The lucky winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased her winning ticket at Nextra Mt Ommaney News in the Mount Ommaney Shopping Centre.
Photo Credit: Pexels
The woman, who has only bought Instant Scratch-Its a few times, said she felt something urging her to buy a couple of tickets that day.
Upon scratching the ticket and seeing the winning numbers, she was in disbelief. She expressed her gratitude to the universe, feeling like someone was looking out for her.
Photo Credit: Google Map
The win has come at an opportune time for the woman, who is looking forward to using the money to pay off debts and take a dream holiday. She also plans to share some winnings with her family and friends.
Nextra Mount Ommaney News manager Andie was thrilled to hear that one of her customers had won a big prize. She expressed her joy at the customer’s good fortune and stated that the news agency would celebrate the win and remind customers of the possibility of winning big with Instant Scratch-Its.
The woman’s win reminds us that anyone can win big on Instant Scratch-Its. In FY24, 143 Instant Scratch-Its top prize winners across The Lott’s jurisdictions took home over $12.12 million in top prizes.
During this same time, Instant Scratch-Its players enjoyed more than 26.4 million wins across all prize tiers worth more than $249.65 million.
A 56-year-old man is facing more than 100 charges related to the alleged covert filming of women and children at Mount Ommaney Shopping Centre. The incidents reportedly occurred between November 2023 and January 2024.
The case came to light on January 6 when a 12-year-old girl noticed she was being filmed on an escalator by a man using a camera attached to a walking stick. Her family promptly reported the incident to the police.
Following an investigation, the suspect was apprehended on January 11. A search of his camera allegedly revealed numerous indecent videos and photographs of women taken without consent in public areas of the shopping centre. A subsequent warrant executed at a Jamboree Heights residence uncovered additional electronic storage devices containing similar content.
Initially charged with five offences, including indecent treatment of a child under 16, the man appeared in court in February and was remanded in custody. However, after a thorough forensic examination of seized devices and CCTV footage, detectives from Inala’s Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU) have now laid 94 additional charges.
The suspect now faces a total of 106 counts of observations or recording in breach of privacy, one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 (take photograph), one count of attempted recordings in breach of privacy, and two counts of stalking.
The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 23. Police are urging anyone with information or who may have witnessed suspicious activity at Mount Ommaney Shopping Centre between November 2023 and January 2024 to come forward.
A ride-share driver was the victim of a violent carjacking early this morning in Mount Ommaney. According to Queensland Police, the 33-year-old male driver was transporting passengers in his white 2020 Toyota Camry when the incident occurred around 2:25 am on Arrabri Avenue.
The passengers allegedly threatened the driver and demanded his personal property and vehicle. He was assaulted on the back of the head while driving. When he pulled over, the victim handed over some personal items and his car to the assailants, who then fled the scene.
The stolen vehicle has the Queensland registration 033 GY4. Police are urgently appealing for any information, dashcam video, or CCTV footage from the Arrabri Avenue area around the time of the 2:25 am robbery that could aid in identifying the perpetrators.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Motorists are being warned to slow down and be on the lookout for deer on Centenary suburbs, especially in and around Mt Ommaney, Westlake, and Jindalee.
This comes after a video emerged showing a herd of deer crossing Westlake Drive, Mt Ommaney in front of an oncoming vehicle at night.
Many residents pointed out that there seems to be a growing deer population in Brisbane’s southwest, as clearly seen in the herds of deer wandering the streets and blocking roads.
Aside from creating a traffic hazard on roads, deer also damage native vegetation through browsing and trampling and ringbarking.
Photo credit: Debabrata Das/Pexels
One resident quickly connected an urban legend with respect to the growing number of deer in these suburbs.
“Urban legend is that there was a deer farm in Brisbane back in the day and the wife divorced the husband and opened all the gates and let them out,” the comment reads.
Based on the popular urban legend, a couple once owned a large deer farm in Pullenvale. Following their divorce, locals said that the wife of the deer farmer apparently opened the gates to let the animals escape.
Locals who have had deer sightings, especially in the western suburbs, believe these animals are either from the herd or the descendants of the herd from the Pullenvale farm.
Whilst the story seems absurd, the Pullenvale deer farm owner confirmed in a radio interview that he used to own over 500 deer, but they escaped as a result of his marital woes.
Photo credit: Olga Lioncat/Pexels
The farm owner, John, who now lives in Cairns clarified it was his former mother-in-law and not his ex-wife who opened the gates to his deer farm.
Meanwhile, collisions between deer and vehicles normally increase during winter, particularly around June, when they hunt for food or look for shelter.
Brisbane City Council reminds motorists to slow down when driving and exercise caution when they see deer or deer warning signs. Locals can submit a feral animal sightings report or call Council on 07 3403 8888.
A development application has been lodged with the Brisbane City Council calling for an extension of Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre, as well as the amalgamation of existing retail tenancies.
The application, which was lodged on the 4th of May 2021, aims to accomplish two things: to have the Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre expand by extending its existing eastern loading area, and to reconfigure existing floor space to make way for Cotton On, a new and large clothing retail tenancy. Designs for the new floor plan have been drafted by Buchan Group.
Both the expansion and the reconfiguration would entail the demolition of internal and external walls, as well as the removal of external doors and the existing loading area. The internal walls of shopping centre tenancies will also be removed to accommodate Cotton On.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Development.i
Three tenancies which total to an area of 332 square metres will be repurposed, and the building will also expand, increasing its gross floor area area by 326 square metres on top of having the loading area reconfigured.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Development.i
The proposal is yet to be approved. Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre can be found at 171 Dandenong Rd, open every day of the week from 9:00 a.m. onwards with the exception of Sunday, in which case it opens at 10:00 a.m.
For more information, visit their website here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the shopping centre and its proposed upgrades.
Curious Planet, the famous hobby store and bookshop formerly known as the Australian Geographic, is shutting down its doors for good. The outlet located just right outside of Woolworths at the Mt Ommaney Centre is folding its business, affecting all of 19 stores across Queensland and 63 other shops all over the country.
Once the haven for bargain textbooks for students in the early 1990s, Curious Planet was struggling to stay afloat in 2019 as it searched for new investors and pay off its $15-million debt to suppliers. Despite discussions with interested buyers, its owner, The University Co-operative Bookshop Limited or the Co-op Bookshop, failed to close a good deal.
Curious Planet outlets are currently conducting a stock fire sale across its chain of stores until mid-March. A banner on its online store indicates that the e-commerce shop is “now closed” whilst advertising its closing down sale in-store.
Photo Credit: Curious Planet
However, the outlets that have depleted their stocks have actually shut down in mid-January, leaving dozens of workers without a job. Despite the Christmas rush, the business failed to meet its sales target by over 40 percent in 2019 across all of its shops, including Mt Ommaney Centre.
Meanwhile, the Co-op Bookshop is also up for sale and is currently in the advanced stages of its discussions with a potential buyer. This is a separate business deal from the sale of Curious Planet.
Land values in the Brisbane City Council area increased by 6.8 percent overall since the last valuation in 2017. This overall land value increase is also reflected on Centenary suburbs, notably Jindalee and Sinnamon Park, according to the latest land valuation report published by the State of Queensland.
The latest land valuations report shows median land value in Jindalee increased 20.7 percent to $350,000 and Sinnamon Park’s climbed 20 percent to $420,000. Other Centenary suburbs also recorded moderate median land value increase: Mount Ommaney – $590,000 (9.3%), Middle Park – $365,000 (10.6%), Jamboree Heights – $350,000 (9.4%), Westlake – $410,000 (5.1%), Riverhills – 305,000 (10.9%), Sumner – $255,000 (10.9%), and Seventeen Mile Rocks – $340,000 (9.7%).
Queensland property is showing continued signs of strength in some areas, according to the recently released Valuer-General’s 2019 Property Market Movement Report. Based on the economic indicators, Queensland Treasury advise “dwelling investment in Queensland is entering a ‘recovery phase.’” This follows a 4.8 percent decline in 2017-2018, Queensland’s Valuer-General Neil Bray said.
“While approvals and construction have declined, the substantial amount of work remaining in the pipeline indicates dwelling investment is headed for a ‘soft landing’ compared with previous housing cycles,” he said
A total of 18 local government areas, representing 1.03 million properties, received new valuations this year: Brisbane, Burdekin, Cairns, Etheridge, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Longreach, Moreton Bay, Noosa, North Burnett, Redland, Somerset, South Burnett, Sunshine Coast, Weipa, and Western Downs.
Of the 18 local government areas that have been valued, 16 recorded an overall increase ranging between 4.9 (South Burnett) and 42.5 percent (Etheridge). There were nine LGAs with increases of 0-10 percent, five areas with increases of 10-20 percent, and two areas with more than 20 percent increases. Burdekin and Longreach, on the other hand, recorded overall decreases of 2.9 percent and 14.8 percent, respectively.
Majority of suburbs across Brisbane have recorded increase in residential land values, with most showing increases between five and 15 percent. Residential sector is the largest market sector in Brisbane, about 304,000 valuation. The median residential value has risen 7.1 percent as the overall median value increased to $455,000 from $425,000.
Thirty-seven residential suburbs remained unchanged, whilst 126 increased by up to 15 percent and 16 suburbs increased by more than 15 percent. Inner-city suburbs Woolloongabba (26.1%), Auchenflower (19.6%), Paddington (19.4%), and Milton (19.2%) have the largest median valuation increases.
The new valuations will become effective 30 June, however, landowners who have additional or new evidence to justify the need to alter the new valuations should provide such information through the online objections process via www.qld.gov.au/landvaluation or at the address shown at the top of their valuation notice, by 7 May 2019.
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.
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.
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 theBrisbane 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.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council
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.