Homepage Latest News - Page 33 of 40

Sumners Road Upgrade Moves One Step Closer, Early Works to Start in Late 2018

With the design process already underway, the upgrade of Sumners Road Interchange moves one step closer to completion.

The Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads recently awarded the design contract to Arup Consultancy in March 2018. The department plans to start early works sometime in late 2018.

Member for Mount Ommaney Jess Pugh is delighted that the project is moving forward.

“This is great news for people who travel through western Brisbane because it will ultimately mean less time spent in the car, and more time spent doing what they enjoy,” said Ms Pugh.

The project is part of the $65-million allocation to decongest Sumners Road Interchange and Centenary Motorway, which registered some of the slowest traffic speed during peak hours, according to a report by RACQ.

Read: Centenary Highway to Get $65-Million Upgrade within 12 Months

Read: Centenary Motorway Registers Slowest Traffic in the City

Overcapacity

The upgrade project is much anticipated as Sumners Road continues to operate beyond its capacity. Every day, up to 35,000 motorists pass through the interchange. Five-percent of the vehicles using the interchange are heavy vehicles.

Decongesting traffic flow at Sumners Road Interchange is essential as it is the main interchange going to the Ipswich-Centenary Motorway intersection. The project would also ease connectivity to Darra train station by reducing bus travel time.

The plan includes adding a second overpass bridge at Sumners Road. This is intended to improve the traffic flow along the interchange. The design will also replace roundabouts at each end of the bridge with signalised intersections.

On-road cycle lanes, shared paths and dedicated crossing facilities will also be added to encourage active transport options.

Preliminary plan for the Sumners Road Interchange (Photo credit: www.qld.gov.au)

Once the project is completed, it should improve efficiency and reliability for public, private and freight vehicles passing through the interchange. The project also aims to promote the safety of active transport commuters.

The upgrade is projected to take around three years, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Cheer Day at QCE Carnival In Sumner

On 21 April, head on over to the Queensland Cheer Elite (QCE) carnival from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for ages 4-15 years! The event will be held at the QCE in Sumner.

The carnival promises to be a fun day for the members. It is also a perfect time for non-members who are interested in the sport to learn more about cheerleading.

Every 30 minutes, there will be free classes as well as other activities to enjoy.

Fun hair workshops, games, cheer activities, and face-painting are just some of the activities lined up for the day. Food such as sausage sizzle and fairy floss will be available as well.

It’s a free event, but you need to register here.

The QCE provides competitive, semi-competitive and recreational cheerleading options for kids ages four and above. It is recognised as one of the largest and most awarded cheerleading programs in the country. They train athletes ages four and above.

Address: 75 Araluen St.

4074 Rocks Rockin’ Jindalee & Centenary Suburbs

Have you seen random decorated rocks in Jindalee and across other Centenary suburbs?

Blame the 4074 Rocks. Members of the group paint and hide rocks as a random act of kindness to bring an unexpected smile to the someone face and pass it on. Each painter posts photos of their rocks as well as the finders.

The rocks are hidden just about everywhere – from parks, to somebody else’s backyard, you can simply find a decorated rock under a bush or along the street. Each rock also comes with a “4074 Rocks” tag.

The craze is catching on and The Jindalee Aged Care Program (JSACP) will be joining! The kids will start painting their own rocks and hide them.

Tracy Schandendorff, the program director, said it all started when their teacher found a decorated rock. This gave her a brilliant idea to involve the kids in the program.

The Centenary Landscapes will be donating rocks for the little artists as well to support the kids’ creativity.

Rainbow Coffee At Piggy Back Cafe In Jindalee

Piggy Back Cafe, a part of the Venzin Group has kicked things up a notch as it changes the cafe scene in the Jindalee shopping strip.

White tables and chairs are situated outside the cafe, ideal for customers prefer to be al fresco whilst enjoying a cup of coffee. Once inside, you’ll marvel at how the rustic styled furniture perfectly blends with the dark blue walls, exuding a calm and cozy ambiance. The large windows surrounding the cafe let in an abundance of natural light whilst whimsical hanging bulbs light up the cafe at night.

The cafe serves an all-day breakfast menu ranging from their red velvet french toast, avo and matcha green tea bagel to a hearty breakfast burger on brioche with fried egg, bacon, avo, spinach, cheddar, smokey mayo, and beetroot relish.

For lunch, have a bite of their Piggy Back Po Ham, which contains provolone cheese, ham, and sweet pickle relish on toasted baguette, and it comes with sweet potato fries.

Health-conscious customers can also choose from a selection of salads and healthy meals such as the slow-roasted baby beetroot or the Piggy Back salad. There are also vegan and gluten-free items on the menu.

There’s something for everyone and your kids have meals to choose from as well. The Ham and Cheese soldiers is a popular choice. Bring along your four-legged friends and they will be provided with water bowls outside the cafe.

Rainbow in a Cup

What makes the cafe even more popular is their selection of rainbow latte. Their coffee is from Fonzie Abbott. In 2016, Emily Columbis, a barista of the cafe was featured in a news outlet for her creation of colourful coffees.

Emily uses food dye and the help of YouTube to hone her creative ideas and just like magic, they became known for rainbow coffee. It is one of the most requested items at the cafe.

YouTube/Insider

Aside from the rainbow coffee, they also have a selection of smoothies, teas, and milkshakes.

Address: 88 Carrugindi Rd.

Get Your Fill Of Delicious Brews Every Weekend At White Lies Brewing In Sumner

For the best handcrafted beer on tap every weekend, head on over to White Lies Brewing. The bar is located in one of the industrial centres in Sumner.

Owner Lee McAlister-Smiley said his passion for making homebrew gave birth to this booming business in Sumner.

In all truthfulness, While Lies Brewing is a perfect place to chill with your friends. Upon entering the area, you’ll find barrel seating as well as retro gaming stations to keep you and your companions entertained.

Photo credit: White Lies Brewing / Facebook

There are 12 beers on tap, most of which are brewed on site. In fact, you can head over to the back and you can see brews still bubbling.

You can also taste a platter of beer to find what best suits your palate.

If you don’t have any plans to stay, you can get takeaway beers as well.

They only offer a handful of snacks. However, the good news is that various food trucks come to the area during the weekends.

If you want to know more about which food truck will be present on the weekend at the bar, visit their Facebook page here.

Address: Unit 2, 32 Spine Street

Forking Goodness At Forking Espresso In Sumner

Tucked away in the heart of an industrial area in Sumner, Forking Espresso serves delicious cups of coffee and food to locals.

Established in January 2016, the cafe has indoor and outdoor seating. Upon entering, the airy interior gives a retro vibe. A long table serves as the perfect place if you are coming in groups or if you want to play some board games.

There are more seating inside that offers privacy. The cafe is dog-friendly as well so you can bring your furry pets along.

It is also one of the best places in the area that caters to birthdays and other functions.

New Menu!

In November of last year, Forking Espresso released a new menu.

Photo credit: Forking Espresso / Facebook

For breakfast, you can have delicious pancakes served with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream. If you want something heavier than that, you can opt for the Big Break which consists of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown and mushrooms.

THE Burger

For lunch, their Forking Burger is a definite must try. It is made with freshly made beef patty, maple bacon, tomato, lettuce, and sauce.

They also have sweet treats for you that will perfectly go with your coffee. Try a cupcake or a slice of cake to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Address: 1/24 Spine Street

Snake’s X-Ray Reveals Missing Mt Ommaney Cat, Snake Catchers Remind Residents To Keep Pets Indoors

The owners of a missing cat in Mount Ommaney were devastated when they learned that their pet was eaten by a carpet python.

After noticing that their pet had been missing for three days, the owners of the cat noticed what looks to be a well-fed snake crawling around the area. The owners did not hesitate to call snake catcher Lana Field. Ms Field went to the area and saw the python and immediately took it to the vet for an X-ray. It was then confirmed that the snake ate the cat.

An X-ray image uploaded to the Snake Catchers Facebook page shows the cat’s body curled up inside the snake. The owners weren’t happy and even asked if they could get the cat back. However, since the cat had been in the snake’s body for three days, it has deteriorated. Also, they are protecting the welfare of the reptile.

Ms Field also said that since cats often fight with snakes, this could have been the reason why it became the snake’s meal that day.

The snake catcher reminded residents, not only within the area but in other suburbs as well, to keep their pets indoors. This particularly pertains to areas where there seems to be an abundance of reptiles.

The Brisbane City Council offers guidelines on how to keep pets from harm and from being a nuisance to others. They urge cat owners to keep cats inside the home and secure from dusk to dawn. See other guidelines here.

Editor’s Note: The featured image is not the actual snake referred to in this story.

BUG Calls For Support as New Proposal May Improve Centenary Cycleway Access

The Brisbane West Bug is enthusiastic over the development application submitted by Westpoint Autos on Sinnamon Road in Jindalee. The development could provide cyclists with better bicycle access and improve the safety of riders.

Photo credit: Chris Cox for South West Brisbane

Chris Cox, BUG’s spokesman has said that the bicycle access to the Centenary Bikeway via Sinnamon Road is troublesome during peak hours with vehicles blocking the path.

Should this new development be approved, a new bridge will be built across Jindalee Ck for site access. The cycling group thinks that this is a great opportunity to include an off-road cycle way connected to that bridge that links to the Centenary Bikeway.

The site is zoned as sports and recreation, which means that it must be re-zoned as commercial use hence needing public consultation.

The group has already put in a submission. An excerpt:

“(We) request additional requirements added to this development that any new bridge to provide access to the development site must provide off road cycle access to connect to the Centenary Cycleway and signals located at Sinnamon Road/Centenary Highway intersection, avoiding the current conflict situation with general traffic on Sinnamon Road.”

They also submitted a photo of the site that includes their cycle path suggestion, which they posted on their Facebook page.

Photo of the site from above and a vague suggestion of where a cyclepath could be put through. Photo credit: Brisbane West Bug / Facebook

The group thinks this is the perfect opportunity for the local cyclists to lodge a submission via the PD Online website before it closes on 7 February.

Celebrate Jamboree’s 50th Anniversary in Jamboree Heights

On 13 January, the first Queensland Jamboree will celebrate its 50th anniversary at Wood Park, Jamboree Heights at 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Between 1967-68, the Centenary suburbs was awash with 16,000 boy scouts from 19 countries to participate in the 8th Australia Scout Jamboree. In light of such event, the suburb was named in its honour as well as some of its street names such as Guide, Emblem, Patrol, Troop, Flag, and Pack streets.

A Jamboree is the “peak” of Scouting where the boys are taken away from their homes and meet with other scouts from around the world. This usually run for ten days.

On its 50th anniversary, participants will learn more about the Jamboree. At the same time, the event will also showcase local businesses. The restored memorial stone pot commemorating Queensland’s first Jamboree will also be unveiled.

A time capsule will also be planted for future generations.

There will be market stalls, food trucks as well as demonstration of skills by scouts and performances by community groups.

Admission to the event is free.

Jindalee Included in Top 10 Sweatiest Suburbs

Queensland is getting hot and certain areas in the state are becoming even hotter than ever. The Queensland University of Technology has just released the Top 10 Sweatiest Suburbs and Jindalee is one of them.

A study by QUT faculty of health associate shows that people in these Top 10 suburbs are at a higher risk of heat-related hospital admissions. This list is affected by several factors such as the average age in the suburb, income and landscape.

The Top 10 suburbs are:

Bowen Hills
Northgate
Brisbane City
Jindalee
Deagon
Archerfield
Robertson
Camp Hill
McDowall
Kuraby

The study also shows that suburbs with lower risk of heat-related illnesses have a lot of green space whilst wealthier suburbs can afford air conditioning units to combat the heat.

Queensland Ambulance Service reminds locals to keep cool and stay indoors away from direct sunlight. Children and elderly are the most vulnerable to the summer heat, which is why they advise locals that with any signs of heat exhaustion seeking medical attention right away is important.

Signs of heat exhaustion include headaches, nausea, dizziness and cramping.