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Upper Kedron Groups Invited To Apply For Ellendale Grants

Community groups in Upper Kedron and surrounding Brisbane north suburbs are being invited to apply for the 2026 Ellendale Community Grants, with $10,000 available for eligible schools, sporting clubs, not-for-profit groups and local organisations.

Ellendale Grants Open for Local Applications

Applications are now open for the latest round of the Ellendale Community Grants, a funding program linked to Cedar Woods Properties’ Ellendale masterplanned community in Upper Kedron.

The program has supported groups in surrounding suburbs since 2017, with funding used in previous rounds for equipment, facility improvements, school programs and support for residents. Eligible applicants include schools and not-for-profit groups, including sporting and community organisations, that have been operating for more than 12 months.

Applications close on 26 June 2026, with successful recipients expected to be announced in July.

Cedar Woods Ellendale Community Grant Winners. Phoenix Netball Club. Photo Credit: Sarah Keayes/The Photo Pitch/Supplied

Past Rounds Show Practical Community Use

The 2026 round follows earlier grants that have supported clubs, schools and community organisations across Brisbane’s north.

Cedar Woods has awarded $115,000 in grants to more than 60 community groups across the suburbs surrounding Ellendale and the Flourish masterplanned community in South Maclean.

In the 2025 Ellendale Community Grants round, six local groups shared $10,000. Phoenix Netball Club received $3,500 to help resurface three playing courts used by 285 players across 32 teams. More than half of the club’s members were from Ferny Grove and Upper Kedron, with some also living at Ellendale.

Other 2025 recipients included Everton Physical Culture Club, Mitchelton Youth Club, Samford Play Group, St Andrews P&C and St John’s Wood The Gap Conference. The grants supported needs including promotional material for a Physie program, seating for a renovated lobby area, play fort repairs, aluminium soccer goals and school-related support for families.

Cedar Woods delivers the Ellendale Community Grant to Ferny Grove State School P&C for their Robotics program. Photo Credit: Sarah Keayes/The Photo Pitch/Supplied

Upper Kedron Program Reaches Nearby Suburbs

The 2024 Ellendale Community Grants also provided $10,000 to local groups, including Ferny Grove State School P&C Association, Westside Grovely FC, Samford Netball Club and St John’s Wood / The Gap Parish of St Vincent De Paul Society.

Ferny Grove State School P&C received $5,000 in 2024 to buy robotics kits, expanding its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program to junior students. The grant was set to benefit 300 students.

The Ellendale grants page also lists previous recipient rounds from 2022 and 2019, reflecting several years of funding for groups linked to Upper Kedron and nearby communities.

Applications Close in June

Ellendale is a 227-hectare masterplanned community in Upper Kedron, bordering South D’Aguilar National Park. It is home to more than 590 families and includes nature corridors, recreation space and homesites.

The 2026 grants are open to eligible groups in Upper Kedron and surrounding communities. Applications close on 26 June 2026, with successful organisations to be notified in July.

Published 26-May-2026

Recycling Gets Easier in Keperra With New Solar-Powered Refund Machine

Container Exchange

South East Queensland’s first solar-powered Containers for Change Reverse Vending Machine has landed at the Great Western Super Centre in Keperra, and since launching in April it has already processed more than 88,000 containers, putting over $8,800 in 10-cent refunds directly back into the hands of locals.

The machine, built by Queensland green technology company Ecoboxtec and operated by Community Co Recycling, adds a genuinely new dimension to Keperra’s shopping precinct on Wardell Street. Residents can now return their empty cans and bottles at the same time as their weekly grocery run, earning cash refunds or donating them directly to charity, all powered by Queensland sunshine rather than the grid.

For a suburb that sits within one of the city’s quieter northern corridors, the arrival of a machine that combines convenience with sustainability reflects a broader push to make recycling genuinely easy for communities that have historically had to go out of their way to participate.

A machine that pulls its weight from day one

The strong response in Keperra mirrors what has already happened elsewhere across South East Queensland. In Logan Central, a newly installed reverse vending machine matched eight months of bag drop collections in just nine days, highlighting how quickly people embrace recycling when it is easy and accessible.

Location is everything in this scheme, and the Great Western Super Centre placement works precisely because it integrates recycling into an errand people are already doing. Community Co Recycling Managing Director Doogan O’Hanlon said the convenient positioning had been central to the strong community response.

“The RVM is located close to the shopping centre, so claiming your 10-cent refund or donating it to charity is as easy as bringing your containers along with your weekly shop,” he said.

The machine itself is the CBOX 3 by Ecoboxtec, a large-format, three-chute asset that allows up to three customers to use it simultaneously, reducing wait times and making the experience fast enough to genuinely fit into a shopping trip rather than requiring a dedicated stop.

Eleven billion reasons Queensland gets it

The Keperra machine arrives at a moment when Queensland’s relationship with container recycling has reached genuine maturity. Queensland’s Containers for Change program surpassed the 11 billion return milestone late last year, marking $1.1 billion in 10-cent refunds returned to the community across the scheme’s seven-year history.

In FY25 alone, more than 4.8 million containers were collected by 681 Queensland schools, with $4.6 million donated to charities through the scheme.

Queensland introduced Containers for Change in November 2018 alongside a statewide plastic bag ban, and expanded the scheme in November 2023 to include wine and spirits bottles, broadening the range of containers eligible for the 10-cent refund and increasing participation accordingly.

COEX Executive General Manager Lauren Christian said the Keperra project showed how local innovation and sustainability could work in tandem. “By combining homegrown technology with on-the-ground expertise, we’re expanding the network in smarter, more sustainable ways and making recycling even more accessible for communities,” she said.

Turning bottles into something more

Beyond the cash refund, the machine gives locals the option to donate their 10-cent refunds directly to charities, turning a quick recycling stop into meaningful community support.

That dual function, personal financial return or charitable contribution, is one of the features that has consistently driven engagement across Containers for Change’s Queensland network.

The Keperra Reverse Vending Machine is open daily from 7am to 9pm at the Great Western Super Centre on Wardell Street. To find other Containers for Change locations or to learn more, click here.

Published 18-May-2026

Local Classrooms Excel as The Gap State Schools Secure Strong Results in National Analysis

Photo Credit: The Gap State School/ Facebook

Families in The Gap are celebrating strong local education standards as multiple primary schools in the suburb secure high marks in a comprehensive national evaluation of classroom sizes, student attendance, and academic performance.

Local Classrooms Showing Strong Results

*Photo Credit:* *The Gap State School/ Facebook*

Recent educational data shows that families living in the local area have access to some of the most consistent primary schooling options in the region. The Gap State School leads the immediate neighbourhood with an enrolment of 565 students, while maintaining a high rating across key operational metrics.

Nearby, Hilder Road State School manages a community of 433 students with a similarly strong score, followed closely by Payne Road State School which supports 299 pupils. Just outside the immediate neighbourhood, Enoggera State School also features in the data with 390 students, though it operates with a lower overall resource and performance metric compared to its neighbours in The Gap.

Understanding the National Performance Formula

The findings are part of a massive nationwide review that examined nearly 5,000 public campuses across the country. To determine how well these institutions serve their communities, researchers avoided looking only at raw academic grades. Instead, they balanced the numbers by looking at how often children actually show up to class, the number of pupils assigned to each teacher, and the general socio-educational background of the local neighbourhood. The review also examined specific achievements in Year 3 and Year 5 reading and numeracy milestones.

Brisbane Suburbs Feature Prominently

*Photo Credit:* *Sunnybank Hills State School*

On a broader scale, Brisbane campuses achieved significant representation in the statewide top 100 list. Sunnybank Hills State School secured the highest position in Queensland and placed sixth across the entire nation, drawing praise for managing a large, diverse student body of over 1,600 children from dozens of different cultural backgrounds.

Other nearby locations, including Rainworth State School in Bardon, Ashgrove State School, Newmarket State School, and Wilston State School in Grange, rounded out the top five positions in the state. Large campuses such as Indooroopilly and MacGregor also earned high spots, while only two regional institutions outside of the capital managed to break into the top 50.

NATIONAL RESULTS

Community Engagement Drives Success

Local education leaders state that high marks in these reviews are a direct reflection of daily classroom dedication rather than simple luck. Wilston State School principal Glen O’Halloran noted that steady academic outcomes rely heavily on the shared effort between children, staff, and local families. He explained that a regular presence in the classroom is vital, and that success is driven by parents who trust the school system and reinforce learning habits at home.

National education representatives also backed this community-first view of schooling. Australian Primary Principals Association president Angela Falkenberg stated that a successful primary campus acts as the core of its neighbourhood, ensuring every child feels known and supported to grow socially and emotionally. Adding to this, Australian Council of State School Organisations representative Peter Garrigan urged parents to look beyond data sheets, suggesting they visit their local campuses in person to experience the daily environment and see how staff interact with families before making a choice.

Published Date 18-May-2026

Keperra Woolworths Reopens After Store Disturbance Leads To Teen Charges

Photo Credit: QPS/Facebook

A routine afternoon shop at Keperra’s Great Western Super Centre was disrupted when an alleged disturbance inside Woolworths led to an evacuation and two teenage girls being charged.

Afternoon Shop Disrupted At Keperra Woolworths

A normal Friday afternoon at Keperra’s Great Western Super Centre was interrupted after an alleged disturbance inside Woolworths led to the store being evacuated and two teenage girls taken into custody.

Police were called to a Settlement Road business about 3pm on 15 May following reports of a disturbance. It is alleged items were thrown from shelves and glass was broken inside the store before the shop was cleared.

Reports from the scene indicated about 60 people were evacuated from Woolworths. The incident was described as being contained to the supermarket, although workers and customers elsewhere in the centre were also affected while the situation was handled.

For shoppers and staff, the disruption turned an ordinary visit into a sudden evacuation, with the store later closed for the rest of the day.

Keperra Woolworths disturbance — Photo Credit: QPS/Facebook

Teen Girls Charged Over Keperra Incident

Two teenage girls were taken into custody after the alleged disturbance.

A 15-year-old Kedron girl was charged with entering premises and committing an indictable offence involving wilful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm, and two counts of common assault.

A 14-year-old Goodna girl was charged with entering premises and committing an indictable offence involving wilful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm, and common assault.

Both girls were expected to appear in Brisbane Childrens Court on 16 May. The 15-year-old was later remanded in custody, with her matter adjourned for a bail application. The 14-year-old also had a bail application before the court.

The charges remain allegations and the matter is still before the court.

Keperra Woolworths Reopens After Closure

The Keperra Woolworths store reopened the morning after the incident, after being closed for the remainder of the previous day.

Woolworths said support was being provided to team members and customers affected by the incident, with resources made available to staff returning to work.

Police inquiries are continuing. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Policelink or Crime Stoppers and quote reference number QP2600928537.

Published 17-May-2026

The Gap Retirement Facility Proposal Raises Questions Over Height, Access And Local Character

Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

A retirement facility proposed in The Gap would place 76 independent living apartments within part of Ashgrove Golf Course, bringing new attention to how older residents’ housing, road access and neighbourhood outlooks are balanced along Waterworks Road.

The Gap Site Draws Retirement Living Proposal

A new retirement facility has been proposed for 837–857 Waterworks Road in The Gap, with plans showing two apartment wings within the south-eastern section of Ashgrove Golf Course.

The proposal seeks approval for 76 independent living apartments, made up of 35 two-bedroom apartments and 41 three-bedroom apartments. The buildings would sit within a 7,145sqm lease area on the broader 40.6ha golf club site.

The project is designed by Cox Architecture and lodged by Aura Holdings, with Urbis listed as planning consultant. The application is impact assessable and remains in progress.

The building height is one of the clearest points of attention. The proposal reaches 10 storeys overall, although its Waterworks Road presentation is listed as seven storeys. The plans include a gross floor area of 11,615sqm, 3,955sqm of site cover, 1,349.33sqm of deep planting and 1,694.49sqm of communal space.

Ashgrove Golf Course — Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

Height And Views Form Early Concerns

The Gap proposal has already drawn at least one objection. A submission dated 10 May 2026 opposed the development on the basis of height, outlook, traffic and suitability for retirement living at the site.

The submission raised concern that nearby homes would look towards the proposed buildings instead of the mountains and golf course. It also questioned the scale of the buildings in the local area and raised concerns about additional traffic on Waterworks Road, which was described as already busy and slow in that section.

Walkability was also raised. The submission argued the site was too far from The Gap shops for retirement living residents and raised concern about scooters on footpaths and the risk of traffic incidents.

Those concerns remain part of the assessment material. The application has not been decided.

retirement facility — Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

Design Response Focuses On Setbacks And Planting

The design material presents the project as a landscape-led response to the golf course site. It says the buildings have been shaped around the slope of the land, with parking partly concealed beneath a landscaped podium and the taller form positioned further into the course setting.

A mature fig tree near the entry is used as a key feature in the design. The plans arrange arrival points, pedestrian paths and internal circulation around the tree, while also using planted areas, bridge links and setbacks to break up the building form.

The material identifies homes opposite the site on Waterworks Road and says the proposal has been considered against nearby residential outlooks. It lists an approximate 60-metre separation from residences, supported by landscaping and a break between the two wings.

Road-facing apartments would also include acoustic responses because of traffic noise along Waterworks Road. These include solid balustrades and glazing treatments, with façades designed to manage noise while retaining the broader architectural form.

Apartments Planned For Ageing In Place

The proposal is aimed at older residents seeking independent living accommodation in The Gap. Apartment layouts are planned with wide internal circulation, large balcony openings, level access thresholds and storage features intended to support residents over time.

Resident facilities would include a swimming pool, wellness area, consultant room, wine room, bar and billiards area, rooftop garden, rooftop dog wash and landscaped communal areas. Some communal spaces would look over the golf course and surrounding hills.

The development also proposes 105 parking spaces for residents, staff and visitors, including 82 resident spaces and 23 staff and visitor spaces. Twelve resident golf buggy spaces are also included.

Golf club parking would be replaced or supplemented through 40 spaces, made up of 33 replacement spaces, one accessible space and six new spaces. Vehicle access would use the existing golf club area, while servicing and loading are identified from Bennett Road.

The Gap retirement facility — Photo Credit: DA/A007011234

Assessment Continues For Waterworks Road Proposal

The application was submitted on 27 April 2026, recorded as properly made on 7 May 2026, and had a confirmation notice sent on 14 May 2026. Public notification dates have not yet been listed.

Application material has also been provided to Powerlink as part of the referral process.

The proposal is more than a new retirement facility. It is a test of how a large green site along Waterworks Road could accommodate older residents’ housing while still addressing height, traffic, views, landscape and the surrounding neighbourhood edge.

Published 15-May-2026

The Gap Resident’s Nest Box Was Meant for an Owl, But Something Bigger Moved In

When a resident from The Gap installed a nest box seven metres up a tree on their property, they had one resident in mind. The Southern Boobook, a small native owl common to Brisbane’s outer western suburbs. What they got instead was considerably longer, scalier, and altogether more dramatic.

Read: Snake Catcher Uses Hairdryer to Capture Python in The Gap

A python moved in. Or possibly more than one.

The resident, who posts as Wildlife in The Gap on a local Facebook group, reported that when tradies arrived to remove their garage roller door, a three-metre python dropped out with it. Whether it was the same snake spotted earlier in the nest box, or evidence of a second resident, remains unclear.

Photo credit: Facebook/Wildlife in The Gap

The post drew plenty of attention from neighbours, and not all of it enthusiastic. A local resident raised a concern about nest boxes without escape routes, questioning whether they simply become a magnet for predators like pythons.

The nest box owner pushed back gently, noting that natural tree hollows offer no such protection either, and that many commercially available nest boxes do include escape hatches. More broadly, they reflected that installing habitat features means accepting the full cast of characters that nature sends along, predators included. The Boobook Owl the box was designed to attract is itself a predator, after all. Their approach, they explained, is to support as rich and functioning an ecosystem as possible, without picking winners and losers.

Nest Boxes and Brisbane’s Offset Program

It reflects a broader approach that Brisbane’s environmental programs actively encourage.

Brisbane’s Environmental Offsets and Restoration Program installs nest boxes across designated offset sites throughout the city to supplement existing tree hollows. Those hollows are critical nesting and roosting habitat for native birds and wildlife. Nest boxes are one of the practical tools used to protect Brisbane’s biodiversity, forming part of the Brisbane Clean, Green, Sustainable strategy and contributing to a target of 40 per cent of mainland Brisbane with natural habitat by 2031.

Read: Snake Sightings Are On the Rise in The Gap & Nearby Suburbs

Complementing that work is the Land for Wildlife program, which supports private landowners to conserve and restore wildlife habitat on their own properties. It is a significant initiative given that more than half of Brisbane’s local flora and fauna lives on privately owned land. Landowners who join receive advice on revegetation, local species identification, and how to manage their land for wildlife.

Published 12-May-2026

Enoggera Families Among Those Reached By Veteran Support Program

A Brisbane support program will offer Queenslanders living with disability new opportunities for connection, companionship and creative activities after the loss of a veteran parent.

The Seasons program, delivered by Legacy Brisbane with support from the Bupa Foundation, will provide a safe, stigma-free setting where participants can take part in social activities, art workshops and music workshops.

Support For Veteran Families Across Brisbane

The program is designed for Queenslanders living with disability who have lost a veteran parent. Its focus is on social connection, confidence and skill development through structured group activities.

For communities across Brisbane, including Enoggera, the program carries relevance for families linked to Defence service. Rather than focusing only on formal assistance, the Seasons program gives participants opportunities to form friendships, experience companionship and take part in a supported community setting.

Enoggera Defence community — *Photo Credit: Supplied*

Art, Music And Shared Activities

Art and music workshops will form part of the program, alongside broader social activities for people with disability within veteran families.

The activities are intended to encourage participation and connection, giving participants a way to build confidence while spending time with others in a supported environment.

The Bupa Foundation has supported Legacy Brisbane since 2024, funding programs that assist families of Australian veterans. Its backing of the 2026 Seasons program continues that support, with a specific focus on Queenslanders living with disability after the loss of a veteran parent.

Wider Care For Families After Service

Legacy Brisbane’s broader work includes long-term social, emotional and financial assistance for families of Australian veterans. The Seasons program adds to that work by focusing on people with disability within veteran families.

Bupa has linked the partnership to wider support for Australian Defence Force members, active reservists, veterans and their families. Since 2019, it has delivered health services for the Australian Defence Force and works across more than 50 on-base health services around Australia.

Through creative workshops and social activities, the Seasons program will give Queenslanders living with disability after veteran parent loss another pathway to connection, confidence and companionship.

Published 11-May-2026

Ferny Grove Central Moves Into Final Construction Stages After Delays

Photo Credit: Ferny Grove Central

Ferny Grove Central is taking clearer shape, with retail fitouts, apartment work and soft landscaping now underway as the long-running development moves closer to practical completion.

Ferny Grove Central Nears Its Finishing Phase

The latest update on the project shows construction has advanced across the retail buildings, The Fernery apartments and surrounding works. The final built form of the buildings is now visible, with the focus shifting from major structural work to fitout and finishing activity.

All structural concrete pours have been completed, and the tower cranes have moved offsite. The buildings are now watertight, with major craned materials already in place. Kedron Brook culvert works are almost complete, while works along Samford Road are continuing.

The western retail building is about to move into tenant fitout, including work by Woolworths, Dan Murphy’s and Goodlife Gymnasium. Tenants are still finalising when they will open for trade, with no confirmed opening date listed.

The project’s current program has Broad Construction aiming for practical completion in Q3 2026.

Brisbane retail — Photo Credit: Ferny Grove Central

Retail Tenants Added As Leasing Nears Completion

The retail centre is now almost fully leased, with Huxtaburger, Smokin’ Joe’s Pizza & Grill and discount retailer Major Bargain added in the past three months.

Earlier updates also identified Guzman y Gomez as a long-term tenant. The broader retail offering listed for Ferny Grove Central includes Woolworths, Dan Murphy’s, Cinebar Ferny Grove, Goodlife Health Club, medical service providers and food and beverage operators.

The development is planned to include a retail plaza, landscaped pedestrian areas and services for commuters, residents and the wider local area. A future childcare centre is also shown in the latest update.

The Fernery apartment component includes one, two and three-bedroom apartments and is fully sold. Its listed features include secure parking, outdoor dining areas, landscaped spaces, vertical gardens, a rooftop deck and a pool.

Ferny Grove development — Photo Credit: Ferny Grove Central

Completion Target Shifted Through Earlier Updates

The current Q3 2026 practical completion target follows several earlier changes to the project timeline.

In February 2025, the builder advised that completion was expected in Q2 2026. That update referred to skills shortages, rising material costs and adverse weather affecting the construction timeline.

By May 2025, the project remained behind its updated program, with delays linked to wet weather in February and March, the impact of Cyclone Alfred and industrial action. At that stage, practical completion was being aimed for late in Q2 2026.

In August 2025, the project was still progressing but continued to face significant delays. The practical completion target had moved to Q3 2026, with a possibility it could extend to Q4 2026.

The March 2026 update keeps the expected practical completion period at Q3 2026 and presents the project as being in its later stages.

Parking, Access And Local Feedback

Ferny Grove Central is planned to add about 450 commuter car parks, with 80 per cent of those spaces to be undercover. The project also lists lifts and escalators for the new parking facilities, surveillance across commuter car parks, disabled commuter parking, safe bike storage, about 320 separate retail car parks, residential parking and an increased laydown area for buses.

Local feedback shared through the Ferny Grove and Upper Kedron Residents Association page has been mixed. Some commenters welcomed the progress and said they were looking forward to completion, while others raised concerns about the building’s appearance, its closeness to the boundary and possible traffic impacts around Conavalla Street and Samford Road.

With the structural phase now largely complete, the next stage of the project centres on tenant fitouts, final leasing activity, apartment fitouts and landscaping before the retail centre begins trading.

Published 30-Apr-2026

Upper Kedron Telecommunications DA Draws Submissions Over Trossachs Place Site

Photo Credit: Pexels

A development application for a telecommunications facility at 49 Trossachs Place has drawn local attention, with submissions pointing to poor mobile phone coverage as well as concerns about the site, amenity and surrounding environment.

Upper Kedron DA Sets Out Telecommunications Proposal

A telecommunications facility is proposed for 49 Trossachs Place under development application A006823050. The application was lodged by Waveconn Operations Pty Ltd and seeks a development permit for a Material Change of Use. The proposed use is identified as a telecommunications facility.

The application is impact assessable and subject to public notification, which began on 13 April 2026 and is due to close on 5 May 2026.

Submissions Raise Coverage And Amenity Issues

Public submissions show the proposal has drawn both support and opposition, with mobile coverage concerns sitting alongside questions about the suitability of the Trossachs Place site.

Supporters point to poor reception in Upper Kedron, including difficulty getting reliable mobile coverage inside homes. One submission also supports a shared facility for major providers, saying one structure used across multiple networks would be preferable to separate towers.

Objectors refer to the proposal as a 35-metre telecommunications facility and raise concerns about visual amenity, bushfire risk, environmental constraints, koala habitat, scenic amenity, access, construction impacts and neighbourhood character. Some also argue that other locations should be considered before the application is decided, while suggested conditions include a reduced height, additional natural screening and further consideration of fibre connectivity.

mobile phone coverage — *Photo Credit: DA/A006823050*

Public Notification Continues

The Upper Kedron telecommunications DA remains in progress during the public notification period.

Supporters point to poor mobile coverage and the need for more reliable reception. Objectors focus on whether the Trossachs Place site is suitable, citing concerns about height, visual impact, environmental matters and local amenity.

The public notification period is due to close on 5 May 2026.

Published 30-Apr-2026

Upper Kedron Set for Major Water Upgrade with New Reservoir and Pipelines

Photo Credit: Pensar

Crews are preparing to dig beneath the streets of Upper Kedron and build new water infrastructure aimed at keeping taps running as more homes move in. The project, led by Pensar, will bring a new reservoir, pumping station and network of underground pipelines into the area, marking one of the largest local upgrades to water supply in recent years.

Construction is scheduled from April 2026 through to late 2027, with work staged across multiple sites.

Pipes beneath roads signal shift in how water moves through Upper Kedron

The project centres on installing underground trunk water mains along key routes, including sections of O’Quinn Road, Levitt Road and Canvey Road. These pipelines will connect to a new reservoir designed to store water and a pumping station that will move it through the network.

According to project information from Pensar’s Upper Kedron project page, most of the construction will take place below ground, with visible activity mainly limited to excavation zones and larger work areas around the reservoir and pump station sites. Temporary compounds at 301 and 383 Levitt Road, as well as the end of Canvey Road, will support equipment storage and site operations as work progresses.

Traffic changes and construction activity expected across local streets

Residents can expect shifting traffic conditions as work moves between locations. Temporary lane closures, reduced speed limits and traffic controllers will be used to manage safety during construction.

Project details indicate that access to homes and businesses will be maintained where possible, though some delays are likely as works move through different stages. Construction will generally take place during daytime hours on weekdays and Saturdays, with occasional out-of-hours work flagged in advance when required.

Managing noise, dust and day-to-day disruption during works

Earthworks and trenching will bring periods of noise, dust and vibration, particularly during early and mid-stage construction. The project team has outlined measures such as dust suppression, monitoring and noise controls to limit impacts beyond work zones.

Information provided by Pensar states that work methods may be adjusted where practical, depending on site conditions and community feedback. Environmental safeguards, including erosion control and waterway protection, are also part of the construction approach.

New infrastructure aims to keep pace with population growth

The upgrade comes as Upper Kedron continues to expand, with new housing increasing demand on existing water systems. The reservoir will provide additional storage capacity, while the pumping station will support consistent pressure and distribution across the suburb.

Project materials show the works are part of forward planning to avoid larger disruptions in the future, as demand for water continues to rise. Once complete, the system will undergo testing before being brought into operation.

Residents encouraged to stay informed as project progresses

The project team has set up a community contact line and email service to handle enquiries and provide updates. Notifications, including letterbox drops and flyers, are expected to be distributed ahead of major construction stages.

Once construction is finished, temporary sites will be removed and affected areas restored, with the new infrastructure forming part of the long-term water network serving Upper Kedron.

Published 29-April-2026