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Does This Albion Joint Serve the Best Chooks in Town?

Photo credit: Facebook / Good Lookin’ Rooster

Love roast chicken? Discovery why Albion is probably the home of the best chooks in Brisbane.

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.

1/4 Juicy Free-Range Chicken & sides | Photo credit: Facebook / Good Lookin’ Rooster

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.

Google reviews:

“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.

Published 21-January-2023

New Basketball Training Facility Hoopers Heaven 37 To Open In Albion

Albion welcomes 2023 with a new basketball centre called Hoopers Heaven 37, located in an industrial area along Greg Chappell Street.

Read: Royal QLD Golf Club in Eagle Farm Eyeing New Short Courses, Practice Facilities

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.

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.

Read: Racecourse Road Precinct Getting Back On Track

Meanwhile, Hoopers Heaven 37 is located at 17 Greg Chappell St, Albion. Stay updated about the centre’s opening by following them on Facebook.

Anglican Girls School In Ascot Among Schools In QLD To Increase Fees In 2023

A number of private schools in Queensland, including St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Ascot, will increase school fees by 2023.

Read: St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School #5 in Top 10 Most Expensive QLD Schools

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.

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.

“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.

Read: Ascot State School: A Century of Learning and Growth

Edstart added that changes to the federal government funding model for non-government schools will also continue to impact school budgets this year.

Edstart, founded in 2016, is a payment provider helping families and students manage the cost of education.

Cross River Rail Underground Station Interiors Replica at Eagle Farm Unveiled

Photo credit: Queensland Government / statements.qld.gov.au

Here’s a sneak peek at how the Cross River Rail underground stations will look from the inside, through a replica built in Eagle Farm.

Cross River Rail Underground Station Interiors Replica Unveiled — 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.

“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.

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.

Meanwhile, the colours and materials used for each station’s floors and ceilings have been chosen to reflect the area’s surroundings.

“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.

“Being able to see the design in-person gives you an idea of just how great these stations are going to be, and how they will come together.

“We’re also able to bring stakeholders here – like our accessibility reference group and station fit-out contractors – to see the design up close.”

Racecourse Road Precinct Getting Back On Track

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.

Read: Eagle Farm-based Luxxbox: Award-winning Product and Prestigious Clients

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.

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.

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.

Read: Construction Starts at Charlton House in Ascot Green

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.

Eagle Farm-based Luxxbox: Award-winning Product and Prestigious Clients

Eagle Farm-based boutique lighting manufacturer Luxxbox has emerged stronger than ever despite pandemic challenges, landing a prestigious award for its pendant lighting product and flexing its prestigious client list that includes Amazon, Ford, Pfizer, and Doordash.

Read: Inside Doughcraft, Home Of European Pastries In Albion

Jason Bird, an industrial designer, founded the business in 2006 in Fortitude Valley, with a vision of designing and manufacturing furniture, lighting and objects for both commercial and domestic use. In 2016, Bird and his team established an office and a factory in Eagle Farm.

However, when the pandemic began, Luxxbox was forced to ditch their furniture line and focus on acoustic lighting.

Acoustic lighting is an innovative lighting solution that combines a lighting source with sound-absorbing materials, to provide a luminaire that helps reduce unwanted noise in a space. It’s commonly used in offices, meeting rooms, and shared workspaces.

Running a business during the “worst of times” comes with many stumbling blocks, but Bird and his team still consider themselves lucky because in Queensland, manufacturing industries did not shut down, unlike in other states.

Award-winning Product

Shifting their concentration in their acoustic lighting products ended up like a blessing in disguise, because Hemii, one of their products, won the prestigious Architizer 2022 A+ award in the pendant lighting category, beating hundreds of entries from around the world.

Hemii is a large dome acoustic pendant made from durable acoustic PET and premium wool fabrics. It’s ideal for expansive spaces such as commercial areas and open-offices.

The product has been recognised by Architizer for its game-changing design, its versatility, being environmentally friendly, and being more efficient than single-purpose solutions available on the market.

“The pendant is beautiful and versatile, and its dual-purpose nature makes it inherently more efficient than other lighting fixtures,” Architizer said.

Along with the international recognition for Hemii, Luxxbox has other reasons to celebrate. Its growing client list includes heavyweights Amazon, Ford, Pfizer, and Doordash. Demand has grown to a point where in order to serve its growing market in North America, the company has also opened a new factory in California.

Read: Construction Starts at Charlton House in Ascot Green

Around 80 percent of Luxxbox’s revenue comes from the US market. They currently employ around 35 people for the new factory in California, in addition to 35 people they already have in Brisbane.

Despite having many clients overseas, the brand will continue manufacturing from their facility off Kingsford Smith Drive in Eagle Farm.

Amid Rising Car Theft Incidents, Youth Crime in Qld: Paralympian’s Wheelchair Accessible Car Stolen

Photo credit: Instagram/ karniliddell

Amidst a spate of incidents involving vehicle theft in QLD, former Paralympian and disability advocate Karni Liddell lost her wheelchair-accessible car, just months after losing her Hendra home to floods.

Karni Liddell’s Honda Odyssey was stolen whilst in a “secure” car park in Kangaroo Point in October 2022. The loss was a blow, coming on the heels of her home in Hendra being flooded in March, forcing her to rent an apartment whilst she recovers from the incident.

The Honda Odyssey was fitted with a ramp and hoist to allow her to easily lift her 35-kg wheelchair in and out of the car. According to the report, her $40,000 wheelchair was also stolen, allegedly by a “17-year-old-looking” boy. Her wheelchair has since been found, dumped on the side of the road in Woolloongabba.

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A post shared by karniliddell (@karniliddell)

“My wheelchair accessible Vehicle was stolen yesterday from my secure underground carpark. This car has a wheelchair hoist in the boot which lifts my 35+ kg wheelchairs ($40000). Not only has my car been stolen but my wheelchair has also been stolen,” her social media post reads.

“I’ve always said that a person in a wheelchair’s accessible cars are as important sometimes as our wheelchairs, because without them I can’t wheel and get out of my unit anywhere independently, reliably, safely or at all if we have to rely on a maxi taxis or public transport.

“It has taken 6 months of hell to get my electric wheelchair back after I lost it and everything I owned when my house flooded in March. It took this long due to an equipment backlog because of the “world ending” and the NDIS (same same). So I’m gut wrenchingly hyper aware of the processes and restrictions which are going to be embedded into our daily lives for the next 6 + mths.”

Ms Liddell is just one of the thousands of vehicle owners in Queensland who has been victimised by car theft in the past months. In the past year from July 2021 to June 2022, more than 17,000 vehicle owners in Qld lost their cars to theft.

Whilst data does not differentiate between youth and adult offenders, it prompted calls for the State Government to double down on youth crime reforms, amidst rising criminal activities involving youth.

In 2021, Queensland recorded the highest number of individual car thefts with 15,805 reported incidents, a recent data crunch from Budget Direct revealed. Victoria is a close second with 15,353 whilst New South Wales is third with 10,473.

Brisbane also had the most vehicles stolen among Australian cities during the period with 3,623 motor vehicle thefts in 2021 as compared to Gold Coast’s 2,591 and Townsville’s 1,118 reported incidents. However, it is worth noting that Brisbane’s high numbers could be attributed to Brisbane’s LGA covering a much bigger area compared to other cities such as Sydney.

BAC Plans To Build Terminal 3, Signs Historic Green Energy Contract

Photo credit: Brisbane Airport / newsroom.bne.com.au/

Brisbane Airport Corporation has recently announced that they are now in the planning stage of building a third terminal as part of preparations to accommodate a projected 50 million passengers per year travelling through its terminals by 2040.

The move comes as Brisbane also prepares to host the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics Games, an event which will also bring in an influx of air travellers through BAC’s facilities.

BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said that BAC is currently running out of terminal capacity and is currently seeking inputs from its airline partners to determine the best location for Terminal 3, which is planned for use by domestic airlines.

Although the area between the two runways could be the most suitable location to minimise aircraft taxiing. It is also close to the current domestic terminal.

“Terminal 3 will be state of the art so that will be a terminal we’ve built for the 2030s. Sustainability will be front and centre, as will accessibility. We know that come 2032, Brisbane Airport will provide the first and last impression for all Olympic and Paralympic visitors and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Mr de Graaff said.

Apart from Terminal 3, Brisbane Airport is also planning to upgrade the two existing terminals, build extra car parking, develop a regional aeromedical hub, expand Skygate and DFO, and build more freight facilities, at a cost of more than $5 billion.

BAC Confirms Planning Is Underway for Third Terminal, Enters Into Historic Green Energy Contract — Photo credit: Stanwell / stanwell.com

Renewable Energy Agreement

In other developments, BAC also announced that it has entered into a historic six-year renewable energy agreement with Stanwell Corporation.

Under the new agreement, the government-owned energy generator will supply BAC yearly with up to 185 GWh of renewable energy coming from Stanwell’s 800 MW Clarke Creek Wind Farm and the 200 MW Blue Grass Solar Farm projects.

The renewable energy supply would power operations at the airport including runway lights through to the terminals, electric vehicles refuellers, travellators, escalators, and retail shops, to name a few.

Therapy Dog in Training Introduced to Ascot State School Students

Photo credit: Facebook / Ascot State School

A 17-week-old male Cavoodle is currently undergoing training as a therapy dog at Ascot State School. ‘Winston’ spent time with Prep and Year 1 students and will continue to visit classes each week to get him acquainted with his Ascot family.

Beginning Term 4, students at Ascot State School were introduced to Winston. He is a hypo-allergenic Cavoodle – a breed of dog that is a cross between the Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He lives full-time with Ms Keong and her family and is currently in training to be a therapy dog.

Sometimes referred to as “comfort dogs”, therapy dogs provide companionship and emotional support to adults or children. They are different, though, from other working dogs such as guide dogs, police dogs or service dogs which are trained to do specific tasks on behalf of their owners.

According to Guide Dogs Queensland, therapy dogs provide support for people who has either a mental, emotional or behavioural condition as well as those with illnesses or physical disabilities.

As part of his training program, he will be introduced to the environment and the students at Ascot SS. He will come to each class for a two-hour meet and greet with the adults and students one day each week and then build up to three full days throughout the next year. Winston will then work in some classrooms to provide support to students with their learning and help relieve their fears and anxieties.

Inside Doughcraft, Home Of European Pastries In Albion

Albion’s newest food hub Craft’d Grounds is home to Doughcraft, an artisan bakery where you can grab French and Italian bread and pastries.

Read: Artisanal French-inspired Food and Wine Experiences at Craft’d Grounds

One of the must-tries here is their panino, an artisanal sourdough served with salame, caramelised mushrooms infused with truffles and spinach. It also comes with a fully vegan version, made of focaccia stuffed with Mediterranean style grilled zucchini and eggplant, rocket, roasted tomato relish, confit garlic and herbs.

Doughcraft is the place to go for a range of unique, flavourful, and flaky pastries such as the Pizza Mini Danish, which is a perfect mix of sweet and savoury and the mouthwatering Eggplant Parmigiana Danish.

Cheese lovers shouldn’t leave without trying their croissant stuffed with blue vein Gorgonzola, a rich and strong-flavoured cheese from the Lombardy region of Italy.

Behind the European-style bakery is a group of chefs and bakers who took their love for food to the next level by opening an eatery.

Steven Chevalier, one of the owners, was born in Normandy, France, and came from a long line of boulangers. In French, boulanger is a person whose job is to bake and sell bread and cakes.

Chevalier has over 15 years experience making artisan bread. He is joined by Italian chef Marco Conti, who has over a decade working in top restaurants across London, Sardinia, and Liverpool; and Samantha Taverner, former Head Chef of Collingwood Black also known as the Donut Queen.

Everything is made onsite by their sibling wholesale company Farine & Co, including an array of artisan loaves, and delicious sweet and savoury donuts.

Read: Ascot: A Look Back in Time at One of Brisbane’s Premier Suburbs

Doughcraft is open from 6:00 am, Wednesday to Sunday. Visit their Facebook page for more details.