Kenmore has emerged as one of Queensland’s leading suburbs in the race to install home battery systems, ranking seventh across the state for battery uptake in the six months to January 2026.
According to new analysis from the Queensland Conservation Council, Kenmore residents installed 405 home batteries totalling 11.0 megawatt hours (MWh) of storage capacity since July 2025, when Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program came into effect.
The analysis, based on Clean Energy Regulator data, revealed that Queensland suburbs are “racing to install home batteries,” with more than 32,000 homes adding 777 MWh of storage across the state during the same period.
Top 10 Qld post codes installing home batteries (Data from Clean Energy Regulator)
Queensland Conservation Council campaigner Clare Silcock said the uptake demonstrates how Queenslanders are embracing clean technology to tackle rising living costs.
“Queenslanders are turning to clean technology in droves to affordably power their homes and businesses,” Silcock said. “We consistently see outer suburban and regional areas leading the charge in adopting rooftop solar and household batteries because it’s a smart investment to help tackle the rising cost of living.”
Kenmore’s demographic profile may help explain its strong uptake. According to the 2021 census, Kenmore had a population of 9,675 people, with households primarily couples with children and 81.40 percent of homes owner-occupied.
The top five areas for battery installations statewide were Springfield, Coomera, Amberley, Yarrabilba and Nerang, according to the Queensland Conservation Council analysis.
While home battery adoption has surged, the analysis highlighted a stark contrast with other energy storage developments in Queensland. Since July 2025, no large-scale batteries have been commissioned in the state, and the Queensland Government’s Solar for Renters scheme has a target to support only 6,500 homes across three years.
“With the national Cheaper Home Batteries Program, installing batteries in a household which already has solar is a no-brainer,” Silcock said.
Energy Queensland is currently building 12 community batteries, totalling 84 MWh or just over 10 per cent of the capacity installed in homes in just six months.
The Queensland Conservation Council is calling on the State to deliver more support for renters and communities to ensure everyone can benefit from storage and the renewable energy transition.
We’ve combed Anstead, Bellbowrie, and Moggill for the best reviewed restaurants in the area where people waxed lyrical about their dining experience and what they love most about it. Here’s our list!
asif iqbal Closest to a real south Indian experience finally!!!!. The Spice level of “Indian hot” truly hit the spot. Perfect and delicious I intend to take left over for the next day. But just couldn’t resist completing my meal. Lol. Waitress was very courteous, knowledgeable and was only around when required. 2 big boys with happy tummies (Biryanis (beef and goat) with chicken 65). $65
James Snare Great food! Really warm and friendly service. Very good atmosphere inside the restaurant (doesn’t feel like you’re in a shopping centre once your inside).
stefano casini Food tates authentic, portions are the right and when it’s cold they put the heater on. However each wall has different wallpaper on each wall.
Heeju Han A few months ago our visit wasn’t great, but when we came back last week, the food quality had improved a lot. The Caesar salad had been watery before, but I ordered it again (I can’t stand cucumber in regular salads), and the improvement was amazing. The steak is amazing for the price too.
N Our extended family have met here for early Christmas lunches for many years. Most years are lovely, one was not. This year was wonderful. The staff were excellent. Our meals were actually timed to arrive at the same time, even though our orders were staggered. A first! The food was delicious, I didn’t hear any complaints from our party. Thank you!
Jacques Awesome staff, great drinks and food. I have been living here my whole life and my wife and I have only been coming for the past 2 months, but it’s been great, and the renovations are so refreshing, I’d give 6 stars if I could!
Chantel Charchalis Lovely outdoor seating in a beautiful garden, with a large play area for kids. Food was generous size and they made a vegan option by substituting halloumi for hash brown. Great coffee too.
John Vickers We are Saturday luncheon regulars for the past two years. Their steak sandwiches and wraps are literally world class. Management and serving staff are unfailingly polite and hard working. Thank you so much for the many hours of great food, music and service.
Masa We went to there at 2:45pm. They can say we close but they served us. Coffee was great and food was excellent. I’m big eater but I have to take some for hotel. I think if they open night they get more business. I came here again they still serve beautiful food and great service
Rachael Glyde We frequently visit this beautiful cafe. The food is always delicious and large servings for a decent price! I am coeliac and have never been sick from the gluten free food. The kids menu also has a lot to choose from, it’s perfect for our family. Can’t recommend highly enough
Lauren Lovely coffee, friendly staff and tasty food
Selz Pal What a gem find!! Food was fresh, service was great and a very nice and relaxing atmosphere.. Highly recommend!!
Lynn Hristov Having lunch now, the chicken is excellent , lovely lady helped me , I asked for it to be well done , she left it on the grill a little longer so nice chat marks, I hate rotisserie chicken from the supermarket , do soggy, this is juicy and really tasty. That’s garlic sauce on top of the chicken, delicious!! X
Jeremy Bilyj Amazing food, amazing staff, always accommodating amd happy to see us. Never had a bad meal!
Jess Ferris My favourite take out hands down. Everything on this menu is delicious and you feel way better after having this for a take out night! The chicken is so perfectly cooked and the chips are to die for. But my absolute favourite is the beef burger
In Brisbane’s western suburbs, where community ties run deep and stories are often measured in generations, a couple have quietly marked an extraordinary milestone built on love, faith and shared life. On a warm December afternoon, family and friends gathered beneath the gentle hum of conversation and laughter to celebrate something increasingly rare: a marriage that has lasted 70 years. At the centre of it all sat Max and Freda Kanowski, side by side, exactly as they had been since the summer of 1955.
For Max and Freda, now residents of Upper Brookfield after many years in Indooroopilly, the celebration was more about people than milestones. Letters of congratulations arrived from the King and Queen of the UK, the Prime Minister and the Governor-General of Australia, and the state Premier — formal acknowledgements of a life lived quietly but well.
Yet it was the presence of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and lifelong friends that mattered most.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Their platinum wedding anniversary was marked with a lunch at St Peter’s Lutheran College’s P&F Centre, where guests travelled from near and far — including as far as Mount Gambier — to honour a couple whose lives have been deeply woven into the fabric of the western suburbs. Traditional German sausages were served, stories flowed freely, and the room was filled with the easy warmth that comes only from decades of shared history.
Parallel Childhoods, One Shared Path
Their story began long before they met, shaped by parallel childhoods in rural Queensland. Both grew up riding horses to small country schools, their early years marked by the constraints of wartime Australia, when distance and circumstance limited travel and connection. They did not know of each other then, but their lives were already following remarkably similar paths.
It was at St Peter’s Lutheran College, where both boarded, that those paths finally crossed. In a small, close-knit school community, friendship came first. Romance followed slowly, deepening further during their years studying at the University of Queensland in the early 1950s. At times separated, they wrote letters—thoughtful, patient exchanges that reflected a relationship built on mutual respect and shared values.
As Max later joked to family and friends, it eventually became clear to everyone around them that they were, in his words, “a full item.”
A Wedding Close to Family
They were married on 21 December 1955 at Phillip Street Lutheran Church in Toowoomba, chosen for its closeness to extended family on the Darling Downs. It was a hopeful post-war moment, full of promise and practical ambition. Early married life was modest and industrious: Max dug the foundations for their first home himself, sourcing timber through friends, while Freda balanced work and the demands of building a future from the ground up. Their honeymoon was brief — a few days camping near Coffs Harbour — before everyday life resumed.
That everyday life soon became full and lively. Four sons — David, Mark, Anthony and Peter — were raised in Indooroopilly in a household shaped by education, music and faith. Max pursued his academic career, eventually becoming a Professor of Classical Antiquities, while Freda worked as a librarian. Together, they fostered curiosity, discipline and a deep appreciation for learning.
Those values have echoed through generations. Their descendants have gone on to achieve excellence across a range of fields, particularly in health and public service. One grandson currently serves as Australia’s Consul-General in Lae, Papua New Guinea — a point of pride mentioned not for prestige, but as evidence of opportunities nurtured through education and encouragement.
Music, too, has remained central to their lives, alongside long-standing support for St Peter’s Lutheran College and the Indooroopilly Lutheran congregation. These communities were not simply places they attended, but places they helped sustain.
Education, Music and Faith as Cornerstones
Much of this history was recounted during Max’s anniversary speech, delivered with trademark wit, warmth and intellectual flourish. Drawing on his classical background, he likened Freda’s steadfast love to that of Penelope for Odysseus — enduring, faithful and strong across time. He spoke of ancestors who migrated from Germany in the nineteenth century, of chance encounters and near-misses that shaped family lines, and of how lives quietly intertwine across generations.
Yet the heart of his speech belonged to Freda. After 70 years, Max told the room, he would happily do it all again.
Asked afterwards about the secret to a long and happy marriage, the couple offered no grand theory. Love, patience, understanding and trust, they said — practised daily, over a lifetime.
As the afternoon drew to a close, conversations lingered and music drifted through the room. Max and Freda remained seated together, sharing smiles and memories, surrounded by the living legacy of their union.
After years of consultation and earlier construction further along the corridor, the Kenmore Road, Norman Street and Robertson Place roundabout in Fig Tree Pocket will be reworked to improve safety, visibility and access for the surrounding community.
The key roundabout sees heavy use from motorists, cyclists and pedestrians and has been identified as the next focus of works planned for early 2026, as part of the wider Suburban Corridor Modernisation program.
Beginning early 2026, the project will concentrate on practical design changes around the Fig Tree Pocket roundabout, an intersection residents have long identified as difficult to navigate.
According to Council’s project information, upgrades will include new and improved pedestrian islands, kerb ramps and kerb build-outs on multiple approaches to the roundabout. These changes are intended to reduce crossing distances and improve the visibility and safety of pedestrian movements.
Cyclists will also see dedicated improvements, with a bike off-ramp planned on the western leg of Kenmore Road for eastbound riders and a bike on-ramp installed on Norman Street. The Council has indicated that these features are designed to connect cyclists to the road network better while reducing points of conflict with traffic. Minor turfing, footpath repairs and refreshed line marking will complete the works.
As part of the redesign, yellow no-stopping lines will be added near crossings and intersections. Council has stated that this will reduce on-street parking in some areas to maintain clear sightlines and ensure that traffic lanes remain wide enough for vehicles to pass safely.
The Fig Tree Pocket stage will follow works completed further east along Kenmore Road in mid-2025. Earlier stages delivered pedestrian splitter islands, upgraded kerb ramps, new traffic islands, improved lighting and additional line marking through Kenmore.
Photo Credit: BCC
Council has previously described these changes as incremental but meaningful, aimed at reducing crash risk while balancing the needs of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians on a heavily used suburban corridor.
Local feedback has played a role in shaping the Kenmore Road upgrades, particularly around complex intersections. Residents raised concerns about safety, visibility and traffic flow at the Fig Tree Pocket intersection.
While some temporary disruption and parking changes are expected, Council maintains the outcome will be a safer and more accessible Kenmore Road corridor for everyone who uses it.
The fatal incident occurred on 30 November 2025 on Moggill Road at Bellbowrie. Emergency services were called after a Yamaha motorcycle left the roadway and collided with a fence at approximately 7.20 p.m.
The rider was later identified as Shaun Krause, aged 41, a resident of Moggill. No further details have been provided regarding other vehicles, road conditions, or contributing factors associated with the crash, based on the available information.
Mr Krause was employed as a store manager at Bob Jane T-Mart and was described by family members as a devoted father. He is survived by his 14-year-old daughter, Natalie.
Relatives have indicated that his life was strongly centred on parenting, with much of his time and energy dedicated to supporting his daughter’s growth and wellbeing. He was a regular presence at her soccer matches and was known within his family circle for his consistent encouragement and involvement.
Family members have said his death has left a deep emotional impact, not only on his immediate family but also on extended relatives and those who knew him personally.
In the days following the Bellbowrie crash, a GoFundMe campaign was established on 6 December 2025 to support Natalie. The fundraiser is organised by Amanda Schneider, with Natalie’s mother, Brooke Siebuhr, listed as the beneficiary receiving funds on her behalf.
According to the campaign details, donations are intended to assist with Natalie’s ongoing needs, including school fees, clothing, emotional support resources and other essential expenses as she adjusts to life without her father.
The Bellbowrie crash has resulted in the loss of a local father and has prompted an outpouring of support from family and the wider community. While the circumstances of the crash remain limited to the information released, support efforts continue through the established fundraiser as Mr Krause’s family navigates the months ahead.
Residents in Mount Crosby and surrounding suburbs can now access income-tested disaster hardship assistance to help households recover from the hailstorms that swept through Brisbane in November 2025.
The assistance is available for uninsured residents who experienced property damage and disruptions to essential services following the severe weather event. Alongside Mount Crosby, the 15 suburbs included in the assistance program are Ashgrove, Bardon, Boondall, Ferny Grove, Gumdale, Keperra, Lota, Manly, Manly West, Ransome, The Gap, Wakerley, Wynnum, and Wynnum West.
The assistance package is designed to help cover recovery costs and support residents in returning their homes to safe and habitable conditions.
Three assistance measures are available to eligible residents:
Structural Assistance Grants – up to $80,000 for uninsured, income-tested owner-occupiers towards the repair or replacement of a disaster-damaged dwelling to return it to a safe and habitable condition.
Essential Household Contents Grants – income-tested assistance for uninsured residents, up to $1,765 for individuals and up to $5,300 for couples or families to replace destroyed essential household contents such as whitegoods.
Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme – income-tested grants up to $5,000 per household for uninsured homeowners needing to reconnect services like electricity, gas, water or sewerage.
Residents can apply for these grants to assist with rebuilding and replacing damaged property. Eligibility for the grants is income-tested, and applicants must be uninsured and able to demonstrate damage caused by the hailstorms.
Information about eligibility requirements, supporting documents, and how to apply is available through the Queensland disaster recovery website. Assistance is also available via the 24/7 Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349, where residents can speak with staff about available support options.
The support is aimed at helping households affected by the November storms access financial assistance for repairs, replacement of essential items, and reconnection of services. Residents in Mount Crosby and the other activated suburbs can now begin applying for grants to help restore their homes and essential services following the severe weather event.
Kenmore, Moggill, and Karana Downs Scouts and Girl Guides are set to enjoy upgraded facilities, thanks to a $1.7 million investment that will refresh and modernise local halls and camps.
Young members of Scouts and Girl Guides in Kenmore, Moggill, and Karana Downs are in for a big lift, with funding earmarked for the refurbishment of their local facilities. The investment, part of the Games On! grassroots infrastructure program will also support six Scout groups, three Girl Guides groups, and camps across Queensland, including Seeonee Park Scout Camp in Rockhampton.
Photo credit: Facebook/Karana Scout Group
The upgrades will modernise kitchens, refresh meeting spaces, and implement accessibility improvements to ensure every young person can take part in activities. At camps like Seeonee Park, new machinery and infrastructure enhancements will support outdoor programs, a central part of the Scouts’ and Guides’ experiential learning.
Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander said the funding would benefit current members while encouraging more young Queenslanders to join. “Scouts and Girl Guides have a wonderful presence within our communities, and the skills they learn are carried with them through life,” he said.
“By upgrading infrastructure and facilities, current local Scouts and Guides stand to benefit, and future generations will be inspired to join,” Mr Mander added. He also highlighted the role of these organisations in helping young people develop leadership, teamwork, and confidence. “The works will enable these terrific young Queenslanders to continue contributing to their communities as well as being more active,” he said.
Local volunteers describe the halls as more than just meeting spaces—they are community hubs where young people learn practical skills, develop friendships, and take part in outdoor adventures. Refurbished kitchens, updated meeting areas, and improved accessibility will help these centres remain vibrant and welcoming for years to come.
The funding follows a period of limited investment in community facilities and has been welcomed by families and leaders. Modern, safe, and accessible environments not only support current members but also attract new participants, helping to keep Scouts and Girl Guides a strong presence in the community.
Scouts and Guides also help build resilience and social skills, while encouraging active participation through community service and leadership opportunities. The upgrades will ensure these programs continue to thrive and remain relevant in the 21st century.
In Kenmore, Moggill, and Karana Downs, Scouts and Guides groups are already looking forward to the improvements. Volunteers expect the refreshed halls and enhanced camp facilities to strengthen local networks, provide a safer environment, and allow activities to continue without disruption.
For families, the funding represents a commitment to creating spaces where children and young people can learn, grow, and enjoy meaningful experiences with their peers. As work progresses, Scouts and Guides members, leaders, and families will watch eagerly, knowing that the halls and camps that have hosted generations of young Queenslanders will continue to be a cornerstone of community life.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has earned a Highly Commended award in the Major Tourist Attractions category at the 40th Queensland Tourism Awards. The accolade acknowledges the Fig Tree Pocket sanctuary’s ongoing importance in Brisbane’s tourism landscape.
The 40th Queensland Tourism Awards drew more than 900 industry representatives to celebrate outstanding tourism businesses across the state. According to the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, the awards process includes mentoring, capability‑building and detailed assessments for all entrants. From those, Lone Pine was named Highly Commended in the Major Tourist Attractions category.
In the same category, GC Aqua Park (Gold Coast) won Gold, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Gold Coast) won Silver, and SkyPoint (Gold Coast) won Bronze. The Major Tourist Attractions category was sponsored by Queensland Airports Limited.
About the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is located on 18 hectares in the Brisbane suburb of Fig Tree Pocket. It was founded in 1927, making it the oldest and largest koala sanctuary of its type in the world, and it houses approximately 80 species of Australian wildlife.
Photo credit: Facebook/Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
The sanctuary’s name comes from a large hoop pine that still stands at the ticket entrance. That tree was planted in 1867 by Daniel Clarkson, before the site became a wildlife sanctuary — at the time, it was a cotton farm. It is said that early visitors travelling by boat along the Brisbane River used the tree as a mooring point, which may be how the name “Lone Pine” was chosen.
Photo credit: Facebook/Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Lone Pine was opened by Claude Reid. Over the decades, it has grown into a centre for wildlife conservation and education. The sanctuary hosts a variety of native animals and maintains a focus on caring for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.
Because of its age, size, and dedication to native species, Lone Pine is recognised both locally and more broadly as a significant wildlife attraction.
Locals are banding together to help track down Luna, a rare British Cream Dachshund who slipped away from her home in Fig Tree Pocket during a violent hailstorm and has not been seen since.
Neighbours, volunteers, and specialised teams have joined the effort, turning the quiet riverside suburb into the centre of a determined community push to bring the dog home.
Community Rallies Behind Massive Search Effort
After Luna ran from Kiriwina Street in Fig Tree Pocket during the hailstorm on 27 October, her owner, Pru Gillett, took time off work and began an intensive hunt. She has spent thousands of dollars on search tools and support, and residents have boosted her efforts by walking tracks, checking yards, and sharing updates online.
Pru has explained in social media groups that Luna is timid and fast, which makes sightings difficult. Investigators now believe the dog may be hiding in scrub and creek corridors that run through the western suburbs.
Specialist Tools Deployed Across Western Suburbs
Advanced search technology has become a key part of the operation. Industrial Drone Services Australia has used high-end thermal drones capable of scanning bushland up to 3.5 kilometres from the search base. The equipment can distinguish small animals in thick vegetation by temperature, helping searchers narrow down possible movements.
A pet detective, described as a former police officer, is also assisting Pru and believes Luna is more likely hiding than stolen.
A GoFundMe campaign supporting these efforts has raised additional funds to keep aerial searches going, and volunteers continue to work through mornings and evenings when thermal imaging is most effective.
Hope Builds as Community Shares Sightings and Support
Pru continues to monitor online listings and checks regularly with the RSPCA and councils in case Luna has been found. Volunteers are also responding to reported sightings, including one along a Chapel Hill creekline, and the owner has offered a reward for Luna’s safe return to encourage more residents to keep watch.
Earlier cases, such as another dachshund found after more than a year in the wild, have encouraged the community to persist. For any pet owner, the goal is clear: they simply want their dog home and safe.
Corey Allen, a senior officer with the Queensland Police Service, has been nominated for the Neighbourhood Watch Australasia (NHWA) Police Officer of the Year award, in recognition of his service to local neighbourhood safety—including the Fig Tree Pocket area.
The annual NHWA award honours policing professionals whose efforts help make communities safer, more connected, and inclusive.
Allen extended his thanks for the nomination in a Facebook post: “Just want to say thank you for the nomination for the Neighbourhood Watch Police Officer of the Year Award — the real reward has been seeing the improvement in safety and comfort in the Fig Tree Pocket area resulting from the community looking out for each other. I sincerely appreciate your friendship and support.”
Professional Role and Community Service
Photo credit: Facebook/Corey Allen
Allen joined the Queensland Police Service in November 1986 and graduated second in his squad. Over many years he has held a variety of operational and leadership roles, including Officer in Charge of Brisbane City Station (Queensland’s largest station), Officer in Charge at Fortitude Valley and Indooroopilly, operations tactician for Brisbane West District, team leader in the Tactical Crime Squad, and team leader with the Public Safety Response Team.
He also lectured at the Queensland Police Academy and now manages Field Training at the Academy, overseeing the professional development of more than 500 first‑year constables and approximately 2,800 in‑service officers.
Allen’s approach to policing emphasises community engagement and supporting vulnerable persons. Among his initiatives: the City Police Vulnerable Persons Strategy; “Joined Up Street Team Patrols”, which pair police and youth workers in outreach to at‑risk young people; and Project Aegis, a police‑community partnership targeting pharmaceutical drug diversion and misuse. His career highlights include receipt of multiple National Crime and Violence Prevention Awards.
Photo credit: Facebook/Governor of Queensland
Outside formal policing duties, Allen and his wife Tracey have been foster parents to more than 25 young children in emergent situations, and they have three children of their own. He was a Queensland finalist in the Local Hero category of the Australian of the Year awards and was made a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Brisbane Mid City in recognition of his community service and leadership.
For residents of Fig Tree Pocket, Kenmore and neighbouring suburbs, Allen’s nomination serves as a reminder of the value of sustained collaboration between police and community. Allen himself underlines that the improvement in local safety has been the reward: he emphasises the importance of neighbours looking out for each other, and of police listening to community concerns rather than simply responding.
While final results of the NHWA Police Officer of the Year award are still pending, the nomination itself acknowledges the positive outcomes of his work in the community. For Allen, the nomination is not just a personal acknowledgement, but an affirmation of collective effort—of residents and police working together to build a safer, more connected local environment.
