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World-Class Hypersonic Precinct Opens in Eagle Farm

Did you know that Eagle Farm is now the home of a new Australian Hypersonic Research Precinct, where defence experts will study the technology and conduct flight tests of hypersonic weapons and vehicles?

With a 60-personnel under its wing, the world-class hypersonic precinct in Eagle Farm was purposely-built for $14 million to improve and innovate the science and technology of the Australian Defence.

“It’s a complex technological challenge to build vehicles capable of flying at five times the speed of sound, that skim the stratosphere, to target any location on the planet,” Minister for Defence the Hon Peter Dutton MP said.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton opening the Australian Hypersonic Research Precinct where he says teams are working on vehicles that can travel 5x the speed of sound and target “anywhere on the planet”. pic.twitter.com/BNva2ZNOg6
— Josh Bavas (@JoshBavas) January 25, 2022

“The technology that is developed here will help us to better defend against the malign use of this technology and give us the ability to strike any potential adversaries from a distance and deter aggression against Australia’s national interests.

“It enables Defence researchers to develop and characterise sovereign hypersonic technologies and generate ‘true’ hypersonic flight conditions at large scale in a classified laboratory.”

It comes as Australia and the United States signed an agreement in December 2020 to develop and test hypersonic cruise missile prototypes. Hypersonic technology can exceed the speed of sound by five times or at 6,200 kilometres per hour. Hypersonic drones and weapons, on the other hand, are shaped to manoeuvre and evade radar detection.

Whilst the opening of the Eagle Farm research facility is a step in the right direction, Australia is challenged to develop the high-technology as China and Russia have been taking the lead in their capabilities to deploy hypersonic weapons.

Volgren Factory in Eagle Farm to Open More Jobs as Demands for Electric Buses Increase

Did you know that Australia’s largest bus coachbuilder, Volgren, is expanding its workforce at the Eagle Farm factory? Volgren plans to deliver a fleet of locally-produced electric buses beginning 2022.

Thiago Deiro, the CEO of the Melbourne-based company, said that Volgren’s next chapter will secure the jobs of 45 workers in Eagle Farm. They will soon hire more employees “to double labour capacity” of the manufacturing centre as it expands its investments in Queensland.

“Volgren has spent more than a decade developing a skilled workforce and a world-class manufacturing centre at Eagle Farm. It’s not something we ever wanted to walk away from,” Mr Diero said.

“Our plans are to invest in our people and our production facilities to meet new levels of demand and ensure the next generation of zero-emission buses can be built locally.”

In June, Volgren delivered its final bus to Brisbane City Council after 12 years of a partnership but a period of uncertainty faced the workers. However, as Brisbane Metro sets its pilot for electric buses next year, Deiro confirmed that Volgren will play a key role in the “acceptance, testing and delivery of the metro vehicle.”

“We know that Brisbane City Council is leading the way on Australia’s move to zero-emission public transport,” the CEO said in a statement.

“With Eagle Farm secured, and a focus on building world-class zero-emission buses, we can confidently respond to tenders in this state and across the country.”

Clayton Nel, the head of the Queensland operations, welcomed the headquarter’s decision to maintain the Eagle Farm staff. He said that their employees are a group of dedicated individuals who have always exceeded the company’s goals the customer’s expectations.

Eagle Farm Track Looking Good for Upcoming Group 1 Race

With just a few weeks to go before the Group 1 meetings, Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell has pronounced the Eagle Farm track to be in great shape and in its healthiest state, with the surface ryegrass growing strong for the winter after disease got the best of its roots, affecting its length and strength in 2020.

Months before the major races, debates about the cushion, surface, and general state of the Eagle Farm track became a worrying concern among the jockeys and trainers as their horses’ performance could be held back by a bad surface.

Some trainers also refused to let their horses run on a hard and uncushioned surface because it could be detrimental to the animal’s physical health and welfare.

Mr Purnells said that they wouldn’t usually do a renovation of the tracks in time for a big carnival but they had to stop the roots disease from spreading.

Now, a thick grass has been visible on the Eagle Farm track with some racing pundits, who watched Derby Day at the end of May 2021, saying that it’s looking pretty good.

Racing Queensland undertook the last significant renovation of the Eagle Farm track in 2014 by ripping and replacing all of its surfaces. However, when it reopened in 2016, a number of issues sprung with the new tracks with stakeholders saying that the problems have persisted in the last five years because of the track’s mismanagement.

The CEO also said that they have been continuously coordinating with the Brisbane Racing Club on how to improve the Eagle Farm track.

Hendra Club Veterinarian Tracking New Strain of Deadly ’90s Horse Virus

A founding member of the Hendra Club, a group of Australian veterinarians and medical experts, is tracking and studying a new and potentially lethal strain of a horse virus known to transfer to humans. This virus was first discovered in the country at the Doomben and Eagle Farm racetracks in the 1990s.

Dr Peter Reid of the Australian Veterinary Association encouraged horse owners and breeders to get their animals vaccinated as soon as possible from the Hendra virus amid concerns that the new strain could progress “very quickly,” especially in areas considered as “low risk.”

The doctor experienced first-hand the fatal effects of the Hendra virus in 1994 after he was called on to the Doomben and Eagle Farm stables to check on Drama Series, the racehorse of his friend, stable owner Vic Rail.

Initially diagnosed as an infection, Drama Series’ condition worsened quickly and affected a dozen more horses at the stables in a matter of days. Mr Rail also became seriously ill, prompting the equine veterinarian to seek the help of pathologists from the University of Queensland.

Following Mr Rail’s death and three more funerals for human victims, the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Victoria, was able to pinpoint the deadly culprit as the Hendra virus. Dr Reid then made it his mission to focus on learning about this strain by speaking with the survivors, the other veterinarians and the families who have been raising horses.

In his studies, Dr Reid learned that all animals could catch the Hendra virus but it’s only horses that could pass on the strain to humans. However, it is not airborne and it’s dangerous only if the person comes in contact with bodily fluids. This explains why the risks are higher to personnel working at the stables.

Since the 1994 outbreak, the AAHL has also prioritised studies on the Hendra virus. The Hendra Club was born soon after the 9/11 terrorist attack as there were concerns the virus could be used as a bioterrorism agent.

Today, the Hendra Club with Dr Reid has been training and teaching up-and-coming virologists to curb future outbreaks. Samples of the new strain have been discovered in Queensland but with vaccination efforts, the expert said there are strong chances of preventing deaths and sickness.

Eagle Farm Becomes the Hub of the Biggest Virtual Dinner Party For Melbourne

Did you know that Melbourne will have its last Saturday night of lockdown on 17 Oct 2020? To celebrate this high point and be one in solidarity with the Victorians, Eagle Farm will become the catering hub of the biggest virtual dinner party happening simultaneously in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

The online isolation degustation, organised by Urban List and Gathar, will feature a four-course dinner curated by Masterchef star Danielle Dixon and prepared by talented chefs across Australia.

Featuring premium ingredients from Australian and Victorian farmers and providores, the dishes include the following below, which you can opt to delivered to your home or the home of a family in Melbourne:

First Course	Seared ruby tuna with Australian Avocados yuzu puree. Served alongside marinated Victorian heirloom tomatoes and wild rice puffs (gf, df). Vegetarian option: Sesame crusted tofu with Australian Avocados yuzu puree. Served alongside marinated Victorian heirloom tomatoes and wild rice puffs (gf, df, v).
Second Course	Hay smoked Victorian free-range Bannockburn chicken served with a corn custard, Victorian black barley and burnt onion jus to finish (gf). Vegetarian option: Butter roasted pumpkin with Yarra Valley feta, bull horn pepper and hemp seed pesto (gf, v)
Third Course	Bavarois dessert made with Melbournes iconic Koko Black chocolate and Victorian alpine strawberries with native pepperberry and a hibiscus syrup drizzle (gf, v).
Fromager D’Affinois Cheese Fourth Course	Fromager D’Affinois double cream cheese with a carrot apricot marmalade topped onto a buckwheat cracker with baby celery shoots (gf, v).

Whilst enjoying the course, you’ll be serenaded by homegrown talents, learn from chefs and listen to pairing notes from the experts via video streaming from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

All you need to prepare for this dinner party is a good internet connection and device, your oven (for reheating) and your appetite.

Tickets to the isolation degustation will be up for grabs until Monday, 12 Oct 2020. The Eagle Farm caterers will be able to deliver food within 30 kilometres of the suburb.

3 Big Reasons Why Australian PGA Championship 2020 Is Special

After seven years in the Gold Coast, the Australian PGA Championship recently announced its return to Brisbane. The move back to the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Eagle Farm later this year is a huge deal for three reasons.

1. Brisbane will host again after 19 years.

The last time Brisbane hosted the Australian PGA Championship was in 2001, which was also at the Royal Queensland Golf Club. Robert Allenby won this tournament, as well as the previous year’s championship (2000).

The one other time the tournament was held in Brisbane was in 1956 at the Indooroopilly Golf Club.

2. 2020 marks Royal Queensland Golf Club’s 100th year.

Incidentally, the Royal Queensland Golf Club will mark its 100th year in 2020. Established in 1920, the original course in Hamilton was designed by Australian Open Champion Carnegie Clark.

Royal Queensland Golf Club has been touted as the breeding ground for PGA Professionals, including the iconic Greg Norman, who trained at this Eagle Farm green from 1975 to 1976. Its other notable members include Charlie Earp and Adam Scott.

3. Royal Queensland Golf Club will be host for three years.

As part of its agreement with the Australian PGA Championship, Royal Queensland Golf Club holds the rights to carry the tournament until 2022. Thus, Brisbane golf fans will be able to watch the sporting event for three summers.

*Photo Credit: Australian PGA Championship/Facebook*

“We know Brisbane loves its live sporting events and we look forward to seeing the crowds come out to cheer on our home-grown and international golfers, while enjoying the party atmosphere of the Championship, which will continue to deliver exciting, vibrant and fan-friendly entertainment precincts on course,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.

“We’re incredibly excited to return to Brisbane and the Royal Queensland Golf Club to celebrate a milestone anniversary of one of the country’s most treasured golf courses.”

The Australian PGA Championship is expected to welcome PGA and European Tour pros and visitors. The sporting event is pegged to boost Brisbane’s economy and tourism.

Construction Begins For Brisbane Racing Club’s Restored Ascot Park This February

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Ten years ago, members of the Racecourse Precinct Neighbourhood Plan agreed that part of the Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) should be turned over to Ascot Park. In particular, the area that covers Lancaster Rd, Kitchener Rd, and McGill Ave, was supposed to be converted as a public park in a bid to create more green space for the residents.

Before the turnover, this triangle of land, surrounded by cement, dirt, patches of grass and scattered trees, served as a car park for members of the club. But in May 2018, the Brisbane City Council revealed plans for the park’s construction.

Work on the public park is expected to February until September 2019. Once completed, the park will have more accessible greenery. It will boast of the main park with tables and benches for families and kids, an outdoor gym and fitness corner, a fenced playground for the children, and an off-leash dog area.

Ascot Park has always part of the Eagle Farm racetrack facilities, which had been built in the 1860s. Hamilton Shire Council used to own and manage the park until it merged with the Brisbane City Council in the 1940s.

During the war, General Douglas MacArthur used Ascot Park as a storage site and parking space for military vehicles. It remained a car park long after the military left and the Brisbane Racing Club took over.

On days when there are no races, the park provided access to the locals but the development will allow for a better facility that the community shall be able to maximise.

According to Councillor David McLachlan (Hamilton), BRC submitted a master plan to redevelop the Eagle Farm estate. Originally, the club wanted to develop townhomes on this triangular area, which he opposed. The Brisbane City Council, however, approved the master plan after BRC agreed it will turn over the park to the community.

Following the release of the design for the park’s construction, BRC chairman Neville Bell commended the Council for a devising a “more appealing” area of the once vast and vacant parking lot.

Experience the Ultimate Rush at the Newly Renovated Slideways Go Karting in Eagle Farm

Get ready to race to the finish line as Slideways Go Karting in Eagle Farm opens its doors to racing fans once again after their massive multi-level indoor kart track renovation.

Guests can now enjoy go karting on their 425-metre long track including a loop in the car park plus two second-level structures.

Credit: Slideways Go Karting/YouTube

Slideways Go Karting’s previous track has operated for four and a half years prior to its major upgrade. One of the crowd favourites of the track was the giant crossover bridge which has been retained in the current track.

Photo credit: Slideways – Go Karting Brisbane/Facebook

The bridge part of the track has been extended to the car park end of the building and a second level structure was added at the Kingsford Smith Drive end of the building. Other improvements to the facility included a new ground-floor spectators area and their air-conditioned corporate area has a great view of the new section of the track.

Slideways Go Karting features the latest European state of the art machines that can handle 24-hour endurance go kart racing. If you are new to go kart racing, their staff will also be available on the track to guide you and give you helpful tips and tricks for racing.

Go kart racing is open for guests 11 years and up. All drivers must read the track safety rules prior to riding. Before each session, track staffs will give a full safety briefing and are on hand to give driving tips and any assistance.

The indoor kart track is open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. Bookings essential so call (07) 3868 2225 to book. To learn more, you may visit the official website of Slideways Go Karting.

Ascot House Construction on Track for Completion by Mid-2018

Mirvac, the real estate group behind Ascot House, announced that the construction of Ascot Green’s pioneer residential tower is on track for completion by mid-2018. Various fixtures in both interiors and exteriors had been successfully in place.

The firm had just finished the rooftop slab and had been in the process of installing high level services, which includes fire protection, hydraulics/plumbing, and electrical. The ceilings and partitions on Level 4 had commenced. Cladding has started on Level 3, including columns which extend down to the ground floor.

Meanwhile, laying of asphalt to the internal road had been completed in the first weeks of October. The roadway that would link Lancaster Road with Nudgee Road is supposed open by the time that Ascot House opens. The widening of Nudgee Road is expected to be finished before Christmas.

Credit: Mirvac YouTube

The $950-million worth Ascot House will be the first Ascot Green project that will benefit from Mirvac’s pioneering sustainability initiative developed under Hatch. Solar panels and batteries were installed on the rooftop of the residential building. With this, future residents would reduce their electricity bills by up to 70 per cent.

Hatch had been Mirvac’s award-winning internal innovation program, which uses customer insights to drive innovative ideas in the property space for development.

Credit: Mirvac YouTube

Future residents of Ascot House will also enjoy the view of the Eagle Farm, along with the nearby parks and recreational places. The riverfront in Hamilton is just a short walk down the Racecourse Road. Clayfield and Hendra is also just within walking distance.

Completion of the Racecourse Village, a two-storey shopping centre just next to the Eagle Farm Racecourse, was also set to be completed by mid-2018, just in time for the first residents to be moving in to Ascot House. The complex would have Woolworths store and other eleven retail stores at ground level, including an open car park with 297 parking spaces.

Credit: Brisbane Racing Club YouTube

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