The subject site at 31 Dover Street in Albion which was acquired by Opencorp for $11 million in 2016 spans 5,600 sqm and is now planned for residential development.
Designed by Hayes Anderson Lynch, the proposal will contain 218 with a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments across two towers. It will be set adobe a common basement car parking and will offer extensive communal spaces on the ground level/basement and rooftop of both buildings.
If approved, the twin-tower development will be delivered in two stages with the southern apartment tower containing 110 units and the northern tower comprising 108 units.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/ Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/
“The built form comprises two towers that are designed to recede from the site frontage and from each of the side and rear boundaries, incorporating substantial articulation, high architectural design merit, and preserving 10% deep planting to ensure apparent building mass is well managed and an attractive streetscape and interface with development to the east is ensured,” the RPS assessment report states.
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/ Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/
“The ‘V’ shaped floor plate design ensures that no apartments look directly into one another, and provides for substantial communal open space within the site. Accordingly, apartments in each tower are oriented at 90 degrees to each other, and the apartments look
out over and into the communal open space.A total of 371 car parking spaces for residents, 55 for visitors, and resident bicycle storage will be provided under the proposal.”
Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/ Photo credit: Brisbane City Council / developmenti.brisbane.qld.gov.au/
Meanwhile, the proposed open spaces will be provided in the form of private balconies available for each unit whilst extensive communal spaces occupying 25 per cent of the site will be situated at the ground level and on each rooftop of the twin towers.
Pets, like humans, have different personalities and quirks. New data suggests that unexpected events or various mishaps and illnesses that lead to vet visits can be better understood by looking into these 4 key pet personas and the health risks commonly found in each type.
GapOnly®, an innovative payment solution powered by PetSure, has identified four key pet personas – Munchers, Opportunists, Daredevils, and Wranglers, each with its unique set of potential health conditions and mishaps that pet parents can look out for.
Munchers are the kind of pet that you can’t leave alone at a family BBQ. From erasers to socks and human medication, their love of food could land them at the vet for treatment for ingestion of foreign bodies, ingestion of toxins or even diabetes over the long-term. The average case amount for claims related to the Muncher was $1,196 with an average benefit reimbursed of $843 or 71 per cent. In some cases, claims related to Munchers were as high as $33,334 for dogs.
Opportunists are cousins to the Muncher – also food-driven, they are cheeky and clever and they know how to work a room to get what they want. Claims related to Opportunists include ingestion of foreign bodies, pancreatic disease and gastrointestinal conditions. The average size of a claim related to Opportunists was $842, while the largest claim amount for the Opportunist archetype for dogs was over $40,000.
Daredevils are bold and courageous but could head to the vet for claims related to bone fractures, tissue damage or traumatic injury and musculoskeletal conditions. The average size of a claim for conditions related to Daredevils was $659, and in some cases, it was as high as $38,000.
Wranglers are keen to get off the beaten track, and likely to encounter not-so-friendly critters on their way. Snake bites, insect bites and tissue damage or traumatic injury are potential conditions for these pets, with claims related to Wranglers representing eight per cent of annual cases. The average case for conditions related to the Wrangler was $562 while the largest amount claimed for dogs was also as high as $38,000.
Photo Credit: Supplied
The research comes as pet ownership booms in Australia, with 69 per cent of households having a pet, and nearly half (45 per cent) of current pet owners being categorised as ‘less experienced’ having purchased a pet during the pandemic (up from 39 per cent in 2021).
Dr Maria Neale, Veterinarian and General Manager at GapOnly®, said summer is a peak season for pet purchasing and adoption, meaning many people are currently navigating a new pet parent role.
“Researching your breed and speaking to your local vet about your pet’s behavioural tendencies is key to being a responsible pet owner.
“First-time pet owners simply may not be aware of the unexpected mishaps that can occur, and the costs associated with veterinary care.
“If you’ve got a pup who is a Muncher, avoid feeding them leftovers from your barbeque as this could lead to a trip to the vet, a stay in hospital or even surgery. The average claim value for ingestion of a foreign body in 2022 was $1,520.”
Dr Neale said pets can be unpredictable, so having measures in place to protect them in the event that they get injured or fall sick is vital – no matter what age or breed your pet is.
“Despite the higher rates of pet ownership and an annual increase in claims, just 17 per cent of dog owners and 12 per cent of cat owners hold a pet insurance policy. And in fact, research shows 35 per cent of dog owners haven’t looked into or don’t know pet insurance is available in the first place!
“However, many policies pay a benefit of up to 80% of eligible bills up to the value of $30,000 or more² and with GapOnly® customers can claim on the spot, simply paying the gap** between the vet’s invoice and the insurance claim benefit.
“We see the value of pet insurance in clinics everyday, empowering customers to make decisions quickly, so they can focus on pursuing the recommended course of treatment for their pet without worrying about having to make a difficult decision based on cost,” she said.
Sime Darby Motors Australia will soon be making its way into Brisbane Airport Corporation’s (BAC) warehouse and distribution facility located at its Export Park development.
The new Export Park comprises a 9,450 sqm warehouse facility, 550 sqm of offices, 104 on-site car parks as well as eight on-grade roller shutters on a dual street frontage.
Sime Darby Motors Australia’ new facility will join warehousing and office facilities from RSEA Safety, GEODIS, DHL, Bonds Transport and Direct Couriers, creating 150 jobs during its construction.
Martin Ryan, BAC’s Executive General Manager Commercial, said that securing Sime Darby Motors Australia’s lease in the facility was quick after it was launched, an indication of the strong demand for industrial land at Brisbane Airport.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sime Darby Motors Australia to our growing network of logistics and transport companies and the broader BNE community,” he said.
“Our attraction of this global business demonstrates our unrivalled offering for industrial companies, with unparalleled transport connections and access to 24/7 operations.
“With Brisbane industrial vacancies at a six-year low, BAC is pleased to be in a position to be proactively developing first-class facilities in our prime location.”
“Sime Darby Motors Australia looks forward to expanding our Brisbane footprint with this significant new premises at Brisbane Airport,’’ Sime Darby Motors Group Retail Australia Managing Director, Matthew Wiesner said.
“We are pleased to be able to secure a large and well-appointed facility that is in such close proximity to the region’s major air, sea and land transport routes for maximum supply chain efficiency.”
Delivered using energy and heat efficient construction material, Export Park includes provision for solar energy and electric vehicle charging.
BAC is responsible for the sustainable development of the airport’s entire 2700-hectare lease holding and manages the $2 billion property portfolio.
Recent Airservices Australia data showed a significant increase in flights being directed over the waters of Moreton Bay as part of noise mitigation measures. Aircraft noise has been the subject of complaints from impacted residents in Ascot and other suburbs under the flight path since the new runway opened in 2020.
The latest Airservices Australia showed a 35 per cent increase in SODROPS, a mode of operation that directs aircraft landing and taking off over water to reduce the impact of aircraft noise.
“Brisbane Airport Corporation welcomes Airservices Australia data showing a rise in SODPROPS mode because it directs all flights over water and shields communities from the impact of aircraft noise, while still delivering Queensland the significant benefits travel and trade offers,” Stephen Beckett, Brisbane Airport Head of Public Affairs said.
“We look forward to an expansion of Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations as Airservices Australia methodically and safely implements the independent Trax International recommendations.”
The SODPROPS trial has been expanded since it was launched in 2022, from between the hours of 10 pm to 6 am, it now includes Saturdays 6am-8am, 8pm-10pm and Sundays 6am-8am.
The expansion has since resulted in a 30 per cent rise (data between 9 July and 9 November 2022) or an increase of 137 hours, compared to the numbers recorded between 9 March and 8 July 2022. That is equal to additional 799 aircraft flights directed over water instead of flying over the city.
“The trial reflects Airservices’ commitment to improving noise outcomes for the Brisbane community, where safe and operationally feasible,” an Airservices Australia spokesperson said.
Photo credit: Brisbane Airport / .bne.com.au
Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance, however, was not as enthusiastic with the figures. They argue that whilst there was an increase in aircraft movements over the water, “there has also been a steep increase in the post-COVID recovery, which likely saw 30% more aircraft movements over the city, too.”
“…BFPCA will verify Airservices’ misleading claims once BITRE data for these time periods becomes available,” BFPCA’s statement said.
“BFPCA found that while SODPROPS for weekend use has gone up slightly, total SODPROPS movements for 24 hours have gone down. The number of planes over our homes have actually increased as well and getting back to pre-COVID levels.
“This means we still see only 52% over the Bay for a 24 hour period since opening of the new runway or 48% operating over the city. An overall increase of 2% from when only the Legacy runway was in use.
“Airservices seems to take the view that SODPROPS is limited by environmental factors and capacity constraints. BFPCA suggests that it is the number of flight movements that should be limited by the ability to safely use SODPROPS. That is how this project was sold to the community by Brisbane Airport and Airservices.”
Airservices Australia plans to increase SODROPS mode with an increased capacity, enhanced decision-making criteria and flight path changes for daytime operations, which have a proposed completion by Q4 2023 at the year’s end.
Eighty years after their service to the Australian military, three of the clandestine band of female codebreakers in Ascot who helped Allied Forces win World War II in the Pacific were honoured with the Australian Intelligence Medal on Australia Day 2023.
The surviving Ascot codebreakers, Joyce Grace, Coral Hinds and Ailsa Hale, were recognised for their top-secret work as Typex Operators with the Central Bureau Headquarters, which was established at a garage inside Nyrambla, a house in Ascot.
These women were collecting and decoding Japanese military communications to help the Allied Forces but they were not able to tell anyone, even their own families, of their highly-sensitive role in the Australian military.
Known as the “Garage Girls” because they operated from the basement of Nyrambla, an Ascot mansion that served as a secret intelligence base, the Ascot codebreakers were vital to Operation Vengeance. Cracking secret communications helped the Allies take down Japanese naval chief Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in 1943, essentially ending the war in the Pacific.
Admiral Yamamoto was the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Imperial Navy’s Combined Fleet during the Battle of Midway and the attack on Pearl Harbour.
Congratulations to the ‘Garage Girls’, Coral Hinds, Joyce Grace & Ailsa Hale for being awarded Australian Intelligence Medals. These exceptional women were critical to Allied victories in WWII. Their efforts shortened the war, saved many lives & paved the way for women in sigint. pic.twitter.com/AwsJaajBmz
Australian Signals Directorate Director-General Rachel Noble hailed the medal honourees as the “modern-day heroines” who have inspired Australians. Their recognition has been long overdue.
Ms Grace, who is celebrating her 100th birthday in March 2023, said she is proud of the honour. She recalls receiving a letter from the government asking her to leave her job at a draper store to help with the war effort.
She didn’t fully see the impact of her work as a codebreaker until 30 years later when they were finally allowed to divulge their top-secret roles in various features and documentaries. During the war, every one of the Garage Girls thought it was simply a job they had to do.
It’s been almost three years since Good Lookin’ Rooster opened its doors at Albion Central and this joint has already established a good following among the locals, especially those too busy to prepare lunch or dinner at home but still want a healthy ready-to-eat meal.
Good Lookin’ Rooster serves up free-range rotisserie chickens cooked to perfection using locally sourced ingredients. And you don’t have to buy the whole chook because smaller quarter and half portions are available as well.
Then pair it with delicious sides such as their seasoned-to-perfection potato chips, roasted baby chats potatoes with salt and pepper, and rotisserie corn cob with Cafe de Paris butter.
Roast Baby Chats, King Kernel Corn Cobs | Photo credit: Facebook / Good Lookin’ Rooster
Or you probably want a salad to go with it instead. Then your options include red quinoa w/ roasted corn, rocket, pickled onion & fire roast capsicum; traditional coleslaw with dried shallots, sesame seed & GLR citrus style aioli; and epic summer salad made with fresh Katherine mango, mesclun & rocket, roasted cashews, dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes, Spanish onions & fresh herbs.
Classic Chook & Chip Roll and Chips | Photo credit: Facebook / Good Lookin’ Rooster
But if you’re looking for a quick meal instead, then you’ll never go wrong with a Good Lookin’ Rooster’s delicious crusty roll filled with hot free-range rotisserie shredded chicken and served with either homemade gravy or homemade gravy with chips, a choice of any salad, or a combination of chips, salad and sauce.
“I’m a die hard foodie and the chicken was moist, tasty and hit all the right flavours. I hope it stays exactly the same as to what I just ate today – Sept 26, 2022 keep up the great work guys and we will be lifetime customers:)” – S. S.
“Food is very good. chicken is bigger and better then the chicken you get at a supermarket ad you can get fresh roast veggies and salads. Very good. I highly recommend if you are not in the mood to cook and wat something healthy, this place is great .” – D. Desantis
“Had trouble with delivery drivers through uber eats got called by the store and they were amazing and super friendly and just over all really nice about the whole situation and explained what was going on to me brilliant service thank you.” – K.. Hanlon
Good Lookin’ Rooster is located at Albion Central, 6 Crosby Road (Cnr Frodsham St) in Albion.
Visit their website here for a complete menu and updated operating hours.
Hoopers Heaven 37 is an indoor professional basketball training facility with air conditioning and will feature two different areas, The Splash Zone and The Lab.
Splash Zone is a shooting lane for up to two players with an NBA three-point line. It will also have 3D mapping technology, Dr Dish shooting machines, and on-court playback facilities.
Photo credit: Hoopers Heaven 37/Facebook
The Lab, on the other hand, will have an individual or team skills area with four hoops. It comes with 3D mapping technology and also a Dr Dish powered by the Internet, and its own shooting and ball skills area.
Basketball coach and former Brisbane Bullet Nigel Berghan decided to open the new basketball centre to give local athletes an opportunity to play at the highest level using the same technology as the world’s greatest players.
Photo credit: Hoopers Heaven 37/Facebook
It all started with his own daughter, also an athlete, who needed a space to train on.
Berghan looked at studies and discovered that shorter sessions are the way to go to maximise one’s training. This is why he decided to focus on short, high intensity sessions which roughly last for around 50 minutes.
The new centre will be one of the two new basketball facilities expected to open in the inner-city at the beginning of 2023.
Photo credit: The.Basketball.Lab/Facebook
The other one, The Basketball Lab located in West End, has just opened. It’s by far the city’s only 24-hour basketball facility and is currently open to players of all ages and skill levels.
The prestigious school for girls was just among over 50 schools in the State which are subject to tuition increase, brought by the rising inflation and overall cost of living pressures.
Tuition fee at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School starts at $4,788 per term for Pre-Prep, which is equivalent to $19,152 per annum. For Year 12, parents would have to fork out around $9,045 per term, or as much as $27,135 for a school year.
Photo credit: St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School/Google Maps
The fees at the girls’ school aren’t far behind Brisbane Grammar School, still the most expensive in the city, where parents of Year 12 students will have to pay around $30,320 a year.
The Anglican school has an all-inclusive fee policy, which means the fee covers the cost of all compulsory activities including tuition, QGSSSA sport, technology, year level camps, class excursions and a range of facilities used in the course of a normal school day.
Photo credit: St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School/Google Maps
However, the fee does not include textbooks, stationery, specialised equipment/materials or optional activities such as co-curricular sporting camps and tours, Global Exchange, overseas tours or private music/speech and drama lessons or instrument hire, all of which are a parent’s responsibility.
A 2022 School Fees Report from Edstart showed that the highest fee in Queensland reached $30,000 for the first time in 2022.
Photo credit: Edstart
Despite the highest fee in Queensland topping above $30,000 for the first time this year, it’s still significantly lower than the highest fee schools in NSW and Victoria where they are both above $43,000.
Meanwhile in Queensland, Brisbane has the second highest average increase with 3.66 percent, next to Gold Coast with 4.12 percent average increase.
According to Edstart, schools are now facing a combination of factors impacting their budget that are resulting in the need for them to revert back to higher fee increases in 2022.
Photo credit: Robert Goh/Google Maps
“Many schools also minimised fee increases and provided fee relief to families impacted by COVID-19 disruptions over the past two years, which has compounded the pressure on school budgets,” Edstart said.
Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au
The replica modelled sections of the platform and mezzanine levels for the four new underground stations of the Cross River Rail: Boggo Road, Woolloongabba, Albert Street and Roma Street.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the platform and mezzanine designs will share common design components, allowing for an easy and familiar passenger experience.
Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au
“Cross River Rail’s four new underground stations will quickly become an iconic part of Queensland, so it’s really exciting to get a taste of what they’ll be like to use,” Mr Bailey said.
“It’s pretty amazing to think that we’re getting a glimpse into the future of rail in Queensland in what, from the outside, looks like a regular warehouse in Eagle Farm.”
“While the underground stations’ buildings, ground levels and colour palettes will be different, their mezzanine and platform levels’ layout will be consistent, clear and simple, making the stations easy for all passengers to use,” he said.
Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au
Its ceiling design, he said, is a nod to the classic Queenslander veranda as it features ‘rafters’ and panel joints rather than the curved profile used by most underground stations across the world.
Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au
Meanwhile, the colours and materials used for each station’s floors and ceilings have been chosen to reflect the area’s surroundings.
Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au
“Brisbane’s new underground won’t just transform the way we travel – it will capture Queensland’s character and set a new benchmark for Australian station design.”
Mr Bailey added that the replica facility was like a display home for Cross River Rail station builders, allowing the team to see how the materials at each station will work together.
Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au
Despite the challenges brought by road closures at Kingsford Smith Drive, high rental costs, and the Covid-19 pandemic, the Racecourse Road Precinct in Ascot is back on track, with many small shops now thriving in the area.
Back in 2019, many businesses already vacated their spaces at Racecourse Road precinct, mainly because of the high rental costs. Besides the expensive lease, the upgrades at Kingsford Smith Drive, which took five years, also had an impact on businesses in the area, with most businesses noticing that their patrons stopped coming due to the road work disruptions.
Most of the shops lost their customers, especially when the Kingsford Smith Drive project started. One owner of a news and magazine shop revealed the business dropped to 40 percent following the upgrades when the road works began.
Come late 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic is at its height, things became worse for traders at Racecourse Road. At the time, around a third of all shops on the retail strip already shut down.
But as the line goes, tough times never last. Fast forward to 2022, many businesses have opened in the area and there are only five “for lease” signs at the strip.
Photo credit: Google Street View
There are a number of newly opened restaurants and bars in the area, including three new Japanese sushi bars, three Thai restaurants, gourmet burgers at Grill’d, and three pizza places.
One of the significant projects coming to the area is a $70 million development from Silverstone Developments, consisting of a mix of retail and medical spaces. As of writing, construction for the mixed-use building, which will have four storeys, is well underway.
Photo credit: PDT Architects
The project is expected to bring lots of new opportunities for businesses wanting to dominate the catchment.
Meanwhile, Brisbane City Council is also providing hands-on support in 2022-2023 to assist the Racecourse Road precinct as part of the Growing Precincts Together program.
This will involve business/vacancy assessments, a survey to gather feedback and ideas about the precinct, a precinct information session, precinct Coffee Connect catch-ups, hands-on support from Council about promoting, activating, supporting and refreshing the precinct, and regular e-newsletter updates to businesses.
