Queensland Archives - The Gap Today

Australian Army Launches New Coastal Force at Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane

Photo Credit: Australian Government Defence

The Australian Army is launching a major new coastal force at Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane, to fix the gap in the nation’s ability to move troops and heavy gear across its vast northern coastline.

During a ceremonial parade on 31 October 2024, the military formally started the Littoral Manoeuvre Group. This group is the new heart of a plan to make sure the Army can reach remote islands and coastal areas quickly. While the headquarters is staying at Gallipoli Barracks for now, the plan is to spread this power further north.

Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart explained that the group helps the military hold ground and stop others from using the northern paths into Australia. The goal is to make sure that if a challenge pops up in the waters or on the islands near Australia, the Army is ready to respond without delay.

New Tools for Tough Terrain

*Photo Credit:* *Australian Government Defence*

To make this plan work, the government is moving fast to buy new equipment. The Army is getting medium and heavy landing craft and better ships that can work in shallow water. These vessels are important because they allow the military to carry big items like Abrams tanks and heavy weapons onto beaches where there are no docks.

By bringing together different specialist teams into one group, the Army hopes to make their work much smoother. This change helps different parts of the military talk to each other better and move as one team under the 17th Sustainment Brigade.

Training the Next Generation

Australian Army — *Photo Credit:* *Australian Government Defence*

A big part of this new group is the people behind the machines. Colonel Rory Hale noted that the Army is creating a special team of soldiers who are experts at working where the land meets the sea. They are working closely with the Navy and local TAFE colleges to teach these soldiers the specific skills they need for maritime life.

This creates new jobs and career paths for people who want to serve their country in a different way. By focusing on training, the Army is trying to build a group of confident coastal experts who can handle the difficult environment of the Indo-Pacific region.

Spreading Strength Across the North

While Brisbane is the starting point, the footprint of this new force will soon grow much larger. New groups of soldiers and landing craft will be stationed in the Northern Territory and North Queensland. Placing these units right next to existing combat brigades means the Army can move much faster during an emergency. This setup is designed to help keep the northern approaches to Australia safe and ensure that the military can stay in one spot for as long as they are needed to protect the region.

Published Date 06-April-2026

Keppera Swimmer Jade Gregory Takes on 60km Swim for Laps for Life

Laps for Life

Jade Gregory, a 12-year-old competitive swimmer who grew up in Keperra and now attends Ferny Grove State High School, is spending every day this March in the pool, aiming to complete 60 kilometres of laps to raise $4,000 for youth mental health through the Laps for Life fundraiser, picking up where she left off two years ago as one of the campaign’s standout young achievers.

For Jade, this is not a new commitment. At ten years old, while still a student at Ferny Hills State School, she completed 35 kilometres across March 2024 and raised more than $3,600 for ReachOut Australia, finishing 48th among more than 10,000 swimmers nationally. That result placed her among the top 50 fundraisers in the entire country, at an age when most kids are still deciding what sport to take seriously.

Jade graduated Year 6 from Ferny Hills State School in December 2025 and now attends Ferny Grove State High School. She returns to Laps for Life in 2026 with a bigger goal, a longer distance, and the same conviction that drove her into the pool in the first place.

A Swimmer Who Has Always Known Why She’s in the Water

Jade has been swimming at Ferny Hills Pool since she was two years old, and now trains with a squad. That background of more than a decade in the water gives her 60-kilometre March target genuine credibility. In her first Laps for Life campaign, she pushed well beyond her original distance goal, at one point completing 50 laps of the 50-metre pool in a single session on her second-last day.

That 2024 campaign came with a test of motivation that many adults would have struggled to match. Jade acknowledged that fundraising felt difficult at the start but that knowing she was helping people and building awareness kept her going throughout. Her dad, she said, was her biggest cheerleader. Her final tally reached 700 laps, a figure remarkable at any age.

That combination of endurance, purpose and resolve carries directly into 2026. Her goal this March is straightforward: she is swimming because too many young lives are lost to suicide, and every lap she completes is one more contribution toward making sure there is always a safe place for young people to turn when life feels overwhelming.

Jade Gregory — *Photo Credit: Laps for Life*

Why the Cause Keeps Calling Her Back

The issue Jade swims for does not get smaller between campaigns. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people in Australia, and approximately 75 per cent of mental health problems occur before the age of 25. For a 12-year-old starting high school, that statistic is not abstract. It describes her own cohort, her own classmates, and the years ahead.

More than one in three young Australians are experiencing mental health difficulties, yet over a million are not getting the support they need. That gap between need and access is what ReachOut Australia exists to close. ReachOut operates entirely online, anonymously and without cost, providing young people with peer support, resources, tools and pathways to professional help that they can access on their own terms, at any time.

That model matters most for young people not yet ready to walk into a clinic or pick up a phone, and it is precisely what Jade’s fundraising directly supports.

A Growing Challenge With Growing Support

Jade set a personal fundraising target of $4,000 for 2026, with donations already flowing in from family, classmates and community supporters, including a matched giving programme through the PNI Foundation and Antipodes Partners that doubles every dollar raised. Her swim distance target of 60 kilometres is nearly double her 2024 effort, reflecting both her physical development and her deepening commitment to the campaign.

Laps for Life runs across the entire month of March, welcoming participants of any age and swimming ability. In 2024, more than 10,500 Australians took part, collectively swimming 98,828 kilometres and raising $3.4 million for ReachOut’s programmes. For Jade, the number that matters most is not her rank on the leaderboard but the number of young people her total helps reach.

She has also spoken openly about bigger swimming dreams, including the Olympics. The discipline she builds through campaigns like this one runs alongside those ambitions rather than against them.

How to Support Jade and the Broader Campaign

Donations to Jade Gregory’s 2026 Laps for Life page go directly to ReachOut Australia and can be made here. Every donation is matched through the PNI Foundation and Antipodes Partners programme. Community members and local schools wanting to run their own swim challenge in March can register at lapsforlife.com.au.

For young people seeking support, ReachOut provides free, anonymous and 100 per cent online services at au.reachout.com. Beyond Blue is available 24 hours a day on 1300 22 4636. Anyone in crisis can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Published 2-March-2026.

Upper Kedron’s Eva Ilov Impresses Judges to Earn Australian Idol Golden Ticket

Eva Ilov/Instagram

Eva Ilov, a 20-year-old singer-songwriter who grew up in Upper Kedron and trained at Performance Studios in Loganholme, has secured a Golden Ticket into the Top 30 of Australian Idol 2026 after one of the season’s most talked-about auditions.

Ilov walked into her audition in front of judges Amy Shark, Kyle Sandilands and Marcia Hines without a prepared song, deliberately leaving the choice in their hands. The calculated risk paid off. The judges selected three contrasting songs: a Whitney Houston ballad, a Chris Stapleton country-soul track that showcased her gritty range, and a Men at Work classic that put a smile on everyone’s face. Her ability to switch genres without missing a step earned immediate praise, with the judges awarding her a Golden Ticket to the Top 30 on the spot.

For a performer who describes herself as a “musical chameleon,” it was an entrance that made the label stick.

A Musical Life That Began in Upper Kedron

Eva Ilov’s connection to music stretches back to childhood in Brisbane’s north-west. Her granddad bought her her first guitar when she was around seven or eight, and her mother, determined not to let the gift go to waste, enrolled her in lessons. Vocals followed naturally not long after.

She appeared in the junior competition Take the Mic in 2012 and later performed in community music series Homegrown Superstars between 2020 and 2022, building stage experience well before any national platform came calling. Her early formal training included the Young Conservatorium Program at Griffith University, where she studied contemporary voice.

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By 2025 Ilov had completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music at QUT, while also building a portfolio of live performances, studio sessions and international recognition. Her recent achievements also include finishing runner-up in the 2025 Your Shot DJ competition and releasing her debut US single in collaboration with Roy Hamilton III and The Singers Company. She also performed as a featured artist at QPAC in 2019.

The Role Performance Studios Played

Before stepping onto the national stage, Eva Ilov was making the regular drive from Upper Kedron down to Performance Studios, to train with vocal coach Lisa Lockland-Bell. Ilov said Lockland-Bell had changed her perspective on singing entirely, helping her build confidence, discipline and control so she could approach music with greater intention and artistry.

Lockland-Bell brings more than 35 years of experience as a vocal coach, performance mentor and voice transformation specialist to her work at Performance Studios, coaching singers, performers and professional speakers from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Redlands, as well as online worldwide. Her students have appeared on The Voice, Australian Idol, Eurovision and other high-profile platforms.

Lockland-Bell also founded Performance Studios’ Rise Up Competition, a singing contest for young artists from South East Queensland that offers a cash prize and industry training to help emerging performers build a career path. Ilov was a finalist in that competition across 2023 and 2025, making her path from local student to national Idol contestant a direct product of the studio’s ecosystem.

What Comes Next for Australian Idol’s 2026 Season

As of mid-February 2026, Eva Ilov had advanced to the Top 30 and was progressing through the early competition stages, with the show heading toward its live rounds. She joined the first group of Golden Ticket winners announced on the season’s opening night on 2 February, earning her place among 30 contestants selected from across the country.

Season 11 of Australian Idol features hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie, with judges Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark returning to the panel. The competition airs Sundays at 7pm and Mondays at 7.30pm on Channel Seven, with all episodes available to stream on 7plus at 7plus.com.au. Viewers can watch Ilov’s audition and subsequent performances online now. Follow her progress on Instagram at @evailovofficial or through her official website at evailov.com.

Published 2-March-2026.

Queensland Approves Renting Out Granny Flats in The Gap, Other Suburbs to Fix Housing Crisis

Queensland property owners who own secondary dwellings, also known as granny flats, will now be allowed to rent these out to non-relatives in a bid to fix the housing crisis. Heaps of properties suitable as granny flats have been identified in The Gap, as well as 17 other suburbs.

Previous restrictions on secondary dwellings will no longer apply for the next three years, following discussions with the Queensland Housing Roundtable stakeholders in early September.

However, homeowners who plan to rent out their granny flats need to make sure that their properties are compliant with fire and building provisions as well as the state’s safety guidelines. Thus, they might have to undergo a safety inspection.

“Many homeowners have granny flats that they’ve built or converted for family members or teenagers who have since moved out,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning Steven Miles said. “Right now, most homeowners can’t rent secondary dwellings, such as granny flats, to anyone other than their immediate family. At the same time, some Queenslanders are sleeping in their cars or in tents.”

“It just makes sense to allow existing accommodation to be occupied by someone other than a relative to provide more affordable accommodation for Queenslanders,” Mr Miles added.

“It also allows homeowners to earn rent, helping them meet the increased cost of living.”

The Gap Has the Largest Number of Secondary Dwellings

Granny flats are essentially dwellings designed for one or two people. It can be a detached or attached accommodation with its own kitchen/dining, laundry room, living area and bedrooms. Granny flats may also drive up the value of a house by as much as 30 per cent and increase its rental potential by 27 per cent.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch said that the majority of single people above the age of 55 years old currently make up the social housing register, making them ideal for granny flats tenancy. Such a solution will be further discussed at the Queensland Housing Summit on 20th Oct 2022.

A 2019 study from CoreLogic and Archistar revealed that The Gap has the largest number of granny flats in Brisbane at 42.8 percent. The study identified 18 suburbs with many properties that can potentially have granny flats for renting out.

1. The Gap
2. Albany Creek
3. Morayfield
4. Deception Bay
5. Kallangur
6. Alexandra Hills
7. Redbank Plains
8. Narangba
9. Rochedale South
10. Ferny Hills
11. Sunnybank Hills
12. Aspley
13. Chapel Hill
14. Inala
15. Bray Park
16. Strathpine
17. Kingston
18. Petrie

Caution on Renting Out

However, the tenancy law overhaul to allow granny flats rentals could prove to be a headache, rather than a solution, for some homeowners or tenants, warned lawyer Frank Higginson. He said that some landlords might have to do more work and incur unexpected expenses for their secondary dwellings. The tenants could also be shortchanged and won’t get what they are actually entitled to.

Mr Higginsons also believes that most people interested in renting out their granny flats are not going to get professional help from property managers when there are a lot of complicated issues that have to be ironed out.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland chief executive Antonia Mercorella also advised property owners to investigate the tax implications of renting out granny flats. She also belies that the government has to provide education for those interested in entering the rental property market with their secondary dwelling, on top of establishing a stable policy.

“We appreciate that sometimes red tape gets in the way of creative solutions, but equally, we don’t want to see a ‘free for all’ where there’s no regulation, leaving people vulnerable to being exploited,” Ms Mercorella said in a statement.

“We don’t want people to think they can suddenly use inappropriate structures such as garden sheds or garages and pass these off as granny flats.”

New Military Vehicles to be Based in Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera

Rheinmetall Defence Australia has announced their successful tender for the $5 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 contract. Under this contract, Rheinmetall is set to deliver up to 225 combat reconnaissance vehicles to the Australian Army, with over 100 of the new military vehicles to be based in Lavarra Barracks, Townsville and Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera.

Rheinmetall Defence Australia’s BOXER 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle for the LAND 400 Phase 2 Credit: boxercrv.com.au

Opportunities are expected to grow in Queensland after Rheinmetall Australia’s big win in the hotly-contested LAND 400 Phase 2 program. The first 25 military vehicles will be built in Germany. Australians will be put into teams to learn the necessary skills in Germany before coming back to Australia to build the remaining 200 CRVs. Most of the military vehicles will be built in Queensland.

In a statement, Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said, “The LAND 400 Phase 2 contract to deliver the next generation of combat reconnaissance vehicles to the Australian Army is a catalytic project, and attracting a global defence giant like Rheinmetall to Queensland will create opportunities for local industry for decades to come.”

The project is expected to be an economic game-changer since it will create 450 advanced manufacturing and engineering jobs for Queenslanders. It is expected to contribute $1 billion into the state’s economy in the first 10 years.

Photo credit: www.rheinmetall-defence.com

Three Brisbane businesses that had teamed up with Rheinmetall will particularly benefit from this project. These are NIOA based at Brisbane airport, G & O Kert at Acacia Ridge, and Hilton Manufacturing at Wacol. These companies will hugely benefit from the transfer of technologies and skills, making them even more competitive. This opportunity also opens up more work for locals in Brisbane and nearby suburbs, and provides more highly-skilled jobs in the local community.

Following the successful bid for the LAND 400 Phase 2 program, Rheinmetall will establish its manufacturing hub, the Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Brisbane.