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.
Read: Winning the War on Waste: What You Can Do Now
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!”
Aided by the government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, more first-home buyers are now climbing into the Brisbane property market, with Toowong ranking among the suburbs that had most inquiries for units, a new research said.
The latest report from the REA Group said that in terms of inquiries for houses from first-home buyers, Rochedale South was the top suburb followed by Springfield Lakes, Bracken Ridge, Morayfield, and Forest Lake.
Meanwhile, Brisbane City and Toowong had the most inquiries for units, followed by Taringa, Nundah, and West End.
Since the scheme was introduced on 1 January 2020, there have already been more than 700 people who gained pre-approved place in First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) in Queensland. Almost 6,000 of the 10,000 places have been guaranteed nationwide, whilst another 3,000 places have moved to the pre-approval stage.
Consequently, a rise in first-home buyers have been observed in Brisbane, an increase of more than a third in January from the same month in 2019, data from realestate.com.au said.
Experts were also quick to note how the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme has generated interest among first-home buyers, even before it started; a trend which was last observed in 2009.
As revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the number of first-home buyer loan commitment have risen 6.2 percent in seasonally adjusted terms in December 2019. The annual percent change for owner occupier first home buyer commitments was also up 21.3 percent from December 2018.
The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is an Australian Government initiative that aims to help eligible first home buyers purchase a home with a deposit of as little as five percent. The scheme allows NHIFC to guarantee part of the first-home buyer’s home loan from a participating lender, beginning 1 January 2020.
National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) has already released 10,000 First Home Loan Deposit Scheme places and another 10,000 will be made available from July 2020.
The loan guarantee is subject to criteria including a taxable income of up to $125,000 per year for singles or a taxable income of up to $200,000 per year for couples; incomes would be assessed for the financial year preceding the one in which the loan is entered into.
The list of participating lenders can be found here.
The largest showcase of exotic garden plants is all set at the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens Auditorium. If you’re a keen gardener on the hunt for beautiful plants that will make your garden stand out from the rest, be at the National Palm and Cycad Show to find a range of unusual varieties.
Some 40 palm varieties and rare cycads with different leaves, shapes and sizes will be up for sale. Aside from the sale of palm and cycads, this annual event is a chance to talk face-to-face with gardening experts.
Photo Credit: Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia
If you’re planning a new green space in your backyard or front yard, you can score good deals at the National Palm and Cycad Show. All visitors will also receive a list of 20 drought-tolerant palms to cultivate so they’ll have an idea of what to look for at the showcase.
A few educational displays and market stalls with discounted items specific to gardeners will be set up as well.
The exotic garden plant showcase will open at 9:00 a.m. General admission is for $3 per guest.
For more information, phone Daryl O’Connor at 0488 125 555.
Here’s a shoutout to educators who would like to incorporate and implement Forest Learning in their programs. Grab the opportunity to learn the best techniques. Nature Play QLD is conducting a full-day workshop at the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, where participants can discover tried and tested principles and practices to benefit the kids.
The workshop, led by Education Coordinator Anya Imhoff of Nature Play QLD, will run on Thursday, the 19th of March 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Regardless of the educational centre setting, this workshop could bring significant results for educators of various approaches — home school, early childhood, out of school hours care, family daycare and primary school. The techniques are designed for educators who work with kids from the ages of two to 10.
Along with understanding the ethos of Forest Learning, participants of the workshop will also take part in helpful activities to identify and overcome restrictions of Forest Learning.
Does your program have routines in place, including assessments of risks and benefits? The workshop will include planning and strategising to come up with a suitable outdoor play setting specific to the needs of the kids attending your centre.
Participation in this workshop includes a free start-up pack of resources to use in your program. These include a Forest Learning Handbook, a USB of various documentation on policies, procedures, session planning, risk management and more.
To register for a slot, register and secure your ticket online. Participants are expected to wear appropriate and protective outdoor clothing. Refreshments will be served but bring a packed lunch.
Around this time of the year, when the holidays slide into the first few weeks at work and pyjama pants are no longer an acceptable all-day attire, a word begins to whisper through the trees. It’s plastered on billboards and across Facebook, Instagram and the front cover of magazines. It’s a one-word reprimand from the depths of the fridge as you reach into the box of Favourites. The word is ‘Detox,’ usually followed by the phrase: New Year, New You.
Well, what if it’s just New Year, Same You – but just a bit healthier?
The fact that you’re expected to work again can come as a bit of shock, especially when the only decisions you’ve been having to make over Christmas and New Year are whether 8:00 am is too early for mimosas (it isn’t) and if trifle counts as dinner (it does). Add to this shock, the pressure from media and news outlets to be the new, improved version of yourself. The stress of the start of the year can make those morning mimosas pretty appealing.
The New Year. ‘Tis the season for juice fasts, laxative teas, heat wraps and liquid diets as we let the guilt of that five-letter word get to us. And sure, some of these methods do work for a while. But, don’t we do this every year? Get to the 1st of January and go through the same fad detox and diet cycles all over again?
I present to you a simple, yet much more sustainable alternative: caring for our physical and mental health for the entire year. I don’t mean that you have to live on laxative tea or cut out chocolate all year round. Instead, implement small changes that will keep you healthy, so when the inevitable holiday binge occurs, you won’t feel so guilty that you decide to live on celery juice for two weeks.
1.You are What You Eat
Make sure you’re eating enough fibre so that you don’t need the laxative tea and ensure that you’re eating whole foods that will nourish your body. Top up your fruits, vegetables, and protein. Implement protocols that help your body naturally detox all year round. Try a daily dose of super greens to support your overall health, and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in the morning to help aid weight loss, digestion, blood sugar issues and more.
A dose of apple cider vinegar and Vitalgreen can make a big difference to your health. ( Photo credit: WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods)
2. Look After Your Gut
Gut health is central to your mental and physical health. We need the gut to work so that it can produce the hormones we need to keep us happy, as well as to keep our digestion functioning properly. Incorporating a variety of fermented foods and probiotics into your diet will keep your gut bacteria healthy.
Go for a morning walk or an afternoon swim at the local pool. Exercise is imperative to keeping you healthy. Start slow, you don’t need to become a heavyweight champion, but you’ll feel the physical and mental health benefits of daily exercise.
4. Be Kind to Yourself
Most
important of all is your mental health. Looking after your physical health will
help your mental health, but most of us need extra support from time to time.
Set clear boundaries and prioritise a work/life balance so you don’t burnout by
March. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
If
you don’t believe me, trust the science on this one. We are wired to adapt
better to change when it is implemented slowly over time. These changes may
seem small now, but wait until 2021 when you wake up on the 1st of
January without a guilt hangover.
Come see us instore at Toowong Wholelife Pharmacy. We have a wide selection of products and whole foods that will help to keep you healthy the whole year-round.
Katie Robertson is a writer, editor, and avid health researcher, paving her own way to wellness. Katie has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing and is the retail manager at WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods. When she’s not working, Katie lives in the world of fiction and you can often find her hiding in her herb garden with a good book.
