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Mt Gravatt, Nathan Have Highest Childcare Fees in Queensland

Did you know that families in Nathan and Mt Gravatt are spending more on childcare fees compared to families in the other suburbs of Brisbane?

According to the Federal Government’s latest report on Child Care in Australia, Nathan and Mt Gravatt residents are shelling out over $16,000 a year per child left with childminders. For families availing of the subsidies, the cost is reduced to 50 percent ($8,000/year) or 85 percent ($2,400), depending on the subsidy.

Families in Carindale, Holland Park, Indooroopilly, Kenmore, Sherwood and Yeronga are paying $15,000 a year for childcare (without subsidies). Elsewhere, families in Gympie, Ipswich and Jimboomba spend $10,000 to $12,000 a year.

In December 2020, Queensland’s average childcare cost per hour rose to 3.7 percent at $9.80, whilst the national average is at $10.50 despite a price freeze imposed by the Federal Government as part of the COVID-19 economic measures.

“Generally, the highest rates of growth have been in areas with lower fees. Many of the regions with the high average fee growth were in regional Queensland and other parts of regional Australia,” the report cited.

However, after subsidies, the average childcare cost per hour in Queensland should be at $3.28, deemed the lowest in the country. Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge said that a third of parents in Queensland are enjoying these lowered childcare fees.

The report comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison signed the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Early Childhood Education and Care Coronavirus Response and Other Measures) Bill 2021 that will allow 99 percent of child care services to remain open during emergencies and disasters. This means that the facilities will continue to receive payments in case of massive emergencies, such as a pandemic.

“This legislation will give us the flexibility to respond with similar support during future crises,” Mr Tudge said. “We are investing a record $10.3 billion in child care this year, including $9 billion to subsidise fees for parents.”

New Proposal Calls for Mixed-Use Twin-Tower Development in Mount Gravatt

Did you know that a development application calling for the construction of numerous buildings on Logan Rd, Upper Mount Gravatt has been lodged with Brisbane City Council?

The slew of new buildings, each designed by Mode Design Group, will consist of one residential tower, one commercial office tower, retail outlets and restaurants across a large area consisting of 18,926 square metres of gross floor area, with 60% site cover over the 4,589 square metre development site.

This proposal aims to create a mixed-use development that provides Mount Gravatt with a combination of retail, offices, food and drink, and multiple dwellings through the use of a commercial and residential tower which can potentially stand up to 15 storeys tall.

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Development.i

According to the proposal (DA A005687490), retail, restaurants, and food and drink outlets will all be located at the ground floor of the new office buildings. It will also provide a split pedestrian entrance and a cross block link to the back of the residential tower.

Also located on the ground floor is a pedestrian plaza that gives visitors access to all of the site’s aforementioned retail and food outlets. Lifts will be available to bring people across numerous floors in the commercial and residential towers.

All in all, the ground floor common across the towers will provide a total of 23 parking spaces, four retail and food and drink outlets, lobbies for the two towers, a covered dining area and lounge, landscaping and a water feature, and loading and drop off areas for vehicles.

The southern tower, dedicated to office facilities, takes up a total of 6,580 square metres of gross floor area and will contain three podium levels of office and six tower levels of office, standing ten storeys tall. It will come with four levels of basement car parking which will be shared with the residential building.

On the other hand, the northern tower, which is residential, will be 15 storeys tall and located at the back of the site. It will have 38 single bedroom apartments, 24 double bedroom apartments, 24 double and single bedroom apartments, and 26 triple bedroom apartments. The second level offers tenants a communal space and swimming pool.

The proposal, which was lodged on the 19th of March 2021, has not yet been approved. The proposed towers can be found at 2188, 2192 and 2196 Logan Rd, Upper Mt Gravatt.

Mt Gravatt Pie King Turns Over Piefection to Newcomers

A popular piemaker in Mt Gravatt is turning over his 12-year-old business, Piefection, to two dynamic newcomers seeking to expand the gourmet pie business.

Matt Roman — regarded as Brisbane’s pastry king for supplying gourmet pies to various restaurants, grocery shops, and butchers — has sold Piefection to Pierre de Villiers and David Rogers. The newcomers are planning to expand this pie business, which currently has two outlets: Mt Gravatt and Coorparoo.

Mr de Villiers and Mr Rogers are eyeing a northside expansion but the details are still under wraps. The business partners also said that they want to learn what the customers want as they grow Piefection and offer new flavours.

Mr Roman turned his pie business into a legendary staple, offering mouthwatering flavours like Jack Daniels BBQ Pork, the Guinness Beef and Mushroom Pie, or the Death by Chocolate pies.

Piefection became popular through word of mouth, as anyone who has tried his tasty treats can’t get enough of it. In fact, lines of customers are a common sight at his stores even after all these years. The pies are made fresh on the site every day using high-quality and locally-sourced ingredients.

With Piefection’s sale, Mr Roman is redirecting his focus on Iris, the new Mediterranean rooftop restaurant at Fortitude Valley’s Hotel X. He is also preparing to lead the kitchen of Willow, a new cafe in Balmoral from Stone’s Corner restaurateur Adam Dartnell.

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A post shared by Chef MATT ROMAN (@mattromanchef)

Meanwhile, pie lovers may follow Piefection on Facebook for updates on the latest developments, including store opening hours.

PCYC Mount Gravatt Highlights RUBY Program for Women for DFV Prevention Month

Every May, PCYC Mount Gravatt joins other PCYC facilities across Queensland in observing Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Prevention Month by highlighting a free fitness and wellness session, dubbed the RUBY Program, geared for women.

RUBY is short for “Rise Up, Be Yourself” and it aims to empower women with a series of one-hour or half-hour strengths-based training that ranges from physical fitness, open forum and group chats, healthy diet, and healthy connections. The sessions have been designed to build a woman’s confidence and self-esteem, as well as teach the right tools to cut the cycle of violence.

Developing a healthy body and mind is crucial to overcoming the trauma of a violent experience and if the women receive support from a like-minded group, they are likely to have a more positive experience.

Whilst the RUBY Program is not seen as a “traditional response” to domestic violence victims, its process is aimed at providing an access point for women who might need support and a safe haven where they could interact with other women, whether they have been victims or are still struggling with domestic violence.

Qualified fitness and wellness instructors conduct the sessions along with female officers of the Queensland Police Services, giving DVF victims a chance to link with other resources or referrals.

“RUBY has been running for a number of years at PCYC Mount Gravatt, even continuing through online fitness sessions during COVID-19 lockdowns,” Sergeant Melissa Gilbert said. “Due to the need to protect the privacy of our participants, we don’t advertise the time or location, but we run the program weekly all year round.”

“The impact and changes I see in RUBY participants is amazing. Some women have come along shy and not feeling confident to talk in front of the group, and even just an hour later at the end of the session, it is like they are a different person.”

“Our fitness instructor describes the program as a safe space for women to exercise and showcase their inner lioness.”

Eighteen PCYC clubs across the state have a RUBY Program. Email mtgravatt@pcyc.org.au to enquire.

Bessie Conomos OAM: Beloved Community Worker Turns 100

Bessie Conomos OAM, a resident of Carinity Wishart Gardens who was previously recognised in the Australia Day Honours List for her volunteer work, celebrated her 100th birthday on the 20th of April 2021.

Bessie, born Vasilike Gianniois, hails from Kythira, Greece. She’d moved to Australia at the age of seven with her family, living in rural New South Wales where she met her husband, Theo Megaloconomos. The two raised four children together, moving from city to city.

Throughout her life, Bessie would volunteer for numerous organisations and operations such as Meals on Wheels, or the St Nicholas aged care home in Highgate Hill. Her cooking helped raise funds for numerous charities, and she’d remained a consistent and helpful member of whatever community she’d found herself in.

When Bessie was 87, her services to the Greek community in Brisbane were recognised by the Australian Government, and she was awarded with a Medal of the Order of Australia. The award was also given in part to her contributions to the Carinda community as an active member of the Country Women’s Association and the Bush Nursing Association.

In 2021, five years after moving into Carinity Wishart Gardens in 2016, Bessie Conomos officially joined the Carinity 100 club. To this day, she remains a resident of the aged care community and spends her days relaxing and receiving visits from her family.

Mount Gravatt Instant Scratch-Its Winner to Receive $1,000 a Week for 5 Years

For the next five years, a man from Mount Gravatt will receive $1,000 a week, or $260,000 in total, after confirming that he has the top prize Instant Scratch-Its winning ticket.

The unnamed winner purchased his $5 Live the Life ticket at Sunshine News inside Mt Gravatt Plaza on Creek Road. The man said that he waited for weeks to scratch his ticket and could not believe his luck when he realised he has the winning numbers.

“I probably only buy scratchies every once in a blue moon,” he said. “I had it at home for 14 days before I scratched it.”

He bought two Instant Scratch-Its tickets from his recent “small win on Lotto” and is now looking forward to having “such nice security” every week.

Sharon Jiang, the owner of Sunshine News, said that they had two top prize winners in recent weeks and hopes that the streak continues with their customers.

“I feel like we’re on a roll at the moment,” the shop owner said.

Some 177 individuals across the country won the Instant Scratch-Its top prize in 2020, which grossed over $16 million. According to The Lott, players have collectively won more than a quarter of a million dollars of Instant Scratch-Its every day.

Instant Scratch-Its have different ranges and prizes with over a million tickets per category distributed across all participating outlets in Australia. To learn more about this game of luck, visit the official site.

Upper Mount Gravatt State School: New Building Nears Completion

Construction of a new general learning facility at the Upper Mount Gravatt State School, which has been underway since October, is estimated to finish in May 2021.

In October 2020, Upper Mount Gravatt State School announced that a new facility was in the works, setting itself up to provide the school with 10 new classrooms on top of shaded learning and play areas.

The construction of the new facility, a general learning centre that would serve as an extension of the main campus, will be spearheaded by the project delivery company Wiley, who have been working on site since October. Completion of the project is expected to finish in May 2021.

This new facility came about to replace the temporary classrooms the school had brought in using a crane following a fire on the 14th of June 2019 which ravaged the campus, destroying the books, possessions, and artwork of over 200 students.

Through the combined efforts of six fire crews, the fire was under control in 90 minutes. Despite the swift response, much of the building had been destroyed, which led to the implementation of the aforementioned temporary classrooms to replace what had been lost in the fire.

It only took the school two days to get classes up and running again. To this day, the cause of the fire remains a mystery, and both the police and the fire investigators have deemed it suspicious.

The Upper Mount Gravatt State School is located at 1899 Logan Rd. For more information, visit their website here. Likewise, learn more about the project manager Wiley here. Follow the Facebook pages of both the school and Wiley for the latest updates and announcements concerning the new building.

25 Years Young: Carinity Wishart Gardens Celebrates with Tea and Cake

Residents of the Carinity Wishart Gardens celebrated the retirement home’s 25th anniversary in March 2021 with tea, cake, and a few special guests.

Wishart, one of five Carinity-owned retirement communities in Queensland, recently hosted two separate morning tea parties at the Carinity Wishart Gardens community pavilion in order to accommodate all the participants to its 25th anniversary bash.

Throughout the festivities, numerous special events were held, such as celebratory cake cutting to commemorate the establishment’s 25-year milestone, or a special video presentation about the history of the Wishart area as well as the retirement village. Those who attended were given cupcakes and gift packs.

Carinity has supported elderly people in Australia for over 70 years by providing them with a home and a community to belong to. Wishart Gardens in particular is home to around 80 residents between the ages of 70 and 100.

Carinity Wishart Gardens can be found at 15 Glasford St, Wishart. For more information visit their website here. Follow Carinity’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements.

Mt Gravatt Vultures Club Receives New Mouthguards for Upcoming Season

The Mt Gravatt Vultures Football Club has received all-new custom-fitted mouthguards from Bupa Dental Garden City, to enhance their health and safety for the coming 2021 season.

Dr Greg Thomas, the Principal Dentist at Bupa Dental Garden City, explained that providing mouthguards is the most direct and effective way they could support their local sports club.

“AFL is a physical sport and players can be at risk from dental trauma as a result of collisions or other mishaps. A custom-made mouthguard is an essential piece of personal protective equipment that can safeguard against unforeseen dental injuries incurred while playing the game.” says Dr Thomas.

Mouthguards play an important role in the safety of all football players, acting as shock absorbers for their mouths and teeth. If a player is hit in the face with a ball or through colliding with another player, the blow sends shockwaves through their teeth, jaw, and skull. A mouthguard effectively minimises the damage by capturing those shockwaves, diffusing them, and then dispersing them.

The Bupa Dental team, which has sponsored the Mt Gravatt Vultures Football Club for three years, has also taken this opportunity to inform and educate its players and members of staff on some of the dental issues caused by sports drinks. These drinks have the potential to cause tooth decay, which in turn influences sporting performance and general health.

With their new mouthguards, the Mt Gravatt Vultures will be able to protect themselves from potential injuries such as broken teeth, or mouth and tongue injuries.

The Mt Gravatt Vultures Football Club can be found in Dittmer Park, 40 Klumpp Rd, Upper Mt Gravatt. To learn more about Bupa Dental Garden City, visit their website or follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements.

Cost-Efficient Inland Rail Project May Rehabilitate Disused Mt Gravatt Quarry

Photo credit: bmigroup.com.au

An analyst from CSIRO reveals that the planned 1,700-kilometre Inland Rail, which would see the rehabilitation of a disused quarry in Mt Gravatt East, could result in annual transport cost savings of $170 million.

Read: Brisbane Metro Depot in Rochedale to Provide New Eco-Friendly Transport

Dr Andrew Higgins, the senior principal scientist determining the benefits of the country’s largest freight rail infrastructure project to move goods from Queensland to Victoria and NSW, said that they have devised a TraNSIT logistics analysis tool to map out existing routes with the National Trunk Rail (NTR) to make a cost comparison.

Whilst the full report is still awaiting release, CSIRO’s analysis has pushed the government to greenlight this project so that the industries involved could start making plans. A part of this plan may include the rehabilitation of the Mt Gravatt East quarry over two decades with minimal disruption to Brisbane’s southside suburbs.

NTR believes this could be possible by launching tunnel boring machines from the disused quarry. The tunnel boring machine, commonly used in underground infrastructure projects, is expected to take up to 250,000 trucks off Brisbane’s roads during construction.

The Inland Rail will link to the Brisbane Port from the day it opens via existing rail lines. The Australian and Queensland Governments are canvassing options on how best to improve the connection between the port and Inland Rail over the long term.

In late 2019, the Prime Minister announced the Australian Government would provide $20 million for planning a Port of Brisbane connection with funding to flow from 2020-21 as part of a broader commitment to the Queensland economy. The Queensland Government will provide an in-kind matching contribution.

BMI group, the company that now owns the site after acquiring it from Boral in 2012, believes they can use the spoil from digging the ‘Missing Link’ freight tunnel to fill the quarry.

The owners of the quarry, now known as Pine Mountain Road Quarry, have big plans for the site, including building 500 residences on it once it’s rehabilitated. BMI confirmed they had preliminary approval to develop the old quarry into a housing estate and that could be brought forward if the tunnel is built there.

Pine Mountain Road Quarry features a large lake in the pit and measures 34.57ha. Around 20ha of the total land area will be allowed to be developed for residential purposes.

When BMI acquired the site years ago, the quarry was filled with murky and slightly acidic water. They conducted a draining operation in March 2020 and worked with a wastewater consultancy to treat the quarry void water, removing its metal content and bringing its pH levels back in line.

“A discharge structure was constructed into a concrete-lined portion of Salvin Creek and downstream erosion protection measures were established to facilitate draining. The company also organised for the installation of a polishing system that could detect the water quality and halt pumping if those attributes fell outside of pre-set parameters,” BMI stated on its website.

NTR believes the plot of land was ideal for tunnelling because it’s large and relatively free of any conflicting infrastructure. They also added that tunnels through this site would avoid the community issue of noise and dust.