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Local Disapproves of Tree Felling in Forest Lake

Some Forest Lake residents are expressing their disapproval against the Brisbane City Council’s tree-felling plans. They are saying that the trees that are to be removed are native trees and they don’t look like they pose any threats to merit their removal.

Trees marked with a blue “R” are prevalent in the suburb, which means an arborist confirmed indicated removal. A local who lived by the lake voiced out his concerns and said that he has never had problems with the trees that have been marked. He also thinks a simple removal of dead or protruding limbs or trees that really show signs or rot will suffice but most of the marked trees are in pretty good condition.

The council couldn’t confirm the number of trees that will likely be removed, but reports indicate that at least two dozen around the lake have been marked.

The unnamed local also pointed out that marking the trees are vandalism. A council spokeswoman said that that investigation of the trees are ongoing in the area following complaints from residents about the trees in the suburb that are impacting their properties adversely and posing safety risks for parkland visitors. In turn, the arborists were deployed to inspect the trees in the area. Some of the marked trees are subjected for further investigation.

There is no confirmation yet whether the council will replace the trees that are to be removed in the area. According to current procedure and guidelines, there is a one-for-one replacement policy for the removal of hazardous trees.

Forest Lake & Other Southeast Brisbane Suburbs Likely To Take a Beating From Summer Storms

Queensland is on its wettest October on record yet and the abominable rainfall is set to continue. It’s only the start of the wet season in the state but some towns are already experiencing horrific summer storms. Southeast Brisbane is the most affected region, and this includes Forest Lake.

According to the recent National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) data, the southeast Brisbane area such as Cleveland, Belmont and Capalaba were the most affected region in the state last financial year. Reports show that close to half of home claims in the state last year were related to storm damage.

Five most storm-affected suburbs in Brisbane

Forest Lake
Capalaba
The Gap
Carindale
Chapel Hill

Forest Lake is also included in the top five most storm-affected towns and suburbs in Queensland along with Proserpine (1st), Cannonvale (2nd), Mudgeeraba (3rd), and Capalaba (5th).

In the wake of cyclone Debbie, the suburb also had a high amount of fallen debris and trees.

Although severe weather is no longer new to Brisbane, the Brisbane City Council continues to work hard to ensure plans and resources are in place. This includes making sure that the communities are prepared for the quick recovery of the city when storms or other disasters hit.

In fact, the council has a communication campaign called “Be Prepared” that informs communities on preparing for severe weather, This promotes public awareness of the council’s online tools such as their severe weather Early Warning Alert Service and Flood Awareness Maps.

An All Hazards Disaster Management Plan is also in place that outlines prevention, preparation, response and recovery arrangements in the communities. You can view more about these guidelines here.

Ibis Takes Over Forest Lake

The ibis belongs to one of Australia’s protected species. In the south of Brisbane, specifically in Forest Lake, there is a huge number of them in the suburb’s Bird Island — to the point that they have caused damage to the area.

Due to the thousands of Ibis that have taken residence in the area, Bird Island is now also known as “Bin Chicken Island.” However, despite the jokes about the island, some residents are not happy with how these birds are causing havoc to the area. Trees have been stripped of leaves, leaving other birds with no place to live.

Not surprisingly, bird droppings have also caused an unpleasant smell around the area. Locals who frequently walk by the area have started to avoid it because it has become such an eyesore and the smell can sometimes be too overpowering.

A popular theory as to why these birds have taken refuge in the area is because of the high number of people who feed the lake’s ducks and swans with bread. There have even been sightings of people throwing as much as an entire loaf of bread for the birds. With that amount of food available, a lot of birds, including ibis, have been conditioned to stick around.

The Brisbane City Council is aware of the ibis problem. They are now closely monitoring the growing population of ibis in the suburb. They have also started to implement some rules, such as reducing food sources and installation of signages that warn visitors not to feed the birds. Cleansing of picnic areas has already begun as well.

Other efforts being done by the Council that are also applicable to other suburbs are the installation of covered ibis-proof litter bins, implementation of a bird management program in problem urban areas, and adopting a coordinated approach to ibis management with other councils in the city.

BCC also urges residents to make an effort to contribute to the reduction of the numbers of ibis in their properties. The guidelines to follow are listed here.

Forest Lake Resident Renews Call For Removal of Toll at the Logan Motorway, Transurban Queensland Bares New Plans for Improvement

A Forest Lake resident has renewed the call for tolls to be removed from the Logan Motorway. Residents are demanding the removal of the toll because motorists are clogging up residential streets in the area just to avoid paying it.

To make things worse, the toll increased by 5c and now many motorists are using Forest Lake Boulevard to avoid paying. Congestion has become worse, even posing a risk to children playing in the streets.

This is not the first plea regarding the removal of the Logan Motorway toll. Former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale also called for the removal of the toll in April, a move which gained plenty of support.

However, it seems that the toll at the motorway in not likely to be be gone until 2051, much longer than the original plan, which supposedly would only last until next year. This development follows after a set of complex and expensive ownership shuffles, which privatised the motorway in 2011.

Just this June, the $512 million Logan Enhancement Project started, which involves the upgrading of the Logan and Gateway Extension motorways to help improve congestion and safety.

The motorway tolls are managed by Transurban Queensland. They have recently come up with a new idea to lessen the traffic in motorways through express lanes. Toll fees will fluctuate depending on the hour, with different rates for peak and non-peak hours, giving motorists the option to take a faster route depending on their preference.

Forest Lake Is One of The Leading Suburbs With High Cases of Illegal Dumping

Illegal dumping in Brisbane has become a prevalent problem in several suburbs over the years. In the financial year of 2016-2017, the Brisbane City Council has tallied 900 reports of illegal dumping in its various areas. Household furniture are being illegally dumped on the side of the road and in bushlands. Although 900 is less than last year’s 1,450, it is still quite a high number.

This year, Forest Lake has had 22 reports of illegal dumping. Runcorn and Inala received the most complaints with both having 27 reports.

Council Tries to Resolve Illegal Dumping Through…

To resolve the issue, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said that portable surveillance cameras are being introduced in several suburbs to catch the dumpers red-handed. Last year, more surveillance cameras were installed.

Illegal dumpers will be fined if caught in the act.

The council also holds annual kerbside collections to help households get rid of their unwanted items. The next Kerbside collection for Forest Lake is next year, on the 18th of June.

Aside from the surveillance cameras, the council also holds waste reduction services for general household items on a weekly and household recyclables are collected fortnightly. You can view the acceptable items that the council picks up on bin collection days here.

To report illegal dumping in your area, you can fill up the form found here.

The Forest Lake Community Market Is Always Worth the Wait

The Sunday market in Forest Lake comes to locals on a monthly basis, and it’s totally worth the wait.

The next Sunday market will be on 17 September at 8:00 a.m. on High Street. Don’t miss out this event because there is going to be a whopping line-up of 60+ stalls waiting for you.

Photo credit: Forest Lake Community Market / Facebook

There are so many things to see here. Whether you’re looking for things for your home, or something to wear for that upcoming date night with someone special, or you just want something to feed your brain, you can find all of these here.

This once-a-month Sunday market also offers free children’s activities such as an Animal Petting Zoo and an animal castle! There are more fun activities for your kids that will keep them preoccupied whilst you roam around to shop.

Of course, it won’t be a Sunday market without some entertainment. Local singers come by to provide some soothing music or upbeat tunes whilst everybody enjoys the Sunday at the market.

You can check out their Facebook page here to keep updated on the upcoming activities.

Grand Avenue State School Promises a Bigger Ekka Fun Day This Year in Forest Lake

On 16 August from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Forest Lake residents and nearby suburbs are in for loads of fun and excitement as Grand Avenue State School celebrates Ekka Fun Day. This year’s fun day is meant to be bigger and better than the previous one.

There are going to be amazing rides such as the Super Whizzer, Let’s Dance, Dodgem Cars, Round Up, and many more. You can now purchase your ultimate ride passes through Flexischools.

Photo credit: Grand Avenue S.S Ekka Fun Day / Facebook

Make sure that you fuel yourself to enjoy the whole day by grabbing a bite from the rows of food stalls lined up on that day. Grab a steaming cup of joe at The Rich Pour, Coffee. Pair it up with some delicious and fluffy pancakes from Joeys Mini Pancakes. Stroll around with a bucket of popcorn from The Popcorn Man. And make sure that you refresh with some Cool info Snowcones.

If you’re in for some shopping and great finds, choose from a wide selection of scarves from I Love Scarves and there are also some jewelry from Louises Cards & Jewelry. There is a selection of great toys from Melrox Toys as well for your little ones.

There are also family amusement games that you can enjoy with the family. If you’re feeling more adventurous, why don’t you get a henna tattoo?

Your kids will also enjoy the Animal Farm where they can engage with friendly four-legged creatures and even ride the cutest ponies!

Entry to the event is free.

Forest Lake Shows a Huge Spike in Graffiti

Whether you count it as contemporary art or urban eyesore, graffiti in Brisbane is on the upswing and that includes the once tidy suburb of Forest Lake.

Between 2009 and 2016, there has been a decline in graffiti tags in Brisbane and its suburbs but a sudden spike in 2016 and 2017 has broken the downtrend. The Brisbane City Council recorded that over the past two years, inner-city suburbs and other suburbs such as Forest Lake, Fortitude Valley, and Greenslopes have recorded a rise in graffiti.

An Eyesore for the Council

The Council sees these tags as an eyesore. They have funded $3 million per year for the prevention and removal of graffiti. The next three years have an even bigger budget with an additional $500,000 to allocate for the review and upgrade of the graffiti intelligence system that they use.

Matthew Bourke, the Council’s Lifestyle and Community Services Chairman, revealed that there were 119 offenders with 3774 graffiti charges last year. In light of this, they are now putting a graffiti vandals on notice, and people caught will be charged. They also have 11 dedicated removal crews to monitor over 400 graffiti hot spots in the city.

Spotless No More?

For the suburb of Forest Lake, this came as quite a surprise. In 2010, it was named the city’s tidiest suburb during the Spotless Suburb competition in partnership with Keep Australia Beautiful. The suburb was a clear winner when it came to litter and graffiti control as well as environmental awareness.

Still, Forest Lake residents have been very proactive in reporting graffiti in the area. With their efforts, it may not be long until we see the suburb graffiti-free and a tough competition for others as the most Spotless Suburb of the year.

Celebrate Shannon’s Colourful Life and Brave Breast Cancer Journey @ Forest Lake Hotel

If you are looking for an enjoyable evening spent doing something for a worthy cause, mark your calendars for the 26th of July, Wednesday, next week. Forest Lake Hotel’s Woodfires restaurant will be the venue for “The Colourful Life of Shannon”, a trivia night to celebrate Shannon Knapp’s brave “journey from breast cancer.” The evening will be a fun charity event, the proceeds of which will be used to help Ms Knapp as she continues on her brave journey to recovery.

Attendees are requested to be in bright and colourful attires to match the event theme and title. A special prize will be awarded for the person with the best wig. With competition, trivia, raffles, face painting for kids, and a sumptuous special dinner, this charity night promises not to be a boring event!

The event will start at 6:00 p.m. with the evening’s host giving a welcome speech. A trivia session will run from 7:00 p.m. to late night. Meanwhile, drawing of raffles will be done prior to starting the trivia session, during its break, and after the end.

Forest Lake Hotel — *Photo Credit: Shannon Knapp/Facebook*

Attendees will enjoy a list of highly-recommended specials per table. The three-course menu is priced at $35. Proceeds from each order will be given to the charity night’s worthwhile cause.

The set menu for the entrée includes Satay chicken skewers with steamed rice and smothered in Satay sauce or wild mushroom Arancini balls with lime aioli. For the main course, there is a choice of either oven-baked chicken breast, stuffed with avocado and brie, served with sweet potato stack, steamed broccolini, and rosemary jus or Mediterranean vegetable stack with sweet potato crisps. As for the dessert, you can choose Vanilla Crème Brulee with Chantilly cream and strawberry garnish or home-made chocolate brownie with Vanilla ice cream.

The Forest Lake Hotel is conveniently situated at 245 Forest Lake Boulevard. For inquiries and bookings, call on (+61) 7 3278 7444 or send an email to forest.lake.tavern@alhgroup.com.au.

Click here to RSVP for the event.

Forest Lake Launches Voluntary CCTV Program to Keep Community Safe

As part of its effort to reduce crime incidence in the neighbourhood, Forest Lake will be the first Brisbane suburb to implement the Community Camera Alliance program of Queensland Police Service (QPS).

Community Camera Alliance is an initiative by the QPS to allow Forest Lake residents to take part in safeguarding the community.

Under the program, the police will have access to a greater number of closed circuit television (CCTV) systems to help them solve crimes and ultimately prevent criminal activities in the suburb.

How It Works

The Community Camera Alliance allows the police to get more eyes on the scene with the help of registered CCTVs.

Any resident or business who owns a CCTV can join the program by registering their CCTV system with QPS. Police with then get access to footages from these CCTVs in case they will need them for their investigative work.

Investigators have used CCTVs from private individuals and businesses in the past. However, it is time-consuming and resource intensive to locate security cameras. With private CCTVs registered, the police can easily find the necessary cameras they will need for crucial investigations.

Photo credit: Queensland Police Service/Facebook

If the police see that a registered security camera can be helpful in an investigation, they will contact the owner to ask for help. CCTV footages may also be used for court procedures.

Participants in the program can rest assured that the information they have provided during registration will be kept secure.

In case the CCTV owner decides to be de-register, they can do by notifying QPS.

Registration

To jumpstart the program, QPS is working with the Salvation Army and the Forest Lake Community Safety Working Group for Village Connect. Village Connect will be a gathering of Forest Lake residents to discuss the voluntary CCTV registration program. Officers from the Centenary patrol will be on hand to explain the program.

Village Connect will be held on Saturday, 15 July 2017, starting 2:00 p.m., at the Claremont Parade Park, Forest Park. Initial registration of private CCTV systems for Community Camera Alliance will be held on that day.

The Community Camera Alliance program is already in place in Mackay. Find out more about the Mackay program here.