Mt Glorious Road has witnessed plenty of riding accidents. Popular amongst motorcycle riders, the road is perfect for adrenaline junkies with its twists and turns that motorcycle riders find thrilling.
Despite the riveting ride it gives motorcycle riders and car drivers, the road remains a hazard. The Department of Transport and Main Roads have recorded 567 injured, of which 304 are motoryclists. Of the 13 fatalities from November 2011 to October 2016, seven were motorcycle riders.
This prompted the Inner West Patrol Group along with The Gap Neighborhood Watch to start a campaign, Mt Zero, to spread awareness and road safety messages to riders. The main goal of Mt Zero is to lessen what seems to be an alarming number of accidents on the road and possibly lowering it down to zero.
Photo credit: http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/
This is not the first time that the police will educate riders in the area. They have been going to various places in Brisbane to spread road safety and awareness.
Originally just a wildlife Expo and a tea house in 1988, the Walkabout Creek in The Gap has expanded to provide better recreational facilities to visitors. Now, the centre is an ideal place to go to see and experience the native wildlife of Australia and other activities that would keep one moving.
In 2014, the centre encountered a bump in the road when a lesser number of visitors was recorded and the structure and facilities started to noticeably deteriorate.
The facilities that were added to the centre such as a cafe, function rooms for events such as weddings, and a conference centre, seemed to have also made people confused as to what the area is all about.
Photo credit: http://www.innonthepark.com.au/
Supposedly, the centre should actively promote the world’s most varied and interesting fauna, including, of course, sightings of the platypus in their natural habitat, something that people don’t get to see every day. Instead, the rich cultural features of the place remain overshadowed by the active promotion of outdoor activities and the venues located within the centre.
That very same year, there was a rumour about the government turning the centre into a theme park, which was quickly denied through a statement released by the government. The government then released a budget of $2.5 million so that Stage One work can be set in motion.
Today, the canoe launch facilities are available for use, along with new bike tracks for kids and adults, additional car parkings, activity trails, and additional picnic areas. The government also plans to build a zip line or rope courses, but only if they get a partner to fund it with them.
The Walkabout Creek today has endured the test of time and its additional facilities along with its nocturnal displays of Queensland’s fauna just proves that the centre will continue to live on.
The Gap Farmers’ Marketcontinues to enhance life in the suburbs by bringing the Sunlit Sounds Festival to Brisbane on Sunday, 25 June. Scheduled to bring an afternoon of creativity and entertainment, the event will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Hilder Road State School in The Gap to honour Brisbane’s diverse striped sunlight sounds.
The Market and the Festival
The Farmers’ Market, as an initiative of The Gap Residents Association (GAPRA), a non-profit organisation, supports a number of causes and values. Their regular markets will be paying for the performance fees for the event for three years, a value totalling $25,000. They will also contribute much-needed funds for Hilder Road State School and Micah Projects. The upcoming festival also has a line-up of professional volunteers who will serve as the media manager, graphic designer, accountant, lawyer, and music coordinator for the event.
The Sunlit Sounds Festival is also the artists’ way of bringing together inner west suburbs such as Ashgrove and The Gap. These suburbs have been growing rapidly with a growing number of creative hubs that have plenty of sound and film studios set up from home, which has caught the attention of the artists.
Ben Ely of Regurgitator lives in Ashgrove. He says that the housing affordability and the constant socio-cultural changes in these suburbs are paving the way for more creative souls to come out. This, in turn, helps The Gap evolve into a suburb brimming with creativity and culture.
Tim Steward of Screamfeeder also noticed this trend. Tim lives in The Gap. He compared the cultural undercurrents rippling out from West End to Manhattan Island in New York City.
He said that wealthy people move to artistic areas to “absorb some cool, by osmosis” but fail. Instead, the wealthy folks attract similar people into the area, eventually changing the nature of the suburb, turning it inside out and making it a wealthy suburb. This then drives the artists away due to the higher housing prices. Another cycle then begins, when these displaced artists look for other suburbs to live in, set in a new artistic feel in the suburb and so on.
Mr Steward also mentioned that The Gap is less expensive than other nearby suburbs such as Bardon and Red Hill. He wishes that it will stay this way in the suburb for a while longer.
Changes To the Market
The Gap Farmers’ Market has also made some changes. They have moved to a place with a more relaxed vibe, under the shade of trees which provides a fresh canopy for a batch of new stallholders:
The Gap’s Walton Bridge Reserve is set to see a new all-abilities playground, more shade trees and additional facilities through the upgrade project by the Brisbane City Council.
Construction has begun on the first stage of the upgrade of one of The Gap’s most popular parks in early May 2017. The project worth $1.5 million is aimed at encouraging more people to head outdoors and benefit from the public open spaces.
The all-abilities playground will be particularly beneficial as it will provide playground amenities for children of all ages and abilities. Children with disabilities are often left out of standard playgrounds, therefore missing out on the health benefits of outdoor play. This playground will be a perfect place where able-bodied kids and kids with disabilities can play together.
What to Expect
Stage 1 of the project is expected to be completed by late 2017. The first stage will include the following:
All-abilities playground added to the existing play area
New picnic shelters
New toilet facilities
Additional shade trees, garden beds and enhanced landscaping
Improvement to the existing Lions Club shelter
New wayfinding signs
Resurfaced car park areas
Development Plan for the Walton Bridge Reserve Playground:
See the video of how the community contributed to developing the plan for the park.
The council recognises the value of the Walton Bridge Reserve as a vibrant space for locals and as a natural reserve. The council is making sure that the construction will have minimal impact on the natural environment.
Part of the project involves revegetating the Fish and Enoggera Creek area. Removal or trees and trimming will also be limited. In cases where trees need to be removed, they will be replaced to maintain the density of the foliage.
During construction, the north-west part of the park will be closed to the public. The Enoggera Creek Bikeway will still be accessible throughout the construction period.
Sundays are best spent at the Gap Farmers’ Market. This family-friendly community market is held on the grounds of Hilder Road State Schoolevery Sunday from 6:30 a.m. until midday. Locals wake up early to stock up their pantry with the market’s local produce and gourmet items. Breakfast is also readily available from the various food stalls on the market grounds.
Photo credit: The Gap Farmers’ Market / Facebook
The Gap Farmer’s Market always has the freshest produce grown by local farmers. Aside from these fresh fruits and vegetables, the market has almost everything! The goods run the gamut from baked treats, a wide range of soaps, Himalayan salt lamps, fresh flowers, fresh spices and even an on-site blacksmith!
Photo credit: Facebook / The Gap Farmers’ Markets
If you get tired of walking around, you can head for the nearest hay bale and grab a cup of joe. There are also a line of marquees where you can rest your feet while enjoying the market’s live entertainment.
Photo credit: The Gap Farmers’ Markets / Facebook
The market is the perfect place to be for those weekend cheat days. Craving Asian food? Try the steamed dumplings. Fancy savoury food? Check out some delicious goat pies and German sausages. Parched? Freshly squeezed juices are the answer.
Kids will enjoy the built-in playground and the petting zoo so it’s definitely a family Sunday at the market whenever you go.
The Gap Farmers’ Market is an initiative of The Gap Residents Association (GAPRA), a non-profit organisation that is committed to promote living in the suburbs and supporting regional agriculture.
Residents in and around The Gap have a great way of contributing to a clean and green environment, thanks to the community composting hub at Yoorala Street Community Garden.
The Gap community garden was among the first composting hubs opened for trial by the Brisbane City Council. The composting hub was inaugurated in October last year, and after a successful run, the council decided to make it a permanent composting hub.
The program is part of the efforts of the council to minimise the amount of food and garden waste going to the city landfill. It is seen as an excellent solution to waste disposal issues, especially since more than half of the average Brisbane trash is composed of bio-degradable waste.
Participants in the composting program bring their organic waste regularly to the hub. The community garden occasionally provides seminars to explain the concept of composting.
Once participants register, they have the option to receive a free caddy, which they can use to bring their kitchen scrap to the composting hub.
(Photo credit: Yoorala Street Community Garden/Facebook)
Composting Tips
Joining the community in this composting effort means much more than simply bringing food and garden scrap to the hub. Residents are also encouraged to be more responsible in waste management.
Here are some tips for better organic waste disposal.
Reduce waste. By bringing food waste to the composting hub, composters are making the most out of their kitchen scrap. However, it is still important to keep waste to a minimum. This can be done by reducing spoilage.
Be sure to consume items before they spoil. Adding an “Eat me first” label to items in the fridge will help you remember which ones will spoil first.
Maximise use of the caddy. Cut up large food scraps into smaller bits to make more room inside the caddy. This will also make it easier for the community gardeners to handle the compostable.
Keep the bin clean. It will be wise to cover the items inside the caddy with damp newspaper. This will prevent bad smells that would attract flies to the compostable bin. Make sure to keep the caddy clean by washing it with soapy water after every use.
As Brisbane City Council continues to create a neighbourhood plan for the suburb of The Gap, the community is urged to get involved in the process.
The Gap Neighbourhood Plan will form a general guideline for future developments in the area. The plan aims to strike a balance by spurring economic activity while maintaining the suburban lifestyle of locals.
So far, the council has reached out to members of the community via an online survey to get a better idea of what the community wants to see happen in the area. A Community Planning Team has also been formed in 2016 to develop a draft neighbourhood plan strategy, which is expected to be released in mid-2017.
Coverage of the Neighbourhood Plan
(Source: Brisbane City Council)
Main Issues and Concerns
Through the online survey conducted from May 2016 to August 2016, the city council found the issues and concerns that are most important to residents in The Gap.
Top concerns include:
Improved traffic flow and main road decongestion
Better public transport services
Need for improvements to bicycle ways and footpaths
Maintenance of parks and open spaces
Appropriate development densities
In general, locals will like to have more natural green spaces, easy access to parks and play areas for children, quiet and peaceful areas, and bushland character.
Next Steps
The planning team will release the neighbourhood plan strategy to test the ideas raised by the team and the council’s technical studies. Locals will have a chance to comment on the strategy presented.
After receiving community feedback, the council will start preparing the draft neighbourhood plan during the latter part of 2017. This plan will then be reviewed by the Queensland Government.
In mid-2018, the draft neighbourhood plan will become part of Brisbane City Plan 2014.
To stay updated on The Gap Neighbourhood Plan, subscribe to email updates from Brisbane City Council.
You can also: email the project team
or
write to them at
Neighbourhood Planning Brisbane (The Gap Neighbourhood Plan)
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001
“The Cycle Cube”, a new cycle studio, will soon open at The Gap Health and Racquet Club. Local health and physical fitness enthusiasts are eagerly looking forward to this upgrade which has been touted as “amazing” and “out of this world”. The new studio will be officially launched on 19th May (Friday) at 5:30 p.m.
End of an Era
The club’s old cycle room formally closed on the 7th of May, in an event fittingly called the “End of an Era”. On that day, the last RPM class was held and the club patrons bid goodbye to their old cycle room. In the midst of the nostalgia about the closing of their much-loved cycle room, everyone was also happily looking forward to the promised new room.
The upcoming mid-May launch of “The Cycle Cube” will introduce “the ultimate indoor cycling experience” to their club patrons. The launch event promises to be “cooler” than anyone can “ever imagine.” A team event will be held where each team, with four members each, will do an hour-long ride (virtual and RPM). Teams will compete as to who can get the most kilometres. The winning team will have their name “engraved on a majestic trophy.”
One of the Best Fitness Precincts in Town
The Gap Health and Racquet Club is a local family-owned and operated physical fitness hub. Purchased by The Gap’s Miller family way back 1992, it used to be just a “simple tennis and squash facility.” Today, it is well-regarded as “the leading multi-purpose sporting and health facility in the region.” Managed by Steve and Jacqui Miller, the club has been well-appreciated by the community and has grown to meet the demands of its local patrons over the last two decades.
Located at The Gap’s 200 Settlement Rd, the booming facility now boasts of six tennis courts, a well-equipped gym and cardio studio, a state-of-the-art RPM studio, and a brand new group fitness room. The club is now home to 2,200 members, with over 1,000 tennis players on its roster. Around 400 players are involved each week in various playing programs. The club’s coaching academy also offers services to over 700 children.
The full health club privileges include access to the cardio theatre, strength and conditioning studio, boxing studio, over 40 weekly group fitness classes, ladies-only circuit gym, personal and group training, and kids club. The racquet club includes a group or private coaching academy, tennis coaching at nine local schools, junior and adult competitions, tennis courts available for day and night hiring, social tennis, and various other tennis competitions. Interested parties may call them on 61 7 3300 6668 or email them at mail@healthracquet.net, for membership inquiries.
Two groups of volunteers from The Gap have pledged to weave stars for the “One Million Stars to End Violence Project”, a project initiated by Brisbane-based weaving artist Maryann Talia Pau. The project aims to gather one million stars from all around Australia, as part of a drive to increase awareness about the need to end violence.
With only 115 days to go before the July 2017 deadline for the submission of woven stars, The Gap’s volunteer weavers are hard at work. The project aims to use stars as symbols of global peace to end all forms of violence.
A Star Weave Community led by Kyle Halpin has pledged to weave 10,000 stars for the project. Likewise, a Star Weave Jam group called GUCCE Craft, led by Faye Holmes, has also pledged to host friends, family, neighbours, and anybody who wants to join their weaving sessions in their bid to make as many stars as they can.
At present, over 340,000 stars have already been received by the One Million Stars (OMS) Headquarters at Brisbane City, with some pledges even coming from other Commonwealth nations. These stars will be installed for display at the upcoming 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (GC018) in Queensland.
How One Person’s Initiative Became A Global Peace Project
Maryann Talia Pau started this passion project in 2012 as a “personal response to the rape and murder of a young woman” in their community. “It was a difficult time for our community and I was moved by people’s kindness and compassion and by Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s words of being light and love in the world,” she explained in her project’s blog.
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Dr Martin Luther King Jr
“I sent a message out on Facebook and invited the world to join me in weaving stars with the hope of creating an installation of one million stars by 2018,” Maryann said. In February 2016, she collaborated with the Queensland Government to eventually make her dream project a reality. They agreed on a plan to install the one million stars “as part of the arts and cultural program” for the upcoming 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
For Maryann, the star is a tribute to her ancestors, who navigated the oceans with courage and skill by using their knowledge of the stars to guide them. The woven star is also her way of staying connected to her Samoan and Pacific Islander heritage.
Other cultures also identify with the star symbol. For this project, the stars represent a coming together of like minds and kindred spirits, to end all forms of violence. For some groups, their stars represent their crusades to end violence against women. For others, the stars signify their stand against bullying, or racism. Whatever their cause, the stars serve as a reminder that amidst the darkness of violence, there is a beacon of light that, like Maryann’s ancestors did, people can follow to guide them to the safety of home.
Now more than just a passion project, Ms Pau’s lone initiative has gathered momentum and snow-balled into a “peaceful global weaving project that engages communities in a conversation about ending all forms of violence.” In an incredible show of support and solidarity against violence, more than 200 communities from across the Commonwealth and all over the world have registered and pledged to send in their 10,000 stars by July 2017.
Boxes and packages of stars are currently being accepted at the OMS Headquarters until the July deadline. The installation of these beautifully woven stars at the Games will surely be both meaningful and memorable, for the athletes and the communities that contributed the work of their hands to pledge their commitment against violence.
Although registration for star weave communities is now closed, updates on star tallies and information on how registered communities can send in their stars are available from the project’s website or by emailing weave@onemillionstars.net.
Photo Credit: One Million Stars to End Violence/Facebook
Art Classes Brisbane, which started Term 2 on 18th April (Tuesday), is still welcoming late enrollees to join them in sessions of purely creative fun. The new term will run for 10 weeks and students are reportedly free to “choose the day” they prefer for each week. Art classes are held Tuesdays to Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. daily on normal weekdays, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Saturdays), and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Wednesday evening).
Debra Pickering, class facilitator and an artist herself, will be guiding the students to learn new techniques. Mediums that will be used during art sessions include pencil, graphite sticks, charcoal, pastel, conte, pen and ink, watercolour, acrylic, gouache, and mixed media. Sessions are purportedly conducted either “en plein air,” if the weather permits, or “in the funky art studio,” which is located at The Gap’s 12 Paltarra Street.
