Petbarn, a pet specialty store with a number of stores across in Australia, is actively seeking for support to fund Seeing Eye Dogs undergo training to help blind people or those with poor vision. The Petbarn in Jindalee has made quite a generous contribution.
The Jindalee Petbarn has contributed $10,191 to the Pet Foundation’s National Seeing Eye Dog Appeal. This has hugely helped the foundation, which now raised a $679,240 across all Petbarn stores in Australia.
The foundation’s aim is to train 13 Seeing Eye Dogs. Each training costs $50,000 and it takes up to two years of intensive training before a Seeing Eye Dog graduates.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
With 350,000 Australians who are blind or suffering poor vision, a lot of them seek the help and support of a Seeing Eye Dog. Seeing Eye Dogs can help them do their daily tasks such as going to the grocery, taking the public transport, and most importantly, the ability to continue making a living.
In light of this, the Seeing Eye Dogs Australia (SEDA) in collaboration with Petbarn stores in Australia, encourages everybody to help raise the funds for the annual fundraising appeal of The Pet Foundation.
The foundation was established in 2012 with a purpose of extending support for rescue organisations and follows the mission: “To enrich the lives of pets and people who love and need them.” They also support a number of animal rescue shelters as they don’t support the selling of companion animals. They continuously welcome donations to support their cause.
Every year, over $620 million worth of stolen items are reported as stolen from Brisbane’s retail businesses. In Mount Ommaney alone, over 300 offenses have been recorded each year. The good news is, a solution is now on its way as the Brisbane City Council in collaboration with the National Retail Associationhas gotten federal government funding to try out a new technology, the Auror.
How it Works
Photo credit: Idealog
The Auror connects businesses and the police. A crime-prevention platform, it allows retailers to log in online and report a shoplifting incident in under ten minutes, which will then directly alert the local police and direct reporting to the police crime reporting line.
Due to the growing number of shoplifting cases as well as retail business owners already crying for help, the Council and the NRA agrees that a software to help fight this crime is necessary. Retail businesses are experiencing significant losses, which can cripple their businesses as well as the economy.
A Conceivable Solution
Chief executive for NRA Dominique Lamb said that it has come to a point where retailers need as much support as they can.
This new technology seems to be the most plausible solution. Auror has been servicing Australia for years now and has just recently partnered with New Zealand last year. So far, it has been working well for NZ, which becomes one of the reasons why Auror was one of the best solutions pursued to fight of theft in Brisbane.
Current Measures Against Retail Theft
Photo credit: Eden Magnet
Two of the biggest groceries in Australia have also implemented security measures to fight off theft in their businesses. There seems to be more problem at self-checkouts. Coles have installed security screens to reduce theft. A better customer service, which involves hiring more staff, was also discussed to monitor self-checkouts more efficiently.
The Council and the NRA are very optimistic with the trial of this new technology. In fact, Ms Lamb is confident that the trial period will be a success. Sooner or later, she foresees that it will be rolled out across Australia.
Last month, RACQ launched a survey regarding the bridges that must be built around Brisbane. They proposed 12 new direct river crossings, three-stage projects and duplication of existing bridge crossings. Should these be accepted, there will be new links between suburbs such as West End, Moggill, the CBD, New Farm, Kangaroo Point, and Hawthorne.
The results of the survey have been released and it shows residents want ten more bridges to be built. One of them is a bridge connecting Bellbowrie and Riverhills. Talks between residents about this bridge have been going around since 2013 and it seems like they still want the bridge to happen.
Green Bridge or Road Bridge?
The bridge links Sumners Road at Riverhills and Birkin Road at Bellbowrie. This was originally planned in the mid-1970s but it did not push through because officials thought that the city was not developed enough for such a project, at the time. By 2009, the plan was to make that bridge a pedestrian or cycling link only. In 2013, a debate about turning it into a road bridge took place.
The plan to turn it into a road bridge is for Moggill and Bellbowrie residents to avoid traffic congestion on Moggill Road and to have access to a faster route on the way to their destination.
Sumners Road Ready For a Bridge
In Riverhills, the location of the proposed bridge is at the end of Sumners Road, which is currently a dead end now. However, it has a rich flora or large trees. It is quite far from the water. Should a bridge be approved, the road has to be widened and surfaced properly.
The Brisbane City Council had prepared the road already for a possible bridge due to the previous plans. Wider road lanes and cycling planes on Sumners Road can be observed to accommodate the possible increase in cars once a bridge is built.
The Struggle
The lack of a bridge between these two suburbs has greatly impacted the lives of the residents. Belbowrie residents traveling to Riverhills and other nearby suburbs complain about the long travel time. This also includes the amount of fuel that they consume and car emissions that pollute the atmosphere. Hence, a bridge between the suburbs will significantly cut travel time shorter and also prevent residents from getting stuck in traffic at the Centenary Motorway during peak hours.
Memories of the 2011 floods have underscored the need for a bridge to Riverhills. In 2011, Bellbowrie residents suffered from a lack of electricity and had limited food supplies for at least a week. A bridge to Riverhills would make it easier to evacuate to other areas during natural calamities.
Two bridge proposals were made, a green bridge and a road bridge. Residents seemed to favour a road bridge more than a green bridge. In 2016, an online petition was launched for a road bridge to be built between the two suburbs.
Taken Into Consideration
The RACQ Survey also recorded majority support for bridges to be built from West End to Toowong, Bulimba to Teneriffe, Balmoral to Hamilton, and Moggill Ferry Road to Riverview.
Paul Turner, the RACQ Spokesman said that these results only show that people are rooting for better infrastructure to battle Brisbane’s congestion problem. They also assured the community that they will be highlighting these results to the council and the state government to guarantee that feedback is included in future planning.
At the end of Beanland Street in Jamboree Heights lies the suburb’s best-kept secret. It may look like a dead end for visitors, but locals know exactly that a beautiful piece of nature can be unraveled if one is curious enough to push ahead.
Phil Denman Park is a new park that boasts of modern equipment. The playground has some pretty cool features that you won’t see in most playgrounds today. It has four forts on different levels with bridges, a fireman pole, enclosed and double slides act as the entry and exit points to the forts. It also has monkey bars and some climbing frames.
For younger children who still can’t operate the monkey bars and climbing frames, there are smaller slides, swings and other sensory play equipment on the ground level that they can play with.
Photo credit: Brisbane Kids
The fun for kids doesn’t stop when you walk away from these awesome equipment. Beyond that area lies sports heaven. There are cricket nets, a half court basketball court as well as a rebound wall. Your kids can ride their bikes on the shared pathway from Loffs Road through to Beanland Street.
There is also an open, grassy area where kids can run wild whilst parents sit down and enjoy a good book. The park is also a perfect spot for Sunday picnics with the whole family.
Grieving rooms in veterinary hospitals have been around for a long time but they are not commonly adopted by clinics yet. Only a few animal clinics have grieving rooms in Australia. Now, the newly-opened 24-hour vet clinic in Jindalee, AES (Animal Emergency Service), may have to get itself one as an increasing number of veterinary clinics are starting to adopt the concept.
It seems that grieving rooms are being added to animal hospitals to help pet owners during their time of grief following the death of their pets. Veterinarians Anthony Cassimatis and Ray Baxter believe that grieving rooms will be added to their new centre on Nudgee Rd., in September.
Although pet euthanisations can be done in the homes of pet owners, there are certain cases in which the procedure takes place in a hospital, particularly if the pet is already in the palliative care of the veterinarians. Having a grieving room will promote a better sanctuary for pet owners to freely grieve the loss of their pets without having to go past a number of pet owners at the clinic.
AES in Jindalee is packed with all the equipment and services a pet would need. With its seven consultation rooms, two specialist surgical theatre, medical procedure room and in-house laboratory, you can say that the animal hospital can really provide the best animal care.
Will Jindalee’s vet clinic have a grieving room for pet owners? At this point, we have to wait and see.
Tucked away in a back street in Jamboree Heights lies a bakery straight out of the streets of Paris. The Madders Brothers Patisserie at Guide Street bakes delectable little morsels that are worth every scrumptious bite.
Brothers and co-owners Luke and Paul’s shared vision is to make edible art and that’s exactly what they did. Paul, a qualified pastry chef, has trained in five-star hotels abroad and in Australia. He then mentored his brother. The brothers wanted to offer something different, something that isn’t easily found in Brisbane and that’s how they come up with this concept. Today, aside from running their business, they are also doing pastry consulting to high-end customers.
Their pastry displays are enticing treats to the senses that make their delighted customers think twice about taking a bite because their creations just seem too beautiful to eat! The pretty colors and the clever designs make it very hard for customers to have a go and give them a taste.
There is a wide variety of pastries that come in small sizes which virtually guarantees that customers will be more than willing to have more than one.
Give their Tim Tam Cheesecake a try. Their salted caramel tart is just sinfully delicious! Of course, what could be more Parisienne than to sample their mini macarons.
For those whose palates lean towards the traditional, their lamingtons in “original chocolate” should not be missed.
Worried about allergies? They have gluten-free options so don’t worry!
And if that’s not enough. they also have coffee, hot chocolate, and cold beverages to pair with all their delightful baked goodies.
Now that the secret is out, people are beating a path to the back streets of Jamboree Heights to get to know this hidden treasure that offers edible art like no other.
“Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” that’s how RACQ spokesperson Renee Smith described Centenary Motorway as it once again missed out in this year’s State Budget.
The state’s peak monitoring body was calling on the Palaszczuk Government to make the Centenary Motorway a priority before the 2017-18 State Budget was announced. But the State Budget turned out to be a disappointment to Centenary when the major highway did not receive funding for upgrades.
Because of the budget snub, motorists would have to wait yet another year for their hope of improvements to the main thoroughfare.
The RACQ spokesperson noted how for several years, there have been planning studies but no money for actual construction.
“Since 2004, there has been money put aside for planning for the major thoroughfare but the State Government has fallen short of providing significant funds to improve choke points along this vital road,” said Ms Smith.
The government allocated $700,000 for planning research that started in 2016. By the looks of it, that would continue up to this financial year.
RACQ stressed that leaving Centenary Motorway as is would mean that drivers will continue with the crawling speed during peak hours.
“It’s waited long enough – let’s reward the Centenary and its thousands of commuters for their patience, with actual funding commitments to improving this major corridor,” Ms Smith said.
Ms Smith wrote on her Facebook page how the budget was a complete let-down for Mount Ommaney residents. She expressed dismay that there was no funding for upgrades of Sumners Road and Centenary Highway.
“Once again for the third year running, the elephant is still in the room. Sumners Road is left without funding and worse still, commuters are still stuck in traffic,” Ms Smith said.
There’s no stopping feral deer from wreaking havoc in Mount Ommaney. Yes, they look like Bambi. Yes, some residents are against the selected annihilation of these animals. But the deer are running wild and they pose a huge threat, not only to the suburbs’ bushland, but also to passing motorists.
Recently, two motorists were lucky to have escaped separate incidents on the Centenary Highway after crashing into and killing a deer. The motorists were left unscathed but this has caused sufficient alarm to the president of the Centenary and District Environmental Action Inc. Shealagh Walker, who has broached the idea of a cull of feral deer.
Ms Walker understands that the Brisbane City Council is in a tricky situation because a lot of residents will be upset if they choose to pursue culling the deer. She said that while they look harmless, they have been eating all the native grass in the suburb and have been ruining bushland reserves in the neighbouring suburbs.
In fact, Ms Walker has placed knitted protectors around her trees because the deer have been eating them. She also suggests the intervention of the Queensland Government for the quicker elimination of the deer.
The Council’s Lifestyle and Community Services chairman Matthew Bourke said that they are trying to resolve the issue. Last year, they caught 100 feral deer and they aim to capture the same number this year. What do they do to the animals? They euthanise them following capture, under specific targeted management programs.
A recent estimate shows that there are around 400 feral deer in Brisbane. Other areas that have a high number of deer sightings based on the BCC’s 2016 record are Pullenvale, Brookfield, Jindalee, Upper Brookfield, and Pinjarra Hills.
Richer suburbs tend to have weaker public transport and Mount Ommaney is a perfect example.
Public transport experts have established that suburbs perceived to be richer tend to have insufficient public transport systems. Robert Dow, administrator for lobby group Rail Back On Track, told Domain Group that mass transit is weaker in richer suburbs because a huge number of residents own cars.
“I think they said: These people are rich, they’ve got cars, why should we be giving them public transport,” Mr Dow told Domain.
This holds true for suburbs like Mount Ommaney, which is among the inner to middle ring suburbs suffering from the worst access to public transport to CBD. Other inner and middle ring suburbs that ranked lowest include Bulimba, Yeronga, McDowall, Riverhills, Middle Park and Albany Creek.
According to data from TransLink Journey Planner, it takes 45 minutes to travel a distance of around 12.7 km from Mount Ommaney to Brisbane CBD.
A common factor among the seven suburbs with unsatisfactory mass transit is the high cost of houses. Mt Ommaney has a median price of $800,500, while Bulimba median price is at just a little over $1 million. Mr Dow also pointed out that these suburbs do not have good access to trains and their bus networks are poorly structured.
Despite the lack of public transport, real estate agents say that residents and buyers are generally not bothered. Real estate in these areas is still in high demand even without the public transport.
Many people in wealthier suburbs own cars, so their main concern is focused on roads and infrastructure for private vehicles.
Mr Dow believes that public transport connectivity needs to be improved in the inner and middle ring suburbs. He believes that a stronger mass transit network is needed to future-proof these suburbs in case of demographic changes. “We think every demographic group needs public transport,” he said.
Recognized as Brisbane’s Best in 2011 by the Brisbane Times, Just Poppy’s in Riverhills has endured challenging times to reach the level of success that they are in right now.
Photo credit: Just Poppy’s / Facebook
Owners Marc Green and Poppy Eugeniou offer 69 types of burgers. Former owners of a convenience store in Red Hill, the couple decided to start their own burger joint when they realised that their focus is slowly shifting to food and customers are responding well to it. Their burgers started getting attention, urging them to move to a new location and put up a burger place.
In 2009, Just Poppy’s was established. Their burgers’ popularity took the owners by surprise. They know that their burgers are good but they didn’t expect the influx of customers due to their location. Nevertheless, customers from various suburbs in Brisbane have been coming through their doors, with some even coming from the Gold Coast regularly. Indeed, the burger shop has become quite a popular institution.
Photo credit: Just Poppy’s / Facebook
However, it hasn’t been a smooth ride. When the 2011 floods hit, their burger place was submerged in flood waters, ruining their equipment. Even last year, five years hence, the owners admitted that they are still getting back on their feet.
Fortunately for them, because of their popularity, many residents have helped them to recover. Ten weeks after the flood, the restaurant opened its doors again and they were surprised to see a line of people down the street. Some local kids also set up a Facebook page, which is now defunct, called “Friends of Just Poppy’s” for support.
Today, the burger joint continues to flip amazingly good and juicy burgers that will have you coming back for more.
