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One Day Only! Free Sight Support Expo in Mt Gravatt

Haven’t had a proper eye check-up in the last two years? The Free Sight Support Expo in Mt Gravatt will help locals with their vision issues, detect eye problems, and facilitate early intervention. This is a one-day event so mark your calendars!

Quantum RLV, which has been providing products and services for people with low vision or blindness for more than 35 years, will conduct the community event on Thursday, 8 Sept. 2022 at the Garden City Library within the shopping centre. The Free Sight Support Expo will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Anyone with macular disease, glaucoma, stroke, blindness, or any condition which affects their vision is encouraged to come, including those with reading and learning challenges. Carers, family members and health professionals may also drop in and discuss specific low-vision issues with the experts.

Sight Support Expo — Photo Credit: Supplied

Several assistive technologies will also be demonstrated, road tested or trialled at the event, including the latest text-to-speech wearable OrCam technology.

“Low vision is a term used to describe a reduced quality of vision experienced by an individual, where spectacles and contact lenses are no longer enough,” Low Vision Consultant Peter Cracknell said.

“Although low vision is an everyday term, the reality is that every individual is unique and needs a tailored solution to help them retain their independence and function well in their everyday life.”

Aside from Mt Gravatt, other schedules of the free expo will also take place on these dates and venues:

DATE/TIME	LOCATION
Tues 13 September 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.	Queensland Eye Institute 140 Melbourne StreetSouth Brisbane
Mon 26th September 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.	Chermside Library 375 Hamilton Rd, Chermside

Anti-Mosquito Measures to Protect Yourself from Japanese Encephalitis Exposure in Mount Gravatt

Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt East, Upper Mount Gravatt, and a number of other Brisbane suburbs have had a spraying blitz following news of South East Queensland’s first case of Japanese encephalitis in 24 years.

As the rains and the devasting flooding event have turned wet spaces into breeding grounds for mosquitoes, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself from JE exposure.

Symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis is a virus that causes a brain infection. It’s transmitted through an infected mosquito bite that may manifest symptoms within 5 to 15 days of the infection. The experts said that JE cannot be transmitted from person to person and it’s usually not transmitted by the most prevalent mosquito species in Queensland.

However, 99 per cent of JE virus infections will show no symptoms, per Queensland Health. Those who do could develop high fever and chills, severe headache, photophobia, neck stiffness, nausea, or vomiting, which could lead to convulsions or coma. A third of patients whose conditions become severe may develop permanent disabilities or succumb to the disease.

Prevention Measures

As the Council continues to monitor mosquito traps located across the city, residents may reduce their risks by doing the following below, per advice from the Australian Department of Health:

applying and regularly reapplying an effective insect repellent on exposed skin
wearing long, loose fitting clothing when outside
ensuring accommodation, including tents, are properly fitted with mosquito nettings or screens
using insecticide sprays, vapour dispensing units (indoors) and mosquito coils (outdoors) to clear rooms and repel mosquitoes from an area
covering all windows, doors, vents and other entrances with insect screens
removing any water-holding containers where mosquitoes may breed

The best mosquito repellents to use must contain diethyltoluamide (DEET), picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Subsequently, locals may be immunised against JE. Distribution and administration of the vaccines will be focused on at-risk groups, such as workers in piggeries, pork abattoirs, or pork-processing plants, laboratory workers who could be exposed to the virus, environmental health workers, and people who reside in locations with confirmed cases.

The vaccines are expected to be available from late March to April through the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA).

DOWNLOAD CDNA ADVISE

Meanwhile, Council has sprayed target areas in these suburbs as of 8 March 2022:

Albion Alderley Anstead Ashgrove Bald Hills Balmoral Banyo Bardon Beachmere Bellbowrie Belmont Brighton Brisbane Airport Brisbane City Council Bulimba Burbank Camp Hill	Cannon Hill Carina Carindale Carseldine Chelmer Clayfield Clontarf Corinda Darra Deagon Deception Bay Durack Enoggera Everton Park Ferny Grove Fitzgibbon Gaythorne
Graceville Grange Gumdale Hemmant Hendra Holland Park Holland Park West Inala Karana Downs Keperra Kippa-Ring Kuraby Macgregor	Mackenzie Mango Hill Manly West Milton Mitchelton Moggill Moreton Bay Council Morningside Mt Crosby Mt Gravatt East Murarrie Ningi Norman Park
Oxley Pinjarra Hills Pinkenba Port of Brisbane Redland Council Richlands Rothwell Sandgate Sandstone Point Seven Hills Seventeen Mile Rocks Sherwood	Shorncliffe St Lucia Taringa The Gap Tingalpa Toorbul Toowong Upper Mt Gravatt Victoria Point Wellington Point Wynnum Wynnum West

Mount Gravatt Mazda Holds 3rd Annual Toy Drive for Kids with Cancer, DV Victims

Did you know that Mount Gravatt Mazda runs a Christmas toy drive for children affected by cancer and domestic violence? Now in its third year, the toy drive upholds the goal of making a difference in a child’s life.

Whilst the Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year, it can be the most difficult time for families of kids with cancer and those seeking refuge from domestic violence. Thus, Mount Gravatt Mazda came up with the toy drive to bring some festive cheer to those who may be scared and lonely during this season.

So, until the 18th of December 2021, Mount Gravatt Mazda will accept gift donations, especially new toys, for the children to unwrap on Christmas Day. The dealership is hoping to fill up the Mazda BT-50 sleigh, currently on display at the showroom floor, with heaps of gifts that will be distributed to various paediatric oncology patients who will be at the Childhood Cancer Support annual Christmas party.

Two organisations will also benefit from the donations: Childhood Cancer Support and Beyond DV.

Childhood Cancer Support is non-profit established by a group of parents and has been around for 45 years. Through their help, families affected by childhood cancer receive treatment and care at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Beyond DV, established by mom and Holland Park teacher Carolyn Robinson, offers recovery and support programs for women and children of domestic violence. The organisation provides hands-on guidance as they rebuild their lives after a traumatic experience.

“At Mount Gravatt Mazda, we strongly believe that we have a responsibility to give something back to the community in which we do business. To act on this belief, we created our annual Festive Community Drive which is dedicated to supporting our local community at Christmas.”

To donate to this cause, please take note of the guidelines below:

Median House Price Rises As Demand Grows for Homes in Mt Gravatt

Investing in a house in Mt Gravatt remains a good decision for those looking to cash in on a spacious but affordable property close to the Brisbane CBD, with a strong potential to continue the upward trend in value over the next few years.

From July 2020 to June 2021, Mt Gravatt’s property market has shown an uptick and the median house price rose by 13.64 percent, as buyers from interstate consider leaving congested Sydney or Melbourne to move to Brisbane’s suburbs.

In Mt Gravatt, the cost of buying a family home close to the CBD is a sound investment as residents could live in a beautiful detached home to raise a family near the best schools, enjoy a comfortable lifestyle with heaps of employment options, and still have savings in the bank.

The median house price for this suburb sits at $750,000, higher than the Queensland median. Homes in Mt Gravatt can be had for a reasonable budget for many buyers looking for a location with good access to the Gateway Motorway and other transport infrastructure; lifestyle and retail centres like Westfield Garden City; and schools such as Griffith University; and medical facilities.

During this 12-month period, 60 properties, listed at an average of 28 days on market, were sold in Mt Gravatt, indicating a tight market with such high demand, per data from Property Market Updates.

Unit Price Growth

Off the back of a resilient housing market, Mt Gravatt’s unit market has also improved in the same time period with an 8.60 percent growth on the median unit price. Listings were on the market for an average of 48 days, fetching a median unit price of $505,000.

Mt Gravatt’s apartment market attracts downsizing households who need access to good transportation and recreation, as well as young families who want a good education and employment opportunities.

Los Tacos by Baja Now Available at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market

Did you know that Los Tacos, a special taqueria concept created by the people behind the Cali-Mex eatery Baja, is now available every Saturday at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market?

From the minds behind the popular Cali-Mex eatery Baja is Los Tacos, a taco-centric concept that opens at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Festival every Saturday. It pays homage to the classic Mexican meal with a special menu that serves up four specific types of taco: pork carnitas, fried chicken tacos, beef barbacoa, and vegetarian tres frijoles.

Tacos won’t be the only meals available , however, as their menu also offers classic Cali-Mex snacks such as street corn, fresh ceviche, and guacamole to cater to those looking to help themselves to some authentic Mexican food. Also available on-site are their margaritas, allowing people to wash down their meals with an indulgent and alcoholic kick.

The concept first emerged in Fortitude Valley, popping up at the Baja venue every Tuesday to test the waters and see if these specially-made tacos sold enough to warrant the creation of a stand-alone taqueria.

Eventually, Los Tacos launched at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market to see if the concept is well-received in other suburbs. Plans are in the works to find the taqueria a permanent hope, and judging by its popularity, it’s likely that it won’t remain a mere concept for long.

Photo credit: Instagram/mtgravatt_streetfood

Those interested in reserving a spot can do so via Baja’s booking system, however Los Tacos also caters to walk-in customers.

Los Tacos can be found at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market, which is hosted at the Mt Gravatt Showgrounds at 1644 Logan Rd, Mt Gravatt every Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information on Los Tacos, follow their Instagram page here. To learn more about the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market, visit their website here, and follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the weekly event.

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.

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.

Advocates Pick Legal Representation To Save Seton College

“It is only a small school but it is making a big difference,” so goes the battle cry of the advocates to save Seton College in Mount Gravatt, following the announcement that they have hired legal representation in the fight to prevent the school’s closure in 2024.

The group, Save Our Seton College (SOS) Inc., has picked the legal team from Elliot & Harvey to help them win this fight.

It comes as a former staff member, who resigned in 2020, warned that the closure will have a long-term outcome on its remaining students who will have to move to a mainstream school and could likely struggle with the curriculum and the new environment.

The staff said that there’s nothing like Seton in terms of adjusting to the children’s abilities and needs, as assessed by their teachers, especially among those with developmental challenges. For many of these kids, Seton is not just an educational centre but it’s also a home where they can “have a place in society” and never have to fear expulsion from school.

In early 2020, Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) confirmed the closure of Seton College due to the dwindling number of enrollees. But concerned parents and students have challenged this decision by claiming that it is the school that hasn’t accepted new students.

BCE appointed representatives to assist parents and students in the transition. One parent said that a representative told them there are more than 140 schools in Brisbane’s southeast that could be suitable for special needs students from Seton. However, based on their experience, four of the five potential schools approached by BCE representatives turned down their child.

In the meantime, SOS is holding Zoom meetings regularly to update each other on the progress of their fight to save the school. For more information about the group, follow the Facebook page or visit the official site.

“The impending closure of Seton College by 2024, will leave an enormous gap in the schooling options available to Brisbane families. There will no longer be a contemporary Catholic, coeducational Secondary College purpose-built for personalised learning on the south side of Brisbane,” the group said.

Concerned Stakeholders Launch Petition, Pledges to Save Seton College

A group of concerned stakeholders has launched a petition to Save Seton College from permanent closure in Mount Gravatt in 2024. The petition has received over 6,500 signatures whilst pledges to help reverse the proposal have reached more than 1,000.

Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) announced late this year that Seton College will cease accepting new enrollees in 2021, claiming that enrolments have been dwindling in recent years.

The stakeholders are challenging BCE’s claims after learning that the school actually turned away 60 students in 2020. In 2019, the school apparently sent emails to parents that it reached maximum capacity “with a waiting list already in place.”

“It appears that BCE is orchestrating the decline in enrolments by enrolling less than 25% of applicants for year seven 2020, and, furthermore, stopping ALL and ANY future enrolments, regardless of year level,” the stakeholders said in a statement. “It appears BCE are winding things up much quicker than originally anticipated, with an exodus of teaching and support staff and the shocking redundancy of the school’s IT manager, who was recently applauded for his work in developing an effective online classroom platform during the COVID shutdown.”

The group has been holding Save Our Seton (SOS) meetings on the Zoom platform. The first meeting for next year is scheduled for 17 Jan 2021.

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A post shared by Save Our Seton (@saveourseton)

Seton College is a typical co-educational Secondary College that offers personalised learning. It’s described as “the school that fills the gap between mainstream schools and special schools” for including individual student support, pastoral care and personality development that aren’t found in a mainstream school’s curriculum.

“Seton College is the most welcoming, helping, accepting and the best school I’ve ever been to,” a former student, Tayhlia Shaw, said when she launched the petition. “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.”

For updates on the activities of the SOS, follow their Facebook page or become a member on their official site.