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Winter Woodlands Pop-Up at the Regatta Hotel in Toowong

Dine in and get cosy at the magical Winter Woodlands happening at the Regatta Hotel in Toowong.

Don’t let the winter weather bother you. Bundle up in a warm blanket whilst enjoying the scenic woodlands view and some delicious comfort food offered for a limited time at the Regatta Hotel from 15 July until 2 September 2019.

The Regatta Hotel transformed their outdoor courtyard into and an enchanting winter woodland.

Feel free to lounge comfortably on their daybed as you indulge yourself with their Winter Woodlands Booth Package. This package includes a wholesome and filling Regatta Platter and your choice of hot beverage.

Options for the hot beverage include the Spiked Apple Pie- a satisfying and flavourful mix of warm vanilla liqueur, brandy, spiced apple cider, and nutmeg- and Regatta Hotel’s favourite winter potion, mulled wine.

Regatta Hotel’s Mulled Wine
Photo credit: Regatta Hotel/ Facebook

Here is the full menu offered at the Woodlands Booth.

The Winter Woodlands Booth Package costs $49 per person. And a minimum number of 2 guests are allowed per booth. Please note that this package is available only on weekdays (excluding Friday) from 11:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

If you want to explore weekend brunch with your family and friends, the Regatta Hotel also offers a Sunday Bottomless Brunch at their enchanting Winter Woodlands pop-up.

Surely nothing is better than a laid back Sunday brunch that includes a scrumptious “brunch board” of your choice with a free-flowing 2 hour beverage package.

Options for the brunch board are the Regatta Brunch Grazing Platter and the Gardeners Brunch Grazing Platter.

The Regatta Brunch Grazing Platter is a mouthwatering share board that is filled with croque monsier, truffle salami, mini salmon bagels and maple waffles; whilst the Gardeners Brunch Grazing Platter is a flavourful vegan platter that is piled up with delicious morsels such as cucumber sandwiches, chickpea tempeh, avocado, falafel, smoked sesame cheese and house-made waffles with vanilla glaze.

Click here to view the full menu offered at the Sunday Bottomless Brunch.

Regatta Hotel’s Sunday Bottomless Brunch is available for only $55 per person. The booth is open every Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m. But if you feel like staying in for a little longer after brunch, why not double up and stay all day at the hotel? Closing time for the Winter Woodlands booth is at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Book a slot now for Regatta Hotel’s Winter Woodlands Booth Package and/ or Sunday Bottomless Brunch.

Toowong is Most in-Demand Suburb in Brisbane

Toowong leads the list of most in-demand suburbs, as Brisbane records positive property price growth in the quarter ending June 2019 — the only capital city to do so, according to the latest property report by realestate.com.au.

The July 2019 Australian Property Market Report from realestate.com.au has noted that Brisbane is leading the nation’s property market recovery as prices fell just by 1 percent in the past 12 months. Brisbane also managed to rise by 0.1 percent, making it the first capital city to see price growth in the June quarter.

The ten most in-demand suburbs for houses in Brisbane has Toowong leading the list of most viewed suburbs per property listing. Data from 1 June 2018 – 27 June 2019 showed that the median house price in Toowong is $901,250.

Other sought-after suburbs in Queensland include Windsor, Paddington, Greenslopes, New Farm, Wilston, Holland Park, Ashgrove, Camp Hill, and Newmarket.

Compared to Brisbane, over the same quarter, Sydney and Melbourne dwelling prices fell by 0.4 per cent and to date, the median prices already fell by 7.2 per cent and 5.8 per cent, respectively.

Experts believe that the recovering mining sector and infrastructure spending coupled with continued interstate migration, notably from NSW, contributed to Brisbane’s property market recovery.

The price growth, however, came from mostly from the apartment market which rose 0.7 percent quarter-on-quarter for a median price of $387,000 whilst house price dropped a little bit by 0.1 percent to $530,000.

Another noteworthy factor is the rising offshore buyers interest particularly with the number of property seekers from India doubling over the past 12 months which experts say that like in Sydney and Melbourne, Indian buyers may also start having a big influence on property sales in Brisbane.

Looking at the dwelling market performance across Brisbane metro area, only the North region recorded a slight drop over the quarter with -.01 percent with median price of $535,000 and views per listing of 1,102. The West region ranks first with 1.3 percent price growth over the quarter for a median price of $642,000 with views per listing of 1,346. South, East, and Inner City follow with quarter-on-quarter percent change of 0.6, 0.5, and 0.4, respectively.

A Free Art Exhibition Is Happening at Toowong

The Western Suburbs Painting Group (WSPG) is hosting a free group art exhibition this winter at the Richard Randall Art Studio in Toowong from July 25th until the 28th 2019.

This one is for all visual artists, art collectors, and art enthusiasts! Over 80 locally made artworks, including landscapes, seascapes, townscapes, portraits, floral works, and traditional still life paintings will be on display. All artworks on display are also for sale.

Ten featured members of the WSPG will be taking part in this exhibition, showcasing their talent in different visual art media – watercolour, acrylic, oil, pencil, and sculpture. It will be the first art exhibition of the WSPG to feature all complete modes of visual art.

Expect to see diversity, not only in media but also in the subject matter. This exhibit is sure to capture both the mind and hearts of all art enthusiasts.

The exhibit venue will be at the heritage-listed Richard Randall Art Studio, a beautifully restored site located in the Bamboo Grove at Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens.

This event is family-friendly, so feel free to bring along the entire family in support of local artists.

Opening Hours

25 July 2019 (Thursday)	12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
26 July 2019 – 28 July 2019 (Friday- Sunday)	9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

To know more about the art exhibition or the Western Suburbs Painting Group, you may contact the group’s convenor Judy Rees-Thomas via phone at 0412454738 or via email at judyart88@gmail.com.

Mixed-Used Toowong Development with Expansive Public Space Proposed

A $300-million mixed-use development that promises to be unlike the traditional, enclosed shopping centres, is being proposed in Toowong.

The Toowong Town Centre, proposed by State Development Corporation, will be located on a 1.3-hectare parcel of land bounded by Jephson Street, High Street, and Sherwood Road in Toowong.

The site was previously owned by Stockland, which previously obtained a Development Approval for a three 25-storey residential towers consisting of 530 apartment units and ground floor retail tenancies but chose to abandon the plans.

The proposal is for a development consisting of a two-level retail centre along with a 25-level 4.5-star hotel and an office building that could rise 12 to 14 levels high. SDC said that the development is inspired by The Grove Shopping Centre located in Los Angeles.

The proposed development takes advantage of its prestigious location with a number of national and international corporate headquarters as well as campus and medical facilities surrounding the site including the Queensland University campus, the Wesley Hospital, and the Brisbane Boys College.

*Photo Credit: Toowong Town Centre / toowongtowncentre.com.au*

“Unlike a traditional enclosed shopping centre, the development will include open-air streetscapes and expansive public spaces. The proposal incorporates a high level of secure parking for all its users with dedicated parking areas for the different components of the new mixed-use Toowong development,” SDC-Toowong Town Centre website said.

“…Toowong Town Centre development will feature a shopping centre with a fresh food component, a dedicated entertainment based food and beverage precinct, cinemas, residential apartments and a hotel, along with a gym and health care facility, childcare and a commercial office tower.”

A development application could be lodged by the end of the year. The developers hopes to commence construction in 2020 with a target completion in late 2022 or by early 2023.

How to Achieve Perfect Legs with The Leg Vein Doctor in Auchenflower

Visible veins on the legs might just be a cosmetic problem for some but for The Leg Vein Doctor, this isn’t something to ignore. Achieving perfect legs is not for appearance only as problems like varicose veins, spider veins, and other venous diseases might not be skin deep. Left untreated, these visible veins can swell and be sore. The condition will not easily go away unless you see a specialist.

The Leg Vein Doctor, located at 465 Milton Road in Auchenflower, is proud to be Brisbane’s only dedicated Phlebotomy practice. Established by Dr Nicholas Kemp in 2012, this specialised clinic has all the answers to help you have healthy, attractive legs.

Make an appointment for initial consultation and tests. Discuss your treatment plan.

Before you start treatments at The Leg Vein Doctor (or any place, for that matter), you’ll need to go through a series of examinations and blood tests. This is how Dr Kemp can determine if your procedure would be medical or cosmetic and he’ll draw your treatment plan based on the test results.

Don’t be Afraid of Technology.

While varicose veins, spider veins, and other venous issues won’t go away on their own, invasive surgery isn’t always the answer. Dr Kemp applies the latest techniques and tools to treat venous diseases without surgery. His clinic specialises in Microsclerotherapy, Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy and Endovenous Laser Therapy.

These options are of great advantage to patients since there is no downtime, unlike a surgical treatment which results in longer recovery time. Patients can still go on with their daily activities whilst experiencing minimal pain in between treatment sessions.

Examine your habits and your lifestyle.

Venous diseases have many underlying causes. Sitting on your work desk all day is a no-no. If you want healthy legs, make sure you stretch periodically to keep your circulation going.

Obesity could also be aggravating any existing condition that you may already have. Beyond appearance, you might start feeling some pain and pressure on your legs. Regular exercise will keep your heart healthy, which is great for your circulation and ultimately, for your legs.

Early intervention is vital to successful treatments. For consultations and enquiries, phone The Leg Vein Doctor at 07 3720 9912.

Proposal to Turn Former ABC Site into Public Park Gets a Boost

Photo Credit: Google Street View

Since the Sunland Group abandoned its plans to build the touted ‘Champagne Flute’ development the former ABC Brisbane headquarters in Toowong, talks of turning it into a park have been reignited.

There have been suggestions to turn it into a public park with community facilities like gardens and barbecues, but to make this a reality, Brisbane City Council would have to buy back the land.

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams confirmed that the Council is interested in purchasing a portion of the lot at 600 Coronation Drive. This statement came after Greens MPs initiated a survey asking residents what they what to see happen at the former ABC site.

The survey by Greens MP Michael Berkman and Councillor for The Gabba Jonathan Sri revealed that most of the respondents are looking forward to seeing a public garden on the site.

Around 88% of all respondents believe the government should buy back the ABC site. Only 4% said the government should not buy back the land whilst the remaining 8% are still not sure.

Almost 2,500 people participated in the survey and more than 100 local residents came to the community forum to share their ideas.

When asked what else they would like to see with the public space, locals suggest a spot to have a picnic, barbecues, a space to throw a frisbee, or a public pool.

“This area of Brisbane is becoming incredibly high density and multicultural, and backyards are increasingly either non-existent or tiny for most people. How amazing it would be to have community food gardens, especially giving people from other cultures the chance to grow traditional food plants and share this knowledge with the community,” one resident shared.

Other suggestions include incorporating a few cafes and restaurants, public art space, or a space for outdoor performances.

“We’ll especially be looking out for funding to buy back the ABC site and land a walking and cycling bridge to West End at that location,” Mr Berkman said through a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, Sunland announced earlier that they are planning a new development for the site, but will not give further details until a new development application is lodged.

Toowong State School Expansion Gets State Funding

This financial year, the State will allocate a record amount of $1.464 billion to fund construction of new schools and refurbishment, maintenance, and expansion of existing state schools, including Toowong State School.

Among other education infrastructure projects to be funded under the Queensland Government 2019-20 Budget, eight state schools will receive funding for planned enhancement and construction of new facilities this year.

“Over the past 12 months, my department has undertaken master planning of 35 inner city schools in Brisbane to ensure they have the infrastructure they need for the future,” Education Minister Grace Grace said.

“I am pleased that this year’s budget includes funding to start bringing these master plans to fruition at eight schools – Toowong, Newmarket, Brisbane Central, New Farm, Morningside, Ithaca Creek, Windsor and Petrie Terrace state schools.

Under the 2019-20 Budget, $1.25 million will be allocated for the construction of a new building at Toowong State School which will include six general learning spaces, one specialist space, and administration.

*Toowong SS Proposed Master Plan Concept | Photo Credit: The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2019 / toowongss.eq.edu.au*

“This will see new and enhanced classrooms, libraries, canteens and administration areas built at these schools, which will make these great schools even better.

“State schools in regional Queensland are also in line for an infrastructure boost, with the Budget providing funding for a range of projects at schools from the tip of Cape York and West to Mount Isa.”

*Photo Credit: Toowong State School / toowongss.eq.edu.au*

Cooler Schools

Also included in the 2019-20 Budget additional $100 million, spread over four years, for priority state school air-conditioning projects in the hottest and most humid parts of Queensland. This will bring the government’s total investment to $191 million over five years.

“This will include urgent replacement of air-conditioning units in schools in the Cooler Schools Zone and other priority school air-conditioning projects as identified through a review of state school air-conditioning needs,” Ms Grace said.

Four new state schools

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that the government has also allocated funds for four additional new state schools to be built across the state.

“New primary and special schools will be built at Palmview and a new secondary school will be built at Caloundra South on the Sunshine Coast, and a new primary school will be built at Pimpama on the Gold Coast,” The Premier said.

“These new state schools will enrol students for day 1, 2021 along with the new Inner City South State Secondary College, which we’re delivering in Dutton Park for Brisbane’s inner southern suburbs.

“This investment will see the total number of new schools opened by my government since 2015 increase to 26.”

Centenary / Western Motorway Among Most Congested Roads in Qld

The recently released RACQ Red Spot Congestion survey lists the Centenary / Western Motorway as among the most congested roads in QLD, with notorious hotspots located at the Logan Motorway interchange and the stretch from Ipswich Motorway to Toowong.

Survey respondents nominated more than 450 roads across the State as those which caused unnecessary delays, according to RACQ spokesperson Lucinda Ross.

Pacific Motorway received the most nomination from respondents as the most troublesome road in Queensland. Centenary Motorway, Gympie Road, Bruce Highway, and South Pine Road round out the first five.

Some of the comments from the survey respondents:

“Since the opening of Legacy Way, the congestion on the Western Freeway has become even worse with traffic regularly backing up from Mt Coottha all the way to Fig Tree Pocket. Motorists regularly travel down the inside lanes and force their way into the right-hand lanes. In addition, motor cyclists also travel dangerously between cars or use the emergency lane to bypass traffic.”

“Centenary highway from Springfield lakes all the way through to Toowong is a disaster especially going past Jindalee bridge.”

“The Western Freeway comes to a crawl morning and night from Toowong through to the Brisbane River.”

“Heading north to the city every week day – Centenary Highway is chaos from Sumner Park to the Jindalee bridge. It has been like this for years. Too many new housing estates and no infrastructure. It’s hopeless.”

The Red Spot Congestion survey is an online “red spot” survey, conducted in February/March 2019, asking members to voice concerns and provide details about locations where there are opportunities for congestion improvement.

These “red spots” are where motorists consider delays to be frustrating and appear to be unnecessary. Respondents were also encouraged to suggest solutions to help alleviate the problem.

The survey conducted was aimed at identifying locations where unnecessarily delays happen as well as establishing the causes of motorist frustration arising from these delays.

The survey was also used to gauge motorists’ ideas in respect to improving traffic efficiency and preventing delays from occurring and to help road authorities prioritise efficiency improvements on Queensland roads.

Queensland’s top 10 most congested roads

Road Name and Specific locations receiving the most responses	Responses
Pacific Motorway (Eight Mile Plains to Loganholme, Exits 41 to 57, and Varsity Lakes to Elanora)	260
Centenary Motorway (Ipswich Motorway to Toowong, and Logan Motorway interchange)	117
Gympie Road (Hamilton Road intersection, and Beams Road intersection)	113
Bruce Highway (Pine Rivers to Sunshine Coast)	99
South Pine Road (Stafford Road intersection, and Eatons Crossing Road intersection)	74
Eumundi Noosa Road (Grays Road intersection)	53
Gateway Motorway (Wynnum Road and Old Cleveland Rd interchange areas and north of Deagon)	53
Moggill Road (Kenmore to Chapel Hill (Kenmore Road intersection, and Brookfield Road intersection)	52
Logan Road (Miles Platting Road and Padstow Road intersection, and Kessels Road and Mount Gravatt Capalaba Road intersection)	51
Captain Cook Highway (Smithfield roundabout, Cairns Western Arterial Road roundabout, and Aeroglen township).	49

Source:RACQ’s Red Spot Congestion Survey

“We put the call out to motorists across Queensland, who are in the best position to identify problem spots, to help us pinpoint the locations which continually cause them frustration behind the wheel,” Ms Ross said.

“These ‘red spots’ may be due to a set of traffic lights taking too long to change, not enough lanes, delays at a rail crossing, or something completely different.”

The results of the survey will be made available to Federal, State, and Local Governments. RACQ will also use the data to help prioritize its advocacy work.

“More than 2,500 nominations came in from across Queensland, so it’s clear congestion is an issue that really grinds our gears. It costs us time and lost productivity, and that’s why we need to address it now,” she said.

“We’ll use this information to guide our policy and use it to lobby all tiers of for solutions to bottlenecked areas.”

Toowong Kerbside Collection: Can You Take Your Neighbor’s Stuff?

Toowong residents, mark your calendars for another kerbside collection, which will happen on Monday, the 20th of May 2019, beginning 6:00 a.m.

This annual practice of disposing of old stuff like carpets, rugs, furniture, small household appliances, and electronic items, is part of a green waste management initiative. However, if you happen to see stuff that may still be of use to you from your neighbour’s kerbside, will it be alright to take it home?

In Toowong and other suburbs in Brisbane, it is actually encouraged to salvage and recycle items meant for kerbside disposal. Other councils strictly prohibit this practice but kerbside collection is generally fair game in Brisbane as there is no law prohibiting neighbours to pilfer through someone else’s kerbside collections stuff.

What should you do if you like the neighbour’s kerbside stuff?

Ideally, neighbours must seek permission from each other before they take out items from the kerbside collection pile. Asking your neighbour if it’s okay to look into their stuff is a matter of courtesy and proper etiquette.

If your neighbour is fine with this, then it is advisable to properly pick up the stuff you want to take home. When you rummage through their items, make sure to put things back the way they were because your neighbour may have likely separated and categorised these stuff carefully.

Also, be careful when handling your neighbour’s breakables. Though these are for disposal, this doesn’t mean that it’s okay to break things. Besides, the collectors may not pick up broken items and leave this by the kerb. Your neighbour could be liable for illegal dumping because of your carelessness.

*Photo Credit:* *ArtisticOperations/Pixabay*

What should you do about negligent kerbside crawlers?

It is common to find kerbside crawlers in Brisbane and you do hear stories about people finding treasures from someone else’s trash pile. But there are kerbside crawlers who don’t observe the proper etiquette of foraging through another person’s things. Because there is no law against this practice, the system can actually be abused.

Some homeowners in Toowong bring their stuff for disposal out too early only to find these scattered all over the street due to negligent kerbside crawlers. To prevent this incident, it’s best to put your things out close to the pick-up time.

The Council also encourages donating useable things to charities or recycling organisations first before considering kerbside collection. This way, you don’t have to put out more items by your kerb that will be too attractive to irresponsible scavengers.

300-Year-Old Toowong Tree Saved From Development

Photo Credit: Nakita Thackwray through Save Toowong Creek Facebook Page

A 300-year-old grey ironbark tree in Toowong has been saved despite plans to remove it to make way for the Queensland Academy For Science, Mathematics and Technology’s expansion.

Conservation groups such as the Save Toowong Creek have been battling to save the tree since last year.

“Estimated to be easily over 300 years old, this tree has been a landmark for native wildlife and a home tree for countless amounts of bird species for centuries,” Save Toowong Creek wrote in a Facebook post.

Aboriginal activist Sam Watson added that the area was important to the Turrbal as it was connected to Mt Coot-tha by ancient “song lines.”

The 30-metre hardwood tree has an Aboriginal scar and is considered a rare remnant brush in Toowong Creek.

Education Minister Grace Grace said her department had worked with the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and the Turrbal people to ensure the expansion could still be delivered while respecting the cultural and environmental sensitivities of the site.

The Education Department proposed to adjust the location of the building in order to avoid impacts on the tree and the Turrbal people.

The building will now be moved 11.4-m away from the grey ironbark tree, the minimum distance needed to protect its root zone.

Construction of QAMT’s three-storey building is underway in order to accommodate students from Year 7-10. The $36 million expansion includes the construction of the academy’s STEM hub and Northern Learning Centre.