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Winning Group Set To Move Into New Wacol DC

Still Video credit: YouTube / Vaughan Constructions

National appliance retailer Winning Group is set to move into its new 45,750 square metres purpose-built distribution centre in Wacol. The DC will be the largest facility in Winning Group’s history which will include 700sqm of office space and 35,500sqm of hardstand.

The new facility is Winning Group’s third Brisbane site in five years with other distribution centres being considered on the Sunshine Coast and Cairns. Included in the development are a drive-around cross-dock, 28 recessed loading docks, 35-meter hardstands, 15-metre counter-levered awnings and 264 car parking spaces.

Sydney-based Winning Group is a multi-award winning fourth generation Australian family-owned business whose entities include Winning Appliances, Home Clearance, pureplay retailer Appliances Online and national distribution and logistics and installation business Winning Services.

The DC will serve as the base for the Group’s logistic business, Winning Service and will service Appliances Online, Winning Appliances, Rogerseller and Home Clearance and third-party logistics partners including, King Living, iFit and Sub-Zero & Wolf.

The new distribution centre is the first commitment at LOGOS’ 18.2ha Wacol Logistic Hub. The 74,387sqm site was acquired in April 2021 from Fletcher Building via an off-market deal. LOGOS has partnered with Vaughan Constructions to deliver the project.

”Having successfully completed projects together in New South Wales and Western Australia, this Queensland project, our first for the Sunshine State, will again rely on our strong partnership with LOGOS providing us with the capacity to deliver on client requirements, on budget, and on or ahead of time,’’ Vaughan Construction’s Senior Development Manager in Brisbane, Richard Lloyd

The two-stage project will also include a second 12,868sqm speculative warehouse which would be built to a very different set of parameters, ensuring that it’s readily adapted to meet changing market requirements.

”Vaughans continue to see a high degree of confidence in the `spec build’ market at a time when demand for flexible warehousing facilities from both tenants and investors is at a premium nationwide and particularly in Queensland,’’ Mr Lloyd said.

The new Wacol DC is one of several projects that the Vaughan and LOGOS Property partnership has completed or is underway including the circa 30,000sqm of industrial tenancies at the Villawood Logistics Estate in New South Wales; a Volvo Truck dealership and a 40,000sqm industrial facility for The Gateway Group, both at Prestons, NSW; the Woolworths Heathwood project and a 22,000sqm logistics facility at Hazelmere in WA.

Wacol-based Business Recognised At 2022 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show

Wacol-based meat and food processing company JBS Australia has been awarded Gold Medal at the 2022 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show awards for their Portoro.

Read: Sinnamon Park Local Embarked on a Life-changing Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

Portoro is a natural grain-fed farm-assured beef with a Marble Score 4+. Fresh from its launch in Australia earlier this year, Portoro sources their cattle from Yambinya Station in the Riverina region, NSW.

JBS’ Portoro won the award at the Branded Meat competition, which is one of the seven competitions for the awards.

Andrews Meat Industries, an affiliate of JBS, is the official distributor of the Portoro brand in Australia.

“Sydney Royal Show Gold Medal winner Portoro Beef sets the bar high for what it means to be a quality beef producer in Australia. With a luxurious, exceptional eating quality and an MB4+ marbling score – Portoro redefines what quality beef means in Australia,” JBS said.

Beef with a Marble Score of over 4 is known for its soft texture and mouthwatering taste. It’s also far more tender than the regular ones found in grocery stores.

Another Brisbane-based business, Pine River Pantry, has also been recognised at the said awards, for their Bread & Butter Pickles at the Specialty Foods competition.

Pine River Pantry’s Bread & Butter Pickles is known for its perfect balance of sweet and sour, making it a perfect accompaniment to barbecue dishes, salads, or toasties.

About the 2022 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show awards

The Sydney Royal Fine Food Show of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW celebrates heritage, quality, provenance and innovation.

It has seven different competitions: Branded Meat, Oil and Olives, Pasta, Specialty Foods, Professional Bakery, Smallgoods and charcuterie, and Aquaculture.

Besides the pride and prestige, a Sydney Royal win provides a springboard to increase returns. All winners receive Sydney Royal medal or trophy artwork designed to be used across a wide range of marketing collateral.

Read: Two Local Legends Join the Amazons Family Fresh Markets Team in Jindalee

For a list of all winners at the 2022 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, visit https://www.rasnsw.com.au/.

Centenary Little Athletics Centre Scores Brand-New Equipment through Banana A-Peel

Photo Credit: Supplied

Sporty kids at the Centenary Little Athletics Centre will soon get to enjoy brand-new equipment, thanks to the support of the inaugural Banana A-Peel initiative launched early in the year.

The fundraiser, spearheaded for the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund, directed 10 cents of every kilogram of Cavendish bananas sold in Coles supermarkets with the support of banana growers and customers.

Centenary Little Athletics Centre Manager Bobby-Rae Cole said that the cash boost from the initiative is a big help in its rebuilding and recovery efforts from the recent floods in Brisbane.

“Over the past four years our club has undertaken an equipment renewal and expansion process, starting with an equipment shed upgrade in 2019, followed by the purchase of much-needed equipment and upgrades to our facilities and grounds,” Ms Cole said.

“Unfortunately, the location of our centre means we’re susceptible to flood damage. This occurred during the 2011 floods, which saw 90% of our equipment destroyed and more recently in February 2022, when our infrastructure was once again under water to the height of two metres.”

“This time, due to the efforts our volunteers and community, the equipment loss was minimized, but we still have some damaged equipment to replace. This funding from Coles will enable us to replace our Tiny Tots equipment to support kids aged 3 to 4 years old.”

Centenary Little Athletics Centre Banana A-Peel — Photo Credit: Supplied

Coles State General Manager Jerry Farrell said that over $250,000 in sports equipment grants were distributed to 73 Little Athletics centres across Australia in the latest round of grants from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.

“Coles has been a proud supporter of Little Athletics for over five years, and we’re delighted to provide nearly $50,000 in sports equipment grants to Queensland’s Little Athletics centres to help them gear up for this season,” Mr Farrell said.

“We’re particularly delighted to help centres that were affected by the floods earlier this year so that they can replace some of their equipment. We know very well the devastating impact these floods have had on local clubs and communities, and we hope these grants will help them to recover.”

In addition to the distribution of sports equipment grants, Coles will continue to support Little Athletics centres across Queensland with banana donations from local supermarkets throughout the season.

Sinnamon Park Local Embarked on a Life-changing Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral | Photo Credit: Alonso de Mendoza, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Just two months into retirement, Sinnamon Park local and Indooroopilly Probus Club member Gregory Stegman embarked on a 35-day trek from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. His life has never been the same since.

Greg Stegman has been managing an Australian-wide real estate investment company for two decades, working 80 hours a week. In 2014, however, he decided that it was time to retire and leave the corporate world. Two months after retiring, at the age of 64, Greg set off on a 750-km walk from France to Santiago de Compostela that would change his life forever.

“In September 2014, I officially retired from my business and within weeks I arrived in Saint-Jean-Pied-De-Port in France which was the start of the Camino Frances,” he recalled.

The Camino Frances or “French Way” is one of the most popular routes of the Camino de Santiago, or “The Way of St James” – a network of pilgrims leading to the apostle Saint James the Great shrine in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain. The Camino has been walked by thousands of Saints, Sinners, Pilgrims, Kings and Queens as well as people grieving and those seeking redemption.

At 64, Greg Stegman suffered his first mini-stroke and changed his lifestyle to prevent these strokes from further taking a toll on his health. “The Camino has called me, however,” he said, “it’s a 750-kilometre trek that was known to take at least 35 days.”

“Leaving the quaint French village of SJDP, one is challenged by a 25km hike across the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. Stories abound of Pilgrims becoming lost due to the ever presence of dense fog or falling on the muddy pathways.

“Somehow, I made it through the first day but carrying an 8kg backpack was a task I hadn’t experienced before. Blistered feet and severe chafing were the effects of constant rain that day.”

Greg managed to walk around 25 kilometres each day and with each passing day he felt that he became stronger. His mind, he said, also adjusted to the simplified lifestyle.

“However, it’s the revision of one’s past life that occupies the mind when walking alone. Former conversations and memories of loved ones and family are constant flashbacks. Maybe it’s the rhythmic sound of walking poles hitting the ground with each step, like a drummer on a Viking longboat keeping the roarers together with their oars.”

On the tenth day, he could already barely walk as the shin splint finally took its toll. Luckily, a Spanish Pilgrim, who turned out to be a doctor, approached him and offered help. Through this man, he also learned about the different stages of the Camino – letting go, forgiveness, the inner journey of spiritual awareness and the enlightened stage. And he has just completed the first stage.

“I fully recovered and completed my journey to Santiago. This walk changed my life to such a degree that I have now walked the Caminos of France, and Portugal, the Jesus Trail in Israel and Buddhist trails in Japan.

Greg is an Indooroopilly Probus Club member and he said that joining the club has given him a “new dimension in life, meeting like-minded people as everyone has a story to tell about their own life’s journey.”

Formed in 2014, the Probus Club of Indooroopilly has more than 90 members who meet on the first Tuesday of every month. The Club provides opportunities for members to meet fellow retirees on a regular basis, fostering friendships and a healthy mind and body through social interaction and activities.

Must-Not-Miss for the Kids: Spooky Scavengers Hunt for Halloween at Mt Ommaney Centre

Photo Credit: Haley Phelps/Unsplash

Looking for a ghostly fun experience for the kids during the spookiest time of the year? Mt Ommaney Centre has a thrilling activity coming up for little ghosts and witches via the three-day Spooky Scavengers Hunt this Halloween!

From 27 to 29 October 2022, Mt Ommaney Centre will hold guided tours for kids 12 years old and below who will enjoy looking for a trail of Halloween surprises outside Target. The children are expected to come in their scariest and most entertaining costumes as they check out what treats the retailers have prepared behind their doors.

The tours are scheduled every 30 minutes at the following times:

DAY	TIME
Thursday 27 October 2022	5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday 28 October 2022	10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. *Highly recommended for children under 5 years old
Saturday 29 October 2022	10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Spooky Scavengers hunters are asked to come 10 minutes prior to their chosen schedule to collect their Halloween bucket, clue sheet and participant’s wristband. When they find all the clues at the end of the tour, they will receive a goody bag.

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A post shared by Mt Ommaney Centre (@mtommaney)

Aside from Spooky Scavengers, Mt Ommaney Centre will also have a FREE Freaky Face Painting session outside Target at these schedules:

DAY	TIME
Thursday, 27 October 2022	4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, 29 October 2022	9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Kids and their families must come earlier if they want to avail of the face painting before the hunt.

For other upcoming events, follow Mt Ommaney Centre on Instagram.

Centenary SHS Girl Representing Australia in Figure Skating Around the World

Photo Credit: ISU Junior Grand Prix/YouTube

It’s a rare sport that Australia doesn’t excel at on the world stage and the nation’s history in Figure Skating has not been stellar. However, since 1952, Australia has had competitors in every Winter Olympics Figure Skating competition apart from four, and 14 out of 18 isn’t bad for the sunburnt country, with Anthony Liu finishing 10th in 2002 and Joanne Carter’s 12th in 1998 being the highlights.

Now, there is a young lady from Centenary State High School tilting at windmills and just like Joanne Carter, she’s competing overseas at a very young age to test herself against the best.

Sienna Kaczmarczyk is 14 years old and currently competing across Europe as the sole Australian representative in some of the biggest junior competitions in the world.

Sienna trains at the prodigious Boondall Figure Skating Club, alongside many other Junior and Adult state champions and national representatives.

Her latest competition was the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Gdansk, Poland.

Her skate in Gdansk was by no means her best but undoubtedly gave her an incredible experience that will help build her international reputation…from Jindalee.

A few weeks earlier, she finished 3rd in Singapore at the SEA Open Trophy.

Jindalee’s Poolwerx Celebrates 30 Years With Firm Plans for Global Expansion

Photo Credit: Poolwerx/Facebook

Going into business may be risky but potentially rewarding, as Poolwerx founder John O’Brien has learned in 30 years. After establishing a small pool maintenance company in Jindalee in 1992, his company has been making a splash and setting sights on a global expansion.

In the last year, Poolwerx grew its revenue by over $150 million from its operations across Australia and New Zealand. Mr O’Brien said that many homeowners have been “rediscovering” their backyards due to the pandemic as pool construction requirements grew by 30 per cent.

According to the entrepreneur, Australian families are cocooning and focusing on spending time in their backyards. He believes that this renewed culture will remain even as lockdown restrictions are no longer in place.

However, Poolwerx has been tracking success prior to the lockdowns after expanding its franchise opportunities in the U.S. In July 2022, Mr O’Brien announced its partnership with Norwest, its newest global business partner.

Currently, Poolwerx has 160 outlets and 600 mobile vans across Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. Plans are underway to open more franchises, including in Europe.

Poolwerx franchisees range from first-timers who want a shift from their office jobs to more savvy entrepreneurs who could handle multiple outlets.

The company’s annual convention in August honoured the franchise partners that have contributed to its success as the largest franchise pool servicing brand in the world. The celebration was held in Port Douglas after two years of pandemic lockdowns.

Poolwerx 30th Anniversary Franchise Honourees

Franchise Partners of the Year, 2022 – Michelle and Rob Hudson, Albury and Wodonga, NSW
Retail Store of the Year – Ringwood, VIC
New Retail Store of the Year – Bendigo, VIC
Retail Salesperson of the Year – Simon Martin, Jimboomba, QLD
New Retail Salesperson of the Year – Nicky Seaton, Noosa, QLD
Pool & Spa Technician of the Year – Cory Thomson, Spearwood WA
New Pool & Spa Technician of the Year – Anthony Otto, Happy Valley, SA
Brand Excellence – Upper North Shore, NSW
Technical Excellence – Kalamunda, WA
Innovation & Entrepreneurial Excellence – Castle Hill, NSW
Rising Star – Auckland South, NZ
Most Improved – Wagga Wagga, NSW
B2B Excellence – Albury, VIC
Employer of the Year – Albany Creek, QLD
Top Mobile Sales (Single Territory) – Coffs Harbour, NSW
Top Cross Counter Sales – Dubbo, NSW
Top B2B Sales – Mt Gravatt, QLD
Top National Sales – Indooroopilly, QLD
Woman of the Year – Michaella Dunker, Jimboomba, QLD
Outstanding Team Contribution – Indooroopilly, QLD
PSC Team Member of the Year – Lesley Berry
BDM of the Year, Calan McIntosh, BNE North and Central QLD
Hall of Fame – Karen & Kevin Scott, Manduarah WA, Janelle & Chris Harzenberg, Beverly Hills, NSW and Andrew Kidd, CEO USA
FP of the Year BNE South, FNQ, Northern NSW – Jimboomba
FP of the Year BNE North, Central QLD – Indooroopilly
FP of the Year NSW & ACT – Upper North Shore
FP of the Year South Australia – Happy Valley
FP of the Year VIC & TAS – Albury
FP of the Year WA – Kalamunda
FP of the Year NZ – Bay of Plenty

In-Season Fruits and Vegetables in Brisbane: Starring Mushrooms

We all know that we are blessed with a massive range of locally grown fruits and vegetables in Queensland, hence these are available in abundance during their season.

So, what’s in season over Spring?

Well, if you love mushrooms, here’s where you can find the freshest, highest-quality mushrooms in Brisbane!

Free Native Plants for Newly Built Homes in Sinnamon Park, Other Suburbs

Wonga wonga vine | Photo Credit: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

How would you like to receive four, free native plants to jumpstart your garden? If you’ve just purchased a newly-built home or recently moved into an owner-built home in Sinnamon Park, you may be eligible for just that.

Property-owners listed in several targeted suburbs such as Sinnamon Park may be eligible to receive the green gifts from Brisbane City Council, if they happen to own a newly-built home within the past 12 months.

Interest is high and not all species are available at every nursery, so interested residents are urged to email the Free Native Plants team right away, to put in a request for their vouchers. Some plants are subject to seasonal availability.

Thyme Honey-myrtle flower | Photo Credit: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>/Wikimedia Commons

List of Suburbs

North	South	East	West
Bracken Ridge	Calamvale	Bulimba	Bellbowrie
Bridgeman Downs	Doolandella	Carindale	Chapel Hill
Carseldine	Durack	Hemmant	Ferny Grove
Everton Park	Eight Mile Plains	Mackenzie	Fig Tree Pocket
Fitzgibbon	Ellen Grove	Manly West	Karana Downs
Hendra	Heathwood	Rochedale	Kenmore
McDowall	Kuraby	Tingalpa	Mitchelton
Nudgee	Oxley	Wakerley	Moggill
Taigum	Pallara	Wynnum	Upper Kedron
	Runcorn	Wynnum West
	Sinnamon Park
	Sunnybank Hills

LIST OF PLANTS

To claim your free plants from any of the participating nurseries, you just need to present your Free Native Plants voucher which you can collect at any Council Regional Business Centre, library or ward office by showing your paid rates notice from the current financial year.

Tea tree - Leptospermum sp — Tea tree – Leptospermum sp | Tatiana Gerus from Brisbane, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

List of participating nurseries:

Region	Nursery	Address	Contact number
North	City Farm Nursery (open Tuesday-Sunday)	Northey Street City Farm, 16 Victoria Street, Windsor	07 3857 8774
South	Oxley Nursery	174 Dowding Street, Oxley	07 3375 5390
East	B4C Sustainability Centre (open Monday-Friday)	Corner of Wright Street and 1358 Old Cleveland Road, Carindale (access via 21 Wright Street)	07 3398 8003
East	Daly’s Native Plants (open Monday-Saturday)	57 Weedon Street West, Mansfield	07 3349 0807
West	Paten Park Native Nursery (open Tuesday-Sunday)	57 Paten Road, The Gap	07 3300 6304

Other residents and entities including residential ratepayers, residential tenants, residential body corporates, schools, registered community groups, clubs on Council-leased land, and official citizenship ceremonies may also request free native plants.

For residential ratepayers, residential tenants, public housing and Defence Housing residents, two free native plants may be claimed each financial year (July to June).

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

‘Music Over The Green’ Is Happening At McLeod Country Golf Club

McLeod Country Golf Club is bringing Music Over The Green to Middle Park, with live music from Matthew Barnes and a delicious assortment of goodies from food trucks and the resident bar and bistro at the clubhouse.

Read: Late Real Estate Businessman’s Family Opens New Italian Restaurant at Metro Middle Park in His Honour

Happening on Sunday, 9 October 2022, the golf club’s Music Over The Green will take place from 2:00- p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Photo credit: McLeod Country Golf Club/Facebook

Music Over The Green is one of the monthly events of the country club, aside from their food trucks fest. This event is open to all ages. Besides their superb greens and fairways, the golf course is supported by an outstanding clubhouse with a fully licensed bar and bistro.

To register your interest and learn more about Music Over the Green, visit the club’s Events Page.

About McLeod Country Golf Club

Located at the base of Mt Ommaney only 15 km southwest from the centre of Brisbane (a 20-minute short drive from the city centre), the country club is an 18-hole golf course established in 1968.

The club’s facilities include a Par 71 (men), Par 74 (women), 18 hole Championship golf course, together with a range of practice facilities including, driving range, chip and bunker facilities and putting green.

The club remained an all-women’s club until late 2019, when the constitution was changed to allow men to become full members for the first time.

Read: Middle Park Shoppers in the Top Five of Most Active Fundraisers for MND Research

Members at the club enjoy competitions and events all year round, free social games, and their immaculately presented championship golf course.

They also have motorised carts, pull carts and clubs available for hire.