Some families in Queensland unfortunately won’t have a happy holiday as they deal with food insecurity. To curb this problem and help families facing a challenging time this Christmas, the Queensland Police Service (QPS), through Commissioner Katarina Carroll, has launched a Foodbank drive, with Sherwood Police Station registered as one of its drop off points.
Until Friday, the 6th of Dec 2019, the Sherwood Police Station will be accepting public donations for the Foodbank drive. Interested donors can bring non-perishable items, as well as other essentials, to the station at 424 Oxley Road in Sherwood between Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“This year, our state has been heavily affected by weather disasters such as droughts, fires and floods,” the commissioner said. Our farming families are still recovering from these events.”
“Police stations across the state have registered as a drop off point for the 2019 QPS Food Drive and with the assistance of members of the public, we hope to raise eight tonnes of food and spread Christmas cheer to our neighbours who are doing it tough.”
It’s been three years since Commissioner Carroll entered into a partnership with Foodbank, a non-denominational, non-profit organisation that serves as a pantry for local charities and soup kitchens. By doing this drive, the QPS hopes to ease the burden for some families so that they would be able to enjoy Christmas.
Any number of donations of the items listed above will do. Even a couple of cans of soup will surely make a difference to these families.
When word got around that Cinnabon is planning to open a store in Mount Ommaney, MP Jess Pugh extended a challenge to the American bakery chain to aim for its annual business award under the franchise category in 2020.
Ms Pugh welcomed the news of Cinnabon coming to Mount Ommaney. She believes that the brand will be a great addition to competitive awards.
“I’m pretty sure it’s because they want to win the Franchise award next year,” she said in jest on Facebook. “May the best franchise win!!”
Bansal Group plans to open an initial four Cinnabon stores in Brisbane in the next few months as it advertised job opening for store managers. The company confirmed that it will be opening its very first location around Christmas time whilst the second shop will be operational by January 2020.
“Our first two locations will be in Nundah and Mt Gravatt. Get ready for the goodness,” a post on Cinnabon Australia Facebook‘s page stated.
Bansal Group has yet to reveal the exact locations of its first Cinnabon stores.
However, the Nundah outlet is reportedly going to be at the Toombul Shopping Centre, whilst the Mt Gravatt spot is speculated at either Westfield Garden City or Mt Gravatt Plaza Shopping Centre.
The other two locations are said to be planned at Westfield Chermside and Mount Ommaney Centre.
The Cinnabon outlets will be taking over vacant kiosks at the shopping centres. A rendering of the first store was posted on its Facebook page.
Photo Credit: Cinnabon Australia/Facebook
Bansal Group has projected to open 50 Cinnabon stores around Australia in the next five years. The U.S. bakery, dubbed the “world’s greatest cinnamon roll,” has over 1,500 outlets globally in its nearly 35 years of operation.
Sinnamon Park’s highly acclaimed gymnast, Grace Gullo, was crowned overall champion in the recently concluded National Clubs Carnival held last September 2019.
With more than 4,500 competitors who signed up at Gymnastics Australia’s 2019 National Clubs Carnival, it is without a doubt a huge achievement and success for young gymnast Grace Gullo to claim different championship titles for Level 9 Under 13 division.
Photo credit: Gymnastics Australia/ Facebook
The National Clubs Carnival is an annual 18-day festival that brings together the best gymnasts from across Australia to participate in various workshops and 7 gymsports competitions. This year’s festival took place at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre from September 11th until the 29th 2019.
Grace Gullo won her first national titles at the Australian Gymnastics Nationals Championships last year. And now, this twelve year old gymnastics star is determined to succeed again at this year’s national competition by working extra hard in all her trainings with her coaches at Splitz Gym.
According to Gullo, she had to learn and use new skills — all of which she executed powerfully — for the competition. She garnered a score of 53.665 in All Around and 14.733 for her Vault performances.
At the end of Day 7 of the 2019 National Clubs Carnival, Grace Gullo took home the championship titles for All Around, Vault, and Beam.
The popular Sinnamon Park Village Shop lost its convenience store tenants three years ago after nearly 20 years of operation. This October, new tenants have taken over the site by opening its aptly named establishment, The Convenience@Sinnamon Park.
The shopping centre’s owners, Col and Kay Bennett, waited for the right tenant to lease the vacant site. It didn’t matter that it took three years amidst a slew of interests, including a cheesecake shop owner and an animal clinic. The Bennetts knew that what the community needed was a convenience store.
The Convenience@Sinnamon Park owners, Gee and Sarita Nayyar, are new to this business but they have big plans of delivering “old fashioned” convenience store service to the locals.
For starters, their store regularly offers free and fresh homemade goodies, as well as a Happy Hour for discounted deals. They also plan to have free-tasting specials.
The Nayyars said that they will to listen and respond to the shoppers’ suggestions so that they can deliver high-quality retail experience.
Photo Credit: The Convenience/Facebook
The Convenience@Sinnamon Park hopes to be a traditional Aussie convenience store, where the choices are varied and multicultural. From time to time, however, the Nayyars will be changing up its food list with a mix of fresh, homecooked Indian dishes and favourite Australian meals.
Open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., The Convenience@Sinnamon Park is at 1B/58 Oldfield Road.
Did you know that there is a chocolate factory in Seventeen Mile Rocks that offers healthy delights filled with superfood ingredients? If you haven’t visited 17Rocks at 149 Bluestone Circuit on its regular trading hours during the weekday, you can finally drop in on a Saturday.
17Rocks recently announced that it will be adding another trading day just for your Christmas shopping convenience. Beginning the 2nd of Nov 2019, the factory will open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Saturday until Christmas.
So, if you’re planning to fill up your Christmas list with 17Rocks goodies, you could set a weekend trip to their store when you’re busy during the weekday.
The chocolate factory is barely a year old in Seventeen Mile Rocks, after having officially opened in March. 17Rocks is a family business that creates stone-ground chocolates using beans imported from Papua New Guinea.
“We roast our beans at a low temperature to minimise any chemical and physical changes, reducing the concentration of volatile acids (bitterness). We stone-grind the beans to release the cacao butter and create a delightful, smooth, rich and flavoursome chocolate.”
Their products, churned in small batches, are free of additives and preservatives. They use the natural flavours of whole fruits, nuts and spices like matcha, gingko and turmeric in their ingredients.
17Rocks also offer sugar-free and vegan chocolates.
“Our purest, healthiest chocolate is our 500BC bean to bar chocolates. Our 500BCs are inspired by the Maya people who are credited with developing the process of making pure chocolate, and in doing so, creating a world of chocolate lovers.”
After Christmas, the chocolate factory will revert to its regular trading hours from Monday to Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Who will win at the 2019 Mount Ommaney Small Business Award? You have the power to decide the outcome if you cast your vote for your favourite small business and employee.
Over 3,000 have already picked their choices and the online selection will continue until Sunday, the 13th of Oct 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
The CCIQ Centenary & Districts Chamber of Commerce and MP Jess Pugh are behind the 2019 Mount Ommaney Small Business Award, which is in its second year. Some 2,000 establishments were nominated in nine categories recognizing businesses for their excellent management and customer service.
This year, a few awards have been added to the categories to include the Milton Dick Most Popular New Business and Professional Service awards for accountants, consultants and solicitors.
Photo Credit: Jess Pugh MP for Mount Ommaney/Facebook
Ms Pugh relaunched the awards to acknowledge the businesses that drive the local economy. She said that the recognition should also be a boost for the “quiet achievers” around Mount Ommaney.
Nominated businesses may also pick up voting cards from Ms Pugh’s office so that their customers may be able to cast their votes when they are at the shop.
Meanwhile, voters also have an additional incentive as their name will be entered into the raffle draw where they could win a Taste of Mount Ommaney Prize Pack.
For more information on the 2019 Mount Ommaney Small Business Award, phone 3737 2120.
A Mount Ommaney woman couldn’t contain her happiness after discovering that she is one of the seven division one winners in the Saturday Gold Lotto 3979 drawn on Saturday 7 September 2019.
The winner, whose name was withheld, purchased her winning entry at Middle Park News & Gifts, Shop 13 of Park Village Shopping Centre at 92 Horizon Drive in Middle Park.
She pocketed a division one prize worth $573,928.68 plus an additional prize for winning division three six times, making her $580,273.98 richer. She said that she did not believe her husband when he told her about it and had to look at the numbers for a while to be convinced.
“We’ve been playing these numbers for years and years. They’re special numbers – family birthdates and things like that,” she said.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this! I feel very lucky because some people never get to see their numbers to come up.
Photo credit: 2018 The Lott / mediacentre.thelott.com
“I’m so excited. It’s just wonderful. I’ve been jumping around a lot!”
“There’s a few places in Australia I’ve always wanted to see, and overseas as well. But I won’t decide or make any plans until I see it in my bank account and make sure I’m not dreaming.”
The Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3979 on Saturday 7 September 2019 winning numbers were 10, 36, 14, 8, 1 and 23, whilst the supplementary numbers were 7 and 15.
Nationally, there were seven division one winning entries: three each from New South Wales and South Australia, and one from Queensland.
Over $286.6 million has been collectively won by 244 division one Saturday Gold Lotto entries across the Lott’s jurisdictions, in the 12 months to 30 June 2019.
Shopping and binging on food might be your favourite things to do at the Mt Ommaney Centre on Dandenong Road, but did you know that there are heaps of other activities in store for visitors this month? Here’s what’s happening there in the next few weeks of September.
Fashion & Style Workshops
When: Thursday to Saturday 12 to 14 Sept 2019 Where: Target outside stage Fee: FREE
Would you like to improve your style and learn how to pick the right clothes for your body shape, age and budget? Lucy Hendriks of The Fashion Workshop will be conducting free sessions on how to dress well.
Photo Credit: The Fashion Workshop/Facebook
School Gate Chic
11:00 a.m.
Designed for teens, young adults and moms, you’ll learn how to maximise style using just 10 key pieces in your wardrobe.
Catwalk to Closet
1:00 p.m.
Love trendy and fashionable pieces but scared of wearing them in public? You’ll pick up wonderful tips at this session on how to turn haute couture into attractive everyday pieces.
Ms Hendriks will also teach you how to create a capsule wardrobe. If you’re not sure what this is, then you’ve got more reason to be at the workshop!
When: Thursday 19 Sept 2019 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where: Open space beside Specsavers, opposite Crema Espresso Fee: $25 per person
Unleash your creativity and learn a new skill at this Macrame Planter Workshop. Macrame is the art of knotting strings or cords to come up with a decorative piece.
Photo Credit: pxhere
You’ll go home with the macrame planter you’ve created, as well as some plant cutting techniques! All materials will be provided.
See live stunts and breath-taking performances from aerial acrobatics and flying trapeze artists. This event will include workshops for those interested in learning some basics of circus performing.
DATE
TIME
SHOWS
Tuesday to Saturday 24 to 28 Sept 2019
10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
WORKSHOPS
Tuesday to Saturday 1 to 5 Oct 2019
10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Photo Credit: Barni1/Pixabay
For information about this circus event, such as ticket prices for the show or fees for the workshop, phone 07 3725 8888 or email info@mtommaneycentre.com.au.
As part of Queensland Road Safety Week, officers and Volunteers in Policing (ViP’s) from Mt Ommaney hosted two events at the Darra BMX track to educate cyclists, including Middle Park students, on road safety last 30 August 2019.
Police spoke to riders and educated them on the proper way to wear helmets. Volunteers also engraved community member’s bikes and scooters which will make it easier for the police to return the item if it gets stolen or lost.
Photo credit: State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service) 2019 / mypolice.qld.gov.au
Photo credit: State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service) 2019 / mypolice.qld.gov.au
“Our officers enjoyed speaking with riders and even got to try out the BMX track which we all agree is an awesome facility,” reports Senior Constable Ben Harm.
The other half of the program involved a bike safety course for Middle Park School students which taught kids skills like hand signals, balancing, learning road signs, and emergency stopping. The bike safety course has been run at local primary schools over the last four years now and has been participated by more than 700 students.
“Police are encouraging more students to ride their bicycles to school to lead more active lifestyles and reduce cars and congestion on our roads in school zones.
“The kids at Middle Park had lost of fun and wanted us to come back next week to run the course again!”
About Queensland Road Safety Week 2019
Photo credit: State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service) 2019 / mypolice.qld.gov.au
Queensland Road Safety Week (QRSW) was held from 26 to 30 August 2019. QRSW is now in its fifth year with more than 500 events held across Queensland, encouraging locals to make road safety their first and foremost priority.
Activities held throughout the week included bike safety workshops for kids, as well as caravan inspections for grey nomads. QRSW 2019 was made possible through the joint effort of the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Police Service and support from various organisations including Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), CARRS-Q, RACQ, Queensland Cricket, and local groups including PCYC, local councils, schools and many others.
According to a new housing index, 18 suburbs, including Riverhills, emerged as the least “downsizeable” Brisbane suburbs. The report was released as the Council’s ongoing public consultation on the proposal to ban townhouses in single-home areas is set to wrap up in 26 August 2019.
The DORIS Index or “Downsizer Opportunity to Remain in Suburb” by Place Design Group, ranks Brisbane suburbs according to how easy or difficult it is to downsize into.
The housing index underscores downsizing as “an important piece of the housing market puzzle” and why people, especially the ageing population, should have the option to live “in their residence of choice, for as long as they are able to, as they age,” or what it referred to as “aging in place.”
By measuring the number of new non-single house development approvals and the population of people aged 55-64 in each suburb, the analysis brings to light the possible challenges that the ageing population would face in finding age-specific housing to move into that is in the same suburb or somewhere closer to where they live in.
“DORIS was presented as an accurate representation of a typical +55 year old who in hindsight realises she didn’t do herself any favours all those years ago, when she joined the campaign against townhouses and low-medium density development in the inner city suburb that she’s lived in her whole life,” Analyst Chris Isles of Place Design Group said.
Last 3 years average of building approvals for non-detached houses, from 0 (lightest green) to 685 (darkest green) | Photo Credit: Place Group Design/placedesigngroup.com Proportion of households in each suburb that are 55-64 years old, from 0% (Yellow) to 25% (Red) | Photo Credit: Place Group Design/placedesigngroup.com The Doris Index – Suburb ranking, with 1 (lightest red) being the easiest to downsize and 8 (darkest red) the hardest | Photo Credit: Place Group Design/placedesigngroup.com
The 18 Most “Downsizeable” Brisbane Suburbs according to the Place Design Group’s DORIS Index:
South Brisbane
Fortitude Valley
Woolloongabba
West End
Kangaroo Point
Newstead
Cannon Hill
Greenslopes
Upper Mount Gravatt
Brisbane City
Albion
Ascot
Toowong
Nundah
Chermside
Sherwood
Windsor
Bulimba
The 18 Least “Downsizeable” Brisbane Suburbs according to the Place Design Group’s DORIS Index:
Wishart
Ferny Grove
Bellbowrie – Moggill
Belmont – Gumdale
Middle Park – Jamboree Heights
Jindalee – Mount Ommaney
Mansfield
Chelmer – Graceville
Bald Hills
Wakerley
Westlake
Pullenvale
Tarragindi
Riverhills
Deagon
Fig Tree Pocket
Geebung
Robertson
Recent findings of Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) on the housing aspirations of older Australians over the age of 55, stated that the demand for attached dwellings, such as terraces and townhouses, increases with age whilst preference for detached houses decreases as people get older.
“Older Australians aspire to live in a variety of different locations, with the most popular choices being the middle to outer suburbs of capital cities (around 35%) and small regional towns (around 20%). Generally, they would like to own a detached dwelling (69%) with three bedrooms (50%) although there is an appetite for two-bedroom apartments, particularly in the 75+ age group,” the AHURI report said.
The research said that there is an unmet demand for smaller dwellings and that current patterns of housing supply focus on large separate dwellings and too many apartments but not enough mid-sized product.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / Facebook
The DORIS Index report suggests policy makers to undertake a targeted review of the suburbs named as having low downsizeability, as well as review the amount of land that are appropriately zoned for the delivery of missing middle typologies — a compromise between larger, single detached homes and higher density apartments.
“There needs to be a way to deliver the “gentle” density which could be a mix of sporadic smaller lots, single unit dwellings, granny flats, or dual occupancies,” the DORIS Index report said.
“These dwellings need to be designed with older Australians in mind, which includes being easily adaptable when required,” the AHURI report said.
