toowong Archives - Page 14 of 15

Toowong RSL Sub-Branch To Finally Have Its Own Headquarters

In the coming months, the Toowong RSL Sub-Branch will officially open a permanent new home at the Wests Bulldogs Rugby Union Headquarters on Sylvan Rd.

Mr Kerry Gallagher, the RSL president is delighted that the sub-branch is working on a permanent home, perfect for its centenary celebration next year. He is also hopeful that on this year’s Anzac day, more people will come to celebrate the centenary of Armistice Day.

Since 1991, the sub-branch has been holding their meetings at the Toowong Library and in a few months, the sub-branch will finally have its own headquarters. Mr George Vaivarins, the sub-branch executive committee member also said that they are starting to grow in members again. They also have included social members who haven’t necessarily served but supported them such as Cr Peter Magic and former Channel Nine reporter, Spencer Jolly.

The group is also calling out to the public for memorabilia since they have lost theirs during the 1974 floods. To donate, loan memorabilia, or to join, you can call 3870 1379.

Aged Care Facility Proposal Submitted For Salvos Site in Toowong

The Salvation Army’s student accommodation in Toowong has finally been sold and Aurrum, an aged-care developer based in Sydney, has just submitted a proposal for the site.

Located at 15 Jephson Street, a two-storey brick student accommodation currently stands on a 5248-square-metre block. The accommodation has been closed since November 2016 after being sold in June of last year. It was finalised on 20 December and the next day, the Brisbane City Council received a development application from Urbis on behalf of Aurrum.

The development application is proposing a five-storey 120-unit aged care facility on the site. Three levels will house 120 residential units, whilst the ground level will be for facilities and a drop-off area and a 21 basement car parking. There will be an amenity area on the rooftop for the staff.

Should the council approve the development, this will be the first Queensland project for the developer. Currently, they have 1,000 operating facilities in Victoria and NSW.

Development Across Toowong Village Finally Gets Go Signal From Brisbane City Council

As 2018 rolls around, so does the continuous stream of development proposals pour into what is said to be one of the best sub-market in west Brisbane, Toowong. One of Australia’s biggest property companies, Stockland, has just received the green light from the Brisbane City Council for their 25-storey triple-tower development just across Toowong Village.

It was in October of 2016 when the property developer lodged a submission for the three towers with plans of demolishing establishments on Sherwood Road and Jephson Streets.

Negotiations went on for over a year as the property developer and Council addressed issues, including the ones raised by the local community. These issues include the design, parking, tower separation, staging and open space. Throughout the entire negotiation process, the property developer acknowledged and responded to the concerns making adjustments accordingly.

They also provided a traffic engineering advice from TTM group responding to parking and traffic concerns.

For construction to begin, existing establishments will have to be closed for demolition including the Newsroom Cafe, Mountain Designs, Subway and Timbuctoo clothing store.

The new development will have over 500 apartments, a laneway cafe, restaurant precinct and green spaces.

Stuartholme School in Toowong Included in Tuition Fee Increase Next Year Following the Gonski 2.0 Model

Queensland Catholic Schools will be facing an increase in tuition fees of almost 10% due to the new funding changes by the Federal Government to schools. One of the affected schools is Stuartholme School in Toowong.

However, it is not only this particular Catholic school in Toowong that will be affected. There are approximately 30 Catholic Schools that will be hit by this development because they are considered as “over-funded” under the Government’s new Gonski 2.0 model.

With this model, an extra $24 billion will flow into schools all over Australia over the next ten years, affecting Catholic schools. They were given a 12-month reprieve along with other independent schools before the removal of system-based funding arrangements. Under the new model, Catholic schools funded above the Schooling Resource Standard will have reduction of funding for the next six years.

Parents find this difficult. They are already dreading the upcoming tuition fee increase. Other schools affected here in Brisbane are Marist College in Ashgrove and St Rita’s College in Clayfield.

Cyclist Almost Hit on Sylvan Road in Toowong: Are BCC’s Bike Lane Upgrades Enough?

Sylvan Road in Toowong has long been the subject of controversies, particularly for cyclists. The road was under a 12-month trial of peak period bike lanes until the Brisbane City Council made it permanent in September.

The initiative allows the bike lane to be free of vehicles for three hours until 9:00 a.m. and three hours until 7:00 p.m. five times a week. However, during its trial period, business owners have already complained about the lack of parking that has affected several businesses on the road. Cyclists are also not keen on the idea as they think that this is not a solution for their safety on the road.

Space for Cycling Brisbane spokesman Chris Cox was quick to address the issue and has asked the local community for more patience.

Recently, a cyclist called for a separate bike lane on the road after getting nearly hit by a car. The cyclist was able to capture the accident on camera and the video was shown to the police and Mr Cox. Mr Cox again stressed the importance of a separated corridor that links the Western Freeway and Bicentennial Bikeways.

As of now, they are urging the council to drop the speed limit on the road to 40kph and Land Street to Patrick Lane.

Public and Active Transport Chairman Adrian Schrinner, on the other hand, said that they have gotten majority votes on the peak-hour lanes that they have implemented. He said that they have also seen a 20% increase in cyclists using the road on a daily basis. In light of this, the trial is considered successful in balancing the needs of the cyclists along with the local community, which is why they are do not see the necessity for a separated bike lane.

However, he said that the council will upgrade the bike lanes with clearer markings and install new signages such as flashing warning signs.

Walk Through the Old Lang Farm Estate in Toowong in August

Toowong and District Historical Society (TDHS) is conducting a walking tour of the Lang Farm Estate on Sunday, 6 August 2017

Dubbed “When Houses Had Names,” the walking tour will lead attendees to explore the past with a heritage tour around some of the historic homes in Lang Farm Estate.

The activity is part of the Children’s Book Week celebration led by Brisbane City Council Library. The Book Week theme is “Escape to Anywhere,” so TDHS is providing a tour for an escape into the past.

Event Details:

What:	“When Houses Had Names” Walking Tour
When:	Sunday, 6 August 2017 9:45 a.m. assembly, 10:00 a.m. start
Meeting Place:	Flagpole in front of the Toowong Bowls Club, Toowong
Cost:	FREE
Booking:	Book by Friday, 4 August 2017 Call: 0401 180 092 Email: tdhsoc@gmail.com

Attendees will go through a route just south and east of High Street in Toowong. Lang Farm Estate was located on the land originally owned by Robert Cribb. Cribb named the property Lang Farm in honour of Rev John Dunmore Lang, who advised Cribb to migrate to Australia.

In the 1870s, Architect and developer Richard Gailey bought Cribb’s extended local land holdings and subdivided the lot for residential use.

The walk will take around 1 ½ to 2 hours and will include a few low hills. Attendees are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and hats. It will be good to bring water and a bit of snack during the walk.

The Toowong Bowls Club will be open later in the morning and can serve coffee, tea, cold drinks and lunch.

The heritage walk is free. However, any donations are welcome and will be used to fund further research into the Lang Farm Estate.

Toowong Development Dreams Turning into a Nightmare?

Photo credit: http://www.my-property-report.com/

The suburb of Toowong has been hounded by development plans, and to make matters worse, these plans are hitting the suburb’s heritage areas.

The champagne flute towers on Grace on Coronation Drive have been approved; the Endrim House on Woodstock Road is in danger to be turned into a childcare centre; and recent unconfirmed reports have raised apprehensions have sparked an online petition about the possibility of Goldicott House being turned into an aged-care facility.

Also Read: Toowong “Champagne Flutes Tower” Still a Go
Also Read: Historical Endrim House in Toowong in Danger, Residents’ Appeal Being Reviewed by the Council

Goldicott House
Photo credit: https://www.realestate.com.au/

With all of these developments happening in the area, leaders of the community are actively campaigning against further “development.” According to them, these developments are compromising the suburb’s character. Such developments are apt for high-density living, while to them, Toowong clearly is not.

Elizabeth Handley, the president of Brisbane Residents United said that they weren’t consulted about these developments at all.

Elizabeth Handley
Photo credit: Brisbane Residents United / Facebook

The Walter Taylor Ward councillor said that the suburb is an ideal place for growth, and residents will see significant amounts of it in the coming years. The suburb’s easy access to shopping centers, medical facilities, and high-frequency public transport makes it attractive to development investors and would-be residents.

Endrim House
Photo credit: The Interior Styling Studio / Facebook

It seems that Toowong is ripe for more developments, but residents think otherwise. The clamor comes from residents who are lobbying to maintain the heritage character of the suburb in the midst of further urbanisation.

City Planning chairman Julian Simmonds, on the other hand, has yet to give a comment on the residents’ take on these potential and current developments.

Brisbane’s Steepest Street in Toowong Continues To be Habitable

When it comes to being Brisbane’s steepest street, Gower Street in Toowong remains unbeatable. With a 1 in 3.2 incline, 17.4-degree angle and 31% slope, the residents that live on the street take pride in their street’s fame.

Some might expect that there have been plenty of accidents on the street. Surprisingly, only a few accidents have happened here. Most of them, such as incidents of cars turning, happened before work on the bitumen had been completed. Residents in the area are happy to live in Toowong. What seems to be their only problem is that the bus stop is at the top of the hill, making a walk to the bus stop quite an aerobic exercise.

Photo credit: https://www.domain.com.au/

New homes continue to be built on the street despite its terrain condition. A recent builder recounts his experience building a home there. Kirk Hawkins of Hawkins & Co., said that his staff and subcontractors risked their lives just by simply building a home on Gower Street.

Mr Hawkins said that the steep incline posed a hazard to the trucks that deliver to the area. It came to a point that the trucks refused to deliver to them. Interim solutions were proposed, such as pumping concrete from Stanley Terrace. Eventually, all their efforts were deemed to have been worth it. The house was sold, after more than a month, for $1.675 million, largely due to its 180-degree views of the city and Mount Coot-tha.

According to Dixon Family’s Jack Dixon (the one who sold the house), despite the obvious challenges, focusing on the positives has helped the home sell. The home has now been nominated for the sloping build category in the Master Builders awards.

Newly-Approved Student Accommodation Development in Toowong Ditches Residential Parking, Promotes Car-Sharing Scheme

In 2016, the Azure Development Group proposed a 15-storey student accommodation development at 25-29 Archer Street in Toowong. Just recently, the Brisbane City Council has approved its development in the area.

The project will consist of 555 rooms, a pool deck located on the rooftop, and a cross block link to an overpass that connects Toowong Village and the train station. The upcoming development lies in close proximity to the University of Queensland, hence the concept of the development. It also has easy access to public transportation.

What makes this development unique versus other establishments in the area is that it doesn’t come with a residential car parking. The development promotes public transport and cycling with the 200 bicycle parks as well as an Uber set-down bay. This makes it the first development that the BCC has approved that implements the council’s enforced requirements to allocate a scheme for car-sharing for its residents.

Trent Keirnan, the Azure Property Group Director said that the car-sharing scheme is due to their observation that most students these days don’t really need to have or use their own vehicle. It also eases the traffic congestion in the area.

However, just like most development plans, the initial proposal didn’t go smoothly. JFP Urban Consultants, on behalf of Archer Street, contradicted the development plans saying that it represents overdevelopment, as well as its lack of car parking, could be a concern for the neighbourhood, noting the already existing parking problems within the area.

BCC’s city planning boss Julian Simmonds quickly responded and said that the car-sharing scheme was recommended by the Parking Taskforce. He said that this scheme is ideal for student accommodation.

The development will be finished in early 2019.

Toowong “Champagne Flutes Tower” Still a Go

The former ABC Studios was abandoned in 2006 due to a cancer scare, when a cluster of 17 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, raising fears of radiation contamination in the area. After being declared contamination-free, the land was later sold in 2013 to Sunland Group for $20 million.

Shortly after the purchase, Sunland submitted a proposal to the Brisbane City Council to build Grace on Coronation, three glass towers resembling champagne flutes on the site.

Grace on Coronation will have 555 secured residential units, 714 residential and 86 visitor car parks in the basement, and 125 visitor bicycle spaces. Half of the 1/5 hectare site will be set aside for parks.

Two of the towers on the Grace on Coronation development will be 24 storeys high, whilst the third tower will be 27 storeys high.

Sunland aims to breathe new life into the historic riverfront site by building an urban village through fascinating architecture that Managing Director Sahba Abedian calls “organic” and “sculptural.” He further said that the project will rejuvenate the old riverfront site.

Despite the similarities to another proposed Sunland development. Mariner’s Cove on the Gold Coast, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has referred to the design as “a one-off,” calling it “striking.”

Turmoil in the Community

At the time of submission of the proposal, the planned towers exceed the 15-storey height limit for the site under the Brisbane City Plan. Despite this, in 2015, the project was approved after much deliberation.

Kate Peta Bell, a resident of Toowong, launched a Planning and Environment Court appeal against the development because it exceeds zoning regulations. Just recently, Judge Michale Rackemann dismissed the appeal.

According to Judge Rackerman, while he acknowledges that the towers do not comply with the zoning regulations, the height was offset by the expanse of public space around the towers’ base. He also said that the Grace on Coronation development perfectly jives with the character of Toowong.

This is not the only issue against the development, though. Local community groups were displeased with the proposal, preferring parklands to occupy the site instead. A local community group has even urged architect Jeremy Ferrier to propose a public park plan to the BCC to counter Sunland’s plan.

All’s Well that Ends Well

To address the local community’s qualms on the development, BCC planning chairman Julian Simmonds explained that in the proposal submitted, the developer has limited their project to just three buildings, instead of utilising the option to have up to five buildings, to which the applicant is entitled, under local planning laws.

Based on the project proposal, the community is going to have access to a large part of the 1.5 hectare sits. Also, Middenbury House, a mid-19th century riverfront villa will be open to the project.

Mr Simmonds said that the project will provide an extension of the Bicentennial Bikeway along Coronation Drive to Archer Street, through the site.

For his part, Councillor Graham Quirk also pointed out that the project has enabled nearly 60% of the site to be publicly accessible. This corresponds to an area that covers 8,868 square metres, composed of landscaped pathways, with access to the Brisbane River frontage. Likewise, two heritage-sited fig trees will remain untouched by the development.

It looks like it’s a win-win situation for the developer and the community of Toowong, after all.