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.
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.
John O’Brien and wife Helen Moroney with Michelle and Rob Hudson, Franchise Partners of the Year, 2022 | Photo Credit: Splash Magazine
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.
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
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 | 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).
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.
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
Photo credit: McLeod Country Golf Club/Facebook
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.
If you are over 50, make sure you don’t miss this event! In celebration of Queensland Seniors month, Centenary Volunteers in Policing will be presenting a fun and friendly connect fest: the Over-50s Expo.
The Over 50s Expo will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the 5th of October 2022 at Riverlife Baptist Church on Jennifer Street, Seventeen Mile Rocks. The event is held annually to celebrate Queensland’s seniors over morning tea, lunch and some refreshments along with some displays and guest speakers.
Photo Credit: Queensland Seniors Month / Facebook
Organised by Centenary Police Beat – QPS, this year’s event will have five speakers from Queensland Police Service and other organisations attending to provide participants with some practical advice on how Over 50s can protect themselves from crime and fraud as well as how you can make yourself ready to enjoy the rest of your retirement and senior years.
There will be more than 50 displays from government departments, community organisations and commercial providers at the site. But the event has limited spaces, so you need to hurry and register by 28 September 2022 to confirm your slot.
Don’t forget to bring your old pair of eyeglasses at the event so you could donate them to the Lions Club.
Photo Credit: Queensland Seniors Month / Facebook
To inquire or for more information, you may email centenarybeat@police.qld.gov.au or phone the Centenary North Police Beat on 3737 6811.
Amazons Family Fresh Markets at DFO Jindalee, the biggest fruit-and-vegetable market in the western suburbs, is bringing out the big guns, with the recent addition of two powerhouse talents to their team: the “Banana King of the West” and one of the best butchers in Brisbane.
After many years trading at the Mt Ommaney Fruit Market, Mel Habchi and his staff have now joined the team at Amazons Family Fresh Markets.
As the door closed on his lease at the Mount Ommaney Shopping Centre, a new door opened enabling Mel to continue sourcing and offering the freshest and best value fruit and veg in the Centenary area.
Mel has been called the “Banana King of the West.” Frankly, who can question his clout or buying prowess at the Brisbane fruit and veg markets when he’s able to offer fresh Cavendish bananas at $1.98 per kg when $4/kg is common at the major supermarkets (prices as of publishing date)?
Along with Mel, another local legend who has joined the team is Rodney Gaddes, a butcher with over 30 years’ experience.
“I have been a butcher for more than 31 years, I was born on the farm and this is something I really love doing,” Rodney said, adding that he is happy to be joining the Amazons Family Fresh Markets team.
Plans to upgrade Centenary Bridge are still a bit far from reality, after it has been announced that the three-year project is not expected to commence until 2023, instead of starting in 2022.
Based on the original projected timeline, the project is supposed to commence in 2022 and will be complete by late 2026, weather and construction conditions permitting.
However, Transport Minister Mark Bailey announced that there is an alternate bid being submitted for the project and that thorough due diligence is needed before construction could finally get underway.
The budget for the project has remained at $244 million ($132 million from the Queensland Government and $112 million from the Australian Government), however, planners are still closely monitoring global inflation of construction materials.
Whilst it’s an ‘unfortunate’ situation, Mr Bailey assured it’s not going to be a huge delay which means the upgrades will be built as soon as possible.
Benefits of upgrading the bridge includes improving safety to reduce the frequency and severity of crashes on the Centenary Bridge and increasing capacity to improve travel-time reliability and cater for current and future traffic needs.
Artist’s impression of Centenary bridge (Photo credit: www.tmr.qld.gov.au)
Works for Centenary Motorway’s upgrades include remediation of the existing bridges to create three southbound lanes and a new three-lane bridge travelling northbound.
Active transport facilities will also be upgraded for pedestrians and people who ride bikes, with improved connections to the Western Freeway Bikeway and local destinations, including retention of the Jindalee Skate Park.
“While the Centenary Bridge upgrade does not include dedicated transit lanes, capacity and traffic flow will be improved by providing 3 lanes in each direction over the Brisbane River. This will increase efficiency and travel time reliability for public transport including buses travelling on the Centenary Bridge,” TMR said.
At present, around 85,000 vehicles cross the Centenary Motorway a day. But Transport and Main Roads’ current traffic modelling shows that by 2036, around 152,000 vehicles per day will want to cross the bridge.
Visit Queensland Government’s website for further updates on the project.
Months after unveiling its $48-million Wacol Distribution Centre, construction and mining equipment manufacturing giant Komatsu is stepping up its statewide recruitment drive for apprentices.
Already at 1,200 strong, Komatsu is looking into expanding its workforce as it opened more apprenticeship positions last month. In early 2022, some 50 positions were filled for its Wacol distribution facility which opened in March.
Photo Credit: Komatsu / komatsu.com.au
The company is looking into filling thousands of apprentices and technicians positions over the next ten years as the company is set to make further investments in technological advancements in heavy equipment manufacturing, further boosting job creation in the Australian mining sector.
This August 2022, four upgraded Komatsu 930E haul trucks began their autonomous operations at South Flank iron ore mine in Western Australia. These trucks are part of a fleet of autonomous-ready haul trucks that are in the process of being upgraded and are expected to be completed in September next year.
“Komatsu’s autonomous technology helps drive job creation, with a focus on safety, diversity, upskilling and an innovative flexible workforce that meets the needs of people and communities with business goals,” Sean Taylor, CEO & Managing Director, Komatsu Australia said.
Late last year, the state government announced that the minerals and exploration sectors have recorded impressive growth in 2021 with a four-quarter average of jobs in exploration in Qld rising almost 70 per cent to more than 22,600.
Moreover, jobs in minerals mining and quarrying in Queensland also reached a record high with its four-quarter average rocketing to more than 24,100 or 28.4 per cent year-on-year.
Australian mineral exploration spending reached $1.90 billion or an increase of 38.8 per cent year-on-year in 2021, eclipsing the average global budget growth rate of 35 per cent, according to S&P Global data.
The Australian mining and energy sector is poised for another record-breaking growth this year amid the global energy crisis. Export earnings are projected to reach $425 billion this financial year or a lift of 33 per cent from 2020-21, according to the Australian Government’s Resources and Energy Quarterly Report March 2022.
The support will provide places for more than 240 additional pets, almost doubling the capacity of the program, which already cares for around 300 animals each year.
The Pets in Crisis Program is a partnership between RSPCA and DVConnect. It was established in 2005 to provide a safe house for the pets of individuals at serious risk of domestic violence.
Photo credit: RSPCA QLD/Facebook
RSPCA and DVConnect both welcome the additional funding as it will allow them to continue to offer pets a safe haven and provide their owners with reassurance their beloved companions will be well cared for during their time of need.
RSPCA QLD CEO Darren Maier said on average animals in the Pets in Crisis program will stay about a month with RSPCA staff or carers, which can equate to 4,000 care days annually, plus veterinary expenses.
Beck O’Connor, CEO of DV Connect, said their aim is to make sure victims of violence are supported across a range of services that enables them to safely leave their situation.
“No-one should have to choose between escaping abuse or leaving their pets behind in an unsafe home. The expansion of this program will help us support more Queenslanders to safety,” said Ms O’Connor.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women, and Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Shannon Fentiman, said the program was vital in protecting women and children.
Photo credit: RSPCA QLD/Facebook
“Pets are often used as part of coercive and controlling behaviour, with perpetrators threatening pets to control and intimidate their partner and children,” Minister Fentiman said.
Minister Fentiman added that providing safe and emergency accommodation for pets, gives victims greater comfort that they can leave the dangerous situation they are facing.
“It’s incredibly sad that not only are families inflicted with fear, intimidation and harm, but their pets are also subjected to violence,” Minister Fentiman said.
In 2021, Minister Fentiman visited the RSPCA animal care campus in Wacol and saw first-hand the quality of the program.
Photo credit: RSPCA QLD/Facebook
Minister Fentiman said victims can reach out to DVConnect which liaises with the RSPCA to find temporary accommodation for pets at either an RSPCA shelter or with trained foster carers.
Women who need to seek refuge but who are unable to find care for their pets can contact the DVConnect 24 hour crisis line on 1800 811 811.
DVConnect will work directly with RSPCA Qld to find temporary care for their pets at either an RSPCA Animal Care Centre across the State or with trained RSPCA foster carers.
