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Grieving Rooms in Animal Clinics Being Added, Will Jindalee’s 24-Hour Vet Clinic Make Room?

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.

Jamboree Heights’ Madders Brothers Offers Edible Art

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.

Photo credit: Madders Brothers Patisserie / Facebook

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.

Left Out of State Budget, Centenary Motorway Will Continue Peak-Hour Crawl – RACQ

“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.

Latest studies from RACQ revealed that some section of Centenary Motorway registered the slowest traffic speed during peak hours in Brisbane. Motorists are travelling way below the average speed compared to last year. From Warrender Street and Sumners Road, for instance, traffic speed dropped by as much as 26 percent in the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

“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.

Mount Ommaney Ignored

Mount Ommaney MP, Tarnya Smith also voiced out her disappointment at how Mount Ommaney was ignored in the State Budget.

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.

Read Ms Smith’s Facebook Note.

Find out more about Queensland Budget 2017-18.

Beautifully Destructive: Mount Ommaney “Bambi” Problem Is Getting Out of Hand

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.

Please report any deer sightings. Call 3403 8888.

Mt Ommaney’s Wealth to Blame for Public Transport Woes?

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.

Read: With Travel Time from Bulimba to CBD Ranked Among the Worst, Locals Revive Calls for Bridges to Teneriffe and Hamilton

Public Transport Not a Real Estate Factor

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.

Just Poppy’s Slowly But Surely Getting Back on Their Feet in Riverhills

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.

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.

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.

Brisbane City Council Grants Jindalee Boat Ramp Upgrade Following the Discovery of Dangerous Needles

Just last month, Jindalee parents were shocked when they found used needles just near a playground.

Residents have come together to protest the dangerous debris and other litter such as loose bark removed from the area. Diana Dale, one of the parents started an online petition to upgrade the Jindalee Boat Ramp playground. She suggested that the ground covering could have underlying dangers that could be harmful to their kids.

She is endorsing that the ground is replaced with synthetic grass instead. The petition has garnered 58 signatures and is already closed.The council has heard their cries as Jamboree Ward Matthew Bourke announced that the upgrades in the area will begin in July until September.

The ramp and pontoon will be closed. The works will include the replacement of the floating walkway to prevent it from trapping branches and debris and to improve the ramp for additional safety. The council has also released a list of alternative play areas for locals.

The playground is very popular with the locals and is often busy during the weekends. However, due to the current issue, it is facing, the park receives lesser visitors now. It is expected that the park will get back its usual influx of people once the upgrade is complete.

Centenary Not-for-Profit Community Groups Receive Funding

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) has provided funding to eight not-for-profit organisations in the Centenary area.

The funds were part of the one-off grants program, which distributes around $53 million each year to community groups in Queensland. The program allows non-profit organisations to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $35,000.

Grant Recipients

Centenary Suburbs Men’s Shed. Recipients of the grants include the Centenary Suburbs Men’s Shed, which is getting $29,000 to help it install solar and renovate its building. Also called Men’s Shed 100 Inc, the Seventeen Mile Rocks group provides a venue for men in the community to get together regularly and share common interests.
St Catherine’s Football Club. A new kitchen equipment will be purchased by Middle Park-based St Cats using the $25,002-grant it received from GCBF.
Good News Community Playgroup. The community playgroup based in Jamboree Heights will use the $21,230 grant to build softball areas. The playgroup provides indoor activities for children ages 0 to 5 years,
Centenary Combined Sporting Association. The Centenary group received funding of $20,000, which it will allocate for new office furniture and video equipment.
Western Districts Baseball Club. The amateur team based in Darra will be buying a new grandstand using the $17,998 grant it has received.
Parents and Citizens Association of Oxley State School. The P&C association of Oxley State School received $15,290 which it will use to purchase an industrial fan.
McLeod Country Golf Club. The Mount Ommaney golf club requested funding and received a grant of $10,000 to be used for roof repair and carpet replacement.
Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA). The Oxley branch of the QCWA received $7,200 from GCBF. It will use the money to buy a solar system for its facility.

The next round of funding by the GCBF will open in mid-July and will close on 31 August 2017 at 11:59 p.m.

Need funding for your community group? Watch this tutorial to learn how to apply for a grant through the Gambling Community Fund.

Visit the GCBF website to learn more.

All Roads Lead to Inala Dental Clinic After Jindalee School Dental Clinic Closes

The Jindalee School Dental Clinic has decided to close its doors following the recent maintenance issue involving the air conditioning system in January. Due to the air conditioning failure, the clinic wasn’t able to reopen until the unit was replaced.

According to Metro South Health acting chief executive Robert Mackway-Jones, the maintenance issues caused by the recent air conditioning unit failure as well as the replacement were too costly for a clinic that wasn’t being used at full capacity. In fact, the clinic only opens six months per year.

Since 2015, only a total of 2,337 children had appointments at the dental clinic. It was also recorded that most of the families in the suburb prefer to set appointments at the Inala Dental Clinic because of its better facilities and longer opening hours.

The closure may seem like a sound decision when viewed from a business perspective but some people weren’t happy with this decision. According to Tarnya Smith, a Mt Ommaney state LNP MP, the community wasn’t consulted about this. Ms Smith said that the dental clinic has been providing services for 30 years. It has become an institution in the community. She expressed disappointment that the dental clinic did not consult the local community prior to closure.

However, Mr Mackway-Jones denied that they neglected to consult the community. He said that they have discussions with the school community and patients about the planned closure.

The closing of the dental clinic means that patients from Jindalee, Jamboree, and Middle Park state schools to travel further for their dental appointments. The Inala Dental Clinic seems to be a popular alternative choice. To know if your child if eligible for free dental care at this clinic, you can click here.

Mt Ommaney Centre To Get its Own Cinema; Identity of Operator Still “Top-Secret”

The Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre isn’t new to major extensions. Since it opened in 1979, the mall had undergone major changes such as the 2008 17,700 square metre extension. This time around, it gets a little bit mysterious as it preps for another expansion.

Here is what we know so far. The new entertainment and dining area for the shopping centre has been recently approved by the Brisbane City Council. This new area will be located the south-west part of the centre. It took only a few months for the proposal to be approved. The proposal for the expansion was just submitted in December 2016, laying out plans for a new multiplex cinema, new restaurant, and indoor sport and recreation facilities.

The operator of the new cinema is being kept under wraps. According to the planning chairman of BCC, Julian Simmons, the operator remains “top secret.” The new cinema will be situated across two levels near the Kmart end of the centre.

The proposal shows development would be in two stages:

Stage 1. Construction of roof deck car park to accommodate the expansion
Stage 2. Construction of cinema, restaurant, entertainment tenancy, and parking.

The new entertainment area will revitalise the suburb, providing more entertainment options for the residents of the area.