Mount Ommaney Archives - Page 2 of 2

Cast Your Votes for 2019 Mount Ommaney Small Business Awards

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.

Work Begins on the New $7.7 Million Building for Mount Ommaney Special School

Mount Ommaney Special School (MOSS) is getting a new $7.7-million state-of-the-art, multi-storey building. Minister for Education and Industrial Relations Grace Grace facilitated the groundbreaking ceremony on 28th of June 2019 with MP for Mount Ommaney Jess Pugh, Principal Wayne Wilkinson and the architects.

The new building will have four classrooms on the second level, a therapy space, multi-skills rooms, an industrial kitchen and laundry section, an outdoor learning area, staff area, a commercial kitchenette, a store and other amenities. An undercroft area on the ground level will also be allotted for additional classrooms and further expansion.

The outdoor learning area is particularly special as it will have sensory gardens and a food garden, which will cater to the school’s vocational programs. These facilities have been designed to create a better environment for the students to learn and develop their skills, as well as experience new things.

The new school building will also create more engagement between the school, the students and the community. It has a target completion date of March 2020.

“This learning centre will be a game-changer for the school and I can’t wait to see the smiles on the students’ faces when it opens next year,” Mr Pugh said.

Deicke Richards (DR) has been commissioned to develop and build the new MOSS learning centre. Architects of the firm have closely consulted with school officials to integrate facets that will provide for the students’ needs.

“This facility will add significant value to our school, assist with enrolment capacity and greatly assist our ever-growing vocational education programs,” Mr Wilkinson relayed.

Proposed Mt Ommaney Entertainment and Leisure Precinct in Details

A more vibrant and lively Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre could become reality in the near future should the application for the Mt Ommaney Entertainment and Leisure Precinct be approved by Council.

The development application for the expansion of the shopping centre is currently being reviewed by Brisbane City Council. Vicinity Centres, owner of Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre, intends to create what the designer describes as a sculptural entertainment precinct. The sculptural area will be formed with cinemas in cubic forms and linked to the main mall via a serpentine bridge.

Along the sides of the serpentine bridge will be food and beverage outlets. There will also be open areas designed as gathering spaces for the community. Part of the open spaces will incorporate play structures for children, BBQ facilities and lawn mounds.

Landscaping along Dandenong Road will also be intensified as part of the proposed plan. From the cinema foyers, people will have a view of the green spaces.

Retail Spaces and Community Hub

Under the plan, some 11,000 square metres of dining and entertainment space will be added to the existing shopping centre. The expansion plan includes seven cinemas, food outlets, lifestyle and leisure spaces and a pub.

The proposal also involves the integration of the council’s library into the shopping centre. The DA also proposes to build a new community hub and a town centre to encourage after-hours activities. The existing community hub will be demolished and replaced by the new community centre under the plan.

Should the DA be approved according to schedule, construction should start before the end of the year. Completion is expected at the end of 2019 or early 2020.

Find out more about the proposed Mt Ommaney Entertainment and Leisure Precinct (DA A004984677).

Mount Ommaney Special School Celebrates Its Silver Anniversary

Mount Ommaney Special School will be holding its 25th anniversary on the 13th of November starting at 9:30 a.m.

Established in 1992, the school now has close to a hundred students. In celebration of their Silver Anniversary, the school will also pay tribute to their principal, Ian Lowe, who has presided over the faculty for almost 20 years. To recognise his dedication and service to the school, a playground will be named after him, to be officially launched in his honour on that day as well.

There will also be a showcase of photos and artefacts that show the school being built. The current Principal, Susan Christensen, is excited for their anniversary and very eager to see what lies for them in the future.

The school has won numerous awards through the years. In 2015, the school was awarded a regional Award for Inclusive Practices by Showcase Awards. In 2014, they also won an award for Excellence in Community Partnerships in recognition for their drama program.

Part of the school’s vision for the future is to have each student communicate independently through a system where technology will play a significant role.

Mount Ommaney & Other Centenary Suburbs Finally Get the Sumners Road Upgrade

After years of being stuck in traffic on Sumners Road, motorists will be glad to know that the road will now finally get an upgrade. An LNP Government will build the Sumners Road overpass upgrade to ease traffic congestion and also help improve the traffic flow on the Centenary Motorway.

LNP’s local MP Tarnya Smith has been lobbying for this upgrade for three years and now she has reached victory. It wasn’t an easy battle.

In 2016, residents signed a petition that gained more than 3000 signatures. However, there was no allocated funding for the project then, although a Transport and Main Roads study in 2010-11 supports the idea. There is a study that says that a duplication of the overpass would help reduce traffic congestion. The overpass serves the residents of Sumner, Jamboree, Riverhills, Middle Park, and Darra.

Residents have been trying their best to avoid the overpass when going to work or school because it would take you a long time to get to where you’re going if you go by this route. A lot of Centenary residents would drive to Oxley or Darra train stations instead of taking the buses as well.

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.

Music at the Hub is Back to Entertain at Mt Ommaney

It’s time for some relaxing and entertaining music again as Music at the Hub returns at the Centenary Community Hub in Mount Ommaney in June.

Music at the Hub is presenting musicians Jodi Murtha and Angela Toohey on Saturday, 17 June 2017. The event will be from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Jodi is a Brisbane-based folk musician known for her laid back style of acoustic songs. Her music is described to have strong melodies with interesting stories. Jodi performs all over South East Queensland as a soloist, bass player or backing vocalist. She released her first solo EP called “Contents Unknown” in 2016.

Listen to Jodi’s music at Soundcloud.

Visit Jodi’s website at www.jodimurtha.com for more information.

Angela writes emotive ballads exuding love, loss and growth. Her music is rich in imagery and occasional howling at the moon. Angela draws from her musical theatre experience to entertain and captivate the audience. Learn more about Angela’s music at www.angelatoohey.com.au.

(credit: lisaminooli42/YouTube)

Angela’s top notch vocals and strong rhythm guitar amazingly blended with Jodi Murtha’s instinctive bass and harmonies will surely make the mid-year Music at the Hub one enthralling evening.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, 17 June 2017,
Venue: Centenary Community Hub, 171 Dandenong Rd, Mount Ommaney
Cost: $10 per person. Free entry for those 14 years old and below.

Bookings are appreciated and recommended to help organisers in setting up the venue. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are also available. There will be light meals such as cheese, nibble platters and snacks. Limited beer, wine, coffee, tea and soft drinks will be sold at affordable prices.

For bookings, email info@ccconnect.asn.au or call 0499 999 772 to secure your table.

Mindfulness Comes to Mt Ommaney

Less stress, better sleep and a joyful life. These are just some of the benefits that the Mindfulness Works course offers people in the Centenary area.

Two sets of mindfulness meditation workshops will be held at the Centenary Community Hub in Mount Ommaney. The classes will be conducted by occupational therapist Debbi Lacey, an expert in stress and anxiety management. She is trained in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

The mindfulness workshop will be held on four Thursdays and is suitable for beginners or those who have never practised meditation before.

The Centenary sessions are part of the Mindfulness Works training sessions happening at different venues in Brisbane.

With the workshop, participants can have a better understanding of mindfulness meditation and how they can practise it every day. The course is not simply an introductory training session. Attendees will be able to practise between classes so they can experience the benefits of mindfulness in their daily lives.

The workshop promises to be a practical and fun activity where the language used is straightforward and modern. It will be perfect for people who are interested in learning this meditation technique to help them cope with everyday stress and live a more fulfilling life.

Find out more about mindfulness meditation in this short video.

The sessions at the Centenary Community Hub will be on 4 Thursdays from May 4 to May 25 and from July 27 to August 17.

For more information, visit the Mindfulness Works Australia website at mindfulnessworksaustralia.com.au.

Get directions to Centenary Community Hub, Mt Ommaney.