Work has begun on two bridge and pedestrian upgrades in Kenmore. The upgrades will be seen at Katunga and Akuna streets.
The upgrades have been a fund of $1.75 million that will help existing bridges bordering Cubberla Creek Reserve, Moggill Rd, the sports fields at the reserve and the Centenary Bikeway. Wider and stronger bridges along with bike-friendly handrails will be placed. There will also be new footpaths to connect the said bridges.
The Katunga Street bridge upgrade will see the stabilisation of the creek bank, the removal of the existing bridge structure, new bridge foundation, the installation of a concrete pedestrian and cycle bridge, modification of the existing guardrail and the reconstruction of the footpath and road sections to tie in with the new bridge.
Once this is done, the bridge will be three meters wide, following the standard width for a pedestrian and cycle bridge.
While the Akuna Street bridge upgrade will follow the same procedures, it will be 3.6 meters wide when it is finished due to its role in the existing bikeway network.
The Katunga Street Bridge is expected to be complete in mid-2017, whilst the Akuna Street Bridge completion will be completed towards the end of 2017.
On 5 August, be ready to celebrate an exciting festival at Kenmore South State School. The fete, aptly called “Celebrate,” will be held at the school grounds from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to celebrate the school’s 50th birthday.
Photo credit: Kenmore South State School Fete / Facebook
Of course, it will not be a festival without fun rides such as the Sizzler, Giant Chairs, Super Slide and Rock Wall. You can now get your ride pass on Munch Monitor, here’s how.
There will be stalls of great food as well. Stalls will have an eclectic line-up of delicious goodies such as sushi, Mexican, BBQ, and other International treats that you don’t want to miss.
Aside from food stalls, there will be other stalls selling second hand books, kids clothes, toys, plants and many more interesting tidbits that will make you want to walk around and explore.
Live musical entertainment featuring David Kidd and other artists will keep the excitement meter up.
What makes this FETE even more special is that there’s going to be a bar. Happy hour is actually happening over a two-hour stretch, from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Make sure that your schedule is free this Saturday because all roads in Kenmore lead to KSSS!
Kenmore residents are still fighting against the Azure townhouse development plan on Moggill Road and Wyndarra St., with the concerns centering on the number of townhouses and resultant overdevelopment in the area, along with the higher volume of traffic going on to Moggill Road.
State LNP MP for Moggill Christian Rowan and Councillor Kate Richards (Pullenvale) are of like mind that because of the Southeast Queensland Regional Plan, the Brisbane City Council’s role in approving development applications such as that of Azure has been somewhat diminished to that of being “administrator” of the SEQ regional plan, which calls for the approval of 223,000 homes in the next 30 years. They point to this planning policy as something that is pressuring Council to give approvals for high-density housing developments in suburbs. Also, since the objection period has been limited to just three weeks, dissenters have a limited time to voice their objections.
The South East Queensland Regional Plan
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Brisbane supports the largest proportion of SEQ’s population. The first statutory regional plan for SEQ took effect in 2005. As part of the the government’s ongoing commitment to planning in SEQ, a review was made along with a community conversations program. These resulted in a draft SEQ plan called ShapingSEQ that details a framework to manage the region’s growth during the next 25 years along with a vision for the next 50 years.
In the draft, a focus on infill is brought to light, which aims for higher density living. It aims to guarantee that people in urban areas will be given various housing options that have close access to transportation.
In a statement made as part of the Regional Planning Committee for the SEQ Regional Plan, a state planning department spokeswoman was quick to respond to the residents’ backlash saying that the Queensland Government isn’t forcing councils to increase their density. She said that councils still have the power to approve or disapprove development applications as they deem fit.
“Regional plans are strategic, high-level documents. It remains the responsibility of councils to determine where new development occurs through their planning schemes and neighbourhood plans,” she said.
Over-development?
Photo credit: Your Neighbourhood
Many believe though that quiet Kenmore is being “over-developed,” with the number of townhouses being built in the suburb, along with other establishments and structures. Aside from the looming prospect of the Azure development, the recent construction of the Churches of Christ Community Centre has been the subject of much discussion in the neighbourhood.
Given the objections to recent development approvals, and the discussion concerning what may have been the influence of the State planning policy on recent decisions, it seems that Council needs to assure residents that its role in assessing and approving developments remains undiminished and with a continuing view towards keeping the suburbs’ best interests in mind.
Kenmore residents don’t seem too happy with the current developments in their suburb as well as potential ones. The new Churches of Christ being built in the area has recently gotten negative feedback from the local community. On the other hand, the Azure townhouse development plan that was proposed along Moggill Road and Wyndarra St. is still gaining a lot of feedback whilst the community continues to campaign against it.
The collection of feedback from residents against the residential development has been completed. Based on the feedback gathered, residents are very much against this development because they believe that the suburb will not be able to cope with the increased density that the project will bring.
Another touchy issue is the concern that it will cause further traffic congestion on Moggill Rd., which is already one of the busiest roads in the western suburbs.
The Brisbane City Council has acted on the pleas of the residents and sent a request for further information to the developer, Azure. It states that the proposal was not supported in its current form, outlining flooding concerns and adherence to the multiple dwelling code, stormwater code and filling and excavation code. This also includes traffic issues, waste collection, and many more.
Azure, eager to build in the area, submitted an updated proposal reiterating that they are adhering to the council’s requirements. You can view the plans here.
Kenmore Living Inc, is a local community organisation that has been actively campaigning against the proposed development plan. They have also submitted their former objection to the council. You can view their full objection here.
The local group also campaigns at various locations in the suburb to gain support and to spread awareness as to why such development cannot be given the go-signal.
The new Churches of ChristHeadquarters in Kenmore just can’t really catch a break. Residents around the area seem appalled at how it’s shaping up. Apparently, they didn’t expect the building to be “so modern” and many consider it to look out of place in the suburb. There are other issues as well that have been raising eyebrows among the locals.
Last year, residents were complaining about how the whole construction process of this development seemed so disorganised. In fact, it was described as literally a “messy work-in-progress.” The development had brought in roadwork and footpath closures that adversely affected traffic around the area.
Now, as the Churches of Christ community centre slowly begins to take shape towards the end of its stage two completion, residents are shocked at how big it is turning out to be. The centre will house a 350-seat auditorium, a 75-seater cafe, and over 240 car spaces. Many say that its modern aesthetic makes it unseemly in a suburb that for the most part is not so modern.
According to one resident, at night, the centre is so well-lit that it’s hard to miss. The loss of trees to pave way for the development has also increased road noise by reducing sound cover. She also said that they didn’t understand how it would look like when it was proposed, hence their surprise now.
The nearby roundabout is also a cause for worry as it is anticipated that more vehicles will use this once the centre is finished, which can take longer travel time to get through it at school leaving time.
The acting chief executive of Churches of Christ David Swain said that their design and construction adhere to the development approval and the topography of the site. Mr Swain said that they are about to begin landscaping soon which will add more greenery to the area. To address the traffic issues, he said that there will be a new turning lane into the campus and the driveway to improve the flow of traffic.
The death of Allison Baden-Clay has shone more light on domestic violence and has helped to empower thousands of people to help fight it. More like a wake-up call that domestic violence is very rampant nowadays, a foundation was built in honour of Mrs Clay.
Be a Ball of Sunshine
Photo credit: Strive to Be Kind / Facebook
On 28 July, the Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is taking part to help the foundation. The shopping centre will celebrate Strive to Be Kind Day of the Allison Baden-Clay Foundation and they are encouraging everyone to wear bright yellow. The stores will also “turn yellow” for that day. Everybody is encouraged to make a donation to help rebuild the lives of victims of crime.
Allison’s Story
Photo credit: Allison Baden-Clay Foundation
Allison was close to perfect — she was smart and beautiful. She was Miss Brisbane in 1993. She caught the eye of Gerard Baden-Clay, the great grandson of Scouts founder Lord Baden-Powell. Smitten by him, they got married and had three kids. Everything looked perfect until her death, where the secrets started unraveling. It turned out that her seemingly perfect life was just a facade.
Apparently, her husband was violent and abusive. Allison tried so hard to fix her marriage but failed. On 20 April 2012, Allison went missing and the police came to their home in Brookfield. Gerard spoke to the police with scratches on his cheeks, which he said to be shaving cuts. The search for Allison continued and it was one of the biggest missing person searches Brisbane had.
During the search, the support was overflowing. The community was helping. Ten days later, Allison’s body was found under the Kholo Creek Bridge at Anstead. And everything just came crashing down. Gerard was charged and his affairs and a million-dollar insurance benefit were unearthed. In July 2014, Gerard was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his wife.
The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation
Photo credit: The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation / Facebook
The foundation hopes that this story will help reach others who need help. Most of the domestic violence victims remain quiet, terrified of their abuser. This foundation aims to put a stop to that.
Strive to Be Kind Day started in 2012. This day makes the whole community come together and show a little more kindness. The concept has gained enormous support from businesses and shopping centers including Kenmore Village. Schools also show support as well as the Ipswich City Council.
The funds that they will raise through this event will help them fund their programs that educate and empower people in people, schools, community, and workplaces about respectful relationships, how to recognise and deal with unhealthy relationships and understanding domestic violence in all its forms.
Brighten up someone’s day on the 28th of July. It will go a long way.
This is a major step for the supermarket chain, which currently gives out over 3.2 billion plastic bags a year.
Woolworths Group will be phasing out single-use plastic shopping bags at all its stores in the country in the next 12 months. Kenmore and other Queensland Woolworths stores will start the ban next year.
This means that plastic bags will be phased out at Woolworths stores in NSW, Victoria and WA. Woolworths is already implementing the ban at stores in South Australia, Tasmania and ACT, which have laws banning plastic bags statewide.
The state government of Queensland has legislated a ban on plastic bags and this will take effect on 1 July 2018. NSW, Victoria and WA are yet to legislate a similar ban.
The ban will cover all Woolworths supermarkets, Big W and BWS. The plastic bag ban is already in place for Cellarmasters and Dan Murphy’s.
Customers can either bring their own bag or pay 15 cents for a reusable bag.
Woolworths Kenmore, along with other Queensland Woolworths stores will enforce the ban starting July 2018 (Photo credit: Google Streetview)
In a statement, the supermarket giant’s CEO Brad Banducci expressed the company’s commitment to listing to its customers and doing the right thing for the environment. “We feel this is an issue we need to take a stand on,” Mr Banducci said.
“We currently give out more than 3.2 billion lightweight plastic bags a year and hence can play a significant role in reducing overall plastic bag usage.
“Whilst we know this is a major decision, we will work very closely with all of our store teams to ensure the transition for our customers is as simple as possible.”
Queensland Government Welcomes Move
The Queensland government has welcomed the move by the supermarket chain and praised the company for showing national leadership.
Environment Minister Steven Miles described the move as a major step forward in the war against waste.
“As the biggest retailer in the sector, this shows they are listening to customers and demonstrates that they take their environmental and community responsibilities seriously,” Mr Miles said.
The minister believes that this is the perfect time for consumers to start thinking about how they can change their behaviour and lessen reliance on plastic bags.
“We need Queenslanders to get ready for the ban, which comes into effect from 1 July 2018.
“We will continue education and awareness in lead up to 1 July 2018 including in partnership with the National Retail Association who are running workshops for retailers.”
A tranquil suburb located between the Centenary Motorway and Brisbane River, Fig Tree Pocket represents a leafy, quiet beauty with its tree-lined streets. Who would have thought that a place like this is just 12km away from the CBD?
The suburb’s name is taken from the Moreton Bay fig tree and just recently, a Facebook user, Stephen Sheffield shared an old photo of the huge fig tree that influenced the name of the suburb, which he shared on Old Brisbane Album’s Facebook page.
Along with the photo comes a letter from A.V. Herbert at the Department of Lands and Works to the Surveyor General and it states:
“Sir, I have been desired to request you to be good enough to reserve the land situated about halfway between Oxley Creek and the Seventeen Mile Rocks on the left bank of the Brisbane River and upon which a remarkable fig tree stands of which a photograph is closed – it is assumed that there will be no difficulty in recognising the spot…”
According to history, the huge tree can shelter 400 people.
Sadly, this is the only memory of the enormous fig tree as today, the tree is no longer there. There are many reasons that could have caused its disappearance such as fires, land clearing, and floods.
The Moreton Bay fig tree, or the Ficus macrophylla can reach heights of 600m. Currently, these trees can still be seen around the suburb specifically at the Fig Tree Pocket Equestrian Grounds. Currently, the tallest Moreton Bay fig is located on the Nuhimbah Valley of Queensland.
Pullenvale Hall is the residents’ go-to place for events that involve the local community and even their personal celebrations and get-togethers. The Hall, considered an institution in the area, has been the centre of the community for almost 80 years.
The Hall is run by the Pullenvale Progress Association. They rely on fundraising events and donations to maintain the hall. The funds are acquired through various events. Since the hall is open for community use, it gets bookings for weddings, private functions, yoga and dance classes, pop-up restaurants, and other events.
The Hall used to be an old pineapple packing shed which was purchased from local resident Jack Woodward in 1943. In October 1860, a couple named John and Mary Ogle arrived in Brisbane and purchased the land where the Hall now stands.
Little is known about the Hall’s history aside from that it used to house plenty of pineapples back in the day. Today, the hall is bursting with so much life as it welcomes the community in what has been several generations of events.
To sustain the Hall, the association that handles it has a regular program of social events that has provided a regular stream of bookings for years.
Old Time/New Vogue Dance (every third Sunday of the month)
Friday Night Off movie nights
Melbourne Cup event
Back to Pullenvale Day
Market Day
Business Expo
Screening of major sporting events
Photo credit: Pullenvale Hall / Facebook
The weekly programs vary. These activities cater to both adults and children and usually involve physical activity such as dance classes and yoga.
The Pullenvale Hall brings the community together. You don’t want to miss the awesome Friday movie nights here at this beautiful suburb that will make you feel right at home. For updates on their events, you can check out their official Facebook page as well as their website.
Get ready for the annual country fair, an event organised by the Brookfield Produce & Pet Pavilion and Brookfield Vet, to be held this year on the 16th of July at the store.
From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., enjoy family-friendly activities and events. There will be a range of activities that must not be missed, such as Surgery Tours of Brookfield Vet, Dog Beauty Competitions & Best Dressed Pet, pony rides, and petting zoos. There are also going to be a showcase of exotic birds and displays of fancy chicken breeds that you can interact with.
Photo credit: Brookfield Produce & Pet Pavilion / Facebook
There will be loads of family activities such as face painting, a watermelon eating contest, egg & spoon races, ball games and kids crafts to keep the young ones busy.
Down the Yellow Brick Road
Photo credit: Weekend Notes
This year’s event theme is The Wizard of Oz. Everyone is encouraged to come as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, or the Tin Woodsman! Or maybe even come as Glinda or the wizard himself. Make sure to have your pets in costume too. Awesome prizes await the most awesome costumes.
A few animals specialists will also be on site to talk about animal welfare and nutrition.
Always for a Cause
A BBQ cookout will be held by New Beginnings and Precious Paws to raise funds for animal welfare. All profits will go towards the organisation’s causes. A Toffee Apple Sale and a Bake Sale will be hosted by the Brookfield Produce & Pet Pavilion, for the benefit of Precious Paws.
The Wizard
Photo credit: Brookfield Produce & Pet Pavilion / Facebook
The Brookfield Produce & Pet Pavilion was established in 1975. They started off as a local produce store and soon expanded to animal welfare and nutrition through selling animal products. Today, they also provide expert advice on animal care, supplies, and even plumbing and irrigation services for pet needs.
The store has become the go-to place for animal owners in the suburb and nearby suburbs.
