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The Wesley Hospital in Auchenflower Launches New Initiative for Lonely and Vulnerable Patients

A hospital stay can be a lonely and stressful time, so The Wesley Hospital in Auchenflower has launched Compassionate Care, a new initiative supporting vulnerable patients.

Compassionate Care is an extension of the End of Life Compassionate Care service developed by Wesley Hospital Chaplain Leanne Duncan and its focus is on providing non-clinical support to patients who may need social engagement while they are getting other treatments.

“While routines in hospital are focused on providing the high-quality clinical care this environment can at times be disruptive and stressful, especially when a patient does not have a support network close to them,” Leanne said.

“We know that social engagement has many benefits for patients and is demonstrated to support recovery and reduce the length of stay in hospital.

“We identify our vulnerable patients as those who may be in hospital for a long period of time, those who come from regional/remote areas, those with no family or friends close by and those with mobility or cognitive impairments.”

Trained volunteers are an integral part of this new initiative. They visit the patients at the hospital ward to share a meal, talk over a cup of coffee, do jigsaw puzzles or board games, or have a walk in the gardens, as approved by the patient’s care manager.

VIP Service Volunteer Pauline said she jumped at the opportunity to make such a meaningful impact on the patients.

“This feeds my heart, I really enjoy spending time with these people, they get the opportunity to take their minds off their hospital stay and talk about something different,” Pauline said.

“Some of the patients live regionally or remotely and have limited support networks here in Brisbane, having a friendly face to chat with makes a huge impact. I love seeing them at the end of my visit far more animated than when I first walked in, I feel like I made a difference.”

Compassionate Care was trialed at Nurse Unit Manager Kerrie Blocksidge’s ward which is comprised mostly of older patients.

“We absolutely love the VIP service here and it has made such a positive impact not only with our patients but our nursing staff as well,” Kerrie said.

“You can’t measure happiness but we certainly notice a change in our patients after they have had a visit from a volunteer, I believe it’s a wonderful initiative and we would welcome more volunteers to our ward any day.”

The Wesley Hospital is still in need of volunteers to become a Compassionate Companion, who will work alongside clinical staff in four-hour shifts at various wards across the hospital.

If interested, contact Leanne at twh.compassionatecompanion@uchealth.com.au or visit the official site.

Published 14 March 2023

Starbucks With Drive-thru Part Of Proposed Upgrade of Ampol Toowong

Did you know that there could soon be a new Starbucks stand-alone drive-thru cafe at the Ampol servo on Milton Road in Toowong?

Read: Inside West Brisbane’s New Cafes Mis.spelt And Riser Bread

TfA Project Group, on behalf of Ampol, has submitted plans to upgrade the servo, located at 581 Milton Road, Toowong. The 2,817sqm site is currently used as a service station with supporting workshops, but with the recently lodged proposal, it could be transformed into a service station with food and drink outlets.

The coffee shop, to be located at the northern boundary of the site, will only be 78sqm and will feature a drive-thru.

The proposal also includes the removal of the existing building and associated structures to provide for the construction of a modern service station with a new 135 sqm pay point retail building.

Also designed by the TfA Project Group, the servo will have a double drive-thru with the ability to stack 14 vehicles for the food and drink outlet, along with 11 car parks and a loading bay and service yard.

Subject site (Photo credit: Google Street View)

“The development site will incorporate new areas of landscaping and a higher quality of built form and modern design, which will enhance the overall appearance of the site,” planners at TfA Project Group stated.

“The modern convenience offers within both the service station building and attached food and drink will better service the local community needs of surrounding businesses,” planning documents read.

If approved, the new servo will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Read: Where To Go In Toowong For Sweet And Savoury Treats

At present, there are only six Starbucks stores in Brisbane: South Brisbane, Myer Centre at Queen St, Grey St at South Bank, Festival Towers, Edward St, and one at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Woolloongabba.

Published 12-March-2023

Toowong Women’s Homelessness Service Creates an Equitable Future for Rebuilding Individuals

Did you know that the Toowong Women’s Homelessness Service, an Anglicare organisation, has been supporting thousands of women who are rebuilding their lives after experiencing homelessness?

Assisting women over 18 years old, the Toowong Women’s Homelessness Service provides temporary accommodation for parents, pregnant mums, or those working towards reunification. The help offered also creates an equitable future as the women rediscover their self-worth to motivate their improvement in life.

The team at the holistic service facility teaches the women to develop positive parenting skills or to sustain their tenancies by following a trauma-informed recovery-oriented, strengths-based case management framework. For a lot of these women, it’s the very first time they find themselves on a lease.

Anglicare’s Community properties open the opportunity for homeless women to have access to affordable housing for up to six months, alongside continued support and case management as they wait for a new home.

“We provide them with a place to stay as they have some stability and someone to work with who understands the challenges that they might go through,” Anglicare Women’s Homelessness Service Manager Carol Birrell said.

“An important part of our role is supporting people while they are waiting for housing because it is hard for people to wait and not know where they’ll be living, or what space and location they have to build their life around in terms of connecting with doctors or psychologists.”

The Toowong Women’s Homelessness Service also runs the Women’s Early Intervention Service which is an outreach program designed at assisting at-risk women and to help connect them with vital support services.

Ms Birrell said homelessness is such a complex issue which can spiral into a domino effect.

“The reality is that we’ve had women here that have had jobs and rentals and it can sometimes only take an event in their life which challenges them to reach out to services to seek support, and it’s not necessarily a loss of property or it could be a loss of property or something else, but that might not be the first thing,” Ms Birrell said.

“It’s like the chicken or the egg. Which one comes first? Is it the issues that were going on in that property or relationship or mental health? What is the reason? It’s not always the loss of property, but it might end in a loss of property, but that might not be the first thing.”

In observance of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2023, Ms Birrell said the theme of embracing equity resonated with her and her team as it’s all about supporting those who are most vulnerable and ensuring they have the same opportunities as everyone else regardless of their background and upbringing.

“I think the significant thing Anglicare has done for women is that we have identified the need to do more for women and it’s about women working with women and trying to see them in a better position in life,” Ms Birrell said.

Learn more about Toowong Women’s Homelessness Service by visiting Anglicare’s official site.

Published 8 March 2023

Locals Raise Concerns About Proposed Freers Redevelopment of Stuartholme School

Photo credit: Queensland Government (Planning) / planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au

Alleged ‘flaws’ found in updated flood and lighting reports, part of the proposed Freers site redevelopment of Stuartholme School, has a number of locals worried.

Stuartholmes School has a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) application seeking approval for the establishment of new buildings and works on its Main Campus including a dedicated Junior School Precinct and Freers Site redevelopment as part of its Masterplan 2020.

The Freers redevelopment plans involve the repurposing of the existing warehouse for use as an internal sports training facility and storage, including the construction of training fields, netball courts, and cricket nets with associated floodlighting.

Proposed sports precinct aerial view | Photo credit: Queensland Government (Planning) / planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au

“The extent of training and usage on the Freers Site will vary according to which sport is being played and the time of year. The fields and courts may be used on an ad-hoc basis to assist with ‘overflow’ needs for organised inter-school sporting fixtures occurring elsewhere, typically on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays. The refurbished Freers building is intended to provide for uses and activities complementary to the sporting facilities over the wider Freers site,” The Stuartholme School’s future plans state.

Proposed sports precinct aerial view Proposed Redevelopment of Freers Site — Proposed sports precinct aerial view | Photo credit: Queensland Government (Planning) / planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au

The redevelopment plans also include the construction of a pedestrian bridge on Ithaca Creek whilst fencing would be provided through the installation of bollards with netting, allowing the free flow of flood water. The proposed design for the hockey field, meanwhile, has been revised and lowered by about half a metre to lessen its impact on flooding.

Perspective view Proposed Redevelopment of Freers Site — Perspective view | Photo credit: Queensland Government (Planning) / planning.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au

The proposed operating hours of the site are from 6 am to 10 pm with floodlights to be switched on only when the fields are in use.

In November 2022, Freers Farm Action Group leader Steph Walker noted in her social media post “two worrying flaws” about the final flood and environment impact reports, specifically:

The flood report continues to be based on flood modelling data which is demonstrably incorrect based on local knowledge and records; and
The environmental impact report found that the site, or immediately adjacent land contains 4 threatened species which are listed at Commonwealth/ and or State level as vulnerable. This finding means a proper impact asssesement process is supposed to be followed, but the school seems to be relying on an earlier report which found the site had “low ecological value” and no or little evidence of threatened species.

She added that residents have taken steps, at their own cost, to obtain independent flooding and environmental impacts reports.

The Group, thus, is calling on Deputy Premier ( Dr Steven Miles MP), the MID assessment team, Mr Michael Berkman (MP for Maiwar) and the Principal of Stuartholme School to allow the locals a reasonable time of about four to six months to obtain these reports before a decision is made.

Published 5-March-2023

Brisbane Boys’ College Named State Champion At 2023 Tennis Queensland Primary Schools Cup

Brisbane Boys’ College dominated the Orange Ball category and was named State Champion at the 2023 Tennis Queensland Primary Schools Cup.

Read: Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC) Finishes Strong at 2023 Queensland State Championships Regatta

The team, consisting of Year 5 students Bentley Kang, Oliver Rowden, Harry Bridle and Hursh Menon, defeated Caningeraba State School with 23-11 in the Finals.

Around 1,200 students from 85 schools in the State joined in three tiers of modified Tennis Hot Shots, who began competing at the regional trials prior to the State Finals at the United Cup in Brisbane.

Photo credit: Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC)/Facebook

Tennis Queensland Primary Schools Cup comes in three different categories: The red ball, an entry-level competition is for students in Year 4 and below; the orange ball category is for students in Year 5 and below; and Green Ball category is for Year 6 and below.

Meanwhile, Brisbane Boys’ College also excelled at the Green Ball category, finishing Third in the State. The team consisted of Albert Ge, Jonathan Zhang, Ethan Huang and Chengze Du.

The Toowong school is proud of the boys’ achievement and also thanked the coaches Ethan Wilkinson and Leo Prudencio for their involvement with getting the boys prepared for the big finale.

BBC said the boys also managed to mingle with numerous professional players, including Iga Swiatek, Jill Teichmann, Caper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Matteo Berretini and Stan Wawrinka over the four days of competition.

“Many autographs were gained, and the boys also got to walk through the players’ area and out onto Pat Rafter arena in front of the United Cup crowd. It was a fantastic experience for all,” BBC stated in a social media post.

Read: Remembering Wallace Bishop: Successful Jeweller and Brisbane Boys College Alumnus

To see the full results from the 2023 Tennis Queensland Primary Schools Cup, visit tennis.com.au.

Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC) Finishes Strong at 2023 Queensland State Championships Regatta

Photo credit: Facebook / Brisbane Boys' College (BBC)

The recently held Queensland State Championships Regatta saw the Brisbane Boys’ College staging a successful campaign, scoring three Golds, a Silver and a Bronze medal.

It’s a very promising rowing season this year indeed for BBC Rowing as it successfully finished its first official races this season. At the Queensland State Championships, the school entered two Open Eights, two Year 11 Eights, two Year 10 Quads and a Year 10 single scull.

The action-packed weekend at Lake Wyaralong last 20 – 22 January 2023 saw 647 athletes participating with 772 entries racing in 124 races. It was the largest turnout of competitors at the Queensland State Championships Regatta so far.

The school’s Open First VIII successfully took out the U19 and U21 8+ categories before taking a second-place finish in the Open Men’s 8+ Final by beating Uni of Qld which finished fourth and third placer Toowong club. Private club KAND took home the Gold medal.

Meanwhile, Henry Wake won the Gold in the Mens Under 16 Single Scull whilst Year 10 First Quad took home the Bronze.

2023 Queensland State Championships Regatta

Championship Mens Under 17 Quad Scull (Coxed) – Final

Gregory Terrace (Setter,Thomas,Clancy,Alford,c:Sheehan
Gregory Terrace (Ross,Clifford-Thorpe,Townsend,McGhie,c:Macklin)
Brisbane Boys 1 (Pohio,Deal,Bromell,Thynne,c:Geldard)

Championship Mens Under 21 Eight – Final

Brisbane Boys (Crook,Granzin,Rubens,Thynne,Owen,Cashman,Cashman,Stevens,c:Palmer)
Commercial/Griffith Uni
(O’Driscoll*,Dixon,Humphrey*,Mounter*,Akhavan,Schostakowski,Barrett,Gilmore,c:Shaw)
Brisbane Grammar (Nicholson,Houghton,Weightman,Jackson,Roe,Morrissey,Fidler,Forbes,c:Reck)

Championship Mens Under 19 Eight – Final

Brisbane Boys (Crook,Granzin,Rubens,Thynne,Owen,Cashman,Cashman,Stevens,c:Palmer)
Brisbane Grammar 1
(Nicholson,Jackson,Weightman,Morrissey,Roe,Keeley,Fidler,Forbes,c:Reck)
Gregory Terrace
(Ross,Townsend,Clifford-Thorpe,Gallagher,Hazard,Blanshard,White,Williams,c:Macklin)

Championship Mens Under 16 Single Scull – Final

Brisbane Boys (Henry Wake)
Gregory Terrace (Hamish Setter)
Rockhampton Fitzroy (Tristram Vesey)

Championship Mens Eight -Final

Kand
(Bidwell,McCasker,Rees-Turner*,Rhodes,Lord,Rowe,Achermann,Salisbury,c:Cooke)
Brisbane Boys
(Crook,Granzin,Rubens,Thynne,Owen,Cashman,Cashman,Stevens,c:Palmer)
Toowong
(Price,Place,Bridge,Martin,Carter,Watter,Apel,Bowser,c:Ridgway)

Big congratulations to the boys and their coaches!

Published 5-February-2023

Planned Inner West Primary School Downgraded Despite Growing Student Population

Delays have marred the opening of a much-needed new inner west primary school, a project first eyed for construction at the former Toowong Bowls Club site. Instead of a Term 1 2023 opening date, the project is still in the planning stage, pending a review of the community’s feedback.

The Department of Education quietly updated the project’s status at the end of January 2023. The change has drawn concern from Cr James Mackay, who pointed out the need for a new school because of the student’s growing population.

“If you’ve been to that school lately you’d know it’s bursting at its seems. Ironside and Toowong schools both have more students than they were designed for,” he posted.

“If you dig deep on the government’s website you can find the page about the inner west school. The latest update says ‘A report summarising the feedback received from community consultation will be available soon.’ Note, the community feedback closed way back in May 2022 so I’m not sure what’s going on.”

In 2020, the State Government announced its plans to build a new inner west primary school after 60 years. However, challenges in finding a desirable location have pushed the 2023 opening date to 2024.

Locals expressed during the community consultations that the preferred location was at risk of flooding and could raise environmental and safety concerns as there is an active flying fox colony near the former Toowong Bowls Club. The location was further compromised after the February 2022 flooding.

However, acting Education Minister Leanne Linard said that inner west schools are still operating below capacity thus the pressure to complete the project has tempered off.

Although this doesn’t mean that the schools’ population will stop growing thus overcapacity should still be addressed before classrooms become full, according to Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman.

Steps Taken to Acquire Toowong Green Bridge Landing Site

Despite a pause in the construction of the West End-Toowong Green Bridge project, steps have now been undertaken to acquire a portion of the property owned by the Consolidate Properties Group along Coronation Drive in Toowong as it will become the bridge’s landing site.

The developer has plans to build a residential complex near the West End-Toowong Green Bridge project. However, roughly 2,365 square metres of the 1.2-hectare apartment development will need to be resumed to the government for the green bridge.

The Toowong landing site will be built on the southeast corner of the property near the Middenbury House. The plans indicate that the area will include a small riverside park with seating and landscaping. The landing site is also going to connect to Archer Street via walking and riding routes, allowing bikers to ride toward the Bicentennial Bikeway from Coronation Drive.

“We have paused our two green bridges connecting to West End while we concentrate on Brisbane’s rebuild and recovery following the devastating floods,” Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said in a statement.

“However, we remain committed to building these two bridges which are strongly supported by local residents.

“Buying the Toowong location now so it is available when we are ready to proceed just makes sense.

“While this is just a small section of the site, the riverside property isn’t going to get cheaper in the long term so making this purchase now is in the best interests of ratepayers.”

Council’s move to acquire the land has downplayed fears that the pause on the West End-Toowong Green Bridge project would be permanent. However, Schrinner also said that Council is working to secure funding for the project.

The preliminary business case for the West End-Toowong Green Bridge project cites that mobility will be much improved in this part of the city once it’s completed.

Meanwhile, a West End-St Lucia green bridge construction has also been paused as funding needs to be secured.

Josie North in Toowong Now Open Late at Night for Wine Lovers

Did you know that Josie North, a popular breakfast and brunch place at the Clements Arcade in Toowong is now operating on extended hours three nights a week as a wine bar?

Matt Roggenkamp, the owner of Josie North, has introduced the wine bar concept to his specialty-coffee destination after realising that Toowong was missing such pleasure. In fact, a customer once kidded Roggenkamp that he should host wine nights at the coffee shop.

From Thursday to Saturday, the coffee shop opens late to serve vino from small-scale producers in Australia, France, and Italy. At least six bottles are on regular rotation and can be ordered by the glass, like Fistful of Flowers Vermentino from Momento Mori or Bloody Hill shiraz from Mayer.

Once in a while, however, the wine list will have rare bottles for returning diners who may be on the lookout for something new.

As for the food, the wine bar offers a small selection on the menu, such as ‘nduja toast with tomato and basil oil, burrata with broad bean and herbs, or the chicken cotoletta with Italian slaw and truffle hot sauce. Though short on choices, these flavourful food go well with the wine list.

Josie North’s layout and seating arrangements remain the same for wine nights, except with dimmer lights and louder relaxing music. Though coffee is still its star product, the after-dark crowd has embraced this refreshing change so far.

Follow Josie North on Facebook for updates.

“Love this Cafe. A bit hidden away in the back of an arcade type alley so can easily miss it, but the coffee they serve here is always high quality. Service is impeccable.”
James Cameron

“A must try if you’re in the area! The customer service was exceptional, as was the iced oat latte and avocado smash! Will definitely be back!”
Jack Smith

“A nice little spot for speciality coffee and a quick catch up. Had a share serving of the filter coffee with a friend. Would recommend sitting inside on very sunny days as the outside/walkway seating can get fairly warm from the skylights.”
Anna

Toowong’s Linden Lea, Two Other Cases, Sparked Review of Qld’s Heritage Protection System

Photo credit: Google Maps

The demolition of Linden Lea, a Tudor-style historic home in Toowong, and several other similar cases have triggered a review of the effectiveness of the Queensland heritage protection system. Here are the findings and recommendations of the Queensland Heritage Advisory Panel.

In 2021, a group of residents sought the protection of the 85-year-old Linden Lea on Archer Street in Toowong from demolition through a heritage register application. The effort, however, proved to be too late as the historic home was eventually knocked down which prompted calls for legislative changes.

The Queensland Heritage Advisory Panel (QHAP) was established in April 2021 to develop recommendations to better protect heritage places in Queensland by examining the effectiveness of the current heritage protection system.

“…Limitations of the current system, including those within the Heritage Act, have been brought to light through cases like “Home” (Lamb House) at Kangaroo Point and the Broadway Hotel at Woolloongabba. Both properties, included in the QHR and locally listed in the Brisbane City Plan 2014, have been at risk in recent years, the report said.

“Linden Lea, an interwar period house in a Brisbane City Council (BCC) character area was demolished in March 2021 despite considerable community concern and a reactive heritage register application. This illustrates that approved development cannot be prevented by current Heritage Act provisions and that a strategic approach to community heritage register applications needs to be encouraged.

Linden Lea Toowong — Google Street View of Linden Lea, September 2020 | Photo Credit: Google Maps

“…Given these recent high profile incidents involving heritage places and that the Queensland Heritage Act is now nearly thirty years old, an examination of the heritage legislative framework is timely.”

The panel’s recommendations focused on three themes: legislative reform and strengthening Qld’s heritage framework; support for heritage stakeholders; and better communication, understanding and engagement.

Some of the key issues identified through the QHAP process include:

Additions to and removals from the QHR rely on applications from the public or place owners, resulting in an ad hoc approach to which places are considered for entry in the QHR, and leading to underrepresentation of Queensland’s diverse heritage places.
An increasing number of stop order requests and community-led QHR applications are seeking to prevent approved development or development applications proceeding; however, the QHR application process cannot override an existing development application or approval.
The range of local heritage processes provides flexibility for local governments, but has resulted in an inconsistent approach across Queensland and created confusion

The QHR registration process and stop orders cannot overturn existing development approvals or change the outcome of development applications, despite community expectations to the contrary.
Queensland’s lack of interim protection for heritage places at State and local levels is not best heritage practice and puts it well behind other Australian jurisdictions.

The recommendations include:

Undertake gap analysis of the QHR to determine under-represented place types.
Engage with local councils and key advocacy agencies to establish a more strategic heritage listing approach for State and local heritage places informed by gap analyses and thematic research data.
Engage with the community to encourage strategic community applications for local and State heritage places.
Revise Heritage Act provisions relating to essential repair and maintenance work to meaningfully allow for the protection of at-risk State and local heritage places and align them with current standards across Australia.
Explore legislative options to provide appropriate interim protection for places that are the subject of a QHR application, and align interim heritage protection with other jurisdictions across Australia.

The Queensland Government recently adopted all 22 recommendations of the QHAP’s report in relation to heritage places and the effectiveness of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992(Qld).

Following the release of the QHAP report, the Toowong Residents Group, who campaigned against the demolition of the Linden Lea noted that “problems are continuing.”

“Unfortunately, the problems are continuing – for example, Bundaberg has recently lost its historical Anzac Memorial Pool due to its belligerent council rushing to demolish the pool while recommended heritage classification was being formalised.

The group’s and former Queensland Health deputy director-general Dr John Scott likewise underscored the importance of policy-makers focusing more on what would be best for a neighbourhood rather than the dictates of the market in their planning decisions.

Toowong has been undergoing a transformation in recent years and the group has been advocating for the preservation of the suburb’s character amid a slew of development applications since 2015.