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If you’re thinking of a major clean-up of your home, the next few weeks should be the best time to do it.

The Brisbane City Council’s annual kerbside collection is set to happen in May for the suburbs in the Centenary area. This should be the perfect time to get rid of that old sofa, dining set or that big piece of furniture or appliance that is too big for the wheelie bin.

Here is the schedule for the Centenary suburbs:

22 May 2017	Jindalee Jamboree Heights Sinnamon Park Middle Park Mount Ommaney Riverhills Sumner Westlake
29 May 2017	Seventeen Mile Rocks

Be Guided, Get the App

The city council will send out flyers to residents at least a week before the schedule, but so as not to miss the date, you can download the council’s Brisbane Bin and Recycling app for free at the following locations:

• App store
• Google Play
• Microsoft app store.

You can set the app to notify you when it is time to bring out your items to the kerbside. It would also be good to be guided on what’s acceptable and not acceptable. You could get charged if unwanted items remain on the kerb after 7 days of the notified collection period.

It’s also important to take note of the items that are acceptable and those that are not. Here is the list of acceptable and unacceptable items according to the Brisbane City Council.

Acceptable items

• furniture and white goods (e.g. fridges and stoves)
• small household appliances (e.g. fans and toasters)
• carpet and rugs
• bath and laundry tubs
• wood products less than 1.5 metres
• bicycles and sporting equipment
• electronic waste (e.g. televisions and computers)

Unacceptable items

• garden waste (e.g. trees, grass, potted plants)
• dirt and stones
• bricks and concrete
• commercial builders waste
• car parts and tyres, including car batteries
• general household waste (e.g. food scraps)
• liquids
• hazardous wastes (e.g. chemicals, oil, asbestos)
• gas bottles
• glass and mirrors
• household waste that normally goes into your waste or recycling bin

Finders Keepers Time

Aside from being an opportune time to get rid of unnecessary clutter in the house, kerbside collection is also a much-awaited event for some to find treasure in other people’s trash. There would be many cases where items thrown out are still useful and the owners just want to have something new for their home.

By rule, once an item is placed on the kerbside, it becomes fair game to anyone who wishes to scavenge for anything that may be useful for them.

There are no city council laws prohibiting such act. In fact, it could be a good thing overall as it would mean lesser amounts of trash to go to the landfill. As for the owner, they would not really care who took the trash as long as it is taken out of their property.

This year’s kerbside collection can be an exciting event for pickers who have no qualms about re-using other people’s trash.

You’d be surprised what other people will put on the kerb. Such as the story of a four-person spa bath being left for collection. But there were stranger items thrown out in the past that were not as pleasantly surprising such as when an unarmed hand grenade was included in the pile. That prompted the collectors to call the bomb squad to the scene.

Some people turn the kerbside collection into a scavenging game. But if you are up to it, remember to be courteous when taking items out of the kerb. Be mindful of keeping the pile clean and not throwing items around.

It is actually a good thing to re-use other people’s discarded items, but don’t give them the extra task to clean up what you left behind.

 

Get a chance to participate in a fun walk and run event that not only promotes healthy living but also helps raise funds for charitable institutions.

This year’s Rotary Fun Run is happening on Sunday, May 21st, at the beautiful Rocks Riverside Park at 5 Counihan St in Seventeen Mile Rocks. Participants can enjoy the run and walk event on a shady course inside the park and along the Brisbane River.

The fun walk/run has been held every year for the past 15 years, but it was previously held at the University of Queensland. This is the second year in a row that the fun run will be held at Rocks Riverside Park.

There will be a 5km walk/run, a 10km walk/run and a 1km kids dash. Participants can join as a team to compete within their company or against another company or they can join to simply have fun with family and friends. They can also bring their dogs to the fun run and walk event, provided that the dogs are on a leash and they are aware of other runners around them.

The Rotary Fun Run is an excellent opportunity for people to challenge themselves to finish the multiple km walk or run. Registration will be open until the 17th of May 2017 only.

The event is hosted by the Rotary Club of Brisbane Centenary and the Rotary Club of Taylor Bridge

This Year’s Beneficiaries

Organisers are hoping to raise over $40,000 in funds that will be distributed among three beneficiaries, namely the Wesley Hospital Choices Cancer Support Centre (Choices), the BeefBank, and the Hatauda Nepal Children’s Hostel Chicken Farm Project.

Choices, based in Auchenflower, provides a caring and safe facility for people with cancer. The centre accommodates anyone with any type of cancer, making sure that they receive appropriate support and information to meet their sensitive needs. The service is provided free of charge and includes surgical, oncological and related health services from The Wesley Hospital in Brisbane. For more information, visit their website at www.uchealth.com.au/choices.

BeefBank is focused on providing meal packets to Foodbank organisations, which feed the homeless and disadvantaged members of several communities. BeefBank is completely run by volunteers so that all the funds they get go into the processing of the food packs. To learn more, visit the BeefBank website at www.beefbank.org.

The Hatauda Nepal Children’s Hostel Chicken Farm Project is a sustainable development project which involves building a chicken farm to produce fresh eggs for children at the Hetaunda Children’s Hostel. The chicken farm is also commercial, so the community will benefit from the economic benefits.

Interested in joining this year’s Rotary Fun Run? Head over to rotaryfunrun.com.au to register.

 

Senior men’s team plays at home for the first time in three decades on April 28.

After three decades, the Jindalee Jaguars once again has its own senior men’s team competing for a premiership cup.

It was back in 1986 when the Jags last had a stand-alone senior men’s team. This 2017 season, they will be competing again for a premiership cup in the Amateur B competition.

On Friday, April 28, they will play at home at the Jindalee Recreational Reserve to host Griffith Moorooka for the second round of the competition.

Forming the Team

Late last year, the Jags announced that the AFL Queensland had granted Jindalee a senior men’s licence, allowing the Jags to compete for a senior men’s premiership.

The men’s team is now playing in the QFA Division 5 competition and will go up against Collingwood Park, Ferry Grove, Coorparoo, Ipswich Cats, Mayne, Griffith Moorooka and Yeronga South Brisbane.

The Jindalee Jags Senior Men have been preparing since late last year. They hope to do well in the competition even though the players have not played together previously.

The senior men’s team will also be a good choice for Jindalee youth players who have aged out of the junior team or those who do not wish to play for another senior club. There may also be former Jindalee junior players who have played elsewhere but wish to come back to Jindalee.

Call for Local Support

Club president Corey Sells is excited about the formation of the new team as this means that Jindalee now has male and female teams for all age groups. He hopes the community will come and show their support for the new team.

Division 5 games are scheduled on Friday nights. Management hopes to turn the Friday night games at Jindalee a family event.

To encourage people to come and support the team, the canteen will be open during the games and there will be a lively atmosphere for supporters.

The team is being managed by Mike Jackson. Paul Manning sits as head coach, assisted by Daniel Holdsworth.

Sections of Centenary Motorway registered the slowest inbound traffic speed during peak hours, according to a March 2017 report comparing motorways and freeways in the Brisbane area

The report from the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) is based on Bluetooth average speed data from the Department of Transport and Main Roads for the month of March. The data covered state-controlled motorways and freeways in Brisbane and surrounding areas.

Topping the list are the section of the highway from Warrender St to Sumners Rd and the section 1.5km south of Toowong roundabout to Miskin St. Both sections registered an average inbound speed of 22 km/hr during peak hours from 6 am to 9 am.

The 22 km/hr speed from Warrender St to Sumners Rd is frustratingly slow compared to the average speed of 92 km/hr registered from 9 am to 4 pm. This peak-hour speed is 31% lower than the 32 km/hr speed in March of the previous year.

Traffic in other sections of the Centenary Motorway is also found to be up to 72 km/hr slower than the usual free-flow speed. Aside from Centenary Motorway, commute on some sections of Pacific Motorway is also significantly slow compared to uncongested traffic.

Need for Upgrade

Because of the steady decline in traffic speed in state-controlled corridors, RACQ believes that authorities should address the issue with Brisbane’s road network before it gets any worse.

RACQ spokeswoman Renee Smith stressed the need for the government to urgently invest in upgrades of the road infrastructure, especially as the Brisbane continues to grow and more vehicles fill the highways.

Ms Smith finds it alarming that commuters are forced to drive at a speed more than 70 km/hr below the usual speed during free-flowing hours.

Travel time reports and other road surveys and assessments done by RACQ are available at www.racq.com.au.

They started out in a small trailer, but five years hence, the Centenary Suburbs Men’s Shed has more room to grow in their new permanent home.

Men’s Shed 100 Inc, better known as Centenary Men’s Shed, has managed to grow continuously since it was formed in 2012. Now, the group has a place to call their own after moving from temporary headquarters.

With their new base, the Centenary Men’s Shed can conduct all their activities at three large sheds located at 139 Monier Rd in Seventeen Mile Rocks.

The group’s most recent shed was at the Jindalee Golf Club. But their number grew that it came to a point where their shed felt small for all their activities. The group managed to claim their new home with the help of the Brisbane City Council, the State Government, the Federal Government and sponsors such as Wacol-based Ausco Modular.

The buildings will be big enough to house all their tools and will be spacious enough to hold meetings as well as conduct the group’s carpentry, metal work and welding projects.

Disaster Brought Them Together

Centenary Men’s Shed was formed in 2012 after the region was devastated by floods in 2011. The 2011 disaster was one of the darkest moments in Brisbane. But out of that gloomy time, it was good that an organisation such as the Men’s Shed was born to bring people together.

Many people lost their possessions and lives were in disarray. The group served as a means for men to support one another during that time when people were recovering from the devastation.

Since its founding, the local group has been an excellent venue for men to come together, socialise and learn from each other.

The group conducts workshops and share skills and experience. More importantly, it is a great way for local men to form friendships and be socially active.

Centenary Suburbs Men’s Shed is part of the Australian Men’s Shed Association, which serves as the umbrella organisation for more than 930 Men’s Sheds across the country.

 

Photo credit: Milton Dick MP / Facebook

With the weather getting cold, it is good to know that there are kind-hearted people who are using their skills and creativity to give warmth to people in need.

Helping people in need is the main driving force of the Centenary Knitting and Crochet Circle. Members of the group share a common love for knitting and crocheting. They meet every fortnight at Sibro Coffee in Middle Park to knit or crochet squares that will be donated to various charity organisations.

Knit a Square

The charity activity is part of the annual “Knit a Square Campaign” of the Centenary ladies’ craft group. Blankets created by the members are given out to people who need to keep warm during the winter season.

Charity groups that receive blankets from the group include Life Without Barriers, the Giving Grannies Inc , and the Brisbane Motorcycle Street Feed. Through these charity organisations, the blankets can be distributed to homeless folks, children in foster care and victims of domestic violence.

Centenary Knitting and Crochet Circle has been creating blankets for charity for many years now. Group founder Inga Ng expressed happiness that with the group, they can all express their love for knitting and crocheting. At the same time, they are blessed with the opportunity to give back to the community.

Community Knitting Day

The group’s meeting every second Friday has attracted much attention from people who visit the coffee shop. Due to the number of enquiries and expression of intent to help or donate, Mrs Ng is setting up a community knitting day on July 15.

During the community knitting day, the group will invite people from the community to knit squares to add to the blankets they have made. Mrs Ng targets some 500 squares to be added from that event.

The July community event will be held at the Westside Church of Christ at Jamboree Heights.

 

Photo credit: CC-BY / derya / flickr