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“Coffee With a Cop” Event at Forest Lake: Engaging With the Community to Promote Road Safety

Forest Lake locals had a chance to sit down and have a cup of “Coffee With a Cop” last 15 December 2018. The event was hosted by Inala Police and were supported by Police and Volunteers in Policing from Centenary Crime Prevention Unit, as well as Police Recruits from the Oxley Police Service Academy.

Highlighted during the event was “Operation Wake Up” — South Brisbane Police District initiative meant to reduce fatal and serious crashes through proactive traffic enforcement and community engagement and education.

*Photo Credit: myPolice Centenary / mypolice.qld.gov.au*

Held from 8 A.M until midday, the Coffee With a Cop event was attended by about 140 residents and some had the opportunity to chat with police at a local coffee shop, Simple Bliss. Inala Police volunteers and recruits provided road safety information and advice, and assistance on home and property security, as well personal security.

Anti-theft number plate screws were fitted, by the ViPs and Oxley Police Service Academy recruits, to over 50 vehicles. One-way screws help reduce number plate theft incidence — which is a serious concern to the police — not to mention the accompanied cost and inconvenience to the vehicle’s owner.

Some residents who were present during the event also took the opportunity to register their emails to the the Inala Crime Wrap, so they can receive updates and information about home and vehicle break and enters, as well as other community news and events.

About Operation Wake Up

Operation Wake Up, which will run for two months between November and December 2018, aims to reduce road fatalities on South Brisbane Roads.

Eighteen fatalities from car crashes across South Brisbane District have been recorded this year; in all cases, thoses crashes were preventable, said Acting Chief Superintendent Virginia Nelson during the launch of Operation Wake Up.

Operation Wake Up

Video Credit: Queensland Police Service / Facebook

Operation Wake Up will create visible police presence in and around South Brisbane District roads. A series of traffic enforcement activities have also been planned, as well as community engagement including attending local schools, social media campaign, and meeting with community groups and members.

New Free Outdoor Gyms at Richlands and Other Local Parks: Keeping Brisbane Residents Fit and Active

Brisbane City Council is encouraging everyone to keep fit and active with around 30 new free outdoor gyms that will be coming or already opened in local parks including a multi-use games arena at Richlands.

“Council is committed to delivering more lifestyle and leisure opportunities across the city through free public outdoor gyms and multi-use games arenas in Brisbane parks,” Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said.

There are already around 20 parks that have been installed with fitness equipments, including large outdoor gyms, since 2016. These facilities are located at CJ Greenfield Park in Richlands, Grinstead Park in Alderley, Nixon Park in Moorooka, Robinson Park in Tingalpa, and Perrin Park in Toowong.

“With our enviable weather, it’s no wonder that people want to do more in the outdoors and Council’s outdoor gyms are providing an affordable and convenient alternative to traditional gym memberships,” LM Quirk said.

Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council/flickr.com/photos/brisbanecitycouncil

The Council is investing $5 million in “modern outdoor exercise equipment to help residents live healthy and active lifestyles.”

These outdoor gyms combine cardio and strength equipment suitable for any fitness-level to help people achieve their fitness goals. Equipment that residents can use include: cross-trainers, treadmills, hand bikes, lateral pull down, shoulder press equipment, leg press, and oblique equipment.

The courts, on the other hand, are fully fenced with line marking for five-a-side soccer, basketball, or netball. These multi-use games arenas were already built at Richlands, Alderley, Moorooka, Toowong and Tingalpa. Other parks to have these kind of facilities soon are Ferny Grove, Zillmere, Kangaroo Point, Runcorn, and Holland Park.

So far, more than 130 of Brisbane City Council parks have been installed with exercise equipment that are free to use. Facilities range from simple and static equipment to movable and interactive equipment for cardio and resistance training including rowing and stepping machines.

Cr Quirk said that fitness equipment will be installed at 10 more locations over the coming 18 months.

The Forest Lake Boardwalk Undergoes Rehabilitation

The Forest Lake Boardwalk will undergo rehabilitation works beginning 21 November and should be completed, weather permitting, by 14 December, as announced by the Brisbane City Council.

For three weeks, the boardwalk (B9791) at the the Lake Parklands in Forest Lake in front of the Amphitheatre will be closed. Rehabilitation works include the replacement of the deteriorated timber components.

The rehabilitation works is scheduled to be done Monday to Friday from 7:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. However, should there be a need for these hours to be extended, residents will be notified in advance.

Residents are also advised of the following inconveniences while the rehabilitation works are underway:

A Construction compound
Noise during work hours
Closure of view deck
About The Lake Parklands, Forest Lake

The Lake Parklands is a scenic picnic and playground spot in Forest Lake that offers families a place to picnic, bike, canoe, or to just simply walk and admire the greenery and the beauty of the Lake. It is also home to some wildlife such as swans, turtles, and pelicans.

The Lake is around 2.5 kilometres in circumference or about 45 minutes walk. So, it is a great spot to run or do just about any workout routine.

Features facilities of The Lake Parklands:

Accessible toilet
Electric barbecue
booking sites
car park situated at Seabrook Crescent, Alexandrina Circuit, The Esplanade (Jetty Walk), Forest Lake Boulevard, and Freshwater Circuit
fitness station (The Esplanade)
fitness trail (Alexandrina Circuit, Lakeside Crescent)
path and bikeway network (Forest Lake Circuit)
picnic area at the Freshwater Circuit, The Esplanade (Jetty Walk), and Alexandrina Circuit
playground located at the Freshwater Circuit, Grand Avenue, Ibis Circuit, The Esplanade (Jetty Walk), and Wivenhoe Circuit
public toilet (Forest Lake Boulevard)
shared pathway (Forest Lake South, Forest Lake Boulevard)
tennis court and basketball half court (Ibis Circuit)
wi-fi

Forest Lake Councillor Urges QUT Students to Design Better Barbecue Facilities

Brisbane parks may soon be getting more hygienic and Brisbane climate appropriate barbecue facilities designed by a QUT industrial design student, after Forest Lake Councillor pushed for a better version of these barbecues.

The Council is encouraging QUT students to submit entries for new barbecue design offering a $2,000 prize for the best design. This comes after Councillor Charles Strunk called for the upgrade of barbecues at Brisbane parks. Currently, 20 percent of the 200 barbecues are still of the wood fired kind. However, even the electric and gas heated ones are also unsatisfactory to him.

“Looking forward to working with our very bright university students to deliver better BBQ’s for our community. I’m delighted as the local Councillor to have initiated such a wonderful opportunity and project,” Cr Strunk said on his Facebook post.

Councillor Strunk’s proposal was sparked by Brisbane City Council Environment, Parks and Sustainability Chairman David McLachlan’s comment that the public should be cleaning up after using the barbecue facilities. Cr McLachlan said that barbecue cleaning costs for over than 100,000 barbecue plates is more than $320,000 annually.

Cr Strunk instead suggested that Council should look for practical solutions. He said that the new barbecues are still following the old design which are not suited for Brisbane’s subtropical climate. The design also does not promote and maintain good public hygiene as the open plates tend to be easily contaminated, according to Cr Strunk. “Brisbane City’s barbecues are anything but sizzling,” he added.

Aside from being practical and national standard compliant, Cr Strunk wants the barbecue new design to have its heating adjustable, have an auxiliary heat source, and have a water source.
The cost associated with the plan, including the development of teaching materials for the design course, is about $8,000.

Forest Lake Pushes for the Trial of the Stormwater Drainpipe Net

To address the litter problems in Forest Lake, Councillor Charles Strunk is calling for the trial of the stormwater drainpipe net that will help prevent rubbish from flowing into the lake.

Net Success In Western Australia

The City of Kwinana in Perth was the first one to try the drainage nets at Henly Reserve. The net, which costs $20,000 each, was placed on the outlet of two drainage pipes located between residential and natural areas.

They installed two nets in March 2018 and by August, they managed to collect 370 kilograms of debris. The city shared its success on their Facebook page, which garnered positive feedback and has reached over 2 million people.

The net is designed to prevent solid waste and gross pollutants from getting into nature reserves.

Reaching Queensland

The success of the net quickly spread that even Bayside councillors called for a trial of the nets. However, Brisbane City Council said that not all councillors are on-board and mentioned the already set up pollutant traps across the city. There are also drainage nets in sites across the city specifically at the Walton Bridge in The Gap.

Currently, Cr Strunk continues to make the suburb litter-free through the Forest Lake Litter Clean-Up team of volunteers. Earlier this month, the team collected numerous bread clips around the area.

Should the trial of the net be approved by the council, Cr Strunk aims to place it on top of the Forest lake cascades.

Forest Lake Housing Market Continues to Grow, Median Price Reaches $440K

The REIQ recently reported the latest housing market statistics which showed Forest Lake median house price hitting $440,000, up 1.1% over the last 12 months and 15.8% over the last 5 years. In the 2nd quarter of 2018, there were 92 homes sold in the suburb.

“Overall the market in Forest Lake has performed exceptionally well in the last 20 years producing an average capital growth of 13% p.a.,” said Leisa Le of AP Realty.

“Contrary to popular belief the small lot Cottages and Villas have outperformed many of the homes on larger allotments as seen below.”

“During the past year the median price is up 2% (now $440k) representing a mix of 3 Bedroom homes at $372k and 4 Bedroom at $492k, Ms Le said.

“The median house price is essentially the sale price of the middle home in a list of sales where the sales are arranged in order from lowest to highest price. So in a list of 11 sales, it would be the sale price of house number 6, which has 5 lower priced sales below it and 5 higher priced sales above it.

“The Forest Lake market has a lot of stock at similar prices, so you don’t get the volatility in the median pricing that you do in smaller markets.

“The number of Days on the Market is currently 52, which is down from 63 one year ago, a sign that the market is becoming tighter.

“The average discounting (sell price on list price) is 3.5% – again quite low when compared to recent years. Investors (local and interstate) are attracted to the local market which is now regarded as a “middle-ring” suburb. We are predicting strong growth for the next 2-3 years as the southern markets contract.”

Jetty Walk Village in Forest Lake Calls For Rezoning

Since last year, Forest Lake residents have been very active in opposing several residential developments in the area. Amidst the protests against the Brisbane City Council and the developers, Cr Charles Strunk has initiated a call for Council to come up with an area rezoning.

Development Woes

One of the most recent developments that elicited protests from the local community is the eight-storey development at 5 The Esplanade. Residents point out that the project does not meet the area’s zoning requirements. Submissions enumerate that the style, visual design, and the bulk of the building clashes with the landscape of the suburb. It also obstructs the lake view of the residents living in the south.

Residents also think that the development will cause traffic congestion and an increase in on-street parking.

Precinct Rezoning

Jetty Walk Village residents have been enjoined to launch a petition asking for the council to rezone the area to low density.

Specifically, the Council is being asked to make changes to the Forest Lake Neighbourhood Plan.

Currently, the area is zoned as medium density, which allows buildings of up to five storeys. Residents have been quick to point out the proposed development at 5 The Esplanade is an 8-storey retirement apartment, so it exceeds even the current zoning.

The precinct is filled with homes that are not higher than two storeys, which is why higher developments in the area are often met with protests from the residents.

Free Four-Hour Use Of The Forest Lake Community Hall In September

The Forest Lake Community Hall has been an integral part of the community as it provides indoor space for community gatherings as well as private functions. This month, the Brisbane City Council is giving those who will book it for a function the first four hours free.

The hall in Forest Lake looks very contemporary having been recently built in 2016. It is located at 60 College Avenue. The hall has a hall space and a balcony that can accommodate over 100 people. It also features a large meeting room, bathroom amenities, storage and kitchen facilities.

The terms and conditions for hiring the hall are:

Event/function must be for a not-for-profit organisation or individual hirer (commercial organisations not eligible)
Clients must provide feedback
Functions longer than four hours must be billed the additional time
Additional fees for the use of AV equipment, kitchen facilities, and security
Limited to one free booking per client

Upon the opening of the $2-million hall on 16 January in 2016, it faced controversy following its unfinished loos that residents posted on social media. A council spokesperson explained then that work on the hall was still underway on the open day.

For more information, you can call 07 3407 0811.

Forest Lake Being Monitored After Recent Fish Kill of Unknown Cause

Earlier this month, Forest Lake’s tilapia population took a significant hit after significant quantities of tilapia were seen floating dead in the water, contributing to the putrid smell emanating from the area.

A massive clean up has been done but the investigation as to how these fish died still continues.

Councillor Charles Strunk of the Forest Lake ward said that the Brisbane City Council has done a number of tests on the water quality. There is a strong suspicion that a large drop in temperature could have caused the tilapia to die.

Public Reaction

However, Pest Fishing Adventures (PFA) and the residents of the suburb are not convinced. They think that the health of the lake is also a big consideration. Although considered a pest fish, it is still important to know the cause of the fish kill in order to monitor the health of the lake and help maintain the ecological balance in the lake area.

In fact, following the incident, PFA is calling for the council to put more focus on tilapia. They also said that the city needs more organisations to get involved in raising awareness and removing this type of pest fish.

What The Council Is Doing

For now, Cr Strunk announced that the council will have someone visit the lake daily to properly monitor the situation.

The council classifies tilapia as a noxious fish. They have implemented a management strategy to manage this by:

Spreading awareness about the impacts of pest fish on the natural environment and managing them
Educating the local communities on the risks pest fish brings to the native biodiversity
Providing support to research into biological controls and new innovations to manage pest fish
Containing pest fish and preventing them infiltrating other bodies of water
Managing pest fish by reducing the population density of established species where possible

Grand Avenue State School Ekka Fun Day Is Here Again!

On 15 August, bring the whole family with you to the Grand Avenue State School Ekka Fun Day. Starting at 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the school, you are in for a lot of fun activities and entertainment.

It’s not an Ekka Fun Day without the rides such as the Kamikaze, Dodgems, and the Hurricane MK1. You can now get your tickets here.

Photo credit: Grand Avenue State School Ekka Fun Day / Facebook

Hungerball Brisbane will also be there for the kids and they will surely have a lot of fun. Aside from that, there are also plenty of activities that adults and kids can participate in.

There’s a long line-up of food stalls at the event:

That Greek Truck
Mr America Hotdogs and Fries
i heat calamari
Roam’In Pizza-Woodfired Pizza
keys Mini Pancakes
Potato Twisters
Quality Turkish Food
Zoe’s Brownies – North Brisbane
Churros de Oro
Burman’s Bronuts
Luv a Cookie
Popcorn Man

Entry to the event is FREE.

Address: Grand Avenue State School, Centennial Way & Grand Avenue, Forest Lake QLD 4078, Australia