pedestrians on the southside if it does not connect safely to the Walter Taylor Bridge. My aim here is to make sure the project benefits both northside and southside residents equally,” Cr Johnston wrote in a Facebook post.

The councillor added that it would be a shame if southside residents could see this bikeway but not access it safely and easily.

Referring to the Bikeway Draft Plan released by the Brisbane City Council, Cr Johnston mentioned that it includes an off-road dedicated 5ms wide shared pathway along over the River but does not include a bikeway ramp link to or from the Walter Taylor Bridge.

In response to Cr Johnston’s remarks regarding the project, BCC’s Public and Active Transport chairman Adrian Schrinner said the planned construction works on the south side will be a critical link to the entire bikeway project.

Chairman Schrinner emphasized that there was no suitable location on the north due to “topography,” which leads to the decision of completing construction works on the south side.

He revealed that BCC investigated suitable locations for a temporary jetty and they selected a location at Chelmer because of its close proximity to the works. The Council believes it will reduce potential time and cost impacts and impacts to river traffic that a more distant location would generate.

BCC decided to expand the project into a 6m-wide bikeway and pedestrian path with a design similar to the 900m New Farm Riverwalk which costs around $70 million. The goal of creating the Indooroopilly bikeway is to increase the number of people walking or cycling to work to one-in-five commuters by 2026.

The bikeway project is part of the Council’s Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane program, aiming to create dedicated bikeways and active travel options with a $100 million investment from 2016 to 2020.

Find out more about the Indooroopilly Bikeway project by visiting the Brisbane City Council website.

BCC Pushes to Save Significant Trees in Sherwood

Under the New Vegetation Protection Orders (VPOs), Brisbane City Council is pushing to save 14 significant trees in Sherwood alone.

The New Vegetation Protection Orders will protect 180 significant trees across Brisbane.

Natural Assets Local Law 2003 (NALL)

Brisbane City Council’s Natural Assets Local Law 2003 (NALL) protects the city’s natural assets. With this law, Council has a means to protect the city’s biodiversity. Also, there is better management of the impact of weeds and hazardous vegetation. Consequently, this encourages the preservation of native flora and fauna.

Significant trees in Sherwood — Forest Red Gum tree in Sherwood. Photo credit: Geekstreet/Wikimedia Commons

Also, natural landforms can be preserved. These include bushland, wetlands, and waterway corridors. These also include ridgelines and steep slopes.

Additionally, restricting indiscriminate clearing of vegetation keeps the city’s landscape intact. This will preserve the city’s historical and cultural values.

Interestingly, NALL is not a land-use control. However, it does require landowners to adopt a responsible approach in vegetation management. Along with the Brisbane City Plan 2014, NALL is an important consideration in any proposal to build on, subdivide, or develop land. If you are buying a new property, you can contact Council or undertake a property search to find out if it is affected by a NALL.

With a promise to keep Brisbane green, Council has been protecting vegetation with local laws since 1991. Local laws provide a balance between lifestyle and the need to protect the city’s environment, people, and property.

Vegetation Protection Orders (VPOs)

Under the NALL, BCC is authorised to protect significant trees and vegetation. Additionally, Council provides support to owners who have protected vegetation on their property. With this, owners can still use the land or manage the protected vegetation in it.

Under the law, making a VPO involves three things. Initially, vegetation must be nominated for protection. Then, Council assesses their suitability. Lastly, the community makes their submissions for Council consideration.

Significant Trees in Sherwood

Here is a list of the significant trees in Sherwood that are in the new VPOs.

Tree	Properties
1 Forest Red Gum	81 and 83 Berry Street
1 Forest Red Gum	80 Hamilton Street 135a and 137 Hilda Street
1 Hoop Pine	107 and 111 Borden Street
1 Hoop Pine	11 Junction Street
1 Hoop Pine	18 and 20 Magazine Street 69 and 71 Berry Street
1 Hoop Pine	373 and 377 Oxley Road
1 Hoop Pine	58 and 58A Robertson Street 103 and 107 Dewar Terrace
2 Hoop Pines	351 Oxley Road
2 Weeping Figs	22, 24, 26, and 30 Douglas Street 1/28 and 2/28 Douglas Street Douglas Park
1 Weeping Fig	3 Jolimont Street
1 Weeping Fig	35, 37, and 39 Linda Street 56 Lilly Street
1 Bunya Pine and 1 Crows Ash	533 Sherwood Road 20 Egmont Street

To see the full list, click here.

Brisbane Housing Company Set to Enter the Retirement Village Market at Sherwood

Brisbane Housing Company (BHC), a leading provider of innovative affordable housing in Queensland, will be providing an affordable senior’s vertical community at 14-22 Hood Street, Sherwood.

The retirement village called Arbor aims to facilitate inclusiveness and socialisation. Plans for the development were already finalised and it will include a number of communal spaces, with recreational levels provided at each level, thus encouraging interaction and socialisation within the development.

The development will also have elevated outdoor spaces to provide an integrated building that is enjoyable and usable all year round. Semi-outdoor spaces will cater to the subtropical environment and foster the connective indoor and outdoor nature of many Queensland style homes.

Arbor will have 52 apartments with 14 1.5 bedroom apartments and 38 2 bedroom apartments. BHC will offer market competitive apartment living priced at $350,000 – $450,000 and can go as low as $200,000 for true needs clients in a community where the local median home value is $800,000 – $850,000.

BHC designed Arbor’s DMF (Deferred Management Fee) contract to minimise the impact of regular fees on the pension. They are also working with Hynes Legal to deliver a range of financial options which will include strategies to deliver rental support.

BHC is focused on building and maintaining quality affordable homes for people in need and engaging with and supporting people to sustain their tenancies. They were able to build and manage 1,300 apartments for affordable rental. BHC also manages a further 250 properties under the NRAS (National Rental Affordability Scheme) investment plan and has sold 300 homes into the market.

Established in 2002 with a QLD Government and Brisbane City Council funding of $40 million, the BHC provides inner and middle ring housing for essential service workers.

Upcoming Kerbside Collection for Sherwood and Surrounding Suburbs: the Do’s and Dont’s for Scavengers

Brisbane City Council’s Kerbside Collection is coming to Sherwood and its surrounding suburbs including Chelmer, Graceville, Sherwood, Corinda, and Oxley on Monday, 4 June 2018.

The Kerbside Collection may be an annual event, but it still pays to check some of the good old advice on getting ready for the collection day. You can even get the Council’s free Brisbane Bin and Recycling app to help you prepare for the event.

Read: Kerbside Collection for OWT Bridge Areas Upcoming: 4 Tips on How to Get Ready

Scavengers are not new to Kerbside Collection since they have been “operational” for years now. As they say, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure, so who wouldn’t want to get useful stuff for free?

For creative scavengers, some of the stuff that is thrown out the kerb can easily be repurposed or upcycled into something new. Like this old television that has been upcycled into a fish tank.

Photo credit: CC-BY/Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar/Flickr

Or this fridge that has been transformed into a chic dog house.

Other scavengers also scour piles on the kerbside for copper that they can get from the discarded electronics. This is where some things get really dirty.

Photo credit: CCO Public Domain / Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay

In the past, residents have been complaining about scavengers who pry their discarded electronics open in search for the money-making copper which can be sold for up to $7 per kilo. Whilst there is no problem with people trying to make money out of trash, the problems start when scavengers leave the pile of discarded metal they just opened scattered all over the place.

For scavengers who are ready to go out there for their loot, here are some friendly reminders for you before you hit the kerb.

Know when to go

Check the dates for the Kerbside Collection online so you can be updated with the collection dates for your area.

Come prepared

Take a ute or a truck so you can have room for the awesome stuff you might find.

Be considerate

Even if you’re only scavenging for copper from a pile of electronics and appliances, make sure to leave the pile as tidy as you can. There might be children running around the place and anything that’s broken can pose some serious hazard for them.

Keep other scavengers in mind

You might be inclined to only take what you need and break some stuff, but there are scavengers out there who might be able to repair those stuff and actually use them.

Scavenging can be helpful to a community since it is a great way to recycle unwanted things. Just remember to be mindful of your manners as you go about scavenging and have fun, you’ll never know what surprises could be out there.

Graceville Croquet Club Gets $98k Council Grant

As part of the Building Stronger Communities Grants Program of the Brisbane City Council, Graceville Croquet Club has received $98,065 to help improve its facilities.

Graceville Croquet Club is one of the Building Stronger Communities Grants 2017-18 grant recipients who received funding to help in developing their facilities and improving their governance and long-term organisational sustainability. A total of 69 organisations were granted a total funding of $2,509,597.66.

The Council’s Building Stronger Communities Grants Program focuses on helping community-based, not-for-profit organisations in linking residents to recreation and promoting their wellbeing.

It supports community facilities that promote community sport, recreational, cultural and social activities that help in strengthening the physical, cultural, mental, and social well-being of the community.

The program has three categories comprised of Community Facility Maintenance, Community Facility Development, and Organisational Development.

The funding granted to Graceville Croquet Club will be used to improve their facilities. Specifically, it will help in replacing the flooring and facilities in the kitchen, toilet, and storage area of the clubhouse to improve safety and accessibility of their facilities. This will also help in increasing the use of the facility at Graceville Memorial Park.

The program is part of the Council’s efforts to achieve Brisbane Vision 2031. Organisations that qualified as recipients under the Building Stronger Communities Grants Program help in creating an active, healthy, safe, and friendly community.