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New $280-Million Meat Processing Facility Opens in Heathwood

Hilton Foods Australia has unveiled its new state-of-the-art meat processing and distribution facility in Heathwood set to provide around 650 new jobs and supply 450 Woolworths stores.

“This is one of the most innovative facilities of its kind in the world and a real showpiece of advanced food manufacturing in Queensland,” Minister for State Development and Manufacturing Cameron Dick said.

“Workers will operate robotics and man 23 state-of-the-art production lines to provide packaged meat and vegan products to Woolworths supermarkets locally and interstate.

“Brisbane’s central location, excellent transport network and Queensland’s highly trained workforce were all factors in HFA’s decision to bring their operations to Heathwood.

“Our government is pleased to have worked with HFA to help facilitate the move, and we welcome the jobs that have come with it.”

New $280-Million Meat Processing Facility Opens in Heathwood — *Phil Heffer (Hilton Foods Aus)Ziggy Kwarcinski (Woolworths Group)Charis Mullen MP (State Member for Jordan)Cr Angela Owen (BCC)Pat McEntee (Hilton Foods)Robert Watson (Hilton Foods, Chairman)*
*Photo credit: The State of Queensland (Department of the Premier and Cabinet) 1997-2019 / statements.qld.gov.au*

The new facility, which will be in full production in 2020, features solar installation capable of generating 2,800MWh per annum that can supply about 50% of the site’s total energy needs.

Hilton Foods Australia – Heathwood will also be able to save 170MWh of energy a year by utilising its refrigeration compressors to harness heat with an automated heat recovery system that will see 100,000L of water heated per day.

“It will boast the second largest rooftop photovoltaic solar installation in Australia, consisting of 6000 solar panels,” Minister for Environment and Member for Algester Leeanne Enoch said.

“This facility is not only setting new sustainable building standards but is bringing jobs to our region with potential for more, which is fantastic.”

“The majority of workers here live locally, so they will shop local and support great local businesses along the supply chain,” Member for Jordan Charis Mullen said.

“This is another great manufacturing facility in Queensland that will help strengthen the sector and shore up our state’s economic future.”

Describing the new facility as a big milestone, Hilton Foods Australia CEO Pat McEntee said that they are “proud to be joining the local community in Heathwood and contributing to economic growth with new employment opportunities and service contracts.”

Underpinned by its long-term supply partnership with Woolworths, the facility will produce top-quality fresh meat products and improve stock availability for more than 450 Woolworths stores from northern NSW to Far North Queensland.

“We value our partnership with Woolworths and look forward to assisting in developing a faster and fresher supply of high-quality meat and value-added products.

“We also wish to acknowledge and thank both Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government for their support in commissioning our Heathwood site,” Mr McEntee said.

“It’s really pleasing to see our long-term supply relationship with Hilton Foods Australia underpin this important new investment and job creation in Queensland,” Woolworths Director of Fresh Food Paul Harker said.

“We’re fortunate to source our fresh meat from the best Australian producers, and it’s important we uphold the quality of their product from paddock to plate.

“The opening of this state-of-the-art facility in Heathwood will help us deliver a consistently great fresh meat offer.

“It will also improve stock availability for our Queensland customers each and every day.”

Inala State School to Trial the Free Pre-Kindy Learning Program in 2020

Inala State School is among the pilot QLD state schools to trial the free pre-kindy learning program for three-year-old children when it launches in 2020.

The $2.2-million KindyLinQ pilot program will be trialed across the state, Education Minister Grace Grace has announced, with an initial twenty five schools to trial the 12-month program in 2020 and an additional 15 schools to follow later that school year.

“For many, Kindy can initially be a daunting step-up and we want all our children to get a great start,” Ms Grace said.

“This 12-month, specially designed program will really help some of our very young Queenslanders develop the essential basic skills needed and get ready for school.

“KindyLinQ will act as a soft entry to kindy, encouraging parents and caregivers to actively participate in these play-based learning sessions with their child.

“We want families to access this fantastic program to build their confidence as their child’s first teacher and giving them vital tips that they can use at home.”

To deliver the program are the school principal, a qualified teacher and early years support coordinator. KindyLinQ sessions will be for at least six hours a week, which will include activities such as indoor and outdoor play, shared storytelling, music and rhymes.

The trial will be offered for free to families coming from the pilot locations. Parents may contact the school to know more about the program.

Apart from Inala State School, the following are the first batch of pilot state schools for the KindyLinQ:

Beaudesert State School
Camira SS
Carole Park SS
Coolnwynpin SS
Dunwich SS
Goodna SS
Kawungan SS
Kingston SS
Macleay Island SS
Minimbah SS
Weir SS
Yarrilee SS
Pialba SS
Pimpama State Primary College
Rainbow Beach SS
Richlands East SS
Rasmussen SS
Runcorn Heights SS
Russell Island SS
Sandy Strait SS
Silkstone SS
Torquay SS
Urangan Point SS
Yarrabilba SS

Legal, Youth and Family Services Organisations Find New Home at the New Inala Community Centre

The Hub Neighbourhood Centre moves into its new shared home with Inala Youth Service at the new Inala Community Centre, providing local residents access to legal, youth and family services under one roof.

The new, $4-million multi-purpose centre at 79 Poinsettia Street was formally opened by Premier and MP for Inala Annastacia Palaszczuk last 10 October 2019. The Inala Community Centre will be home to the IYS – Inala Youth Service and The Hub Neighbourhood Centre Inala accommodating up to 75 visitors each day.

About Inala Youth Service and the HUB Neighbourhood Centre Inala

The IYS – Inala Youth Service is an integrated full service support catering for the young people and families in the Greater Brisbane area. IYS has been operating for more than 30 years.

Inala Youth Service was formed originally as an organisation under the Youth Advocacy Centre Inc. in 1986, initially providing three-month housing options for youth and families. It was incorporated as Inala Youth Care Community Inc. in 1988 and started trading as Inala Youth Service in 2007.

Today, IYS provides an array of services to support the youth and families including:

School Support – provides assistance to local schools such as student welfare workers, youth support coordinators and chaplains
Specialist Housing Support – provides support to young people aged between 16 and 25 who are currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Community-Based Youth Support – program aimed at helping youth connect to positive family support, engage in education and /or employment, lead a healthy life that is free from violence, and have a safe and stable place to live.
The Hut – is a youth outreach centre which provides free activities, afternoon tea and a place for the youth to hang out after school.
VIETFAM – is IYS’s Vietnamese Families program assisting local Vietnamese families to help promote their children’s well being.

The Hub Neighbourhood Centre Inala started in 1986 with a vision to establish a drop in centre for the older members of the community where they could socialise and build relationships. The State Government donated a house for the organisation in 1989 and paved the way to the Hub Neighbourhood Centre. Over the years, the Centre has evolved into an information and referral service.

In 2015, the Hub Neighbourhood Centre Inala merged with South West Brisbane Community Legal Centre Inc., further broadening its services to include legal advice services and promotion of social justice in Inala and its surrounding suburbs.

Glenala State High School’s First-Ever Gladiator Colour Run at Inala Breaks Mental Health Stigma

The first-ever Gladiator Colour Run by Inala’s Glenala State High School happened on 10 October 2019, in an effort to break the stigma that surrounds discussion of mental health issues.

In celebration of Queensland’s Mental Health Week, school-based officer Senior Constable Paul Emr obtained grant and support from Glenala State High School, Heritage Bank Forest Lake, IYS – Inala Youth Service and Headspace Inala, to organise and offer a colour run event and other free Mental Health Week activities for students and staff.

At the colour run, the kids got to enjoy the chance to lather the police car in colour, whilst Senior Constable Emr participated alongside them.

With such great reviews from both staff and students, it is hoped that the Gladiator Colour Run will turn into a yearly activity at Glenala State High School.

Breaking Stigma Around Mental Health Issues

The day’s events were focused on highlighting staff and students’ mental health and wellbeing. The program started off with a special presentation from guest speaker Alistair Mitchell from LIVIN.

Alistair Mitchell — *Photo credit: Glenala State High School/ Facebook*

Alistair shared his personal experiences with the students of Glenala State High School to help them feel empowered in recognising and talking about their mental health.

Together with his team at LIVIN, Alistair expounded on breaking the stigma that surrounds different mental health issues today. The program’s slogan of “it ain’t weak to speak” resonated well with the students.

The program was followed by the much-awaited Glanala Gladiators Colour Run. A total number of 250 staff and students participated actively on this event. There was a high level of involvement and the colour was flying fast.

The Gladiator Colour Run ended with a free BBQ for all. It was indeed an amazing afternoon filled with fun and laughter by both students and staff of the Glenala State High School.

Shop, Mingle and Enjoy at the Forest Lake Twilight Markets this October

Since 2017, the fourth Saturday of the month has always been made special with the Twilight Markets set up by the southeast carpark area at Forest Lake Shopping Centre. The regular event will be underway again this Saturday, the 26th of Oct 2019, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Over 40 stallholders will set up shop at the Forest Lake Twilight Markets to offer unique goods, locally made items and interesting products. Here’s your chance to buy discounted and low-priced but quality stuff for yourself or to give to friends and family for Christmas.

Apart from shopping for produce, plants, fashion and lifestyle items, there will also be jumping castles for the kids, face paintin for the whole family, heaps of street food selections and live performances to keep the mood vibrant. There’s plenty to see and do at this market as you mingle with the locals or enjoy the food and music!

*Photo Credit: Forest Lake Community Market/Facebook*

Besides the stalls, Aldi, Coles and Woolworths will be open during the Twilight Markets for the convenience of shoppers. Some specialty stores within the shopping centre will be extending their trading hours to benefit the customers.

Since this is regular markets, locals who are interested in becoming a stallholder for future Forest Lake Twilight Markets may apply online. Watch out for the announcement of the three-month pre-bookings at discounted rates.

BCC Releases Forest Lake Management Plan, Range of Measures to Keep Lake Healthy Revealed

Council will invest in a long-term plan that will cost more than $1 million over two-and-a-half years, along with a range of other measures, as part of the Forest Lake management plan to address the ongoing issues affecting the lake.

A man-made wetland, Forest Lake was designed to improve water quality flowing into the Oxley Creek and provide recreational and visual amenity for the community. Over the last few years, however, the lake was beset with a number of environmental issues including blue-green algae growth; water weed salvinia growth; and the increasing population of ibis on Bird Island and other areas around the lake.

Developed by the Council’s expert working group, the Forest Lake Strategic Management Plan outlines the best evidence-based solutions for the lake. The lake management options are divided into four categories:

reducing nutrient levels (both those entering the lake and those already in the lake)
reducing light availability
recreating a more ‘plant-based’ lake system
potentially increasing water movement in the lake.

Council will invest more than $1 million, spread over two-and-a-half years, to implement the long-term program along with a range of other measures to improve the health of Forest Lake

The two-and-a-half-year program will implement measures to reduce the lake’s sediment and nutrient levels, as well as enhance the water movement:

Development of a strategic management plan for the long-term management of the lake.
Desilting the lake to remove large volumes of sediment and nutrient loads that have built-up over time.
Replanting with aquatic macrophytes to encourage the return from an algae-based system to a plant-based system.

Desilting and replanting activities is planned to be undertaken in April 2020 to late 2020.These activities will be undertaken along with ibis management program; salvinia weed harvesting; cleaning out litter traps upstream of the lake; and algae scum collection and disposal.

You can also do your part in keeping the Forest Lake healthy

Don’t feed the ducks or other animals – Uneaten food settles at the bottom of the lake, causing sediment build-up and algal blooms that impact the lake’s health.
Pick up after your dog – Over time, nutrients from droppings that were washed into the waterways cause build-up of algal blooms.
Stop other nutrients flowing into nearby waterways – Examples: Wash your car on the lawn, reduce fertiliser use, particularly before rain; and collect lawn clippings after mowing.

Council Outlines $1M Plan to Improve Water Quality in Forest Lake

Photo Credit: Enya2008/Wikimedia Commons

Earlier this year, Brisbane City Council announced it will allocate $1 million in its 2019 budget to address ibis infestation in Forest Lake. Now, BCC has come up with solutions to improve the health of the lake and has outlined them in the Forest Lake Strategic Management Plan.

In hopes of reducing algal blooms on Forest Lake and improve its ecosystem, BCC recommended the following solutions:

strategic rehabilitation within two of the inlet areas via de-silting,
immediate replanting in the inlet areas and in the deeper lake bed, where possible to assist with reducing nutrient levels in the sediment within those areas
ensure that there are macrophytes established to utilise available nutrients in the future
additional macrophyte planting more broadly across the open water areas of the lake, where possible, being designed in such a way that it achieves improved water quality outcomes

De-silting in areas of the lake is due to start in April 2020. It will be followed by replanting which is expected to be completed by late 2020.

Before coming up with a strategic management plan, BCC has undertaken water quality sampling and analysis as well as aquatic ecological assessment. The Council has been out on the lake with boats and sampling equipment since March 2019 to get a more in-depth understanding of the water quality.

It’s part of the Council’s existing efforts to manage Forest Lake, which already includes harvesting salvinia weed, running an ibis management program, cleaning out litter traps upstream of the lake, as well as collecting and disposing of algae scum.

The Strategic Management Plan was developed to identify future lake management options, recommend a lake monitoring plan, document the current condition of the lake, and document outcomes from the Forest Lake working group.

About the Lake

Forest Lake is an artificial lake originally designed to provide a recreational and visual amenity for the surrounding community, and to enhance the natural environment through the provision of habitat for flora and fauna.

The lake is clay lined, with concrete revetment edges, viewing platforms, access points and boulder edges. The volume of the lake is 272,000 cubic metres, with a 3.5 km hiking and biking trail.

Inala Celebrates New Life with its Annual ‘Welcoming the Babies’ Ceremony

Over a thousand families have been part of Inala’s “Welcoming the Babies” Ceremony since it started in 2008. A new batch will be experiencing the same honour and celebration this September.

Happening on Saturday, the 7th of Sept. 2019, the annual Welcoming the Babies Ceremony will take place at the Durack State School on Inala Avenue. From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the event hosted by the South West Progress Association will include an enlightening talk on the role of parents, grandparents, families and guardians in rearing the future members of the community.

Every new baby who has been registered to this event will be presented on stage with a certificate, a gift bag with a native plant, and a photo opportunity with esteemed locals like Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“I love this event, it’s a wonderful celebration of new life in my local community,” said Ms Palaszczuk.

*Photo Credit: South West Progress Association/Facebook*

This year’s celebration will have heaps of activities for the older kids to enjoy, such as jumping castle, face painting and pony rides. Carole Park Swimming Pool will be giving away free baby class vouchers and family swimming pool passes.

A pop-up library and a stall for parents’ education will also be mounted at the ceremony for the benefit of new mums and dads.

For enquiries about Welcoming the Babies ceremony, phone the secretariat at 0417702929.

Forest Lake Management Plan Released

Brisbane City Council has released a strategic management plan for Forest Lake, with over $1 million to be invested to address the issues affecting the lake.

Developed with the help of a group of experts including scientists and external water experts, the Forest Lake management plan looks to provide long-term solutions to improve the health of the lake for the sake of the community and the environment.

The management plan will be implemented in a span of two and a half years and should result in reduced algal blooms on Forest Lake and better health of the lake ecosystem.

LM @Schrinner: Today we are releasing a strategic management plan for Forest Lake, put together with the help of experts like Prof David Hamilton and Tony Weber. Through their expert advice, more than $1 million will be invested to improve this local destination. #qt #bnepol pic.twitter.com/dv5PW8zaDt
— Team Schrinner (@team_schrinner) August 20, 2019

Solutions and Outcomes of the Management Plan

Among the issues that will be addressed in the strategic management plan are the proliferation of blue-green algae, the growth of the highly invasive water weed salvina, and ibis population increase leading to stench issues and high nutrient levels in the lake.

Due to the complexity of the issues in the man-made lake, the council has formed a dedicated expert working group to make sure that the solutions are all based on expert advice.

The council’s experts also had the support of the likes of Professor David Hamilton, who serves as Deputy Director of the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University. Tony, Webster, a leading expert in the field of catchment modeling and water quality, also assisted in the creation of the Forest Lake management plan.

Investigation works started in March 2019, with the final strategic management and rehabilitation plan completed in July. With planning and design also completed, the council now moves to the next step of completing approvals, permits, procurement and tendering.

The actual desilting is expected to start sometime in April 2020, followed by replanting in the desilted zones.

To find out more about the Forest Lake management plan, contact

email the project team at cityprojects@brisbane.qld.gov.au
phone the project team on 1800 669 416 (during business hours)
phone Council’s Contact Centre on 07 3403 8888 (after hours).

Doolandella: Among the Most Affordable & Liveable Suburbs for Houses in Brisbane

Doolandella has made it to the list of Brisbane suburbs to look out for as far as being the most affordable and liveable suburbs, according to a recent property guide report.

The PRD affordable and liveable property guide provides an analysis of Brisbane LGA suburbs within 20km distance from the CBD using five criteria: property trends, investment, affordability, development, and liveability.

Video Credit: PRDnationwide Corporate / YouTube

Considering all the methodology criteria, Doolandella emerged as one of the affordable and liveable suburbs for houses, following Nudgee and Everton Park, with a median price of $490,000. Parkinson, Herston, and Wynnum West, on the other hand, are the most affordable and liveable suburbs for units.

Key findings in the 1st Half 2019 report indicated that the affordable and liveable suburbs are well distributed geographically, as opposed to the 2nd Half 2018 report where all the identified suburbs were from the northside.

Housing affordability in Queensland continued to decline, the report said, with the proportion of income needed to repay a home loan increasing by 28.1% over the past 12 months in Q4 2018. First home buyer loan activity decreased by 5.7% despite the number of first home buyers increasing by 13.4% over the same period.

Nevertheless, housing affordability in Brisbane property market seems to look brighter, as seen in the record jump in the percentage of available suburbs with a price range under $500,000, hitting a high of 42.4%.

Conversely, there have been sharp declines in the percentage of suburbs at $800,000 – $1 million (21.2% – 1st Half 2018) and $1 million – $2 million (11.1% – 1st Half 2018), dropping to 9.3% and 6.7% respectively in the 1st Half 2019 report.

Accessible suburbs by price range

Price Range	H1 2018 Report	H2 2018 Report	H1 2019 Report
$0 – $500,000	10.6%	12.4%	42.4%
$500,000 – $800,000	52.9%	51.4%	37.7%
$800,000 – $1M	21.2%	20.5%	9.3%
$1M – $2M	11.1%	12.4%	6.7%
$2M+	1.1%	0%	0.6%

Source: PRDnationwide

Note: Suburbs with $0 or N/A median price have been excluded, which may result in percentage sum not being 100%

Affordable and liveable suburbs four houses in Brisbane

Suburb	Median Price*	Price Growth	Rental Yield	Projects 2019**	Radial Distance
Nudgee	$627,000	7%	4%	$25M	13km
Everton Park	$602,00	0%	4%	$72.8M	10.8km
Doolandella	$490,000	0.7%	4.3%	$70M	17km

Source: PRDnationwide

*Median Price – sales transactions from 1 January 2018 – 31 March 2019

**Projects 2019 – based on aggregate of estimated construction value for residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and infrastructure projects scheduled to commence 1st half of 2019.

Affordable suburbs are those with a median price falling below the threshold, which is set by adding a premium (81% for houses and 17% for units) to the Qld average loan of $346,383 as of Q4 2018.

Liveable suburbs are low-crime-rate areas with available amenities such as schools, green space, public transport, shopping centres, and healthcare facilities within a 5km radius. Also, the unemployment rate in these locations should be on-par of below the state average.