Mt Gravatt East Archives - Mount Gravatt News

Mt Gravatt Set to Host Brisbane’s Biggest Family Carnival

Thousands of thrill-seekers and families are expected to flock to Mt Gravatt as the Brisbane Thrill Festival transforms Westfield Mt Gravatt into a sprawling carnival ground, offering an unprecedented array of rides and attractions for just $5 entry.

The 10-day extravaganza is scheduled to run from 9th to 18th August 2024, promising an affordable and action-packed experience for visitors of all ages.

Festival organiser Avid Leisure has curated a diverse lineup of over a dozen rides, including crowd favourites such as the Ferris Wheel, Dodgem Cars, and the hair-raising Slingshot. For the younger attendees, gentler options like the Wacky Worm and Paw Patrol rides ensure no one misses out on the fun.

Brisbane Thrill Festival Mt Gravatt — *Photo Credit: BrisbaneThrillFestival/Facebook*

“We’re thrilled to bring this level of excitement to Mt Gravatt,” said an Avid Leisure spokesperson. “Our goal is to provide unforgettable memories for families without breaking the bank.”

Beyond the rides, the festival boasts an impressive array of attractions, including sideshow games, free entertainment, and a variety of food trucks serving up classic carnival treats. Showbag enthusiasts won’t be disappointed, with organisers promising “the biggest and best bags around.”

The Brisbane Thrill Festival will operate weekdays from 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM, with extended hours on weekends and public holidays, running from 2:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

Local resident Sarah Thompson expressed her excitement: “It’s fantastic to see such a large-scale event coming to our community. I can’t wait to take my kids and experience all the rides and games together.”

Preparations for the Mt Gravatt festival are underway, and community leaders are proactively anticipating a positive impact on local businesses and increased foot traffic. The festival’s convenient location next to Westfield Mt Gravatt is expected to attract visitors from across Brisbane and beyond, providing a constructive boost to the area.

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Mt Gravatt East Local Walking 72km to Support Dad with Cancer

Photo Credit: Pexels

Mt Gravatt East local Emma White is leading the charge to help raise awareness of prostate cancer by joining The Long Run and conquering 72km this September.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) campaign calls on Australians to run, walk or ride 72km throughout Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness and funds for research and support.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the region, with one Australian man diagnosed every 22 minutes.

Ms White said she was inspired to take action after her dad, Steve, was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year.

“Witnessing my dad’s strength and determination through his diagnosed has inspired me to take action and make a meaningful difference by raising funds and awareness,” she said.

Mt Gravatt East Emma White — Photo Credit: Supplied

“Before my dad’s diagnosis, prostate cancer was something I was aware of but never thought it would impact my family.

“Throughout the last few months, I have felt the challenges of a diagnosis through PSA tests, MRIs, ultrasounds, biopsies, a PET scan, and surgery, which has given me a profound understanding of the impact this cancer can have on individuals and their families.

“I would encourage others to join The Long Run and stand alongside everyone in the fight against prostate cancer. By getting involved, you’re raising awareness, promoting early detection, and supporting those battling.

“Every step we take, and every dollar we raise contributes to research, resources and support networks.”

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Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Anne Savage, commended Emma for making a difference.

“Community action is key to cancer control, helping us to raise awareness of Australia’s most commonly diagnosed cancer and encourage early detection,” Ms Savage said.

“Importantly, The Long Run helps us support men and their families, providing vital funding for clinical trials and PCFA prostate cancer nurses.

“Emma is an inspiration – demonstrating that together we can make a difference, helping love go the distance against prostate cancer.”

Several thousand eager runners, walkers and cyclists are expected to join The Long Run this September, with a total goal of $1 million for research, support services and awareness. Go to www.thelongrun.org.au to register.

Published 25-Aug-2023

226-Space Childcare Centre Lodged for Approval in Mt Gravatt East

A development application has been submitted for a new childcare centre with space for up to 226 children in Mt Gravatt East.

Read: Shared Reading with Your Child – A Hack for All Parents

The proposed centre will be located at 1128 Cavendish Road on a currently vacant 2,303 sqm site.

Designed by architecture firm Elevation Architecture, the childcare centre will feature 11 activity rooms, four outdoor play areas, and parking for 61 cars. It is planned to accept children aged from six weeks and above, operating Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. if approved.

The development also incorporates a 216 sqm commercial tenancy which could be used for a shop, office, healthcare, veterinary clinic or food outlet. This aims to integrate the centre into the surrounding commercial and residential area.

Landscaping and deep planting are included in the proposal, with the built form and scale of the development intended to seamlessly match existing buildings nearby.

The site is bordered by Mt Gravatt TAFE Campus to the northwest and Seton College, to the southeast. Across the street sits Esida Lodge Aged Care, a nursing home facility. The surrounding area contains a diverse blend of residential, commercial, educational, and industrial buildings, notably a sizable industrial park situated 350 metres east.

“The proposal will co-locate small-scale Healthcare Services and Offices with the Childcare Centre, resulting in a multifunctional service hub that provides for the needs of the local community,” planners stated.

“The proposal will create a community service hub that will predominantly provide for the care and support of children, whilst also enabling uses that service the adjoining educational uses and surrounding residential area.”

Read: Helping Your Child Get Better At Problem Solving

Planners from Murray Bell Planning added that the proposal delivers a building height that will not result in overshadowing adjoining properties and the overall height is consistent with predominate building height of the Mt Gravatt East locality.

Published 31-July-2023

Community Attempts to Save Seton College from Closing

Special needs school Seton College will be shutting down for good by 2024, after 60 years of operation, but the community is attempting to save the school from closing.

Parents of Seton College’s over-200 student body have formed the Save Seton College committee to fight Brisbane Catholic Education’s (BCE) plans. Mom Kylie Jensen said that they want the school to remain open because Seton College provides a “real sense of community” compared to other schools, where kids with learning difficulty have a hard time coping because of the student to teacher ratio.

A student started an online petition as well, which has received more than 3,000 signatures as of press time.

“Seton College is the most welcoming, helping, accepting and the best school I’ve ever been to. Education is taught in many different fun ways to help students not only enjoy their classes but take in more from what they are learning about,” Tayhlia Shaw wrote.

“My time at Seton College has been the best I could have ever imagine,” she added. “It has taught me resilience, understanding my emotions, understanding people, how to keep happy friendships, what to do in certain situations and most importantly it has taught me to treat others kindly and with respect.”

Speech and Language Development Australia (SALDA) is reportedly interested in stepping up and taking over Seton College. Chairman Peter Seldon said that they are studying the expansion.

SALDA has a holistic approach to education and therapy. They operate The Glenleighden School in Fig Tree Pocket.

Meanwhile, BCE said that it will remain committed to provide the highest standard of learning to students who will be staying on.

“Families can expect a personalised approach which addresses the specific needs of their son or daughter. We are planning for Seton College to remain fully operational until the end of 2024,” a spokesperson for the BCE said.

Mt Gravatt East Backyard Block Saved from Development

Photo credit: Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group/Facebook

The fight to save 68 Carrara Street and 8 Nurran Street in Mt Gravatt East has had another boost.

It was after the Brisbane City Council finalised the purchase of three of the four properties earmarked for development, through the Council’s Bushland Acquisition Program.

This means the lots will continue to provide safe passage for local koalas, green tree frogs, and other wildlife. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk stated that all of the land chosen for purchase contributes to the rich tapestry of Brisbane’s ecology, with acquired sites including koala movement corridors, locations with rare and endangered plants and animals or freshwater and wetland habitats.

“This 4,320 square-metre parcel of land sits right in the middle of a koala corridor that runs between Toohey Forest, Whites Hill Reserve and the Mt Gravatt Lookout and will prove invaluable to the local koala population that is known to move through this area,” Cr Quirk said.

There has been a huge campaign, led by the Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group, to protect Carrara and Nurran Street from developments which would threaten the green spaces in the community.

Apart from its impact on wildlife, locals are worried the development will overcrowd the neighborhood. This means more cars and more congestion in case the proposed development was approved.

Above all, locals cited that the development is not consistent with the low-density living that they all expected when they bought a property in Mount Gravatt East.

Mt Gravatt East Development

Photo credit: pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

The development application which campaigners feared threatened its future was for a 29-unit multiple dwelling. As part of the plan, the developers proposed wider access driveway and realigning the boundary between 6 and 8 Nurran Street.

In preparation for the development, the developer had already cleared the site. This earned the ire of residents, stating that 1ha of land was bulldozed without notice to local residents.

Photo credit: Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group/Facebook

Upon acquisition of the land, the Council will revegetate the parcels of land with a range of plants, including fast-growing Eucalypt.

Stay up to date with proposed developments in the suburb by following the Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group on Facebook.

Opposition for the Controversial Townhouse Development on Carrara and Nurran Street, Mt Gravatt East Continues

Mt Gravatt East locals continue to oppose the proposed townhouse development on Carrara and Nurran Street, Mt Gravatt East as it undergoes public notification.

In December 2018, the developer has officially lodged the development application for the 29-townhouse development at Mt Gravatt East. Since the commencement of the public notification on 11 January 2019, Council has received several submissions against the development.

Prior to the lodgement of the DA for the townhouse development, local residents have already voiced their disapproval for the multiple dwelling proposal.

Proposed site for the Carrara and Nurran Street, Mt Gravatt East townhouse development. Photo credit: Brisbane Planning and Development Online

The Mt Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group particularly pointed out their disapproval of the tree clearing that happened on site before the DA was even submitted to the Council.

Now that the development is still open for submissions, the action group is urging other concerned members of the community to have their say on the development. Council will be accepting submissions until 4 February 2019.

New Mt Gravatt East Development

The developer seeks to construct 29 townhouses at 64 and 68 Carrara Street and 6 and 8 Nurran Street. They also want to realign the boundary between 6 and 8 Nurran Street. This is to create a wider access driveway for the proposed townhouse development.

Credit: Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group/Facebook

In preparation for the development, the developer had already cleared the site. Unfortunately, it included the removal of mature trees that are home to native wildlife such as koalas.

As a response, Council has confirmed that they will buy two of the large blocks from the development site to revegetate it.

Furthermore, the Council also told the action group that they do not support the DA. However, by law, the Council has to allow the process to take its course.

Donate or Borrow Books for Free at Local Street Library in Mt Gravatt East

If you are a bookworm, you wouldn’t have any problem adhering to a New Year’s resolution to read more books. Well, here’s one more reason to get a headstart on the year as The Bookworm’s Local Street Library in Mt Gravatt East lets you borrow books for free.

The Bookworm’s Local Street Library is a community library where people can borrow or donate books without cost.

Open since July 2017, this simple literary haven is the product of the owner’s desire for sharing her love for books. Since its opening in a front yard in the suburb of Mt Gravatt East, so many people had already used the library.

Borrow Books for Free

The humble street library has a dedicated cabinet for kids’ books and a separate one for adults. With the help of supportive locals who donated their books, The Bookworm’s Local Street Library now houses an ever-changing collection of books.

The Bookworm’s Local Street Library in Mt Gravatt East is still accepting book donations. For adult fiction books, the library is only accepting those that are published in the last eight years. On the other hand, they accept all non-fiction and children’s books.

Visitors can come and borrow or donate books any time of the day as the library is open all day.

A friendly reminder for borrowers: remember to return the books as all of them are carefully stamped, stickered, and covered in plastic. This only shows how much the ‘librarian’ cares for every book donated to them.

For further information and updates on the community street library, you may visit The Bookworm’s Local Street Library’s Facebook page.

Koalas Win as Bushland Acquisition Stops Townhouse Project at Mt Gravatt East

Instead of accommodating a townhouse development, the lots on Carrara Street, Mt Gravatt East will continue to provide safe passage for koalas. This, after the Brisbane City Council moved to purchase the block through the Bushland Acquisition Program.

The move to acquire the two parcels of land at 68 Carrara Street and 8 Nurran Street was celebrated by locals who have been fighting against the proposed townhouse development on the block. In a Facebook post, they felt the success in the campaign they started, celebrating the feeling of being heard.

In a statement, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said that the land purchase will add to over 400 hectares of native bushland acquired in the last two years.

Cr Quirk noted that the land acquisition is part of the Council’s plan to fast-track 10 years of bushland purchase into four years.

“All of the land chosen for purchase contributes to the rich tapestry of Brisbane’s ecology, with acquired sites including koala movement corridors, locations with rare and endangered plants and animals or freshwater and wetland habitats,” he said.

Councillor Krista Adams said it was disappointing that the area was privately cleared in the first place. However, with the decision of the Council to obtain and revegetate the land, local wildlife has a better chance for safe passage.

“Council has a strong record when it comes to protecting our native wildlife, including a comprehensive koala detection program, 4,000 hectares of acquired bushland as well as a koala research centre to understand the genetic diseases these species face,” she said.

After the block is obtained, it will be revegetated with a range of plants, including fast-growing Eucalypt.