Have you heard about The Aviary? This new lifestyle precinct on High Street and Sherwood Road in Toowong is set to reshape Brisbane’s western suburbs with its apartments, offices, retail shops and shared green spaces.
Brisbane City Council gave the green light for the development of this new Toowong Town Centre in October 2020 (DA A005434525).
Set to start construction in late 2021, the planned development will not just improve the surrounding areas but also create 400 jobs until 2023.
For the last 20 years, Toowong has been behind the development of an urban lifestyle precinct that will cater to the needs of a growing community despite its proximity to the CBD.
Apart from having Toowong Village, much of this side of the suburbs have not changed. But the upcoming 9000-square metre town centre is set to revive the community and make it more liveable for the next generations.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council
State Development Corporation plans to build sections of The Aviary all at once. The precinct will have 150 residential units, an office tower, and 30 retail shops. Its green spaces and streetscapes have been modeled after the Grove Shopping Centre in Los Angeles.
The precinct will also offer cinemas, fresh food market, outdoor dining, childcare and medical facilities.
Photo Credit: Brisbane City CouncilPhoto Credit: Brisbane City Council
“The significant growth of mixed-used developments is a result of community demand for self-sufficient hubs based on walkability and convenience,” State Development Corporation managing director Ross McKinnon told the press.
“If businesses have learned anything from COVID-19, it’s that we don’t all have to be working in the city to maximise productivity,” Mr McKinnon added. “While it’s still early days, we expect to see more office users make the shift to central hubs like The Aviary for the lifestyle benefits, where everything you need is at your fingertips and you don’t have to travel into the CBD.”
State Development Corporation has four other developments in the inner western suburbs. The company is collaborating with Dan White, Partner at White & Partners for The Aviary whilst Nettleton Tribe planned the design. The project is valued at $450 million.
Heads up for cyclists! Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) has been preparing for the upgrade of the water main on Archer Street and the Bicentennial Bikeway between Sylvan Road and High Street. These upgrades will impact a lot of Toowong bike lane cyclists accessing Coronation Drive.
Some of the water pipes directly below the bikeway will need replacement so temporary bike lane closures will be enforced. The closures, however, won’t begin until November, according to the QUU.
Cr James Mackay informed the public of the forthcoming bike lane changes in a video post on Facebook.
“QUU emailed me to say works would begin Monday 19 October. QUU has said today the works on the bikeway will not commence until early November,” Mr. Mackay said. “I am meeting onsite with QUU to discuss the bikeway closure and the options. QUU has confirmed it will contact cycling groups before the closure, outlining detours, and so on.”
The bike lane closures will be active for two weeks but the QUU prepared a detour plan for cyclists.
Photo Credit: Cr James Mackay/Facebook
For additional details about the Toowong bike lane detour and this water main upgrade, residents may phone 1300 13 13 38.
A petition seeking to buy back the old ABC site on Coronation Drive and turn it into a public park is gaining numbers following news that Sunland Group plans to sell the 1.5-hectare site. Local Greens MP Michael Berkman, who has been seeking to build a public park in the abandoned property for years, launched the petition and renewed his calls for the Government to give Toowong its green space.
Sunland Group bought the old ABC site in 2013, years after it has been sitting idle. However, its development plans failed to take off after a back and forth in court until the Supreme Court rejected its three-tower proposal in 2018.
“This 15,000m2 riverfront site should never have been privatised by the former federal Labor government. It has sat empty and derelict for almost 15 years, and now the private developer owner Sunland is putting the site up for sale,” Mr Berkman wrote in his petition, which has since logged nearly 1,500 signatures within 24 hours. “This beautiful riverfront land should be a publicly owned community space, with things we can all enjoy like a park, a public pool, gardens, a community centre and more.”
“This is a golden opportunity: the developer is clearly trying to offload this land during the COVID-19 downturn, so the government could either buy it for a good price now or let it sit empty for years while the new owner waits for better market conditions,” Mr Berkman said in a statement. “Right now this land is sitting vacant and derelict while locals cry out for more public green space to offset growth, with a major 25-story development planned for the former Woolworths site up the road, and the Toowong-West End green bridge proposed to land at exactly this site.”
To increase public awareness and encourage more people to sign the petition, Mr Berkman posted a photo of the Toowong Swimming Pool from the 1960s. The pool was publicly funded and built in 1909 but the Council sold the property in 2001.
Photo Credit: Michael Berkman – Greens MP for Maiwar/Facebook
“Nowadays there would be hundreds of private pools within a few kilometres of this spot, but most people don’t have access to a place to swim locally,” he said on Facebook. “I think it’s time for a public pool for Toowong and the west side, and the old ABC site would be a perfect location.”
Mr Berkman also did a survey among Toowong residents in 2019 and learned that 88 percent want the old ABC site to be a “publicly owned riverside park with things we can all enjoy, like a pool, gardens, a dance hall or a new community centre.”
“This should be a non-partisan issue,” the MP reiterated. “So the local community and I are asking Labor and LNP representatives to work together to return this land into public hands.”
Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC) plans to sell a section of its land on Union St for a townhouse development consisting of 24 units but residents are opposing the plan mainly because it will increase traffic problems in a school area.
BBC, managed and owned by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (PMSA), was supposed to enter into a contract with the developer, Feltham Property Group, to turn 0.8ha of land into a housing complex. The development, however, hit a road bump after the Council required easement and access roads, particularly near the school’s tennis courts.
PMSA, through its chairman and architect Greg Adsett, however, said that the easement is not needed and the said area at the back of the school won’t impact the school’s activities, including traffic.
But traffic has been a major issue on Union St since the beginning of this year, according to the residents. They enumerated some of the causes of traffic in their submission to the Council:
BBC parents am/pm drop off and pick-up of students
Buses taking students to various events and to and from school
Senior students getting their drivers license throughout the year and increase in students parking in Union St
“Local traffic in the street sees the amount of houses, unit blocks, units and duplex in Union Street alone.”
Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City CouncilPhoto Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council
Headmaster Paul Brown said that the land for the development is a school surplus and its sale received approval from the Council. Mr Brown added that the townhouse development, dubbed Oakman Residences, is closer to Oakman Park than the school. Selling the land would help fund the college’s planned developments.
Feltham Property Group plans to build six apartments and 17 townhouses, as well as maintain the Kaieta house, built in the 1890s. Kaieta is currently the residence of the school’s headmaster, which will be refurbished and incorporated in the development.
Photo Credit: PD Online/Brisbane City Council
“KAIETA is a historic Brisbane home. I restored it from a semi-derelict state in 1978. My family occupied it until I sold it to Brisbane Boys’ College,” Dr John Thynne Drewe said. “Their care of it since then has been a disgrace. I would be of the opinion that the PMSA should be required to restore it to a standard befitting such a historic part of Toowong and not be moved and concealed by townhouse clutter. Imagine the traffic access to Moggill Rd if that occurs.”
Brisbane’s Planning & Environment Court has ruled that the grounds of Goldicott House, located at 65 Grove Crescent in Toowong, cannot be rezoned or subdivided for development.
This has thwarted development plans for the property, in the latest update on a saga that has seen residents and heritage experts voice their protests over the past several years since the property was sold in 2017.
BCC and Residents Objected to Development
In 2019, Brisbane City Council’s City Planning Committee recommended disapproval of the application for subdivision of the 12,340-sqm heritage-listed property.
Photo Credit: QLD Heritage Register Gallery
At the time, City Planning Chairman Councillor Matthew Bourke also cited the developer’s failure to meet the Council’s strict criteria for a use of a Local Heritage Place as the reason for the rejection of the application.
A total of 123 community submissions from locals were considered in the BCC’s decision. “During its assessment, Council considered 123 submissions, including a submission from the National Trust, outlining concerns about heritage implications,” Cr Bourke said.
Residents’ submissions expressed concerns and opposition to the application citing environmental impact and worsening of traffic congestion, including the potential traffic danger to children of the nearby schools.
PHoto Credit: QLD Heritage Register Gallery
Concerns were also raised over plans to subdivide the property, with heritage experts calling for the protection of cultural heritage buildings such as Goldicott House.
About Goldicott House
Photo Credit: Screengrab from YouTube/Andrew Degn
Built in 1885 for Brisbane engineer Charles Lambert Depre, Goldicott House was the first residential home to use poured concrete in its construction. Erecting Goldicott House was a revolutionary innovation in construction at the time.
In 1903, Goldicott was renamed Mount St Mary’s Convent after Sisters of Mercy purchased the property. In 1998, Goldicott was listed in the Queensland Heritage Register.
“The concrete construction was innovative and remarkable for its time. The place is significant for its association with engineer Charles Lambert Depree, and his contribution to concrete construction implementation and technology in 19th century Queensland,” the Queensland Heritage Register citation said.
QLD Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology announced residents can now access the Vera St Common, after it decided to reopen a gate they had previously locked, leading to the Vera St Community Garden, Toowong Creek, and adjacent grounds.
This development came after numerous letters and social media posts from Toowong residents expressed indignation and displeasure at the blocked access.
Vera St Common is popular among locals because of the access it provides to a Council bike path, the community garden and composting area that gardeners frequent, and the surrounding areas where children and dog walkers spend time.
Like the nearby West Rugby Club’s fields, Vera St Common is widely considered to be a community hub, with activities centred on the use of the grounds, usually on weekends or in the afternoon hours.
QASMT controls access to the controversial gate because the land north of Toowong Creek is part of school grounds and sometimes used for sports, although the organiser of the community garden had been given the gate key to let people in after the initial closure was implemented.
In an open letter to neighbours dated the 8th of May 2020 and sent over the weekend, Principal Kath Kayrooz of QASMT advised neighbours they could resume dog walking and other uses as long as they obeyed set rules.
“After long negotiations with the Department of Education Security and Facilities, I am pleased to advise that we will unlock the gate on Vera St this afternoon,’’ Principal Kayrooz said.
Ms Kayrooz explained that reports of breaches of social distancing rules to the DoE regional office led to the decision to block access to Vera St Common.
Other Concerns
Recently, the area has been the subject of protests because of perceived environmental ramifications to local flora and fauna, brought about by building works undertaken by the school adjacent to the creek.
In 2019, concerns were raised about the need to fell more than 58 trees in the area, including a 300-year-old grey ironbark. Efforts to save the centuries-old, protected ironbark tree led the government, Council, and the school to agree to move one building 11 metres.
A group of environmentalists led by zoologist Iris Hing also lamented the destruction of the native habitat of indigenous species, such as rare, native amphibians that make their home in Toowong Creek.
Other concerns raised by neighbours about the construction works include increased vehicular and foot traffic; decreased on-street parking, increased noise pollution; disruption on native fauna brought about by the construction; and neighbourhood traffic disruption during event nights at the school.
The protests and some instances of vandalism in the past year have raised security concerns which led to 24-hour security details and a proposed security fence that will be completed by the mid-year.
At present though, Principal Kayrooz has said that residents can again access the park and adjacent grounds at will, provided they abide by social distancing rules, use the area on the north bank of Toowong Creek only during daytime hours, keep dogs on leashes, and pick up after their pets.
A compromise on concerns about the school construction has yet to be made.
A $450-million development application for a new Toowong Town Centre has been lodged by State Development Corporation and advisory firm White and Partners.
This proposed mixed-use precinct is located at a 8,982-sqm site on the corner of High Street and Sherwood Road, the site of one of the first Woolworths in the state.
Photo Credit : Urban Developer
Based on an “open street” concept, the proposal creates a central public space which connects Sherwood Rd, High St and Jephson St. The public plaza, which adjoins the Sherwood Rd intersection, will usher visitors into the Toowong Commercial precinct.
Designed to connect public transport routes via train, bus and cycleways, it will also be integrated with the various pedestrian routes through Toowong, to make the site more accessible to the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Source: PD Online A005434525 / NettletonTribe
“Our plans include upgrades to High Street with the building set back further from the street, allowing for a dedicated bus lane for the busy Toowong bus stop. Allowing buses to stop in front of our development without blocking the two inbound lanes will alleviate traffic in the area, especially during peak hour,” Ross McKinnon, Managing Director of State Development Corporation, said
Toowong’s Heart
Source: PD Online A005434525 / NettletonTribe
The site sits opposite Toowong Village and the train station, both built in the mid-1980s. Although not designed to directly rival Toowong Village, the developers said it is intended to be “a public plaza which integrates with the existing urban common,” where “the public spaces will form a distinctive sense of place and vibrant retail centre to the Toowong heart.”
The plaza is intended to be used for community activities, small concerts, outdoor dining and food festivals, and other special events.
Source: PD Online A005434525 / White & Partners | ASdesign
“We see the plaza as being an ever-changing meeting area – an iconic location that changes from day to night, week to week, and season to season,” Mr McKinnon said.
Overall, the site comprises a five-storey, open-air plaza, which includes a theatre, a 20-storey office tower, and a 25-storey residential tower. The retail component of the development is accessible directly from High Street, Sherwood Road and Jephson Street, where there will be a street-level entry into the centre.
“Inspiration for the design has come from one of the greatest outdoor shopping centres in the world, The Grove Shopping Centre in Los Angeles, which incorporates the best characteristics of a high street in the one development,” Mr McKinnon said.
“Brisbane has a similar climate to Los Angeles, and we believe the open street theme along with the open-air plaza is the perfect combination to enhance the existing Toowong area. Now more than ever, Toowong needs a heart – a civic plaza to give the suburb a focal point the neighbourhood and community can identify with,” he explained.
New Design Replaces 2016 Submission
Mr McKinnon further explained that the company decided not to push through with the three-tower design approved by Council in 2016.
Instead, the current design includes only two towers, with more space to open up the site for more effective public areas. Both towers will be positioned for maximum daylight penetration, to the west and south of the public plaza.
The office tower is designed to be a “multi-functional stack,” twisted every three-storeys and offset to express tower movement in the facade as it rises above the plaza. The design statement describes this movement as reflective of “river bends and the reaches it overlooks.”
Meanwhile, the residential tower, has a slender, iconic form which has been designed to complement the curved language of the commercial tower. Splitting the tower form are two green spines which create communal gardens, situated every three to four floors which according to the design statement, also serve as distinctive “visual markers from the key northern and eastern approaches.”
Source: PD Online A005434525 / White & Partners | ASdesign
Approximately half of the site is designated as public space. An open-air plaza which includes a water feature that converts to a stage area constitutes what the designers deem to be “the beating heart” of the precinct.
Once the DA is approved, expressions of interest from commercial and retail tenants will be sought.
“We have developed four projects in the western corridor and understand the Toowong area very well. We’re creating a completely different offer and an entirely new streetscape for Toowong,” McKinnon said.
Before you step out and buy liquor in Toowong, Kenmore, Indooroopilly, and other areas, here’s an important piece of news. A voluntary initiative is now being implemented, seeking to limit liquor purchases that a consumer can make, to prevent panic buying and hoarding.
Effective 30 March 2020, Vintage Cellars, Dan Murphy’s, First Choice, BWS, Liquorland, and a raft of independent retailers have put up a united front to support this voluntary measure.
Consumers can make a purchase up to the total allowable limit per transaction in any two of the following product categories:
12 bottles of wine
2 cases of beer
2 cases of pre-mixed spirits
2 cases of cider
2 bottles of spirits (should not to exceed 2L in total)
2 casks of wine (should not to exceed 10L in total)
There will be signages placed throughout liquor stores and on the websites of participating retailers explaining the current restrictive measure in depth.
Western Australia stores, however, will have different measures in place and are not included from these restrictions.
Photo credit: CCO Public Domain/ SleepyCats/ Pixabay
According to Retail Drinks Australia’s CEO, Julie Ryan, even though alcoholic beverages in the country are not short in supply, implementing a limit on liquor purchase is still needed. There has been a notable change in consumers’ consumption behavior due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was clear that uncertainty on the impact of supply following the closure of pubs, clubs and restaurants last week caused some people to purchase differently.”
“These temporary measures will ensure that all consumers can continue to access their favourite drinks when they decide to make a purchase,” Ms Ryan said.
Ms Ryan highly encourages all liquor consumers to purchase alcoholic products responsibly as they normally would instead of hoarding or buying more than what is actually needed.
The world seems to be slowing down amidst the coronavirus pandemic. As businesses and services close because of the government’s protective measures to contain its spread, Performance Physio Fitness and Health, a health clinic in Toowong and Bardon, will continue to open its doors and serve its clients.
Performance Physio Fitness and Health is considered an essential service. As health is the most important consideration, the clinic and its staff are implementing the points learned from its completed Australian Government’s COVID-19 Infection Control Training so that it can continue to meet its clients’ requirements.
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Given these unusual circumstances these days, here’s how Performance Physio Fitness and Health will keep their clients fit and healthy in the time of coronavirus:
1. Pilates sessions
Social distancing will be strictly enforced at Performance Physio Fitness and Health’s pilates sessions. Those who prefer individual classes may also avail of the service when they book a session.
2. Exercise Physiology
Performance Physio Fitness and Health will be taking advantage of Brisbane’s beautiful weather thus exercise physiology classes will be done outdoors by the West Rugby Club in Toowong Park. Gym use will be limited to one and one session as much as possible and all equipment will be cleaned and disinfected between classes.
3. Physiotherapy
The clinic’s physiotherapists are expected to follow stringent hygiene advice, including keeping their spaces extensively cleaned in between servicing clients. They may also do home visits for the most vulnerable clients, provided that they or their family members are of great health.
Exercise sessions with physiotherapists will be outdoors. The clinic is also going to set up a Telehealth Physio Consultations.
Photo Credit: Performance Physio, Fitness and Health/Facebook
To date, there are no reported cases of COVID-19 infection from Performance Physio Fitness and Health’s patients, staff and their families. The clinic is also observing strict social distancing, hand washing and regular cleaning of its surfaces and equipment.
The clinic remains committed to delivering the highest level of care to its clients. Thus, it’s the preferred health clinic for many world ranking Aussie tennis players.
The newest restaurant to open in Toowong can be found inside the Jephson Hotel, in the space that used to house Covet Bar & Restaurant. Now, it’s the home of Hooch & Co, which serves up Asian-inspired food that shows the diverse community of Australia.
Hooch & Co is from the same group that owns Barolos, the 25-year old Italian restaurant on Sherwood Rd. This new eatery offers familiar yet surprisingly different dishes based on Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Vietnamese cuisines.
For all-day dining, the Japanese cabbage pancake (Okonomiyaki) comes highly recommended. It’s filled with a blend of flavours from bacon, togarashi fried egg, kewpie, okonomi sauce, fried shallot, pickled ginger and sesame.
Also quite popular is the Sandcrab Bagel Benedict (Sand crab and chive, poached eggs, gochujang hollandaise, fried shallots). The Breakfast Mee Goreng (Fried noodles, sambal and kecap manis sauce, smoked bacon, shallots, fried egg, puffed pork skin) may also satisfy a famished belly, whether it’s 7:00 a.m. or lunch.
Diners looking for plant-based options may also order a filling Big Breakfast. Lovers of anything sweet can joyfully indulge in the drool-worthy breakfast doughnuts.
Photo Credit: Hooch & Co/Facebook
Hooch & Co serves coffee from Sydney’s The Reformatory Caffeine Lab. Other drinks on the menu include cold-pressed juices, indulgent milkshakes, cocktails, craft beers and at least 35 different selections of wines. These drinks can be ordered with cheese platters or jerky boards if you’re planning an afternoon caper with your friends.
Photo Credit: Hooch & Co/Facebook
The restaurant is open daily for breakfast or lunch. Phone: (07) 3736 4400 or email team@hoochandco.com.au for table reservations.
“Scrumptious brekky… sums up the experience I had here! Great menu choices, easy to change odd bits and friendly staff! Will definitely be recommending to friends and family! P.S. the house bottled and labelled juices were fantastic!”
