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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.

What to Expect from the Auchenflower Station Upgrade

Concept design for Auchenflower station western platform (Photo credit: Queensland Rail)

Queensland Rail recently unveiled the concept designs for the Auchenflower station and with the designs already out, locals can now anticipate what the new station will be like.

The updates will include a new pedestrian footbridge with lift access and upgraded hearing augmentation loop, tactile platform surfaces, security cameras and lighting around the core zone.

An aerial view of the Auchenflower concept design (Photo Credit: Queensland Rail)

Features of the upgrade also include a raised section of platform encompassing the core zone and assisted boarding point and a new wayfinding and platform signage around the core zone.

Concept design for Auchenflower station northern walkway (Photo credit: Queensland Rail)

The works are part of the Queensland Rail Station Accessibility Upgrade Program which focuses on providing greater accessibility to rail services.

The $300 million program aims to help complete stations in Graceville, Dinmore, Alderley, Newmarket, and Nambour. Major construction have commenced for Morayfield, Boondall, and Strathpine whilst tenders for Buranda and Albion construction will be released in late 2019.

Auchenflower is among the five suburbs scheduled to have tenders for design and construction by mid-2019.

The upgrades will significantly improve access for all customers including those with disabilities, the elderly, parents with prams, people with injuries or even simply those carrying luggage.

Patronage statistics show 78 percent of Queensland Rail’s customers travel to and from independently accessible stations in South East Queensland. The figure is expected to rise to 83 percent once work is completed on the stations identified above.

Government-owned railway operator Queensland Rail will determine dates for completion once contractors have been engaged.

For further information or feedback regarding the project, visit the Queensland Rail website.

Treat Yourself to Fresh Seafood in this Toowong Hotel on Good Friday

Photo Credit: Regatta Hotel/Facebook

Are you looking for a delectable seafood feast on Good Friday? Head to the Level 1 Function Room of Regatta Hotel for a seafood buffet on 19 April from noon until 3:00 pm.

The Good Friday Seafood Buffet has become an annual tradition in Brisbane’s most iconic riverside hotel, known for its great atmosphere and sumptuous food.

Join locals and tourists alike for a selection of fresh seafood, hot and cold dishes and delectable desserts with highlights like the seasonal oysters, local prawns, steamed snapper, baked Atlantic salmon, and prawn laksa.

The fresh seafood, like the smoked trout, capers and dill with fresh lemon is not just perfect for Easter. It’s also a refreshing treat right in time for the balmy Brisbane heat. If you’re feeling thirsty, ride the tide to the cash bar for wine or cocktails.

Just a heads up, this seafood buffet is quite popular it gets easily booked out every year so if you don’t want to miss this, better book online now via Regatta Hotel’s website.

For more information about Regatta Hotel’s Good Friday Seafood Luncheon, follow them on Facebook.

Locals Want a Bridge Connecting Toowong to West End, Community Survey Reveals

At 600 Coronation Dr in Toowong, the former ABC site now owned by Sunland (Photo Credit: Google Street View)

Around 90 percent of 1,633 local survey respondents support a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists between Toowong and West End.

The community survey by State Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman and Councillor for The Gabba Jonathan Sri was created to get the residents’ input regarding the plans for the old ABC site and whether they support a bridge to West End.

Only 5.39 percent is against the idea, whilst the remaining 4.35 percent of residents are not sure if it will be a good idea to build a Toowong and West End connection.

Cr Sri said there had been various studies and plans for a bridge over the years. However, none had ever given local residents a direct vote to gauge what they thought.

“A bridge for pedestrians and cyclists would give West End residents a direct link to Toowong Village and train station as well as a shorter, safer cycling route to UQ,’’ he said.

According to Mr Berkman, the exact location and design of the footbridge would be subject to further consultations with residents, following more detailed work by the engineering, planning and design experts.

Meanwhile, when asked if it is a good idea that the Federal Government sold the former ABC site to a private developer back in 2013, 81 percent of respondents said the government should not have sold it.

They believe it should be converted into a public space, like a public park with large shady trees, a spot to have a picnic, or barbecues.

Around 15 percent of residents are neutral or not sure and the other 3.5 percent believe it was just a good idea that the federal government sold the site to a private developer.

Out of all 1600 respondents, 87 percent believes the Federal/State Government or the City Council should buy back the land to create a new public space in Toowong.

Plans for the Former ABC Site

Luxury developer Sunland Group acquired the site in 2013 for $20 million, despite Brisbane City Council lobbying for it to be turned into parkland.

After being rejected by the Planning and Environment Court for their proposed 27-storey skyscrapers, they decided to prepare a new development application for the site this year.

Sunland said the new project is still in its planning stage, but the company’s managing director Sahba Abedian said they are now directing every effort to conceive a new architectural outcome that “celebrates the unique riverfront site.”

ABC Site as a Public Space

In February 2019, Mr Berkman urged the state government to purchase the site and convert it to parkland.

“The former ABC site could be an idyllic riverfront park and a perfect landing point for a walking and cycling bridge connecting West End and Toowong,’’ Mr Berkman said.

Mr Berkman and Cr Siri will keep the survey open for another three weeks. He encourages the residents to provide their input regarding the ABC site and the Toowong and West End Bridge.

Apart from answering the survey, Mr Berkman also encourages the residents to participate in a community forum at the Figs on Sylvan at 65 Sylvan Road, Toowong on 17 April 2019 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

“Everyone is welcome, and more information including confirmed speakers will follow soon,” Mr Berkman said.

Toowong’s QASMT Tops 2018 OP/IBD School Ranking

Once IB results were converted to their OP 1-5 equivalents, it became clear that Toowong’s Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology clearly outperformed all other schools in Queensland in the 2018 OP/IBD School Ranking, the Better Education website revealed.

QASMT has an OP 1-5 equivalent score of 65 percent, besting its equally impressive 2017 score of 63.8 percent, according to the OP/IBD school ranking by Better Education.

In fact, it bested Brisbane Grammar School, which took the third place with an OP 1-5 score of 51.4 percent. Queensland Academy of Health Sciences ranked second with an OP 1-5 equivalent score of 57.8 percent.

The ranking, in a way, recognized QASMT students’ academic achievement in 2018, which is otherwise overshadowed by the OP results ranking.

QASMT, a select entry school currently caters to Year 10 to 12 students, with planned expansion scheduled to commence by the start of 2019 school year, which will accommodate Year 7 students. The expansion meant to accommodate Years 8 to 9 students, on the other hand, is scheduled to be completed for the 2020 school year.

Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology expansion project
Video Credit: Queensland Department of Education / YouTube

Introduced in 1992, OP or Overall Position, is the statewide rank based on a student’s overall achievement in Authority subjects and is used for tertiary entrance purposes. OP measures a student’s performance as compared to other OP-eligible students, on a scale from 1 to 25 with 1 as the highest and 25 as the lowest.

The International Baccalaureate is an internationally recognized pre-university course for secondary students aged between 16 and 19. The International Baccalaureate or IB, which started in 1968 in Switzerland, is an inquiry-based style of learning, which teaches students to think critically and independently to help them be more adaptable to change with a global perspective.

The International Baccalaureate program is divided into: Primary Years Program or PYP for ages 3-12; Middle Years Program or MYP for ages 11-16; Diploma Program or DP for ages 16-19; and Career-related Program or CP for ages 16-19.

Toowong Property Market Stays Strong Despite Fear of Troubled Australian Market

Toowong has proven to be quite a resilient suburb over the last 12 months in the midst of a troubled Australian property market that saw widespread price falls in Sydney and Melbourne.

Real estate experts at Byrony O’Neill Estate Agents tagged February 2018 as the best performing month for Toowong in the period covering 2017 to early 2018, with median house price rising to $850,000. Toowong was, in fact, performing relatively well, posting a moderate average annual growth of about 2 percent during that 12-month period.

As the market progresses in 2019, Byrony O’Neill sees a renewed vigour from buyers and stronger demand for Toowong properties.

The positive news, however, came before jitters over the state of housing market in Sydney and Melbourne started sending shockwaves across the nation.

*Photo Credit: User Adz on en.wikipedia [Public domain] / Wikimedia Commons*

Media Hype

As media put the spotlight on the downward spiral that was hurting Sydney and Melbourne, consumer confidence came crashing, causing Brisbane’s own property market to come to a halt.

“Media hype rattled consumer confidence and Brisbane paused to consider the effects a falling Sydney and Melbourne market would have on the rest of the nation,” said Byrony O’Neill, Director at Byrony O’Neill Estate Agents.

“Toowong experienced a slight cooling in the property market, as concerns of a market decline embellished by the media, put everyone on high alert.

“Property prices softened by about 4% from February to November 2018, bringing the median sale price back to $814,000. Still well above the Brisbane average of $680,000,” O’Neill said.

Toowong Bucking the Trend

Surprisingly, Toowong apartment market bucked the downward trend, despite the supply glut in Brisbane unit market, recording growth throughout 2018.

Toowong showed year-on-year unit value growth of 4.44 percent from November 2017 to November 2018. Conversely, Brisbane’s median unit prices dropped four percent during the same period.

Toowong apartment market in 2019 is still seen to post good results, said Ms O’Neil, with the right “pre-market preparation.”

“Neatly presented, older style apartments offer more spacious layouts and are generally lower in body corporate fees. With a marketing campaign strategically targeted towards homeowners and first home buyers, these apartments are selling within good timeframes,” she said.

2019 Outlook for Toowong

Toowong’s housing market outlook for 2019 still looks bright as buyer confidence and property demand show signs of “renewed vigour.” As rising demand continue to consume supply, competition will become tighter.

“A shortage of homes in the suburb and surrounds, is generating competition within the market, resulting in a number of properties receiving multiple offers from buyers.

“The average length of ownership has now stretched to 13 years, indicating that more homeowners are choosing to stay in this tightly held suburb. With the number of properties being sold continuing to decline in Toowong, buyers are having to compete for the few homes that do become available.”

*Photo Credit: Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology / qasmt.eq.edu.au*

School catchment is one of Toowong’s drawcards which is seen to continue to drive prices in the housing market in 2019. The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology, in particular, have expanded its enrolment, which now include grades 7 to 9.

“Since the announcement, there has been increased demand for houses which are in close proximity to this school, including the occurrence of several off-market sales. A rare 371sqm parcel of vacant land in Toowong was sold exclusively through our client database for $640,000. The purchaser has now commenced work to build their family home so his daughter can attend the Queensland Academy,” said O’Neill.

Art for a Good Cause: Support UBAG’s Art Show in Mt Coot-tha

Upper Brookfield Art Group (UBAG) will host a group show at the Richard Randall Art Studio in Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens on Sunday and Monday, 10 & 11 March 2019, to help raise funds for Vitae Ltd.

The event will showcase hundreds of original artworks by the talented artists of UBAG. A diverse range of artworks that will include watercolours, pastels, acrylics, charcoals and India ink in mats will be on sale.

Aside from viewing the display, you will get to meet the friendly artists, whose ages range from early 60s to early 90s. Many are regular exhibitors at art shows and some have won prizes.

Also, you will see some artist demonstrations.

The current Tutor-in-Residence is Kevin Smith, a famous Brisbane watercolourist, who has been with UBAG for over two years.

UBAG Tutor-in-Residence — *Photo credit: Kevin Smith/ubag.com.au*

All funds raised will go to Vitae Ltd, a non-profit organisation who continuously sponsors wilderness-based trainings for 11 to 13 year old boys with absentee fathers and have disciplinary problems at school. The training is designed to improve the boys’ life skills and help them realise their full potential.

After attending the training camp, the boys are paired with adult mentors who provide a stable male presence in their lives.

Bush training at Vitae — *Photo credit: vitae.org.au*

Let us all come along and support a good cause by patronising UBAG’s artists.

Viewings will be from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on both days, and entry is free.

For venue details, click here.