Did you know that there is a chocolate factory in Seventeen Mile Rocks that offers healthy delights filled with superfood ingredients? If you haven’t visited 17Rocks at 149 Bluestone Circuit on its regular trading hours during the weekday, you can finally drop in on a Saturday.
17Rocks recently announced that it will be adding another trading day just for your Christmas shopping convenience. Beginning the 2nd of Nov 2019, the factory will open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Saturday until Christmas.
So, if you’re planning to fill up your Christmas list with 17Rocks goodies, you could set a weekend trip to their store when you’re busy during the weekday.
The chocolate factory is barely a year old in Seventeen Mile Rocks, after having officially opened in March. 17Rocks is a family business that creates stone-ground chocolates using beans imported from Papua New Guinea.
“We roast our beans at a low temperature to minimise any chemical and physical changes, reducing the concentration of volatile acids (bitterness). We stone-grind the beans to release the cacao butter and create a delightful, smooth, rich and flavoursome chocolate.”
Their products, churned in small batches, are free of additives and preservatives. They use the natural flavours of whole fruits, nuts and spices like matcha, gingko and turmeric in their ingredients.
17Rocks also offer sugar-free and vegan chocolates.
“Our purest, healthiest chocolate is our 500BC bean to bar chocolates. Our 500BCs are inspired by the Maya people who are credited with developing the process of making pure chocolate, and in doing so, creating a world of chocolate lovers.”
After Christmas, the chocolate factory will revert to its regular trading hours from Monday to Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Want to do something fun yet worthwhile for the community? Call your family and friends and gather for the 4074 the Farmers Colour Explosion in Seventeen Mile Rocks this month.
Hosted by 4074 Community and Beyond in conjunction with Australian Fundraising, the colourful event will take place on the Rocks Riverside Park at 5 Counihan Road, Seventeen Mile Rocks on 28 April 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Colour Explosion is a traditional run with a fun and colourful twist. Participants will be drenched in non-toxic colour powder across seven colour powder stations.
There will be markets, food trucks and the sausage sizzle by the Rotary Jindalee, so come along, have fun, and raise funds for the community.
Ticket costs $15 for adults or participants who are 16 years old and above and only $10 for children, or participants ages 1-15.
Australian Fundraising has been helping groups raise funds since 1995 and has hosted big fun run events like the School Run 4 Fun and the Run 4 Fun Colour Explosion.
All of the proceeds will go to Rotary Charleville to help the Charleville farming community.
New South Wales and Queensland farmers are dealing with drought conditions and cannot produce enough food to feed the animals. Fundraising campaigns like this can help pay for the cost of keeping animals alive.
Since 2014, Rotary has helped rural western Queensland communities hit hard by the drought through the Rotary Drought Relief Program. Over $1M has been raised to date, in partnership with a variety of private, non-profit, and corporate sponsors.
Rotary’s program uses a ‘whole of community’ approach and is completely run by volunteers and does not incur any overhead or administrative expenses.
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.
A development application for a modern recycling depot at 9 Counihan Road, Seventeen Mile Rocks has been lodged. The facility is expected to be finished before the Container Refund Scheme goes live on 1 November.
According to TOMRA, they have taken lease of the said property for the re-use and fit-out of the existing building tenancy. There will be no increase in gross floor area or changes to ground or floors levels.
Proposed site
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au
Proposed plan
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au
The project will involve the reuse of the existing building for the purpose of a Container Refund Depot. Beginning 1 November 2018, all CRS eligible beverages sold will include in part, a 10c deposit. This deposit can be redeemed at any Container Refund Point. Refund points are the sites where residents can return their eligible empty beverage containers for a refund of ten cents for each container. The returned beverage containers are then collected for recycling.
TOMRA is one of the designated refund point operators. TOMRA’s modern depot will be managed by an on-site supervisor and will be supported by a QLD based operations team. “TOMRA will also have several specially trained technicians, to complete all required machinery maintenance or attend any malfunction or breakdown. These technicians can be at all proposed QLD Modern Depots within 3 hours, ensuring minimum downtime.” according to development proposal lodged by TOMRA.
To further assist with addressing technical faults, TOMRA will also implement a live monitoring of each individual RVM and bulk sorting machine. This ensures that any fault or complaint received will receive prompt action from a QLD-based TOMRA employee, or in some cases, remotely rectified
About the Container Refund Scheme
By incentivising consumers to return their empty beverage containers, the Container Refund Scheme or “Containers for Change,” aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste from container litter through recycling.
Video credit: Containers for Change /YouTube
“There will be a range of different type of refund point options such as permanent depot-style points, bag drops and reverse vending machines,” according to the Minister for Environment Leeanne Enoch.
“Some container refund points will be mobile and use the ‘pop up’ concept to ensure the reach of our scheme extends into regional and remote areas.
“By providing a range of convenient and accessible refund point solutions more Queenslanders will be able to participate in and benefit from the scheme,” Ms Enoch said.
Implementing Organisation and Operator
Container Exchange (CoEx), the Government-appointed Product Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the CRS, will implement a total of 230 refund points across the state by the 1st of November.
TOMRAis one of the official operators of the Container Refund Scheme. They are expected to operate a total of 10 refund points which will be located in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba areas.
“Each depot will be equipped with 9 to 12 TOMRA reverse vending machines, a bag-drop option and TOMRA’s Bulk Collection Systems to handle returns of large numbers of containers. The popular myTOMRA app will also provide opportunity for electronic payout of recycling refunds and details on depot locations and opening hours,” TOMRA’s website said.
The RVM and Bag Drop options provide a refund to the customer. Refund can be through electronic payment or printed voucher. A customer may opt to donate to a charity as well. This means all TOMRA depots operate on a cashless basis.
How to Participate in Containers for Change
To participate, consumers should follow four key steps:
Collect eligible containers
Create your scheme account
Take your containers to a refund point
Collect your refund or make a donation
Excluded Beverage Containers
Generally excluded containers are those that are less than 150ml and greater than 3L. Other excluded containers include:
Any plain milk containers
Any glass containers which have contained wine or pure spirits
Containers 1L or more which have contained flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice, cask wine or cask water
Concentrated/undiluted cordial or syrup containers
Sachets above 250ml which have contained wine
Registered health tonics
Plain milk bottles, glass wine bottles, and other excluded containers that can still be recycled may be dropped off at existing kerbside collection or drop-off services.
For information regarding eligible containers and for more updates, you may check the Containers for Change or Containers Exchange website.
Centenary, as it is known today, consists of several suburbs namely, Jindalee, Mount Ommaney, Jamboree Heights, Middle Park, Westlake, Riverhills, Sumner, Sinnamon Park, and Seventeen Mile Rocks.
Do you know how and why Centenary was formed? Let’s take a look back at the historic past of Centenary and the origins of the names of its suburbs.
Photo credit: cshsoc.org.au
In 1959, Queensland’s Centenary Year, a land developer named Hooker Rex planned the Centenary project. The project was a suburban development proposal that included a number of neighbourhoods with their own services and facilities that are capable of providing for all the needs of its residents.
The development started with the purchase of farmland in 1960. The contract for 1,416 hectare-development was agreed upon by the Council in 1961.
Photo credit: Kgbo/Wikimedia Commons
The Centenary Bridge and Highway were among the most important parts of the development as it provided access to and from the city and the northern suburbs. Officially opened on 14 October 1964, the Centenary Bridge was financed by the developers while the Centenary Highway was built by the Brisbane City Council still at the developers’ expense.
The suburbs and industrial estates that were planned to be a part of the Centenary project were Jindalee, Jamboree Heights, Mount Ommaney, Riverhills, Westlake, Middle Park, and Sumner. Meanwhile, Seventeen Mile Rocks and Sinnamon Park were developed separately.
Photo credit: Facebook/Brisbane Retro
The development was under the management of a public company called the Centenary Estates Limited for six years. In October 1967, the private shareholders were bought out by the Hooker Corporation Limited and the entire project was once again owned by the corporation.
The Establishment of the Centenary Suburbs
Jindalee
Photo credit: Twitter/Property Observer
Jindalee is an Aboriginal word which means “bare hills”. The establishment of the suburb in September 1962 brought the first public transport in the area, a bus going to and from Oxley Station.
Among the earliest establishments in the district were the Jindalee Golf Course, Swimming Pool, Bowls Club and the Looranah St. shopping centre. With its well-established golf course, swimming pool, and sporting facilities, it wasn’t long before Jindalee became a centre for sporting activities.
Jamboree Heights
Jamboree Heights was initially a part of Jindalee. When the Boy Scout held it’s Eighth Australian Pan-Pacific Scout Jamboree in Brisbane, Hooker Centenary provided the site. Later on, the place came to be called Jamboree Heights.
The 50th Anniversary of that historic Jamboree was celebrated in Jamboree Heights in January 2018. During that time, the participants learned more about the first Queensland Jamboree in 1967-1968.
Mount Ommaney is considerably larger than Jindalee and Jamboree Heights. Despite the sloping nature of the terrain in the area, Hooker Centenary was able to develop a number of “Private Courts” in Mount Ommaney in January 1970, a feat considered a first in Australia.
Photo credit: www.mcleodgolf.com.au
Each private court contains approximately seven homes, each with their own private entrance and shared private ownership of internal roads and nature strips.
Mount Ommaney became a prestige homesite that offers excellent views of the mountains and the city.
The suburb is also home to the first women’s golf club in Australia, the McLeod Country Golf Club, which was completed in 1969. The original golf club was comprised of 9 holes and a clubhouse. It was later extended to a full complement of 18 holes in 1971.
Riverhills
Photo credit: realestate.com.au
Riverhills is named for its ideal location offering sweeping panoramic views of the Brisbane River. In January 1973, it was mainly marketed by the developer as a suburb for young people with young families, designed with a cul-de-sac concept that focuses on having a quiet environment with lots of privacy. Many of its streets were named after rivers, lakes, and other waterways of the world.
Westlake
Photo credit: raywhitecentenary.com
Westlake was named by the developers in June 1973 for its nine-hectare freshwater lake. The developers maximised the landscape to give most of its homesites a view of the vast lake.
Sumner
Sumner was named after the Sumner family who had been farmers and landholders in the area. Though the name was originally given to a road, the suburb later adapted the name in 1969.
Seventeen Mile Rocks
Photo credit: Google Street View
The Seventeen Mile Rocks suburb used to include Sinnamon Park in 1975 as it extended farther west. With the development of Sinnamon Park, the boundaries of the suburb changed and currently, part of the Edenbrooke Estate is in Seventeen Mile Rocks and part in Sinnamon Park.
Seventeen Mile Rocks have gone through several developments under different estate developers namely ECOSSE Investments Pty Ltd, BMD Constructions, Baldwin-Riverlands, and Verandah.
Middle Park
Middle Park was strategically named by the developers in July 1976 to reflect its location in the middle of the Centenary Suburbs. The area offers northerly views of the McLeod Country Golf Club.
Sinnamon Park
In 1989, Sinnamon Park was developed originating from the suburb Seventeen Mile Rocks. The new suburb was named after the family of James Sinnamon and Margaret, who were the pioneer European settlers in the area.
Photo credit: monumentaustralia.org.au
Today, Sinnamon Park houses a memorial dedicated to Thomas Macleod to celebrate his historic flights on 22 December 1910.
These are the historical origins of the names of the Centenary Suburbs. To have a deeper grasp on the history of Centenary, visit Centenary Suburbs Historical Society Inc.
Senior residents 50 years and above who wish to start riding their bicycles again are encouraged join the Back on Your Bicycle event at Rocks Riverside Park on May 15th.
The event is a refresher course specifically designed for senior members of the community who want to pursue biking as a regular physical activity. It is part of the Growing Older and Living Dangerously (GOLD) programs of the Brisbane City Council’s Active and Healthy Lifestyle initiative. GOLD events are free or low-cost programs for residents 50 years old and above.
Back on Your Bicycle is free of charge and will teach participants the basics of helmet use, bike safety check, bike handling, biking etiquette and gear use. Attendees will have to bring their own bike, helmet and water.
Event Details:
When: Monday, 15 May 2017, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Where: Rocks Riverside Park, 531 Seventeen Mile Rocks Road, Seventeen Mile Rocks
Bookings: Call Jan Stevenson at Cycle Away on 0427 431 481
Ideal Physical Exercise
The refresher course should be an excellent opportunity for seniors to start enjoying cycling again. Some people shun the idea of older people taking on cycling for fitness, when in fact, it is one ideal exercise that senior folks will enjoy.
There has been a reawakening in bicycle riding among seniors. Because of the fun in riding the bike, seniors are more likely to stick to the healthy activity.
What makes biking stand out is that it can be a fun physical activity whether the person is riding alone or riding with friends. The city council’s Back on Your Bicycle event should be able to help seniors take on this fitness activity once more.
Residents in and around Seventeen Mile Rocks who feel the need to start and pursue a healthy lifestyle should be happy that there is a free weekly 5km run right in their neighbourhood.
The parkrun happens every Saturday at 7 am at Rocks Riverside Park and participants need not pay to join.
What is Parkrun?
Parkrun is a global movement where local volunteers organise a free weekly run for the community. The runs are timed, so participants are competing against themselves. Parkrun events are set in pleasant parkland surroundings and are open for beginners, walkers and even professional runners.
Participants warm up for the week’s parkrun. (Photo credit: Rocks Riverside parkrun / Facebook)
In Australia, several parkrun events happen each week. The event at Rocks Riverside caters to locals in the Centenary area and nearby suburbs. Participants only need to register once so that their runs can be timed. They can still join the run without registering, but their run will not be timed.
Parkrun runners from other countries do not have to register again if they want to join the parkrun in Seventeen Mile Rocks.
The 5km-run in Seventeen Mike Rocks start from the Pavilion near the main playground. It follows a course that turns to the Riverside walkway towards Jindalee Bridge, then returns along the same path.
The course is a mix of concrete paths and asphalt paths, with some sections possibly getting mud and puddles after rain. The paths are shared paths so runners are reminded to be courteous to other park users.
Coffee After
The parkrun is not just about exercising and maintaining a healthy habit. The weekly event is also an excellent way to meet new acquaintances in the neighbourhood. After each run, participants enjoy coffee together at as local café.
Run by Volunteers
There is no fee required to join the weekly run as it is made possible by sponsors and volunteers. Anyone can join and volunteer for the parkrun. Each week, there is a different set of volunteers. The Rocks Riverside parkrun is continuously looking for volunteers to help in different aspects of event organisation.
Volunteers take on tasks such as timing the runner, scanning the runner’s barcodes, general marshalling or any other tasks to make sure the event goes smoothly. Interested in getting involved? Head over to the volunteer section of the Riverside Rocks parkrun website to find out more.
His name is a familiar to people in Sinnamon Park and the Centenary area. A street and a park are named after him. There is even a monument for him in Sinnamon Park so people will never forget his valuable contribution to aviation in Queensland.
Thomas Macleod may be prominent in the Centenary area, but what many probably don’t know is that he was instrumental in giving flight to aviation in Queensland. His historic flight happened on present-day Seventeen Mile Rocks Road in Sinnamon Park, near the monument created for him on Windermere Avenue.
Born on June 5, 1881, Macleod was an aviator, barrister, air force officer and defence forces personnel before he retired as a sheep grazier.
First Flight in Queensland
The historic flight on December 22, 1910 was reported by The Courier newspaper to be the first time a biplane glider rose from the ground in Queensland. On that day, Macleod became the first to fly a heavier-than-air biplane glider built in Queensland.
After several glides, he flew to a height of 12-14 ft. The glider he used was built according to the Wright brothers’ pattern, except for some alterations, including receding wing tips.
People who watched and observed the experiments marked that day as the start of practical aviation in Queensland. One hundred years after, on December 18, 2010, the memorial at Sinnamon Park was dedicated to Thomas Macleod to celebrate his historic flights on that day.
Monument celebrating Major Thomas Macleod’s successful flight in 1910. (Photo credit: CDH/CSHSoc)
Contributions to Aviation
Macleod was instrumental in developing the field of aviation in Queensland. He formed the Queensland Volunteer Flying Civilians in 1914 where members were trained in the art of aerial warfare using a reconstructed Cauldron at Hemmant. He served in the Royal Flying Corps along with other members of the flying school.
Six months prior to his historic flight, Macleod helped form the first Aero Club in Queensland in June 1910. Following World War I, the club started flight training. In 1920, the government granted them license to carry passengers and do aerial work.
Queensland Aero Club was granted Royal Charter in 1935 and took on its present name, Royal Queensland Aero Club. The club conducted flight training in Queensland under contract with QANTAS, where Macleod was among the early directors.
One of his more important actions as director of QANTAS was to establish the airline’s involvement in the original Royal Flying Doctor Service. He was instrumental in providing an aircraft for the aeromedical organisation.
Macleod’s contribution to aviation in Queensland was immense and the monument dedicated to him serves to celebrate his feats. The next time you pass by Seventeen Mile Rocks or the Thomas Macleod monument, remember how this was where Queensland aviation first took flight.
Every dog lover knows how much their dog wants to have some freedom to run carefree without the restraint of the leash. Brisbane dogs are lucky as there is a host of parks where they can roam and play freely off the leash.
Brisbane has over a hundred dog off-leash parks. (Photo credit: (Forest Lake Off-Leash Dog Park / Facebook)
In the Centenary area, there are several parks that allow dog owners to let their dogs loose. These dog parks are fenced areas where dogs can run around and socialise with other dogs and park visitors.
The use of the dog parks comes with some responsibility on the part of the owner. Brisbane City Council reminds dog owners of their obligations when releasing their dogs in the park.
Before they can use any Centenary designated dog park, the dog must be registered with the City Council, wormed regularly and should have updated vaccinations. The dog owner must also have full control of his or her dog.
The Dog owner should make sure that the dog does not have behaviour issues and can socialise well with other dogs and humans in the park. Dog owners should also take care of any dog droppings and dispose of them properly in poo bins provided inside the dog park.
Here is a list of dog parks in the Centenary area where you can go and set your dogs loose and give them an enjoyable time.
Thomas Macleod Park, Sinnamon Park
Thomas Macleod Park in Sinnamon Park provides the largest dog off-leash area in the Centenary area. The park is located at 40 Sinnamon Road and allocates 6,512 sqm of dedicated off-leash area for dogs.
(Photo credit: Centenary Pet Sitting / Facebook)
Visitors can feel relaxed and comfortable as there is a picnic shelter, benches, table with benches, tap, dog water, trash bin and poo bin to help them clean up after their furry friends.
Jindalee Boat Ramp Park, Jindalee
In Jindalee, locals can bring their pets to the Jindalee Boat Ramp Park at 99 Mt Ommaney Drive. This park has good facilities for its 912-sq-m dog off lease area, with bench seat, dog water, bubbler, poo bin and regular trash bin.
Phil Denman Park, Jamboree Heights
The Jamboree Heights dog park is at Phil Denman Park located at 56 Loffs Road. The park, which has a basketball/netball court, provides 2,298 square metres of dog off-leash area. The Phil Denman Park has a picnic shelter, bench and table, bubbler, dog water and poo bin. The park also includes a dog agility and exercise equipment.
Wolston Creek Bushland Reserve, Riverhills
(Photo credit: Centenary Pet Sitting / Facebook)
Located in Riverhills, Wolston Creek Bushland Reserve has an off-leash dog area of 2,621 sqm. The dog park is off Sumners Road and has regular park amenities such as benches and tables, picnic area and tap.
The dogs are provided with dog water and there is a poo bin for dog droppings.
Tigris Street Park, Riverhills
There is also a dog off-leash park at 22 Tigris St in Riverhills. Dogs can run and play around the dog park of 1,516 square metres. Aside from benches, picnic shelter and tables, there is a bubbler, tap and poo bin at the dog park.
Barcoorah Street Park, Westlake
Dog owners can opt to bring their dogs to the Barcoorah Street Park, located at 88 Barcoorah St in Westlake. The area is a bushland with a dog off-leash park on Loffs Road.
Delapine Place Park, Seventeen Mile Rocks
Delapine Place Park at 6 Delapine Place provides an off-lease dog park with an area of 3,399 square metres. There are bench seats in this dog park.
Locations of off-leash dog parks in the Centenary area. (credit: Brisbane City Council)
