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“Be Prepared” Campaign: A Decade After The Gap Storm

Brisbane residents are urged to “Be Prepared” for extreme weather. During the launch of Brisbane City Council’s summer storm awareness campaign, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk underscored the need to prepare for the summer storm season.

The summer storm awareness campaign was launched on the 10th anniversary of the storm that devastated The Gap. Brisbane is better prepared now than it was ten years ago. After the devastating storm that hit The Gap in 2008, more equipment for SES crews were acquired. A range of new response, recovery services, and advice were also made available for residents.

“Brisbane is a great place to live, work and relax, but we all know our beautiful subtropical climate means our city is prone to severe weather, including flash flooding, storms and bushfires, which is why it’s critical we’re prepared for the summer storm season,” LM Graham Quirk said.

Credit: indoorlightening/YouTube

He said that the council will invest close to $12 million into disaster management in 2018-2019. Part of the spending includes $3.7 million for the acquisition of 12 new SES vehicles. Included as well are equipment and resources to support the 880 volunteer members.

“Our volunteer SES crews, which have doubled in size over the past decade, are critical during the response to severe weather events by providing swift-water flood rescues, removing fallen trees, putting tarps over damaged roofs and much more.

Following the 2008 storm in The Gap, the council upgraded its Local Disaster Coordination Centre to make information gathering and response to the storm hit areas much faster. The council’s preparation includes “bushfire hazard reduction burns, tree trimming, stormwater drainage maintenance and upgrades and our Early Warning Alert Service.”

Credit:Brisbane City Council/YouTube

Residents, for their part, could take steps to reduce risks to their property ahead of the storm events by cleaning up their yards, gutter, and securing loose items.

As part of the “Be Prepared” campaign, the council is providing three free green waste tipping weekends at the council’s resource recovery centres. The free green waste tipping aims to help residents prepare for storm season and minimise the impacts of high winds and heavy rain.

Weekends included in the free green waste tipping are:

September 22-23
October 6-7
October 20-21

Credit:Brisbane City Council/YouTube
The council is also hosting a number of community and school events in partnership with QFES, the Rural Fire Brigade, QPS and the SES. These events will provide more information to residents about their flood and bushfire risk.

For more information about preparing homes and property for severe weather, view the ‘Be Prepared’ checklist online at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/beprepared or call (07) 3403 8888.

Learn more about preparing your home and property for severe weather at the “Be Prepared” website or call (07) 3403 8888.

The Gap’s Old Coffee Club to Become a New Tavern

A development application has been lodged proposing to redevelop The Gap’s Old Coffee Club into a new tavern.

Plans for the refurbishment of The Gap’s Old Coffee Club involves the construction of a tavern with indoor and outdoor dining. The proposal intends to preserve the height and scale of the existing building and refurbish the vacant tenancy.

The idea of converting the Old Coffee Club into a new tavern is welcomed by some locals saying that such a place is needed in the suburb. However, some residents are concerned about parking and the tavern’s current location.

According to the proposed plans, the tavern will be utilising existing car park spaces of The Gap Village shopping centre. Access locations are retained to Waterworks Road and Glen Affric Street.

The Council had already carried out an initial review of the development application. The Council is now requiring the developer to address a couple of issues. One of the concerns raised is that the outdoor dining might interfere with pedestrian traffic as it is too close to the entrance and pathway to the shopping centre.

The developer has three months to address the issues enumerated at the Council’s Information Request prior to the assessment of the application.

Should the application be approved, the new tavern will be operating from 10:00 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.

For more information, check out the Application Details for A004980868.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan: Final Call for Submissions

The Gap local residents have until 5 P.M. 10 September 2018 to let their voice be heard regarding the proposed The Gap Neighbourhood Plan. The Brisbane City Council started the neighbourhood planning process last April 2016 and prepared the draft neighbourhood plan following feedback from residents.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan will serve to guide future developments whilst maintaining The Gap community’s suburban lifestyle and character. No significant growth in population of The Gap is expected in the next ten years. It is still deemed necessary, however, to create a neighbourhood plan to guide future developments in the area.

The neighbourhood plan draft is in keeping with the Brisbane City Council’s vision for “a well-planned, liveable and efficiently serviced city.” The neighbourhood plan will refine City Plan through proposed amendments including the Village precinct, identification of potential development areas, and zone changes.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Boundary

The Gap neighborhood Plan boundary — *Photo credit:Brisbane City Council/Facebook*

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Proposed Village Precinct

*Photo credit:Brisbane City Council/Facebook*

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Proposed Development Areas

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Proposed Zone Changes

Here Is How to Lodge Your Submission:

You can download the factsheet about how to make a submission or download information about City Plan terms and concepts.
Read the full draft of the neighbourhood plan.
Find out how the draft plan might affect you.
You can lodge your submission online by 5 p.m. Monday 10 September 2018.

The council cannot consider feedback over the phone or in person as formal feedback at this stage of the process, as the neighbourhood plan is a legal document.

The Gap Neighbourhood Plan Timeline

Mid-2016 to 2017-Background research

900 online survey responses
Community Planning Team meetings
Information kiosks on 20 and 21 September 2016.

October 2017-Release of draft strategy document

47 submissions made by letter, email or in-person at kiosks
173 comments via online form and interactive mapping tool
642 votes via the interactive map
one Community Planning Team meeting
four information kiosks in November and December 2017.

Early 2018-First draft of neighbourhood plan

Council prepared a draft neighbourhood plan to amend City Plan based on community input and further technical reviews of the area.
The Queensland Government completed a state interest review and approved the draft plan for public notification and final community submissions.

Current stage-Submissions period

Release of the draft statutory neighbourhood plan for final community submissions
Submission period is until 5pm, Monday 10 September 2018.

Late 2018

Council will consider changes to the draft neighbourhood plan following a review of the submissions.
The Queensland Government will then complete a second state interest review.

Late 2018 to early 2019

Adoption of the statutory neighbourhood plan and inclusion in Brisbane City Plan 2014.
Council will also release further information on other activities and opportunities that the community can get involved with to further progress the vision for The Gap’s future.

Keep yourself updated with the developments regarding The Gap Neighbourhood Plan by subscribing to their email updates.

Good Live Music At The Sunlit Sounds Festival 2018 In The Gap

Coming up this Saturday, on 1 September, is this year’s Sunlit Sounds Festival 2018 at Hilder Road State School in The Gap. From 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., be part of this family-friendly event whilst enjoying good live music.

This year, there will be six bands that will play to keep you groovin’ and movin’ to the beat.

Georgie Neilsen (3:00 p.m.)

Photo credit: Georgie Neilsen & The Growing Pains / Facebook

Georgie Neilsen and The Growing Pains is an indie rock band. Ms Neilsen first started out as a solo singer-songwriter. She first debuted her first single “What Do You Want” on Triple J unearthed in 2017. Join her and her band who consists of Liam Alder, Bede Prince, and Tennyson Fowler, as they enchant you with their captivating music.

Sunken Hill (3:45 p.m.)

Another indie rock band with members Hayden McCreanor, Dom Machen, and Sami Heinonen-Barnes. They first recorded their debut EP in 2017.

Asha Jefferies (4:30 p.m.)

Delivering good indie, pop, and roots music through her weapon of choice, the guitar, Asha Jefferries has a way of telling good stories through her music. Her latest single is “Chaos.”

Pool Shop (5:15 p.m.)

The Brisbane-based band is fronted by Jaimee Fryer. She will be bringing vivid soundscapes and ethereal melodies along with the other four members.

Babaganouj (6:00 p.m.)

Photo credit: https://babaganouj.bandcamp.com/

Since their 2011 launch, the four-member band has gained quite a huge following. Their music is inspired by Creation Records and Flying Nun classics.

Kellie Lloyd (7:00 p.m.)

Photo credit: Kellie Lloyd Music / Facebook

Kellie Lloyd, one of the band members of Screemfeeder, will play her own music at the event. Listen to her music from EP’s Fragile States and Magnetic North.

There will also be a songwriting workshop on-site along with food trucks.

Entry fees:

Adults – $5
Kids – FREE

Ferny Grove Will Have a New Aqua Park by Summer 2018

Ferny Grove locals will have another great reason to look forward to summer this year.

Construction of the newest attraction in Ferny Grove is now underway. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk made the announcement that work on the new $1.5 million Ferny Grove Aqua Park has commenced.

“Council is committed to creating more to see and do right across the city and the new Ferny Grove Aqua Park will provide an exciting new destination for the whole family to keep cool,” Cr Quirk said.

“Aqua parks are a feature in Brisbane’s most popular pools and we have now commenced on the city’s newest standalone aqua park that will provide even more lifestyle and leisure opportunities here in Ferny Grove,” he added.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

The construction within the Keperra Picnic Grounds, site of the Ferny Grove Aqua Park development, will feature water-play areas for children of all abilities. The facility will be open to the public for free, in time for summer, in December 2018.

“This new free facility will be a fantastic addition to the Keperra Picnic Grounds, with a range of features including a splash pad, overhead tipping bucket, water cannons, bubblers and jets,” Local Councillor Steven Toomey said

There will be tiered seating, electric BBQ, new shade trees, additional car parking spaces, and new pathways. In addition, a purpose-made water play bench with tactile activities suited to wheelchairs and toddler will be included.

The key features of the new Ferny Grove Aqua Park are:

a level splash pad area which provides access for all
elevated waterplay elements including discharge bucket, small tipping buckets, spray tunnel, water cannons, and overhead spray feature
24 ground elements including arch sprays, stream jets, bubblers, misting ground sprayers, and themed sprayers
an interactive water table that provides wheelchair access as well as a toddler play area
tiered seating walls with new shade trees for viewing of water play area
additional picnic facilities with electric BBQ
reconfigured car parking including additional car park spaces and mini-bus car parks
accessible pathways to provide access from car park to water play, picnic facilities and amenities building.

Construction Impact

To facilitate the construction and for safety, areas like the playground, BBQ and picnic area, and the adjacent park will be closed. Two trees will need to be removed to give way for the Aqua Park development but will be offset in accordance with the offset planting policy of the Council.

A fauna spotter and catcher will also be on-site to relocate any fauna prior to the removal of the said trees. Activities will start at 6:30 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

Keeping up With Growing Number of Visitors

The Ferny Grove Aqua Park was part of a $23 million investment aimed at delivering major upgrades at aquatic centres across the city.

“The number of people visiting Brisbane pools has doubled over the past decade and it is now more important to ensure we have state-of-the-art facilities for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy,” adds Cr Quirk.

The Gap Shoppers Included In Coles’ Top Ten Most Generous In QLD

The Gap shoppers have shown tremendous support to the three-week SecondBite Winter Appeal held by Coles Supermarkets, raising over $3,200.

In the SecondBite promotion, Coles shoppers can purchase a $2 donation card that will provide ten healthy meals to people in need. All of the funds go to the efforts of SecondBite that will aid in collecting, sorting, storing, and redistributing healthy meals.

The Gap was included in the list of the top ten most generous shoppers in Queensland according to Coles.

Jerry Farrell, the Coles State general manager is overwhelmed by the support from local shoppers. Their Queensland stores have garnered over $147,000 worth of donations.

With the influx of donations all over the country, SecondBite will be able to feed more than three million people.

SecondBite workers are working with community food programs across the nation to redistribute surplus fresh food. The food is donated by wholesalers, markets, farmers, supermarkets, events, and caterers.

As an organisation, SecondBite was established in 2005. Today, it is a national organisation with warehouse locations all over the country. They are committed to improving the access of people in need of fresh healthy food.

The Gap State High School Asymmetry Percussion Ensemble Makes it to the Finals of Fanfare 2018

The Gap State High School Asymmetry Percussion Ensemble is set to compete in the grand final of Fanfare 2018, a statewide schools band competition.

The Gap State High is one of the five secondary school finalists who will compete at this year’s Fanfare grand finals on 13 and 14 August 2018 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Education Minister Grace Grace congratulated the five primary and five secondary schools who made it through the regional rounds of the competition. The regional competitions were certainly tough since this year when more than 30,000 students from 1,143 ensembles competed.

The biennial Fanfare program that started in 1985 continues to provide students with valuable performance experience and the chance to hone their skills. According to Ms Grace, Fanfare had attracted an estimated 190,000 students since the program began.

“We all know there’s a huge pool of creative talent in our Queensland state schools,” Ms Grace said.

“The Palaszczuk Government is a passionate supporter of fostering creative talent in our schools and that’s why we’re investing $14.4 million over the next four years to hire more music teachers,” she added.

The Gap State High School Asymmetry Percussion Ensemble awarded with Regional Secondary Best Performance at the Metro Region Fanfare Finals Photo credit: The Gap State High School / Facebook

The winner of the secondary ensemble is set to receive the Erica Brindley Memorial Trophy. The trophy is named after a dedicated state school instrumental music teacher who was killed in a tragic accident at Carnarvon Gorge in 2002.

Ms Grace said, “The memorial trophy honours Erica’s life and her commitment to music education in Queensland.”

Want to know who’s competing in the Fanfare 2018 Grand Finals? Here is a list of the primary and secondary school ensembles who made it to the finals.

Primary

Secondary

The Willows State School Concert Band
Conductor: Ruby Johnson

Ashgrove State School String Orchestra
Conductor: Keith Sharp

Banksia Beach State School Senior Concert Band
Conductor: Martin O’Callaghan

Ironside State School Chamber Strings
Conductor: Trudy Weekes

Varsity College String Orchestra
Conductor: Michelle Wilson

Cairns State High School Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Jon Christodoulis

Stretton College Symphonic Band
Conductor: Adam Hornagold

The Gap State High School Asymmetry Percussion Ensemble
Director: Jeff Jarrott

Brisbane State High School Symphonic Band
Conductor: Brad Ruben

Centenary Heights State High School String Orchestra
Conductor: Jessica Johansen

To learn more about the statewide schools’ band competition visit the official website of Fanfare. Tickets to the Fanfare 2018 primary or secondary grand final concert can be purchased online or by calling 132 849.

Zero Plastic In Queensland: Plastic Sucks Movement Spreads In The Gap & Other Suburbs

A Brisbane mum is taking significant steps to make Queensland plastic-free, including Brisbane suburbs such as The Gap. Her efforts started a year earlier than the implementation of the plastic shopping bag ban in the state which took effect on 1 July 2018.

Sarah Young & Arlian Ecker. Photo credit: Plastic Sucks / Facebook Page

After watching the documentary Plastic Ocean, Sarah Young set up a Facebook page called Plastic Sucks. Since then, she has started gathering support from politicians, ocean pollution campaigners, and Arlian Ecker who is also known as the Plastic Free Boy.

Enlisting Ecker’s support has become a significant part of their campaign. Ecker is a 12-year-old boy who lives in NSW and now has become a social phenomenon. According to Ms Young, with Ecker’s help, they get to target adults through their children.

Ms Young has also been talking to the Brisbane City Council to discuss how the schools in the city can integrate Arlian’s movie into the school programs. They are focusing on cafes, coffee shops, and schools to ban plastic straws and bags. She has also set up The Gap’s very own Plastic Sucks page, the Plastic Sucks 4061.

There will also be a first community clean up of the movement in The Gap on 2 September. The location is still to be announced.

Plastic Sucks is starting to spread across the country, with a spinoff group already established in Sydney. Ms Young is encouraging other suburbs to start their own Plastic Sucks Facebook groups wherein she will supply the social media profile page and they can do the rest.

It was in September 2017 when the Queensland legislation passed the ban for single-use plastic bags from being provided in supermarkets, pharmacies, online goods, takeaway stores, and markets.

Retailers who still use plastic bags after the implementation can face a fine of up to $6,307.50.

Updated Education Department Policy Puts to Rest The Gap State High Uniform Issue

With the Department of Education updating the Student Dress Code procedure, issues around uniforms at The Gap State High School (GSHS) could finally be put to rest.

Earlier this year, GSHS encountered an issue with their uniform policy following parents’ uproar upon learning that over 100 students were sent to detention for not abiding by the proper uniform rules, specifically the shoes’ heel requirement.

Read: The Gap State High School Caught In A Uniform Frenzy, Next P&C Meeting Might Be A Full House
Read: Uniform Working Group To Review The Gap State High School’s Uniform And Dress Code Policy

To resolve such issues, the Department of Education has made changes on the Student Dress Code process. Education Minister Grace Grace announced that all Queensland state schools must provide more uniform choices for girls by 2019.

Ms Grace mentioned that at the beginning of this year, she heard from students, parents, and carers that a change in the policy is needed. She asked the Department to make necessary changes to the policy to ensure that all state schools are offering a full range of uniform options that include pants and shorts for girls.

In fact, when the uniform issue in GSHS happened, Ms Grace already showed support in making changes to the uniforms.

“I support The Gap State High School principal and the school community’s actions in enforcing the uniform policy and urge all parties to take a common sense approach and work together to resolve this issue at the school level,” Ms Grace said.

She also wants to see students, especially girls, comfortable in doing any physical activities at their respective schools.

“All Queensland girls should be able to engage in active play and classroom activities or ride their bikes to and from school without being restricted by what they’re wearing,” she said.

The New Uniform Policy Procedure

The department is leaving the choice to schools to select a design, colour, and style of uniforms but they must consult the community.

In accordance with section 360 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (QLD), principals may develop a student dress code that will apply when students are attending or representing the school.

In doing so, the dress codes must:

be developed in consultation with the school community
be consistent with health and safety considerations
comply with anti-discrimination legislation
consider affordability, functionality, and durability of uniform items
provide uniform options, such as shorts and pants, in all uniform categories for all students regardless of gender

For their part, parents must support the dress code as part of the enrolment agreement. They are expected to provide support to students to abide by the dress code and request short or long-term modifications of exemptions to the dress code in writing with reasons for the request. Parents should also work with the school to resolve issues when it comes to student compliance with the school’s dress code, and engage in the consultation process.

To know more about the procedure, click here.

The Gap Ward Receives Multi-Million Government Funding from Council’s Annual Plan and Budget 2017-18

The Gap Ward is one of the recipients of multi-million-dollar funding from the Council Annual Plan and Budget 2017-18 across Brisbane’s westside.

According to Councillor for The Gap Ward Steve Toomey, projects that will benefit from the funding include widening of Waterworks Road which has an allocation of more than $3.5 million.

Better Roads

Photo credit: cogdogblog/Wikimedia Commons

Also, as part of the Council’s 2017-18 road resurfacing program with $90 million continued investment from the Council, $1.1-million is allocated for the resurfacing of Stewart Road in Ashgrove. Twenty-one more streets in The Gap ward are also set to be resurfaced. The road resurfacing program aims to help in making suburban streets smoother, safer, and more enjoyable to use every day.

Walton Bridge Reserve Restoration

A further $220,000 investment will go to the Walton Bridge Reserve restoration to upgrade the war memorial. Stage Two of the Walton Bridge Reserve upgrade is already underway and is expected to be completed prior to Remembrance Day, 11 November 2018, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Current upgrades to the Walton Bridge Reserve include new pedestrian entrance gate, new concrete seats, new accessible entry from Glen Affric Street, and more.

Dog Off-Leash Area Upgrades

Furthermore, off-leash dog areas in The Gap will undergo refurbishment with the help of more than $130,000 funding from the Council.

To learn more about the Council’s spending in your suburb, you may visit the Brisbane City Council website.